Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-05-10

minute sermon and His half-minute
prayer to keep all the following ages
busy in thought and action. No one
but Christ could afford to pray or
preach as short as that, but He meant
to teach US compression.
At Selma, Ala. the other day / was
shown a cotton press by which cotton
was put in such shape that it occupied
in transportation only one car. where
three cars were formerly necessary;
and one ship where three ships had
been required, and | imagine that we
all need to compress our sermons and
our prayers into smaller spaces.
And His sermons were so lovely for
sentiment and practicality. and sim
plicity, and illustration; the light Of a
candle, the crystal of the salt; the
cluck of a hen for her chickens; the
hypocrite's dolorous physiOgnomy; the
moth in the clothes closet; the black
wing of a raven: the snowbank of
white lilies; our extreme botheration
about the splinter of imperfection in
some one else's character; the swine
| fed on the pearls; wolves dramatizing
4 sheep; and the peroration made up of a
/ cyclone in which you hear the crash of
I tumbling house unwiselv constructed.
No technicalities; no splitting Of hairs
/ between north and northwest side; no
/ togmatics; buta great Christly throb
/ of helpfulnesS / do not wonder at
4 the record which says; "When He was
come down from the mountain great
mulutudes followed Him" They had /
bat one fault to find with His sermon;
1t was too short God help all of us in
Christian work to get down off our
stills, ard realize there is only one I
thing we have to do-there is the /
great wound of the worlds sin and /
sorrow and here is the great healing /
plaster Of the gospel What You and |
want to do is to put the plaster on the /
wound. All sufficient is this gospe! if /
it is only applied. A minister preach
ing to an audience of sailors concern
ing the ruin by sin and the rescue By /
the gospel, accommodated himself TO
sailors vernacular and said. This I
plank bears. Many years after, this
preacher was called to see dying
sailor, and asked him about his hope,
and got the suggestive reply, This
plank bears
Yea, Christ was lovely in His chief
life's work. There was a thousand
things for Him to do, but His great
work was TO get orr shipwrecked
world out Of the breakers That He
came to do, and that He did; and lie
did IL in three years He took thirty
years TO prepare for that three years
activity. From twelve TO thirty years
Of age we hear nothing about Him.
That Intervening eighteen years think
lie was in India But He came back
to Palestine and crowded everything
into three years three winters, three
springs, three summers, three autumns.
our life is short but would God we
might see how much we could do in
three years. Concentration Intensi-
hcation. Three wears of kind words,
Three years of living for Others. Three
years Of self-sacrificel Let Us try it.
Ave Christ was lovely in His demise.
He had right that last hour to deal
in anathematization. Never had any
one been SO meanly treated. Cradle Of
straw among goats and camels-that
was the worlds reception of j m
Rocky cliff with hammers pounding
spikes through tortured nerves that
was the worlds farewell sa 'utatiou.
The slaughter of that scene sometimes
hides the loneliness of the sufferer
Under the satufution of tears and blood
we sometimes fail to see the sweetest
face of earth and Heaven Altogether
lovely Can coolest criticism find an :
unkind word lie ever spoke: or an UNI
kind action that lie ever performe =
Or an unkind thought that lie
ever harbored? What marvel il
is that all the nations of earth
10 not rise up in raptures Of affection
for Him. | must say il here and now.
lift my right hand in solemn attesta-
> I Inn Il 3 d r.fa
life is that do not love Him more. +
it an impertinence for me TO ask. do
YOU. my hearer-you, any reader love
Him? Has He become part of your ma
ture2 Have YOU committed your cail-
lren on earth into His keeping as
your children in Heaven are already in
His BOSOM Has He done enough To
win your confidence? Can you trust
Him. living and dying. and forever? Is
your back or your face toward Him?
Would you like TO have His hand to
guide you? His might TO protect you2
His grace TO comfort you? His suffer
ings to atone for you2 His arms to
welcome you? His love TO encircle VOC? 7
His Heaven to crown you?
o. that we might al have something
Of the great German reformer's love
for this Christ, which led him to say: 4
IF anyone knocks at the door OF uy
breast and says, who lives there% my
reply is, Jesus Christ lives here, not
Martin Luther" VIII il not be grand
If. when we get through this short and
rugged road OF f., we can 60 right up
into His presence and live with Him
world without end2 And il entering 4
the gate of that heavenly city we
should be so overwhelmed with our
on the one side. and the
splendor on the other
side we get a little bewildered and
,hould for a few moments be lost on
he streets Of gold and among the
FURNISHED temples. and the sapphire
thrones, there would Toe plenty b. show
Is the way aud take us out of our
ovgul bewilderment; and perhaps the
woman of Main would say. Come. let -
ne take YOU To the Christ who raised
~ only bow 70 lie And Martini