Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-01-18

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harbor. Taken away from the evil to
come"
Again. my friends. there is blessing
in an abbreviated earthly existence in
the fact that it puts one sooner in the
center of things All astronomers, in
fidel as well as Christian. agree in be-
lieving that the universe swings around
some great center. Anyone who has
studied the earth and studied the
heavens knows that Gods favorite
figure in geometry is a circle. When
God put forth His hand to create the
universe, He did not strike that hand
at right angles. but He waved it in a
circle and kept on waving it in circle
until systems and consultations and
galaxies and all worlds took that mo-
tion. Our planet swinging around the
sun, other planets swinging around
other suns. but somewhere a great hub
around which the great wheel of the
universe turns. Now, that center is
Heaven. That is the capital of the
universe That is the great metropolis
Of immensely.
Now, does not our common sense
teach us that in matters of study it is
better for us to move out from the CEN
ter toward the circumference. rather
than 20 be on the circumference, where
orr world now lisp We are like those
who study the American continent
while standing on the Atlantic beach.
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 go
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-
Millions of dollars for observatories
to study things about the moon, about
the sun, about the rings of Saturn.
about transits and occultations and
eclipses, simply because our studio our
observatory, is poorly situated. We
are down in the cellar trying to study
the palace of the universe while our
departed Christian friends have gone
up stairs amid the slSylights to study.
Now. when one can sooner get to the
center of things, is he not to be con-
gratulated2 Who wants to be alwa rs
il the freshman class? We study God
in this world by the Biblical photo
graph of Him, but we all know NO
can in five minutes of interview with "A
friend get more accurate idea of him
than we can by studying him fifty
years through pictures of words The
little child that died last night to-day
knows more of God than all Andover,
aud all Princeton, and all New Bruins
wick, and all Edinburgh, and all the
institutions in Christen-
dom. Is it not better TO go up to the
very headquarters of knowledge?
Does not our common sense teach us
that it is better to be at the center
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
keyholcs of Hesven-afraid that both
doors of the celestial mansion will 10
swung wide open before our enhancing
about the apothecary
shops of this world, wondering IL 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 inhabitants never
say: II am sick"
What fools we all are to prefer the
to the center. What
dreadful thing it would be IL we should
be suddenly ushered from this wintry
world into the Maytime orchards OF
Heaven. and if our pauperism of sin
and sorrow should tie suddenly broken
up by presentatiul of an emperor's
CASTLE surrounded by parks with
springing fountains and paths up and
Town which angels of God walk two
and twol
We stick to the world as though we
preferred cold drizzle to warm ha bita- |
ion, discord to can.ata, sackcloth To
-oyal purple-as though we preferred |
piano with four or FIVE keys out of tune
o an instrument fully attuned-as |
hough earth and Heaven had ex-
hanged apparel and earth had taken |
IN bridal array and Heaven had gone
INTO deep mourning, all its waters stag |
lant all its harps broken, all chalices |
tracked at the dry wells, all the lawns
Looping to the river plowed with
raves. with dead angels under the fur
ow. Oh, | want to break up my own
nfatuation, and | want to break up
our infatuat;on for this world. ! tell |
on II we are ready. and If our work is
one. the sooner we go the better, and
there are blessings in longevity. l
rant you to know right well there are
lso blessings in an abbreviated earthly
xistence.
If the spirit of this sermon is true.
ow consoled you'ought to feel about
iembers OF your families that went
arly. Taken from the evil to come"
his book says. What a fortunate es-