The Red Cloud chief., 1894-04-27


And his sermons were So
sentiment and practicality andN~
ity and illustration. The light Of Il
die, the crystal Of tho salt, tho cluck d.
q hen for her chickens, tho hypocrite's
dolorous physiognomy, the moth in the
clothes closet, the black wing Of a raven,
the snowbank of white lilies, our OK.
tromo bothoration about tho splinter Of
imperfection In some n clse's charac.
ter, tho swine fed on tho pearls, wolves
dramatizing sheep, and tho peroration
made up Of q cyclone in which you hear
the crash Of q tumbling house unwisely
constructed. No technicalities, no split.
ting OF hairs between north and north
west side, no dogmatics, but q great
Christly throb Of helpfulness. l do not
wonder Mt tho record which says,
"When no was como down from the
mountain, great multitudcs followed
him" They had but one fault to find
with his sermon. 1t was too short. God
help nil Of us in Christian work to get
down off our stills and realize there is
only II thing we have to do-thero is
the great wound Of tho worlds sin and
sorrow, and here is the great healing
plaster of the gospel. What you and I
want to do is TO put the plaster on tho
wound. All sufficient il this gospel If it
is only applied. A minister preaching
to an audience Of sailors concerning the
ruin by sin and the rescue by the gospel
accommodated himself to sailors ver-
nacular and said, This plank bears"
Many years after this preacher was
called to see u dying sailor and asked
him about his hope and got the suggest.
i've reply, This plank bears"
An Appeal For Love-.
Yea, Christ was lovely in his chief
life's work. There wcro n thousand
things for him to do, but his great work
was to get II shipwrecked world out
Of the breakers. That he came todo, and
that no did, and he did it in three years.
Ho took 80 years to prepare for that
three years activity. From 10 to 30
years of ago we hear nothing about him.
That intervening IL years ! think no
was in India. But he camc back to Pal.
estino and crowded everything into three
years-thrcc winters, three springs,
three summers, three autumns. Our lifo
is short, but would God wo might SEQ
how much We could do in three years.
Concentration! Intensification! Three
years of kind wordsl Three years Of liv.
ing for othersl Three years Of self sacri-
fee! Let us try it.
Aye, Christ was lovely in his demise.
He had q right that last hour to deal in
anathematization. Never had any ono
been so meanly treated. Cradle Of straw
among goats and camels-that was tho
worlds reception Of him! Rocky cliff,
with hammers pounding spikes through
tortured nerves-that was tho worlds
farewell salutation! The slaughter of
that scene sometimes hides the lowell
ness Of the sufferer. Under tho satura-
ton of tears and blood we sometimes
fail to see the sweetest face of earth and
heaven. Altogether lovely! Can coolest
criticism find an unkind word no ever
spoke, or an unkind action that he ever
performed, or an unkind thought that he
ever harbored?
What u marvel it il that all tho mo-
lions Of earth do not rise up in raptures
of affection for him! ! must say it here
and now. lift my right hand in solemn
a%ttestation. l love him, and tho grief Of
my life is that l do not love him more.
Is it an impcrtincnco for mo to ask, Do
you, my hearer-you, my reader, love
him? Has he become u part Of your ma
turo? Have you committed your children
III earth into his keeping, as your chill.
dren in heaven are already in his bosom?
Has he done enough to win your conf
dence? Can you trust him, living and
dying and forever? Is your back or your
face toward him? Would You like to
have his hand to guide you, his might
to protect you, his grace to comfort you,
his sufferings to atone for you, his arms
to welcome you, his love to cncircle you.
his heaven to crown you!
a Grand Thought.
Oh, that we might all have something
Of the great German reformer's love for
this Christ which led him to say, III any
one knocks at the door Of my breast and
says, Who lives thero?' my reply is,
Jesus Christ lives here, not Martin
Luther" Will it not be grand if, when
we get through this short and rugged
road Of life, we can 20 right up into his
presence and live with him world with
out end?
And if, entering the gate Of that hcav.
emily city, VIC should be SO overwhelmed
with our u~nworthiness on the II side,
and the supernal splendor on the other
side, we get a little bewildered and
should for a few moments be lost on the
streets Of gold and among the FURNISHED
temples and the sapphire thrones, there
would be plenty to show us the way and
take Us out Of our joyful bewilder.nent,
and perhaps the Woman Of Main would
say, Come, let Inc take you to the
Christ who raised my only boy to life. "
And Martha would say, Nome, let me
Jake you to ehe OBJ w.sA hsGa
Tyuy