Democratic messenger., 1893-12-02

O'Clock NJ might h. nay 10 = peaceful,
d;stributIve Christian.
Conversion Is instantaneous. 4 man
passes into the kingdom IF God quicker
than down the sky runs Zi.2ag lightning.
"A man may he anxious about his soul
for great many wears. that does not
make him a Christian. y man may pray
n great whilr: that does not make him "a
Christian. A man may resolve on the
reformation of his character aud have
that resolution s"in" on a great while;
that does not make him Christian. But
the very instant when lie filings his soul
Dn the mercy of Jesus Christ, that in
stant is luSiratiun. emancipation. rcsur-
rection. Up 10 that point he is going in
the wrong directions; after that point ho
is going in the right direction Before
that moment he is a child Of sin: after
that moment he is child of God. BE-
fore that moment dcvouring the prey;
after that moment dividing the spoil.
Five minutes is rs good as five years
My nearer. You know very we'll that
the best things yuu have done YOU have
done in a flash. You made mp your mind
in an instant To buy. or to sell. or TO in
vest, or In stop. or To start. IL you had
missed that one chance, you would havo
missed it forever. Now, just rs prccipi-
tate and quick and spontaneous will be
the ransom Of your soul. Saline morning
you were making Il 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 We're devourinS the prey. but that
very night you were in Il different mood.
You found that all heaven was offered
you. Iou 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 ,livid-
ing peace and comfort and satisfaction
and Christian reward in your soul. You
are dividing the spoil.
One Sabbath night at the close of the
sermon | said to some persons. When
did you first become serious about your
soul:' And they told me. Tonight"
And said TO others. When did you
give your heart to God:" And they said,
Tonight" And | said To still others,
"When did You resolve to serve the
Lord all the days of your life:' And
they said. Tonight" saw by the
gayety of their apparel that when the
grace of God struck them they We're de
vouring the prey; but | saw also i'll the
fool of joyful tears, and in the kindling
raptures ON their brow. and in their cx-
hilarant and transporting utterances
that they We're dividing the spoil.
II you have been in this building when
the lights are struck ut night. you know
that with one touch of electricity they
are all blazed. oh, | would Ia God that
the darkness of your souls might he
broken up, and that 10y one quick, over
whelming, instantaneous flash of illumi-
nation you might Ire brought into the
light and the liberty of the sons of God!
RELIGION DEFINED.
You see that religion is u different
thing from what some of you people sup
posed. You thought it was ,lccalencc.
You thought religion was maceratiun.
You thought it was highway robbery.
that it struck one down and left him
half dead: that il pluckei out the eyes;
that it pluckcd out the plumcs of the
soul; that it broke the wing and crushed
the beak as it came clawing with its
black taluns through the air. No, that
is not religion.
What is religion: II is dividing the
spoil Ii is takin: dcfenselcss soul
and panoplying it for eternal conquest.
1t j. the distribution of prizes by the
l.. i..l
n coronation. 1t is an cxhilara<op. an
expansion. 1t is imparadisaiiun. 1t is
enthroncmcnt Religion makes Il man
master Of earth. of death and hell. II goes
forth To- gatlAfr the medals "f victory
won by Prince Emanuel. and the dia,lcms
of heaven. and the glorics Of realms ter
restrial and celestial. and then, after
ranging all worlds for everything that is
Respondent. il divides the spoil.
What was il that James Turner. the
famous English evangelist was doing
when in his dying moments he said:
Christ is all. Christ is all" Why, he
was entering into light He was round
ing the Cape Of Good Hope. He was di
viding the spoil. What was the aged
Christian QuakcreSs doing when at 50
years Of age she arose in the meeting one
day and said: The time If my departure
is come. Ny grave clothes are falling
off" She was dividing the spoil.
She longcd 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 rat
tling of whose chains made kings quake?
And all the other victims "f flood and
fire and wreck and guillotine where
are they? Dividing the spoil.
Ten thousand times ten thousand.
In sparkling raimcnt bright,
The armies of the ransomcd saints
ThronI up the sleeps Of light.
"ris finished all IL finished.
Their fight with death and sin.
Lift high your golden gates
And let the yic,ors.
oh, what grand thing it il to bc
Christian. We begin now to divide the
spoil, but the distribution will not be
completed to all eternity. There is n
poverty struck soul. there is business
despoilel soul. there is Il sin struck soul,
there is a bcreaved soul-why do younot
come and get tine spoil of Christian
character, the comfort. the joy, the
peace, the salvation that am sent to Of
fer to you in my Masters name?
Though your knees knock together in
weakness. though your hands trcmbc
in fear, though your eyes rain tears Of
uncomfortable weeping come and get
the spoil Rest for all the weary. Par
don for all the guilty Rescue FOR all the
bcstormei. Life for all the dead
verify believe that there are some who
have come in here dowucaSt because the
world is against them. and because they
feel God is against them. who will go
away saying:
came Ia Jesus as was.
W'<.ry and worn and .1'l.
fouui in him resting place,
AMI hc has made. fl,. glad.