Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-12-07

had missed that one chance, you would
have missed it forever. Now just as
prccipitatc. and quick. and spontaneous
will be the ransom Of your soul. Some
morning you We're making calcula-
ton. You got on the track of some IL
nancial or social game. With your pen
or pencil you were pursuing it. That
very morning you We're devouring the
prey: but that very night you We're in
different mood You found that heav-
en- 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 satisfaction, and Christian
reward in your soul You are dividing
the spoil.
One Sabbath night at the close Of the
service l said to some persons: "Whcn
did you first become serious about your
soul?' And they told me: "To-night.'
And 1 said to others: when did YOU
give your heart to God?' And they
said: "To-night." And I said to still
others: when did you resolve to serve
the Lord all the days of your life:'
And they said: "To-night.' l saw by
the gayety Of their apparel that when
the grace Of God struck them they
were dcvouring the prey; but I saw
also, in the flood Of joyful tears and in
the kindling rapturcs on their brow
and in their eXMlcrant and transport
ing utterances, that they We're dividing
the spoil. If you have been in this
building when the lights are struck at
night you know that with one touch
Of electricity they are all blazed. Oh.
1 would to God that the darkness Of
your souls might be broken up, and
that by the quick, overwhelming, in
Simultaneous flash Of Illumination you
might be brought into the light and
the liberty Of the sons of God!
You sec that religion is a different
thing from what some of you people
d1Cadence; you thought that religion
highway robbery; that it struck one
down and left him half dead; that it
plIcked out the eyes; that it plucked
out the plumes of the soul; that it
broke the wing and crushed the beal1
as it came clawing With its black talons
through the ali. No. that is not re-
ligicn. What is religion? 1t is dividing
tic spoils. 1t is taking a defcnsclcss
soul and panoplying it for eternal con-
quest. 1t is the distribution of prizes
by the kings hand, every medal stamp
cd with coronation. 1t is an cXhilar-
alion, an expansion. 1t is impaladisa-
ton. 1t is entlironcmcnt. Religion
makes man master of earth, OF death,
and hell. 1t goes forth to gather the
medals of victory won by Prince Eman-
uel and the diadems of heaven, and the
glorcS OF realms terrestrial. and ccleS-
tial, and then, after ranging all the
worlds for everything that is rcsplcnd-
cnt, it divides the spoils. What was it
that James Turner, the famous En-
slish evangelist, was doing when in his
dying moments he said: Christ is all!
Christ is all!' Why, he was entering
into light; he was rounding the Cape Of
Good Hope; he was dividing the spoil
What was the aged Christian Quaker
ess doing, when. ut so years Of age,
she arose in the meeting and said:
The time of my departure is come.
My grave clothes are falling off, She
was dividing the spoil.
| She lOnged with wings to fly away,
And mix with that eternal day.
What is Daniel now doing, the lion
tanner! And Elijah, who was drawn by
the flaming courscrs? And Paul, the
rattling of whose chains made kings
quake? And all the other victims Of
flood, and fire, and wreck. and guillo-
tinc-where are they? Dividing the
spoil
|, Ten thousand times ten thousand.
In sparkling r;iinlcnt bright,
The armies of the ransomcd saints
Throng up the sleeps of light.
It's finished, all is finished
Their fight with death and sin;
| Lift high your golden gates,
| And let the yictors in.
| Oh, what a grand thing it is to be a
Christian! We begin now to divide the
spoil, but the distribution will rot be
completed to all eternity There is 4
povcrty-struck soul. There is bust
ross-despoiled soul. There is sim
struck soul. There is bereayed soul
Why do you not come and get the spoils
OF Christian character, the comfort,
the joy, the peace, the salvation that
l am cent to offer you in my masters
name? Though your knees knock to.
sether In W akness, though your hand
1remble IN fear, though your eye rain
tears OF uncomfortable weeping--come
and get the SpOils. Rest for all the
''N~AS' AAuOh 4ok dll luc guilty. Id.
bor for all the bestormed. Life for all
the dead. I verify 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:
| l came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
l found in him a resting place,
And he has m1da mo Glad
Though you came in children of the
world, you may go away heirs of heav-
en-. Though this very autum1al morn
ing you were devouring the prey, now,
all worlds witnessing, you may divide
the spoil.
Reprieved.
The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
quotes an old soldier as telling story
of the siege Of Atlanta, in August,
1864, by Gen. Sherman. 1t is good