The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-11-14

dor and joy Of the universe. Who can
tell what Gods joy is?
You remember reading the story Of
king, who on some great day of festiv-
ity scattered gold and silver among the
people, who sent valuable presents to
his courtiers; butmethinl1s when soul
comes back, God is SO glad that TO ex-
press His joy he fings out new worlds
into space, kindles up new suns, and
rolls amor the white-robed anthems
OF the redeemed greater hallelujah,
while with a voice that reverberates
among the mountains of frankincense
and is echoed back from the everlasting
gates, He cries: "This, my son, was
dead and is alive again!"
At the opening of the exposition in
New Orleans saw Mexican futist,
and he played the solo, and then after
wards the eight or ten bands Of music,
accompanied by the great organ, came
in; but the sound Of that one flute as
compared with all the orchestra, was
greater than all the combined Joy of
the universe, when compared with the
resounding heart of Almighty God.
notice also that when prodigal
comes home there is the joy of the min
listers of religion. o, it is grand thing
to preachthis gospel! know there has
been great deal said about the trials
and the hardships of the Christian min
istry l wish somebody would write q
good, rousing book about the joys of the
Christian ministry. Since entered the
profession, have seen more of the good
ness of God than will be able to cele-
brate in all eternity. l know some
boast about their equilibrium, and they
do not rise into enthusiasm, and they
do not break down with emotion; but /
confess to you plainly that when see
a man coming to God and giving up his
sin, feel in body, mind and soul a
transport. When 1 see man who is
bound hand and foot in evil habit,
emancipated, rejoice over it as though
it were my own emancipation. When,
in our communion service, such throngs
of young and old stood up at the altars
and, in the presence of heaven and
earth and hell, attested their allegiance
to Jesus Christ, felt joy something
akin to that which the apostle de-
scribes when he says: whether in the
body cannot tell, or out of the body
cannot tell; God knoweth.
Have not ministers right to rejoice
when prodigal comes home? They
blew the trumpet, and ought they not
to be glad of the gathering Of the host?
They pointed to the full supply, and
ought they not to rejoice when souls
pant as the hart for the water brooksf
They came forth saying: "All things
are now ready" ought they not to re-
joice when the prodigal sits down at
banquet?
Lite insurance men will all tell you
that ministers Of religion as class live
longer than any other. 1t is confirmed
by the statistics of all those who cal.
culate upon human longevity. Why is
it? There is more draft upon the nerv.
GUS system than in any other profes.
sion. and their toll is more exhausting
have seen ministers kept on miserable
stipends by parsimonious congregations
who wondered at the dullness of the ser
mons, when the men of God were per
| picked almost to death by questions Of
livelihood, and had not enough nutri
tious food to keep any fire in theil
temperament. No fuel no fire. have
sometimes seen the inside life Of many
of the American clergymen-never &C
cepting their hospitality, because they
cannot afford it; but have seen then
struggle on with salaries of five and
six hundred dollars a year-the aver
age less than that-their struggle well
depicted by the western missionary
who says in letter: "Thank you fol
your last remittance; until it came ws
had not any meat in our house for one
year, and all last winter, although il
was severe winter, our children wore
their summer clothes" And these mer
of God I find in many parts of the
land, struggling against annoyance!
and exasperations innumerable; some
of them week after week entertaining
agents who have maps to sell, and sub
mitting themselves to all styles Of an
noyance, and yet without complaint
and cheerfulness of soul How do yor
account for the fact that these life in
surance men tell us that ministers as {
class live longer than any others? Il
is because of the joy of their work, the
joy of the harvest field, the joy o.
greeting prodigals home to thei,
Fathers house.
We are in sympathy with all innocent
hilarities. We can enjoy a hearty
song, and we can be merry with the
merriest; but those of us who have
toiled in the service are ready to tes
tify that all these joys are tame com
pared with the satisfaction of seeing
men enter the kingdom of God. The
great eras of every minister are the
outpourings of the Holy Ghost, and
thank God l have seen twenty of them.
Thank God, thank God!
For ten years father went three
times day to the depot. His son went
off in aggravating circumstances; but
the father said He will come back. 81
The strain was too much and his mind
parted; and three times day the
father went. In the early morning he
watched the train-its arrival, the
stepping out of the passengers, and
then the departure of the train. Al
noon he was there again, watching the
advance of the train, watching the de.
parture. AT night, there again, watch
ing the coming, watching the going
for ten years. His son would come
back. He was sure his son would come
back God has been watching and