The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-03

nedNen-aITdlQ lnal DOln doors OF the
celestial mansion will be swung wide
ing about among the apothecary shops
Of this world, wondering II this is good
for rheumatism, and that is good for
neuralgia, and something else is good
for a bad cough, lest we be suddenly
ushered into a land Of everlasting health
where the inhabitant never says, II am
sick
What fools we are to prefer the cir
conference to the center! What a
dreadful thing il would be If we should
be suddenly ushered from this wintry
world into the Maytime orchards of
heaven, and If our pauperism of sin and
sorrow should be suddenly broken up
by presentation Of an emperors castle.
surrounded by parks with springing
fountains and paths up and down which
angels of God walk two and two.
We stick 10 the world as though we
preferred cold driZzle to warm habita-
ton, discord to cantata sackcloth to
royal purple-as though we preferred a
piano with four or five keys out of tune
TO an instrument fully attuned-as
though earth and heaven had exchanged
apparel and earth had taken on bridal
array and heaven had gone into deep
mourning, all its waters stagnant. all its
harps broken, all chalices cracked at
the river plowed with graves with dead
angels under the furrow. Oh, l want
TO break up my own infatuation and I
want to break up your infatuation for
this world. 1 tell you, if we are ready
and il our work is done, the sooner we go
the better. and if there are blessings in
longevity I want you TO know right well
there are also blessings in an abbrevi-
ated earthly existence.
If the spirit of this sermon is true,
how consoled you ought to feel about
members Of your families that went
rlK-f sfrTalyaT from the evil n -
this book says. What a fortunate es-
cape they had! How glad we ought TO
feel that they will never have 10 go
through the struggles which we have
had TO go through They had just time
enough to get out Of the cradle and run
up the springtime hills Of this world
and see how it looked. and then they
started for a better stopping place. They
were like ships that put in at ST. Helena,
staying there long enough to let passen-
gers go up and see the barracks of
NapoleOn's captivity and then hoist sail
for the port of their own native land.
They only took this world lin transitu."
1t is hard for US. but it is blessed for
them.
Many Miles Nearer Home.
And if the spirit Of this sermon is
true. then we ought not to go around
signing and grooming because another
year has gone. but we ought to go down
on one knee by the milestone and see the
letters and thank God that we are 365
miles nearer home. We ought not 10 go
around with morbid feelings about our
health or about anticipated demise. We
ought to be living not according to that
old maxim which l used to hear in my
boyhood. that you must live as though
every day were the last. You must live
as though you were TO live forever, for
you will. Do not be nervous lest you
have TO move out of a shanty into an
Alhambra.
one Christmas morning one Of my
neigh bors. an old sea captain. died. After
life had departed his face was illumin-
ated as though he was just going into
harbor. The fact was he had already got
through the -tnaTrOws." In the adjOin-
ing room were the Christmas presents
waiting for his distribution. Long ago
one night when he had narrowly esca ped
with his ship from being run down by a
great ocean steamer. he had made his
peace with God. and a kinder neighbor
or better man you would not find this
side of heaven. Without a moments
warning the pilot OF the heavenly harbOr
had met him Just off the lightship.
The captain often talked to me of the
goodness Of God. and especially of time
when he was about 10 go into New York
harbor with his ship from Liverpool, and
ne was suddenly impressed that ne ought
to put back to sea Under the protest of
the crew and under their very threat
he put back to sea. fearing at the same
time he was losing his mind, for ii cid
seem so unreasonable that when T..
could get into harbor that night t =
should put back TO sea. But they pL
back to sea. and the captain said to his
mate. you call me at 10 O'Clock at
night"
At y O'Clock at night the captain was
mean? ! thought 1 told you to call me
at 10 O'Clock, and here it is u" Why"
said the mate, 81 did call you at 10
O'Clock. and you got up. looked around
and told me to keep right on the same
course for two hours, and then to call
YOU at II o'clock Said the captain:
rs it possible? 1 have no remembrance
Of that"
A Hundred Souls Escaped.
At u o'clock the captain went on deck.
and through the rift Of the cloud the
moonlight fell upon the sea and showed
him a shipwreck with 100 struggling
passengers. He helped them off. Had
he been any earlier or later at that point
of the sea he would have been Of no serv-
ice TO those drowning people. On board
the captains vessel they began to band
together as TO what they should pay for
the rescue and what they should pay for
the provisions. All" says the captain.
my lads, you can't pay me anything.
All have on board is yours. / feel too
greatly honored of God in having saved
you to take any pay" Just like him.
He never got any pay except that of his
own applauding conscience.
Oh, that the old sea captains God
might be my God and yours. Amid the
stormy seas of this life may we have al
ways some one as tenderly to take care
of us as the captain who took care of
the drowning crew and passengers. And
may we come into the harbor with as
little physical pain and with as bright a
hope as he had, and if it should happen
to be a Christmas morning. when the
presents are being distributed, and we
are celebrating the birth of Him who
came TO save our shipwrecked world all
the better, for what grander, brighter
Christmas present could we have than
heaven?
ODDS AND ENDS.