Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-23
DR. RIKER'S SERMON
DELIVER Ed AT TIE FOURTH STREET u.
CHURCH LAST EVENING.
An Interesting Discourse Given in Subs'sncs-Er-
eyclieal Letter From the Pops-Ssryiess at
the Peoples Tabernacle.

last night, the pastor, Rev. DR.. A. b.
Riker, addressed large congregation,
selecting for the subject of his dis
course "The Wisdom of Following an
Iniallible Guide"
DR.. Rlker took his text from Isaiah.
"As the heavens are high ABOVE the
earth so are my thoughts high above
yours" etc. 1t is great comfort, he
said, when the inner self as
serts its Immortality, to feel that
God has planned and purpossd. When
the soul rises 10 its lofty height and be-
gins 10 have cognizance OF its i'm
morality, il must be comfort 10 know
that God thinks about IL. We have q
Father, who has created the whole
universe. lie holds it In his hand to-
night, and it is said OF the stars that
not one paleth. He holds them In his
hands by the might OF his power. God
loves He has thought OF us, and has
a purpose In which we are involved.
God undertakes to reason with US, to
lift our thoughts to higher things. So
in the words Of the text, He compares
us with Himself. Study the comparison
q moment and endeaVor to get proper
conception OF it. ''As the heavens are
high above the earth so are my thoughts
above yours" AS high as the heavens
above the earth A few hours ago the
sun set behind western hills, yet we saw
it eight minutes after IL went Gown. 1t
actually took eight minutes for the light
to reach us, for the sun is ninety-two
million miles away. The nearest fixed
star In the heavens is still further
away. Light, speeding seven and one
half times around the world in one
second, requires three and one half
years TO reach the earth from the North
star. "As the heavens are high above
the earth, so are my thoughts above
yours" This is not extravagant. Be
yond all stretch Of the Imagination is
Gods thought.
God sees in the whole wealth of his
creation wondrous possibilities. Yet
He tells us we are worthy OF destiny
that shall outshine the stars. Knowing
that His thoughts are infinitely beyond
our comprehension, He comes to US In
the attitude Of father and says-put
yourself In my hands, and Twill work
out your destiny. He appeals to us to
submit TO Him In His infinite love, and
acQuiesce in His purposes. Man should
fall on his face before such won
derful condescension. 1t seems,
il 1t may be said reverently, that He
comes as a merchant and stands az the
Ill - 10 Ful
and asking us to buy. How be pleads
with US that we shall look into the re-
cesses OF His word, and the recesses OF
His nature, and then take what he has
for US. His thought is involved In our
giving ourselves to Him, that He may
put His stamp upon US, and then re-
veal his glory through the endless
ages 10 come.
A rough bar OF iron ore lies upon the
ground, and mind comes along, puts
the ore into furnace, then through
different processes, until 10 flashes W
the new edge Of q razor, or does SER
vice as the hairsprDg OF watch. The
mind can see in that stone such posi-
blltles as that. II man can take a rough
stone, and do such marvels with 1t,
what will God do with an i'm
mortal spirit, II He has His
way. We think OF the Attachments dur
ing few years OF life, and then the
lying down to die. God thinks Of you
when you are million years old. He
conceives OF you In ages yet unborn.
He invites you back into the fellowship
OF what is pure, that he may work out
His whole thought upon your soul, and
mind, and character.
With the man who accepts this invl-
tation, God begins the work at once.
We see many evidences OF II. God
giyss us in the earnest OF His inten-
tions the foretaste OF heaven here on
earth. II you give yourself 10 God
Jesus Christ will stand out in all His
colossal proportions as you never saw
him before. Your doubts Will be re-
moved and the great truths OF the Cos
will dawn upon you.
DR.. Rlker spoke eloquently OF the
heroism OF the Christian woman who
died in the awful railroad accident at
Battle Creek. Mich, last week. He
then dwelt upon the results Of refusal
to ioln ourselves TO Christ, and closed
with an eloquent appeal to the congre-
CATION to place themselves In Gods
Gnds.