The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-01-05
our world now is? We are like thoee

Wnlle standing on the AIldnIlc Deacn-
The way to study the continent IS to
cross it or GO to the heart of it. Our
standpoint in this world is defective
We are at the wrong end of the tel
escope- The best way to study piece
of machinery is not to stand on the
doorstep and try to look in, but to 60
in with the engineer and take our
place right amid the saws and the CYL
inders. We wear our eyes out and our
brain out from the fact that we are
studying under such great disadvan-
tages.
Does not our common sense teach Us
/ that it is better to be at the center
I than to be clear out on the rim of the
wheel, holding nervously fast TO the
! tire lest we be suddenly hurled into
light and internal felicity? Through
all kinds of optical instruments trying
/ to peer in through the cracks and the
keyholes of Heaven-afraid that both
| doors of the celestial mansion will be
swung wide open before our enhancing
vision-rushing about the apothecary
shops of this world, wondering if this
/ is good for rheumatism, and that is
/ good for neuralgia, and something else
is good for bad cough. lest we be sud-
denly ushered into land of everlasting
health, where the inha bitants never
say: II am sick"
We stick to the world as though we
preferred cold drizzle to warm habita-
ton. discord to cantata, sackcloth to
royal purple-as though we preferred
piano with four or five keys out of tune
to an instrument fully attuned-as
though earth and Heaven had ex-
changed apparel and earth had taken
on bridal array and Heaven had gone
into deep mourning. all it's waters stag
nant, all its harps broken, all chalices
cracked at the dry wells, all the lawns
sloping TO the river plowed with
graves, with dead angels under the fur
row. Oh, want to break up my own
infatuation. and 1 want to break up
your infatuation for this world. I tell
you if we are ready. and if our work is
done, the sooner we go the better, and
if there are blessings in longevity. 1
want you to know right well there are
also blessings in an abbreviated earthly
existence.
If the spirit of this sermon is true,
how consoled you ought to feel about
members of your families that went
early. Taken from the evil to come"
this book says What 4 fortunate es-
cape they had, How glad we ought 10
feel that they will never have to go
through the struggles which we have
had to go through They had just time
arOr1orh 20 - h.
run up the springtime hills of this
world and see how it looked, and then
they started for a better stopping
place. They were like ships that put
in at St Helena, staying there long
enough to let passengers 90 up and see
the barracks of Napoleon's captivity
and then hoist sail for the port OF their
own native land They only took this
world in transitu." 1t IS hard for US,
but it is blessed for them
And If the spirit of this sermon is
true, then we ought not to go around
signing and grooming because another
year has gone But we ought to go
down on one knee by the milestone
and see the letters and thank God that
we are three hundred and sixty-five
miles nearer home. We ought not TO
90 around with morbid feelings about
our health or about anticipated de-
mise We ought to be living, not &C
cording to that old maxim which I
used to hear in ny bOyhood. that you
must live as though every day were the
last; you must live as though you were
to live forever, for you will Do net /
10 Tas~ ..
OF a shanty into an Alhambra-
One Christmas morning one of my |
neighbors. and old sea captain, died. |
After life had departed, his face was |
illuminated as though he were just 90
ing into harbor. The fact was, he had |
already got through the ''Narrows" |
In the adjoining room were the Christ !
mas presents waiting for his distribu- /
ton Long ago, one night, when he |
had narrowly escaped with his ship 4
from being run down By great ocean
steamer, he had made his peace with 1
God, and kinder neighbor or a better
man you would not find this side of
Heaven Without moments warning
the pilot of the heavenly harbor had
met him just off the lightship.
The captain often talked to me of the
goodness of God, and especially of a
time when he was about to 90 in New
York harbor with MS ship from Liver
pool, and he was suddenly impressed
that he ought to put back to sea
Under the protest of the crew and IN
der their very threat, he put back 10
sea, fearing at the same time he was
losing his mind, for it did seem 50 IN
that when they could get
into harbor that night they should
put back to sea But they put back 70
sea. and the captain said to his mate,
You Will call me at 10 o'clock at
night
At Il o'clock at night the captain was
aroused and said: What does this
mean? I thought told you to call me
at 10 o'clock, and here it is u " Why"
said the mate, Il did call you at 10
o'clock. and you got up, looked around
and told me TO keep right on this same
course for two hours, and then to
call you at u o'clock" Said the cap
tain: is il possible? I have no re-
of that"
At twelve o'clock the captain went
on deck, and through the riff of the
cloud the moonlight fell upon the sea
and showed him shipwreck with one
hundred struggling passengers He
helped them off. Had he been any
earlier or any later at that point of the
sea he would have been OF no service 20
those drowning people On board the
vessel they began TO band to-
gether as to what they should pay for
the rescue and what they should pay
for the provisions All" says the
captain. nv lads Won can't nay me