Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-12-01

the guardian angel swept a circle clear
around where the young man stood II was
a circle Of virtue and honor, and be must
not step beyond that circle. Armed foes
came down, bu. were obliged TO halt at the
circle. They could not pass. But one day
a tenptress. with dianoned hand, stretched
forth and crossed tia: circle with the hand.
and the tempted soul took It. and BY tina,
one fell grip was brough, beyond the circle
and died.
Some Of you have stepped beyondth a cri-
Gle. Would you nc. like this day, by the
grace OF God. to step back2 This. !! say 10
you, Is your hour OF salvation. There was
in the closing hours Of Queen Anne what is
called the clock scene. Flat down on
the pillow. IN helpless sickness, she could
not move her head or move her hand. Shs
was waiting .or the hour when the minister
o, Stat. should gather in angry contest. an
worriet and worn out BY the coming hour.
and In nonentary absence Of the nurse. IN
the power-;he strange power which de-
liy.un sometimes gives one-she arose and
stood in front Of the clock, and stood there
watching the clock when the nurse returned.
The nurse said, D you see anything pecul-
lar abou, that clockT' She made no
but -oon died. There is a clock scene in
every history. If some Of you would rise
from the bed OF letharyy and come out OF
your delirium OF sin and look on the clock o.
your destiny this moment. you would see
and hear something YOU have not seen or
or heard before, and every tick OF the minute.
and every stroke Of the hour, and every
swlnS oi the pendulum, would say, Now,
now. now. now On, come home to your
Fathers house, Come home. oh. pro1igal.
from the wilderness! Come home, come
home
Blu. | notice that when the prodigal came
there was the fathers Joy: He did not greet
him with any formal How DO you do?" He
did not come out and say You are unfit TO
enter. Go out and wash in the trough by
the well. and then you can come In. We
have had enough trouble with you" All.
no Wien the proprietor OF that estate pro-
claimed festival. it was an outburst OF a
father. love and q fathers Joy. Coz is
your father.
/ have not much sympathy with that de-
scrIption ofGod l sometimes hear, asthough
h We're Il Turkish sultan-hard and upsym-
pathetic and listening not to the cry OF His
subjects. A man told me h esaw in one ofthe
eastern lands 4 king riding along. and two
mn were In Al alteration, and one charged
the other with having eaten his rice, and
the king said. Then STAY the man, and BY
post morton examination find whether he
| has eaten the rice" And he was slain. All,
the cruelty Of Il scene like that! Our God is
not a sultan, not a despot, but a father
kind. loving, ~forgivin0-and He makes all
heaven ring again when n protigal comes
back. Il have no pleasure He says, ''ln
thu death o. HIM that dieth."
Fla man does not get heaven. it Is because
he will not 20 there. No difference the col
or. nc difference the history. no difference
the antecetents. no difference the surround
ms, no difference the sin. When the white
horses OF Chrlsts victory are brought out to
celebrate the eternal triumph, you may ride
one of them, and. rs Goa IS greater than all.
His JOY is greater. and when a soul comes
oack there ls in His heart the surSing OF an
Infinite ocean Of Cladness, and TO express
that Gla ness II takes ali the rivers of pleas
urr, and all the thrones of pomp, and all the
a-e- .. eternity. 1t is n Joy deeper than all
Gep;1. ana higher than nIl height. and
Wi .er than all width, and vaster than all i'm
mrnsity. |; ov"rtops. it underyir,s. IL out
weighs all the united splendor and Joy OF the
universe. Who can tell what Gods Joy is?
You remember reading the story OF a king
VINO on some great day of festivity scat
tered silver and gold among the people. wh6
sem valuable presents to his cOurtiers, bit
methInks when a soul comes back God Is
so sIat that to express His Joy He filings out
new worlds into space, kindles up new suns
and rolis among the white robed anthems Of
the re ieemed "a greater halleluiah, while
with n VOICE that Invertebrates among the
mountains OF trankincense and is echoed
Back from the everlasting gates He cries.
This. my son. was dead and is alive again =
Az the opening OF the exposition in New
Oceans | saw a Mexican lutist. and he
played the solo. and then afterward the
light or ten bands OF music, accompanied by
fn.' Sreat organ. came in, but the sound OF
that one flute as compare1 with all the or
rnt-tra was greater than all the combined
.ov OF the universe Wnen compared with the
resembling heart Of Almighty Goo.
For ten years q tather went three times 6
in, 10 the depot. His son went Of in ag-
yravatinc circumstances. but the father said
He vii! come back" The strain was too
much. and his mind parted. and three times
a LAY the father went. In the early morning
he watched the train-its arrival. the step.
ping out Of the passengers. and then the de.
parture OF train. At noon ne was there
again, watching tho advance OF the train
Watching the Departure.
At night there again. watching the CON.
ing. watching the going, for ten years. H.
was SURE his ron would come back. God ha:
neen watching AMI waiting for some of YOU,
my brothers. ten years. twenty years, thirty
Years. forty years. perhaps fifty years. wait
ing. waiting. watching. watching. and j
THIS morning the proitgal should come
; home. what a scene OF ~gladness and ~festivit,
and now the great Fathers heart woul,
reiolc" at your coming home. You vii
CONF. some OF you. will you not? You will
you will.
! notice also that when q prodigal come
hone there is the Joy OF the ministers OF re
: ligion. Oh. it Is a grand thing to preach
9 this gospel, know there has been q grea
! zeal said ABOUT the trials and the hardship
. oftAe Christian ministry. wish somebod'
would write a good. rousinc book about tn
jovs OF the Christian ministry. Since l en-
teret the profession | have seen more OF til
GOODNESS OF God than l will be able to cale
hrate IN all eternity l know some hoas
q cut their equilibrium. and they do nc
; rise into enthusiasm. and they do not brea
down with emotion. but / confess to 70
!. plainly that when l see a man coming I
GOD and giving up his sin l feel in holy
mine and soul a transport. When / see
man who Is bound hand and foot in ey;
haiti emancipated. 1 rejoice over it a