The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-11-01

for human achievement. linen aShi 20
thing impossible for the LordI L 40 nol
i;n,,a tbat God exhausted all His grace IN
panl and Latimer and Edward Payson.
believe there are higher points OF CHRISTIAN
ottoinment TO be reached in the future ages
OF the Christian world. III,
Won fell me that Paul went up to the tip
top Of the Alps OF Christian attainment.
Then I tell you that the stork and crane
have found above the Alps plenty OF room
for tree flying. We go out and we conquer
our temptations by the grace OF Goo and lie
down. On the morrow those temptations
rally themselves and attack us, and by the
grace of God we defeat them again, but
staying all the time in the old encampmeDt
wa have the same old battles to fight over.
why not whip out our temptations ana
then forward march. making one rald
through the enemy's country, stopping not
until we break ranks after the last victory.
Do nv brethren, let us have some noveily
of combat, at any rate, by changlng.oy going
on. by making advancement, tradlng OH
our stale prayers about sins we ought 10
have quit long ago. going on toward nlSher
state of Christian character, and routing out
sins that we have never thought OF yet.
The fact is, If the church OF God, If we
az individuals, made rapid advancement
in the Christian life these stereotyped pray
ers we have been making for ten or fifteen
wears would be as inappropriate to us as the
shoes, and the hats, and the coats we wore
ten or fifteen years ago. ON, 1or nlsner
flight in the Christian life, the stork and the
crane in their migration teaching US the les
son J
Dear Lord, and shall we ever live
At this poor dying rate,
Our love 50 faint, so cold to Thee,
And Thine to US so great!
Again, remark that the birds OF the air
are wiser than we because they know when
to start. IT you should go out now and
shou;, 'Stop, storks and cranes. don't be in
a hurry" they would say: "No, we cannot
sop. Last night we heard the roaring IN
fhe woods bidding US away, AMI the shrill
aute of the north wind has sounded the re-
.reat We must 60" So they gather them
selves into companies, and turning not aside
for storm, or mountain top, or shock
Of musketry over land and sea,
straight as an arrow to the mark, they
20. And ii you come out this morning with
a sack of corn and throw it in the fields and
iry and get them to stop they are so far up
they would hardly see it. They are on their
way south. You could not stop them. On,
that we were as wise about the best time to
start for God and heaven We say: "Wait
until it is little later in the season OF
mercy. Wait until some o: these green
leaves of hope are all drei up and have
been scattered. Wait until next year."
After awhile we start, and it is too late,
and we perish in the way when Gods wrath
is kindled but little. There are, you know,
exceptional cases, where birds have started
too late, and in the morning you have found
them dead on the snow. And there are
those who have persisted half way between
the world and Christ. They waited until
the last sickness, when the mind was gone,
or they were on the express train going at
for v,oil
bridge, and the "draw was up, and
they went down. How long to repent and
pray? Two seconds To do the work OF a
lifetime and to prepare for the vast eternity
in two seconds was reading of an enter
tainment given in a kings court, and there
were musicians there, with elaborate pieces
of music. After awhile Mozart came and
began to play, and he had blank piece of
paper before him, and the king Familiarity
looked over his shoulder and said "What
are you playing? 1 see no music before
YOU" And Mozart put his hand on his brow,
as much as to say, 81 am improvising.' 1t
was very we'll for him but oh, my friends,
we cannot extemporize heaven. Ii We do
not get prepared in this world, we will never
take part in the orchestral harmonies OF the
saved. Oh, that we were as wise as the crane
and the stork, flying away, flying away from
the tempest
Some Of you have felt the pinching frost
OF sin. You feel it to-day. You are not
happy. l look into your faces, and know
you are not happy. There are voices within
your soul that will not be sienced, telling
YOU that YOU are sinners, and that without
the pardon of God you are undone forever.
What are you going to do, my friends, with
the accumulated transgressions of this
lifetime? Will you stand still and let the
avalanche tumble over you? Oh, that
you would go away into the warm heart of
Go rs mercy The southern grove, red olent
with magnolia and cactus, never waited for
northern focks rs God has waited for you,
saying II have loved thee with an everiast-
ing love. Come unto Me, all we who are
weary and heavy laden, and will give you
rest"
Another frost is bidding you away. 1t is
the frost of sorrow. Where do you live now?
son" you say, ~ have moved" Why did
you mover" You say, 81 don't want as largo
a house now as formerly" Why do you
not want as large house? You say "My
family IS not so large Where have they
gone TO? Eternity Your mind goes back
through that last sickness, and through the
almost supernatural effort to keep life, and
through those prayers that seemed un-
awaiting, and through that kiss which
received no response because the lips
were lfeless, and 1 hear the bells tolling.
and l hear the hearts breaking. While
speak / hear them break. A heart An
other heart Alone, alone, alonel This
world, which in your girlhood and boyhood
was sunshine, is cold now, and, oh weary
dove, you fly around this world as though
you would like to stay, when the wind, and
the frost, and the blackening clouds would
bid you away into the heart OF an all COM
forting God.
You may have noticed that when the
chaffinch, or tho stork, or the crane starts
on its migration it calls all those OF its kind
TO come too. The tree tops are full of chirp
and whistle and carol, and the long roll cali.
The bird does not start of alone. 1t gathers
all Of its kind. oh, that you might be az
wise in this migration TO heaven, and tina,
you might gather all your families ami your
friends with you! l would that Hannah
might lake Samuel by the hand and Abra-
ham might take Isaac, an Hagar might
take lshmael. l ask you if those who sat at
your breakfast table this morning will sit
with you in heaven. / ask you what in
fuences you are trying to bring upon them,
what example you are setting them. Are
you calling them to go with youI Aye ave,
have you started yourself?
Start Tor heaven and take your children
with you. Come, thou and all thy house.
into the ark. Tell your little ones that there
are realms OF balm and sWeptupss for oil