Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-03-01


factories. and over our threshing machines,
and behind our p1ows, and on our ships
decks, and In our parlCrs, our nurseries and
kitchens, as though 1t were glorious good news,
and not with disma. drawl in our voice,
and dismal look on our faces, as though re-
ligiOn was rheumatic twinge, or dyspep-
tic pang, or a malarisl chill, or an attack OF
nervous prostration. With nine ''blesseds''
or "happys," Chris began His sermon on
the mount-hlessed the poor; blessed the
mourner; blessed the meek blessed the hun
CRY; blessed the merciful; blessed the pure;
blessed the peacemGkers; blessed the perse-
cuted; blessed the reyiled; blessed, blessed
blessed; happy, happy, happy. Glorious
good news Tor the young as through Christ
they may have their coming years ennOhled
and for lifetime all the angels Of God their
cOadjutors, and all the armies Of heaven
their allies. Glorious good news for the
middle aged as through Christ they may
have their perpiexities disentangled, and their
courage 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" an1 the de-
tense OF the everlasting arms. Glorious good
news for the dying as they may haVC minis
tering spirits to escort them, and opening
gates to receive them, and sweep of eternal
glOrieS to encircie them, and the welcome of a
loving God to emDOsom them.
Oh, my text is right when it speaks of the
glorious gospel. 1t is an invitation from the
most radiant Being that ever trod the earth
or aScended the heavens, to you and me to
come and be made happy. and then take af-
ter that a royal castle for everlasting resi-
dence. the angels of God our cup bearers.
The price paid for all of this on the cliff of
limestone about as high as this house about
seven minutes walk from the wall Of ,Jerusa-
lem, where with an agony that with one
hand tore down the rocks, and with the other
drew a midnight blackness over the heavens,
our Lord set US forever free. Making no
apology for any one Of the million sins of our
life, but c0nfe5sing 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 l that all the
Christian poets have exerted their pen in ex-
tOlling the matchless one of this gospel.
Isaac Watts, how do you feel concerning
Him2 And he writes, II am not
what do you think OF this gospel?
And he writes, Amazing grace, how
sweet the soundr' Cowper, what
10 you think of Him? And the answer comes,
"rhere is a fountain filed with blood
Charles Wesley, what do you think of Hmi
And he answers, "Jesus, lover of my soul. 2"
Horatius Bonar, what do you think Of Him?
And he responds, 81 lay my sins on Jesus" "
Ray Palmer, what do you think of Him2 And
he writes, ''My faith looks up to Thee. y"
Fannie Crosby what do you think Of Him?
And she writes, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is
mine.' But take higher testimony: Solo,
mon, what DO you think Of Him? And the
answer is, LILLY Of the valley" Ezekiel,
what do you think of Him? And the answer
is, ''Plant of renown." David, what do you
think of Him? And the answer is, "My shep-
herd" st. John, what do you think OF Him?
And the answer is, bright and morning
STAR ST. Paul, what do you think of Him2
And the answer comes, "Christ is all in all"
Do you think as well of Him, 0 man, 0 wo-
man OF the blood bought immortal spirit?
Yes, Paul was right when he styled 1t 'the
glorious gospel"
And then as a druggist, while you are
waiting for him to make up the doctors
prescription, puts into a bottle so many
grains of this, and so many grains Of that,
and so many drops Of this, and SO many
drops of that, and the intermixture taken,
though sour or bitter, restores to health.
So Christ, the Divine Physician, prepares
this trouble Of our lifetime, and that disap-
pointment, and this persecution, and that
hardship, and that tear, and we must take
the int9rmixture, yet though it be a bitter
draft. Under the divine prescription it adj
ministers to our restoration and spiritual
health, "all things working together for
God" Glorious gospel
And then the royal castle into which we
step out of this life without so much as soil
ing our foot with the upturned earth of the
not that mean that you are, If saved, to be
kings and queens, and do not kings and
queens have castles? But the one that you
are offered was for thirty-three years an
abandoned castle, though now gloriously in
habited. There is an abandoned royal castle
at Amber, India. One hundred and seventy
years ago q king moved out OF it never to
return. But the castle still stands in indie
scribable grandeur, and you go through
brazen doorway after brazen doorway,
and under embelHshed ceiling af-
ter embellished ceiling, and through
halls precious stoned into wider halls prec-
ious stoned, and on that hill are paviHons
deeply dyed and tasseled and arched, the fire
of colored gardens cooled by the snow Of
white architecture; birds in the arabesque 80
natural to life that while you cannot hear
their voices you imagine you see the flutter
of their wings while you are passing; walls
pictured with triumphal procession; rooms
that were called "Aleove OF Light" and
''Hall Of Victory;'' marble, white and black,
and mother Of pearl, and lacquer work.
Standing before it the eye climbs from step
to latticed balcony, and from latticed bal
cony to oriel, and from Criel to arch, and
from arch to roof, and then descends on lad
der Of all colors, and by stairs OF perfect
lines to tropical gardens Of ponegranate and
pineapple. Seven stories Of resplendent
Architectural But the royal castle provided
for you, If you will only take it on the pre-
scribed terms, is grander than all that; and,
though an abandoned castle while Christ was
here, achieving your redemption, is again oc-
cuDied by the ''chief among ten thousand,
and some of your own kindred who have
gone up and waiting for you are leaning
from the balcony. The windows OF that
castle look off On the Kings gardens where
immortals walk linked in eternal friend
ship, and the banqueting hall of that castle
has princes and princesses at the table, and
the wine is 1.-THE new wine of the kingdom,
and the supper is the marriage supper OF the
Lamb and there are fountains into which no
tear ever fell. and there is music that trem-
bles with no grief, and the light that falls
upon that scene is never bcclOuded, andthere
is the kiss of these reunited after long sepa-
ration. More nerve viii we have there than
now, or we would swCon away under the
raptures. Stronger vision Will we nave there
than now, or our eyesight would be blinded
bv the brilliance. Stronger ear will we have
there than now, or under the roll OF that
1ninstrelsy, and the clapping of that accla-
nation, aud the boom of that halleluiah we
Ould b8 defeated.
Glorious gospel! You thought rehglon
was a straitjacket: that it put you on the
limits; that thereafter you must go coWed
down. No, no, no! 1t is to be casteuated.
BY the cleansing power Of the shed blood OF
GOlgotha set your faces toward the SHINING
pinnacles. On, 1t does not matter much
what becomes Oh us utEe-AO1 6It IAlO AO4IeoCoe
our stay is short-if we can only land there.
You see there are SO many do want to
meet there. Joshua, my favorite prophet,
and John among the evangelsts, and Paul
among the apostles, and Wyclif among the
martyrs, and Bourdaloue among the preach
ers. and Dante among the poets, and
Hayelock among the heroes, and
our loved ones whom we have so much
missed since they left US so many darlings of
the heart, their absence sometimes almost
unbearable, and, mentioned in this sentence
last of all because want the thought climac-
teric, our blessed Lord, without whom we
.conld never reach the old castle at all. He
took our place. He purchased our ransom
He wept our woes. He suffered our stripes.
He died our death He assured our resurrec-
tion. Blessed be His glorious name forever!
Surc+ing to His ear be all the anthems! Facing
4 4I,n+ +hrnr,pSl