The Indiana State sentinel., 1894-11-14

ministers kept on miserable stipends by
parsimonious congregations. who Won
dered at the dullness OF the sermons,
when the men of God were perp.eXed "a
most to death by questions Of livelihood
and had not enough nutritious food 70
keep any fire in their temperament. No
fuel. 10 fire. 1 have sometimes seen
the inside of the life of many Of the
American clergymen-neVer accepting
their hospitality, because they cannot af-
ford ft-i5ut / have seen them struggle
on with salaries Of $500 and $500 a year,
the average less than that, their struggle
well depicted by the western missionary
who says in a letter: Thank you for
your last remittance. Until Ii came we
had not any meat in our house for one
year, and az last winter, although it
was a severe winter, our children wore
their summer csothes."
And these men Of God I find in different
parts Of the land struggling against an
noyances and eXasperatons innumerab.e,
some Of them week after week entertain
ing agents who have maps TO sell and
submitting themselves to all styles OF
annoyance, and yet without complaint
and cheerful of soul. How do you ac-
count for the fact that these life insur
ance men tell US that ministers as a class
live longer than any others? 1t is be-
cause of the joy of their work, the joy of
the harvest fed, the joy OF greeting
Rejoice I'm All Innocence.
We are in sympathy with all innocent
hilarities. We can enjoy a hearty song,
and we can be merry with the merTiest,
but those of us who have toiled in the
service are ready to testify that all these
joys are tame compared with the salts
faction Of seeing men enter the kingdom
of God. The great eras of every minister
are The outpourings Of the Holy Ghost.
and l thank God / have seen twenty Of
them. Thank God. thank God,
i notice also when the prodigal comes
back all earnest Christians rejoice. If
you stood on promontory. and there
was a hurricane a sea, and IL was blow
ing toward the rocks, and you saw peo-
pie get ashore in the hfebOatS, and the
very last man got on the rocks in safety
you could not control your joy. And i,
is a glad time when the church of God
sees men who are tossed on the ocean Of
their sins plant their feet in the rock
Christ Jesus.
No Long Prayers Needed.
When prodigals come home, just hear
those Christians sing. It Is not a dull
tone you hear at such times. Just hear
those Christi3ns pray! 1t is not a stereo-
typed supplication we have heard over
and over again for twenty years but
putting of the case in ,he hands Of God
with an impOrtunate pleading. Men never
pray "a great length unless they have
nothing to say, and their hearts are hard
and cold. All the prayers in the bible
that We're answered We're short prayers:
God, be merciful TO me, a sinner
Lord, save me, or l perish" The long
est prayer. SOlOmOn's PRAYER at the dedi-
cation of The temple, less than eight min
utes in length. according 10 the ordinary
rate of enunciatiOn.
And just hear them pray now that the
prodigals are coming home! Just see them
shake hands! No putting forth of the
four tips of the fingers in a formal way
but hearty grasp, where the muscles Of
the heart seem 20 clinch the fingers of on
hand around the other hand. And then
see those Christian faces. how ilumin6d
they arei And see that old man get up
and with the same voice that he sang fifty
years ago in the old country meeting
house say, Now, Lord, lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, for mine eyes
have seen thy salvation" There was q
man of Keith who was hurled into prison
in time Of persecution, and one day he got
of his shaclIles. and he came and stood by
the prison door, and when the jailer was
opening the door with one stroke he struck
down the man who had inc3rcerated him
Passing along the streets of London, he
wondered where his family was. He did
not dare TO ask lest he excite suspicion
but, passing along a little way from the
prison. he saw Il Keith tankard. n cup that
belonged TO the family from generati to
generatiOn-he saw it in q window. His
family, hoping that some day he wouli
get clear. came and lived as near as they
could TO the prison house, and they SCI
that Keith tankard in the window. hoping
he would see ii. And he came along and
saw II and knocked a the door and went
in, and the long absent family were all to-
oct Nh If xro1 N-grI11
the kingdom of God today, l think SOM
of you would find nearly all your friends
and nearly all your families around the
holy tankard of the holy communion
fathers, mothers. brothers, sisters around
that sacred tankard which commentaries
the love of Jesus Christ. our Lord. On, it
will be a great communion day when your
whole family sits around the sacred tank
ard. One on earth, one in heaven.
The Heavenly Festival.
once more I remark that when the
heaven keep festival. I am very certain
of it. If you have never seen a telegraphic
chart. you have no idea how many cities
are connected together and how many
lands. Nearly all the neighborhOOds of
the earth seem reticulated, and news flies
from city to city and from continent to
continent, but more rapidly so the tidings
from earth to heaven, and when prodigal
returns it is announced before the throne
of God. and if these souls today should
enter the kingdom there would be some
one in the heavenly kingdom 70 say,
That's my father" That's my mother -
That's my son." That's my daughter, -
That's my friend" That's the one
used TO pray for,' That's the one for
whom l wept so many tears" and one
soul would say "Hosannar' and another
sold would say "HalleluiahN'
Pleased with the news the saints below
In songs their tongues employ.
Beyond the skies the tidngs go,
And heaven is filled with joy.
Nor angels can their JOY contain.
But kindle with new fire.
The sinner lost is found they sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.
At the banquet of Lucullus sat Cicero
the orator. At the Macedonian festiva
sat Philip. the cOnquerer. At the Grecian
banquet sat Socrates. the philosopher, but
at our Fathers table sit all the returned
prodigals, more than conquerors. The
table Is so wide it's leavts reach across
seas and across lands. lis guests are the
redeemed of earth and the gloriied of
heaven. The ing of Gods forgiveness on
every hand the robe of a SavlOr's right
eOusness adrOOp from every shoulder.
The wine that glows in the cups is from
the bowls of 10000 sacraments. Let all
the redeemed Of earth and all the glOri-
fed of heaven rise. and with cleaning
chalice drink to the return of a thousand
prodigals. Sing, sing, singl Worthy is
the lamb that was slain to receive bless
ing and riches and honor and glory and
power, world without end?'