Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-11-27

Christ, that instant Is lustration. eman-
cipation, resurrection. Up TO that
point he is going in the wrong direc-
ton; after that point he is going In the
right direction. Before that moment
he is a child of sin; after that moment
he is child of,God.
BEFORE THAT MOMENT
deVouring the prey; after that moment
dividing the spoil. Five minutes is as
good as five years. My nearer, you
know very well that the best things you
have done you have done In a hash.
You made up your mind in an instant
to buy, or to sell, or to invest, or TO
stop, or to start. If yon had missed
that one chance, you would have missed
it forever. Now just as preclpitate, ana
quick, and spontaneous will be the ran
som Of your soul. Some morning you
were making calculation, You got
on the track Of some financial or social
game. With your pen or pencil you
were pursuing it. That very morning
you were devouring the prey; bat that
very night you were in different mood.
You found that all heaven was offered
YOU. You wondered how you could get
it for yourself and for your family.
You wondered what resources it would
give you now and hereafter. You are
dividing peace, and comfort, and salts
faction, and Christian reward In your
soul. You are dividing the spoil.
One Sabbath night, at the close OF the
-o-,rfoo I cold 70 cNun rNnraODs. ttWhQn
did you first become serious about your
soul?" And they told me: Tonight"
And 1 said to others: "When did you
give your heart to God?" And they
said: Tonight" And l said to still
others: when did you resolve to serve
the Lord all the DAYS Of your life?
Aud they said: Tonight" saw by
the gayety of their apparel that, when
the grace of God struck them they were
devouring the prey; but l saw also, in
the flood of joyful tears, aud in the
kindling raptures on their brow, and la
their exhilarant and transporting utter
ances, that they were dividing the spoil.
III YOU have been in this building when
the lights are struck at night, you know
that with one touch of electricity they
are all bazed. Oh, would to God that
the darkness Of your souls might be
broken up, and that by one quick, over
whelming instantaneous fash of illum-
nation, you might be brought into
the light and the liberty of the sons OF
God!
YOU SEE THAT RELIGION
is a different thing from what some OF
you people supposed. You thought it
was decadence; you thought religion
was maceration; you thought 1t was
highway robbery; that it struck one
down and left him half dead; that it
plucked out the eyes; that it plucked
out the pumes of the soul; that it
broke the wing and crushed the beak
as IL came clawing with it's black talons
through the air. No, that is not reli-
gion. What is religion? II is dividing
the Spons. 1t is taking defencelesS
soul aud panoplying it for eternal con-
quest. 1t is the distribution OF prizes
by the Kings hand, every medal
stamped with a coronation. 1t is an
exhilaration, an expansion. 1t is i'm
pa-adlsatiUn. Ii is enforcement Re-
ligion makes a man master Of earth, OF
death, and hell. 1t goes forth to
gather the medals Of victory won by
Prince Emanuel, AID the disdemS
OF heaven and the glOries OF realms
terrestrial, and celestial, and then, after
ranging all worlds for everything that
is resplendent, 1t divides the spoil.
What was it that James Turner, the IA
nous English evangelist was doing
when in his dying moments be said:
"ChriSt is all! Christ is all! Why, be
was entering into light; he was round
ing the Cape OF Good Hope; he was di-
viding the spoil. What was the aged
Christian Quakeress doing when at
eighty years of age she arose il the
meeting one day and said 1.-THE time
of my departure is come. My grave
clothes are falling OFF," She was d.
viding the spoil.
She Ions Jed with wings to 6y away,
And mix with that eternal day.
What is Daniel now doing, the lion
tanner? and Elijah who was drawn by
the flaming coursers? and Paul, the
rafting of whose chains made kings
Quake? and all the other victims of
flood, and fire, and wreck, and guillo-
tine-where are they?
DIVIDING THE SPOIL.
Ten thousand times ten thousand,
In sparkling raiment bright.
The armies OF the rAnsomed saints
ThrJug up tue sleeps OF light.
IT'S finished, all is finished,
Their fght with death and sinl
Lit high your golden gates,
And let the vlctors in.
Oh, what a grand thing it Is to be a
Christian! We begin now to divide the
spoil, but the distribution will not be
completed TO all eternity. There is
soul, there is business
despoied soul, there is a sin-struck
soul, there is a beTeaved soul-why do
YOU not come and get the spoils of
Christian character, the comfort, the
ioy, the peace, the salvation that l am
sent to offer you in my Masters name?
your knees knock together in
weakness, though your hand tremble In
fear, though your eyes rain tears OF
weeping-come and get
the spoils. Rest for the weary. Par
don for the weary. Pardon for all the
guilty. Labor for all the bestormed.
Life Tor all the dead. Iverily believe
that there are some who have come in
here downcaSt because the world is
against them, and because they feel God
is against them, who will go away,
saying:
came to Jesus Gs was
We ry and worn snd sad;
found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
Though you came in children Of the
world, you may 90 away heirs Of heaven.
this very autumnal morning
YOU were devourng the prey, now, ali
worlds witnessing, you may divide the
spoil.