Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-16

as we'll nov try TO take all the passen-
gers from New York to Buffalo by
stage-coach, or all the passengers from
Albany TO Buffalo by canal-boat, or do
all the battling Of the world with bow
and arrow, as with the old style OF
church to meet the exigencies Of this
day. Unless the church in our day Will
adapt itself TO the time, il will become
extinct. The people reading the news
papers and books all the week, in alert,
picturesque and ~resounding style, will
have no patience with Sabbath hum
drum. We have no objections to bands
and surplus, and all the paraphernalia
of humdrum life; but these things make
no impression-make ne more impress
sion on the great masses Of the people
than the
ORDINARY BUSINESS SUIT
that YOU wear in Wall street. A tailor
cannot make a minister. Some OF the
poorest preachers wear the best clothes;
and many a backwoodsman has dis
mounted from the saddle-bsgs, and in
his linen buster preached a sermon that
shook earth and heaven it'll its Chris
tian eloquence. No new Gospel, only
the old Gospel in a way suited TO the
time. No new church, but a church 10
be the asylum, the inspiration, the
practical sympathy and the eternal
help Of the people.
But while half of the doors of the
church are to be set open toward this
world, the other half Of the doors of the
church must be set open toward the
next. You and l tarry here only a brief
space. We want somebody to teach us
how TO get out of this life at the right
time and In the right way. Some fall
out OF life, some go stumbling out Of
life, some 90 %grOaning out OF life, some
90 cursing out Of life. We want to 20
singing, rising, rejoicing, triumphing.
We want half the doors OF the church
set in that direction. We want half the
prayers that way, half the ermons that
a We want TO to know how TO get
ashore from the tumult Of this world
into the land of everlasting peace. We
do not want to stand doubling and
shivering when we 20 away from this
world; we want our a~nticipations aroused
to the highest pitch. We want TO have
the exhilaration OF a dying child In
England, the father telling me the
story. When he said to her, SIS the
path narrow" she answered, THE
path Is narrow; it Is so narrow that l
cannot walk arm In arm with Christ, so
Jesus goes ahead, and he says, Mary,
follow" Through these church gates
set h~eavenward how many Of
YOUR FRIENDS AND MINE
have gone? The last time they were
out Of the house they came to church.
The earthly pilgrimage ended at the
pillar OF public worship, and then they
marched ont to a bigger and brighter
asSemblage. Some Of them were so old
they could not walk without a cane or
two crutches; now they have eternal
iuvenescence. Or they were so young
they could not walk except as the ma
ternal hand guided them: now they
bound with the hilarities celestial.
The last time we saw them they were
wasted with malarial or pulmonic dis
order; but now they have no fatigue,
and no difficulty of respiration in the
pure air Of heaven. How l wonder
when you and l will cross over! Some
OF you have had about enough OF the
humping and failing Of this life. A
draught from the fountains Of heaven
would do you good. Complete release
you could stand very well. II you got
on the other side, and had permission to
come back, you would not come.
Though you were invited to come back
and join your friends on earth, you
would say, "No, let me tarry here until
they come, I shall not risk going back;
IL a man reaches heaven he had better
stay here"
Oh, l join hands with you this morn
ing in that uplifted splendOr.
When the shore is won at last,
Who will count the pillows past?
In Freybourg, Switzerland, there is
the trunk Of a tree four hundred years
old.
THAT TREE WAS PLANTED
10 eommemorat the event. About ten
miles from the city the Swiss conquered
the Burgnndians, and a young nan
wanted to take the tidings to the city.
He took a tree branch and ran with
such speed that when he reached the
city waving the tree branch he had only
strength to cry, "Victory" and fell
dead. That tree branch that he carried
was planted, and it grew TO be a great
tree twenty feet in circumference, and
the remains Of ii are there TO this day.
My nearer, when you have fought your
last battle with sin and death and hell,
and they have been routed in the con-
flict, it will be a joy worthy Of celebra-
ton. You will fly to the city and cry
''Victoryl" and drop at the feet of the
great King. Then the palm branch OF
the earthly tree will be planted to be-
come the o~ut.branching tree OF ever
lasting rejoicing.
When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls,
And pearly gates behold,
Thy bulwarkS with salvation strong,
And streets OF shining gold: