Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-08-31

from which he read his speech, or the
hooks from which he quoted his au-
thorities, and goes to his desk to finish
his neglected correspondence, or to
pen an indignant line to some re-
porter, or sketch the plan for pull
lie defense against the assaults of the
people. Happy when he got his first
lawyers brief; oXultant when he tri-
umphed over his first political rival;
yet, sitting on the very top of all this
world offers of praise, he exclaims,
mo rest! no rest"
Now, for what have said all this?
just to prepare you for the text:
arise ye, and depart; Eor this is not
your rest" | am goiuT to- make you
Il grand offer Some o. you remcm-
Der that when gold was discover, d in
California large companies were made
up and started of to get their fortune.
To-day ! want TO make mp Il party for
the Land OF Gold hold in my hand
u deed from the proprietor of the
estate, in which he offers to all who
will join the company 10, 900 shares of
infinite value in city whose streets
are gold, whose harps are gold,
whose crowns are gold You have
read of the Crusaders-how that many
thousands of them went off to con-
quer the holy Sepulchre. / ask you
TO join a grander crusade-not for the
purpose of conquering the sepulchre
of dead Christ, but for the purpose
of reaching the throne of living
Jesus. When an army is to be made
up, the recruiting officer examines the
volunteers; he tests their eyesight; he
sounds their lungs; he measures their
stature; they must be just right. or
they are rejected But there shall be
no Partially in making up this army
of Christ Whatever your moral or
physical stature, whatever your dis
sipations, whatever your crimes, what
ever your weaknesses, / have n com
mission from the Lord Almighty to
make up this regiment of redeemed
souls, and | cry, "Arise We, and de-
part; for this is not your rest" Many
of you have lately joined this COM
pany, and my desire is that you may all
join it Why not? You know in your
own hearts'experience that what have
said about this world is true-that it
is no place to rest in. There are hun
dreds here weary-oh, how weary
weary with sin; weary with trouble;
weary with bereavement Some of
you have been pierced through and
| through. You carry the scars of a
thousand conflicts, in which you have
bled at every pore; and you sigh, "Oh,
! that / had the wings of n dove, that
might fly away and be at rest"
You have taken the cup of this world s
pleasures and drunk it 10 the dregs
and still the thirst claws at your
tongue and the fever strikes to your
brain. You have chased Pleasure
through every valley, by every stream,
amid every brightness and under every
shadow; but just at the moment when
you were all ready to put your hand
upon the rosy laughing sylph of the
wood she turned upon you with the
glare of fiend and the eye of satyr
her locks adders and her breath the
chill damp of grave. Out of Jesus
Christ no rest No voice to silence
the storm. No light to kindle the
darkness. No dry dock to repair the
split bulwark.
Oh We whose locks are wet with the
dews of the night of grief; we whose
hearts are heavy, because those we'll
known footsteps sound no more at the
doorway, yonder is your rest! There
is David trium phant; but once he be-
moaned Absalom. There is Abraham
enthroned; but once he wept for
Sarah. There is Paul exultant: but he
once sat with his feet in the stocks
There is Payson radiant with immortal
health; but on earth he was always
sick. No toll, no tears, no partings
no strife, no agonizing cough to-
night. No storm to ruffle the crystal
sea No alarm to strike from the
cathedral towers. No dirge throbbing
from seraphic harps. No tremor in the
everlasting song; but rest-perfect
Recommending rest
Into that rest how many of oul
loved ones have gone! The little chill.
dren have been gathered up into the
bosom of Christ One of them went
out of the al ms Of widowed mother
following its father who died few
weeks before. In its last moment il
seemed to see the departed father, fol
it said looking upward with bright
ened countenance, Papa, take me
up"
Others put down the work of mid
life, feeling they could hardly be
spared from the office, or store, OF
shop, for a day, but are to be spared
from it forever Your mother went
Having lived life of Christian con
sistency here, ever busy with kindnes,
for her children, her heart full of tina
meek and quiet spirit that is in tn,
sight of God of great price, suddenly
her countenance was TRANSPORTED, ant
the gate was opened, and she took he
place amid that great cloud of wit
nesses that hover about the throne.
Glorious consolation They are no
dead. You can not make me believ,
they are dead. They have only moved
on. With more love than that whicl
they greeted us on earth, they watcl
us from their high place and thei