Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-04-04

him I'M"
Oh, what a grand door! so wide, so
easily swung both ways, and with such
sure fastenings No burglars key can
pick that lock. No swarthy arm of hell
can shove back that bolt. I rejoice that
/ do not ask you to come aboard a
crazy craft with leaking hulk, and
broken helm, and unfastened door; but
an ark fifty cubits wide, and three hum
dred cubits long, and a door so large
that the round earth, without grazing
the post, might be bowled in!
Now if the ark of God is so grand a
place in which to live, and die. and
triumph, come into the ark. Know well
that the door that shut Noah in shut
others out; and though, when the pitt
less storm came pelting on their heads,
they beat upon the door saying, Let
me in! let me in!' the door did not
open. For one hundred and twenty
years they were invited. They expected
to come in but the antediluvians said,
1--WE must cultivate these fields; we
must be worth more flocks of sheep and
herds of cattle; we will wait until we
get little older; we will enjoy our old
farm a little longer" But meanwhile
| the storm was brewing. The fountains
of the heaven were filling up. The pry
was being placed beneath the founda-
| tons of the great deep. The last year
| had come, the last month, the last week,
| the last day, the last hour, the last
moment, in an awful dash, an ocean
| dropped from the sky, and another
| rolled UP from beneath; and GOO rolleo
| the earth and sky into one wave OIL
! universal destruction.
| 1 have no doubt that derision kept
| many people out of the ark. The Worlu
laughed to see a man go in, and SAID
| Here is a man starting for the ark.
Why, there will be no deluge. II there
is one, that miserable ship VIII not
| weather it. Aha! going into the ark!
! Well, that is too good to keep. Here'
fellows have you heard the news? rms
| man is going into the ark" Under this
artillery of scorn the mans good reso-
luton persisted.
| My friends and neighbors, come IN
right away. Come in through CHRIST
| the wide door-the door that SWINGS
| out toward you Come in and be saVeu,
| Come and be happy. 'The Spirit ana
the Bride say, Come" Room in the ARK
| Room in the ark!
| But do not come alone. The text III
| vites you to bring your family IL says;
! thou and all they house into the alh'
Thou and thy sons and thy wire LOU
| cannot drive them in. If Noah had tired
to drive the pigeons and the doves lil'o
| the ark, he would only have scattered
! them. Some parents are not wise apou.
| these things. They make iron rules ABOUT
| Sabbaths, and they force the CATE
| chism down the throat, as they Wouiu
hold the child's nose and force down
a dose Of rhubarb and calomel. You can
not drive your children into the ark.
| You can draw your children to CHRIST
but you cannot coerce them. The cross
was lifted, not to drive, but to draw
eff I be lifted up, I will draw all men
unto me-" AS the sun draws up the
drops of morning dew, so the son Oh
righteousness exhales the fears OF re-
pentance.
Be sure that you bring your husband
and wife with you. How would Moan
have felt if, when he heard the rain
pattering on the roof Of the ark, ne
knew that his wife was outside in the
storm? No; she went with him. And yet
some of you are on the ship "outward-
bound for heaven; but your companion
is unsheltered. You remember the day
when the marriage-ring was set Moth
ing has yet been able to break it. Sick
ness came, and the finger shrank, but
the ring staid on. The twain stood alone
above the child's grave, and the dark
mouth of the tomb swallowed up thou
sand hopes; but the ring dropped not
into the open grave. Days of poverty
| came, and the hand did many hard
days work; but the rubbing of the work
against the ring only made 1t shine
brighter. Shall that ring ever be lost
Will the iron clang OF the sepulchre-
gate crush it forever; / pray God that
you who have been married on earth
may be together in heaven. Oh! by the
quiet bliss Of your earthly home; by the
babes cradle; by the vows of that day
when you started life together. beg
you to see to it that you both get into
the ark
Come in, and bring your wife or hus-
band with you-not by fretting about
religion, or ding-donging them about re-
ligion, but by a consistent life, and by
a compelling prayer that shall bring the
throne of God down into your room.
Go home and take up the Bible and
read it together, and then kneel down
and commend your souls to him who
has watched you all these years; and,
before you rise, there will be a fiutter-
ing of wings over your head, angel cry
! ING 10 anger, beIOiu! lIey pray!
But this does not include all your
family. Bring the children. God bless
the dear children. What would our
| homes be without them. We may have
done much for them. They have done
! more for US. What salve for wound
ed heart there is in the soft palm of
child's hand! Did harp or flute ever
| have such music as there is in a child's
! "good-night?" From our coarse, rough
life, the angels of God are often driven
! back; but who comes into the nursery
without feeling that angels are hover
ing around? They who die in infancy
go straight to glory, but you are ex-
! pecting your children to grow up in this
world. Is it not a question then, that
rings through all the corridors, and
windings, and heights, and depths Of
your soul, what is to become of your
sons and daughters for time and eter-
nifty? "Oh" you say, 81 mean to see
that they have good manners" Very
we'll. Il mean to dress them well, if I
have myself to go shabby" Very good.
| 81 shall give them an education, shall
leave them a fortune" Very well. But
is that all? Don't you mean to take them
| ;nto orIro no q