The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1895-02-20

expect to go straight to Heaven from
their seraglios. and their inebriation.
and their suicides. When among the
loudest thunders that break over the
basaltic island to which ST. John was
exPatriated, was the one in which
God announced that 1.-The abomiu-
able, and the murderers. and whore
mOngers, and sorcerers, and idola-
tors. and all liars, shall have their
place in the lake which burneth with
fire and birthstone, which IS the second
death" ! correct what ] said when ]
declared the gospel was buried fifty
feet; it is buried a thousand feet deep
Had the glorious Gospel been given
full opportunity think before this the
world would have had no need of pull
pit, or sermon, or prayer. or church.
but Thanksgiving and hosannas would
have resounded in the temple to which
the mountains would have been pillars
and the blue sky the dome. and the
rivers the baptistrv. and all nations
the wOrshipers in the auditorium Of
the outspread world. But So fav from
that. as | remarked in the opening SEN
tence of this sermon. the greatest nov
city Of our time is the Gospel And let
me say 10 the hundreds and thou
sands OF educated and splendid young
men about to enter the Gospel minis
try from the theological seminaries of
all denominations, on this and the
Is no drawing power like the glorious
Gospel. Him hath God lifted up 70
draw all men unto him." Get your
souls charged and Surcharged with this
Gospel and You will have large audi
ences, and will not have TO announce.
in order to assemble such audiences. p
sunday night sacred concert, with a
brief address by the pastor, or the
presence of Black PATHS, or Creole
MINISTRIES, or some new exposure of
Tammany or a sermon accompanied
by a magic lantern or stereopticon
views.
The glorious Gospel of the blessed
God as spoken Of in my text will have
more drawing power, and when that
Gospel gets full swing it will have a
momentum and power mightier than
thr force of the September equinox it
strikes the Highlands of the Navesink.
The meaning of the word Gospel is
good news, and my text says it is
glorioas good news and we must tell
il i'm our churches, and over our dry
goods counters. and in our factories.
and over our threshing machines. and
behind our plows. and on our ships
decks, and in our parlors, our nurs-
cries. and kitchens, as though it were
glorious good news, and not with dis
NAL drawl in our voice, and a dismal
look on our faces as though religion
were rheumatic twinge. or a dyspep-
tic pang. or a malarial chill, or an at
tack OF nervous prostratiOn. With
nine ''blesseds or happys' Christ began
his sermon on the Mount; Blessed are
the poor; blessed the moUrner; blessed
the meek; blessed the hungry; blessed
the merciful; blessed the pure: blessed
the peaccmaker: blessed the persecut-
ed; blessed the reviled: blessed. bless
ed, blessed, happy, happy, happy Glor-
iOus good news for the young as
through Christ they may have their
coming years ennObled. and for life
time all the angels OF God their
coadjutors ana all the armies of
Heaven their allies. Glorious good
news for the middle-aged. as through
Christ they may have their perplexi-
ties disentangled, and have their cour-
age rallied. and their victory over all
obstacles and hindrances made forever
sure. Glorious good news for the
aged, as they may have the sympathy
Of Him of whom st. John wrote: His
head and His hairs were white-like
wool, as white as snow" and the de-
Tense Of the everlasting arms. Glori-
Gus good news for the dying, as they
may have ministering spirits to escort
them and opening gates to receive
them. and a sweep Of eteEnal glories to
encircle them, and the welcome of a
loving God to embOsom them.
Oh, my text is right when it speaks
of the glorious Gospel. II is an invita-
ton from the most radiant Being that
ever trod the earth or assembled the
heavens, to you and me to come and
be made happy, and then take after
that a Royal Castle for everlasting
residence. the angels of God our cup
bearers. The price paid for all this on
the cliff of limestone about as high as
this house, about seven minutes walk
from the wall of Jerusalem. where
with an agony that with one hand tore
down the rocks, and with the other
drew a midnight darkness over the
heavens, our Lord set US forever free.
Making no apology for any one of the
million sins of our life, but coufessing
all of them, we can point to that cliff
of limestone and say: There was paid
our Indebtedness. and God never col
lects a bill twice"
Glad am I that all the Christian
poets have exerted their pen in extoll-
ing the matchless One of this Gospel
Isaac Watts, how do you feel concern
ing Him? And he writes, Il am no,
ashamed to own my Lord" Newton,
what do you think of this Gospel? And
be writes, Amazing grace, how sweet
the sound" Cowper, what do you
think of Him? And the answer comes
There is a fountain filed with
blood" Charles Wesley, what do you
think of Him? And he answers, Jesus
lover of my sous." Horatius Bonar
what do you think of Him? And ht
responds. 81 lay my sins on Jesus
Ray Palmer, what do You think
of Him? And he writes. My faitl
| looks up to Thee" Fannie Crosby
what do you think of HIM? And She
| writes, Blessed assurance, Jesus il
Mine" But I take higher testimony
Solomon. What do you think of Him
And the answer is. Lilly of the val
] lev" Ezekiel, what do you think o
/ Him? And the answer Is. PLANT o
renown." David. what do you thinl
of Him? And the answer is, M.
Shepherd ST. John. what do Vol
think of Him? And the answer is
Bright and morning star" st. Paul
what do YOU think of Him. AM
! the answer comes. Christ is al
in all" DO you think as well o
Him. Oh man. Oh woman of the blood
bought immortal spirit2 Yes, Paul wa
right when he styled it The Glori
Gus Gospel" And then. as druggist
while you are waiting for him TO max
up the doctors prescription. puts int
a bottle. so many grains Of this. and ;
many grains OF that,and SO many drop
Of this, and 50 many drops of that, an
the intermixture taken, though sou
or bitter. restores to health; so Chris
the Divine Physician, prepares tn
trouble Of our lifetime, and that dis
appointment, and this persecution. an