The Banner-Democrat., 1894-01-20

to buy, or to sell, or to invest, or t,
stop. or to start. If you had missed
that one chance, you would hav,
missed it forever. Now just as pre-
cipitate, and quick, and spontaneou
will be the ransom of soul. Som,
morning you were making calcula
tion. You got on the track of som,
financial or social game. With you
pen or pencil you were pursuing it
That very morning you were detotif
ing the prey; but that very night yo,
i were in a different mood. You found
that Heaven was offered you. Yo,
wondered how you could get it your
self and your family. You wondered
what resources it would give you nov
and hereafter. You are dividing peace
and comfort, and satisfaction, anc
Christian reward in your soul. Yot
are dividing the spoil.
One Sabbath night ut the close o
the service l said to some persons
when did you first become seriot.
about your soulg" And they told me
Tonight" And / said to others
when did you give yotir. heart te
God?" And they said: Tonight.
And l said to others: sWhen did yot
resolve to serve the Lord all the days
of your life?" And they said: ITO
night" And 1 saw by the gayety OF
their apparel that when the grace
of God struck them they were
devouring the prey; but l saw
also, in the flood of joyful
tears and in the kindling raptures on
their brow and in their cxhilarant and
transporting utterances, that they
were deviding the spoil. If you have
been in this building when the lights
are struck at night you know that
with one touch of electricity they are
all blazed. Oh, I would to God that
the darkness of your souls might be
broken up, and that by one quick, over
whelming, instantaneous flash of IL
Elimination you might be brought in
to the light and the liberty of the sons
of God!
You see that religion is different
thing from what some of you people
supposed. You thought it was deca-
dence; you thought religion was mac
Grafton; you thought it was highway
robbery; that it struck one down and
left him half dead; that it plucked
out the eyes; that 1t plucked out the
plumes of the soul: that it broke the
wing and crushed the beak as IL came
clawing with its black talons through
the air. No, that is not religion.
What is religion? It is divid-
ing the spoils. 1t is taking defense
less soul and panoplying it for eternal
conquest. 1t is the distribution of
prizes by the Kings hand, every medal
stamped with a coronation. 1t is an
exhilaration, an expansion. 1t is inn
paradisation. 1t is enthronement Re-
ligion makes a man master of earth,
of death, and hell. 1t goes forth to
gather the medals of victory won by
Prince Emanuel, and the diadems of
Heaven, aud the glories of realms
terrestrial, and celestial, and then,
after ranging all worlds for every
thing that is resplendcnt, it divides
the spoils: What was it that James
Turner, the famous English evangelist,
was doing when in his dying moments
he said: Christ is all!'' Why, he was
entering into light; he was rounding
the Cape of Good Hopes he was divid-
ing the spoil. What was the aged
Christian Quakeress doing, when at
eighty years of age, she arose in the
meeting and said: .The time of my
departure is come. My grave clothes
are falling OFF, She was dividing the
spoil.
She longed with wings to fly away.
And mix with that eternal day.
What is Daniel now doing, the lion
tanner? and Elijah. who was drawn
by the flaming coursers? and Paul?
the rattling of whose chains made
kings quake? and all the other victims
of food, and fire, and wreck, and gull
lotine-where are they? Dividing the
spoil.
Ten thousand times ten thousand,
In sparkling raiment bright.
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the sleeps Of light
'Tis finished, all Is finished
Their fight with death and sin;
Lift high your gold gates
And let the victors in.
Oh, what a grand thing it is to be
Christian! We begin now to divide the
spoil. but the distribution will not be
to all eternity. There is a
poverty-struck soul, there is a busi-
soul, there is sim
struck soul, there is bereaved
soul-why do you not come
and get the spoils of Christian
the comfort, the Joy,
the peace, the salvation that / am sent
to offer you in my Masters name?
Though your knees knock together in
weakness, though your eyes rain tears
1f uncomfortable weeping-come and
get the spoils. Rest for all the weary.
Pardon for all the guilty. Labor for all |
the bestormed Life for all the dead.
verify believe that there are some
who have come in here, downcast be-
cause the world is against them, and
because they feel God is against them,
who will go away saying:
came to Jesus as was. |
Weary and worn and sad;
found In Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
Though you came in children of the |
world, you may go away heirs of |
Heaven. Though this very autumnal |
morning YOU were devouring your
,rey, now all worlds witnessing, you
nay devide the spoil.