Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-03-14

angels did eat it; or because it was good
enough for angels? On what crystal
platter was 1t carried to the door Of
heaven, and then thrown out? How did
1t taste. We are told there was in it
something like honey, but If the saccha-
rine taste in 1t had been too strong,
many would not have liked 1t, and so 1t
may have had a commingling of flavors
this delicacy of the skies. 1t must
nave been nutritious, for nation lived
on 1t forty years. It must have been
healthful, for 1t has been so inspiringly
applauded. 1t must have been abundant,
because 1t dismissed the necessity OF
sutler for great army. Each person
had ration Of three quarts day allowed
to him, and so fifteen million pounds
were necessary every week. Those
were the times of which my text speaks,
when man did eat angels food" II
the good Lord, who has helped me so
often, will help me now, I will first tell
you what is angels food, and then how
we may get some of it for ourselves. In
our mortal state we must have for mas
tication, and digestion, and assimila-
ton, the products of the earth. Cor
poreity, as well as mentality, and spirit
uality, characterizes us. The style Of
diet has much to do with our well-being.
Light and frothy food taken exclusively
results in weak muscle and semi-invalid-
ism. The taking of too much animal
food produces sensuality. Vegetarians
are cranks. Reasonable selection of the
farinaceous and the solid ordinarily
produces physical stamina.
But we have all occasionally been in
an ecstatic state where we forgot the
necessity of earthly food. We were fed
by joys, by anticipations, by discover
les. by companionships that dwindled
the dining hour into insignifcance, and
made the pleasures of the table stupid
and uninviting. There have been cases
where from seemingly invisible sources
the human body has been maintained,
as in the remarkable case of our invalid
and Christian neighbor, Mollie Fancher,
known throughout the medical and
Christian world for that she was seven
weeks without earthly food, fed and
sustained on heavenly visions. Our be-
loved DR.. Irenaeus Prime, editor and
theologian, recorded the wonders con-
corning this girl. Prof. West, the great
scientist, marveled over it, and Willard
Parker, of worldwide fame in surgery,
threw up his hands in amazement at it.
There are times in all our lives when the
soul asserts itself, and says to the body,
Hush! Stand back! Stand down.
l am at banquet where no chalices
CLEAN, and no viands smoke, and no
culinary implements clatter. 1 am feed
ing on that which no human hand has
mixed, and no earthly oven has baked.
/ am eating angels food" If you have
never been in such an exalted state, l
commiserate your leaden temperament,
and dismiss you from this service as
Incompetent to understand the thrilling
and glorious suggestiveneSs of my text
when it says: Man did eat angels
food"
Now, what do the supernaturals live
on? They experience none of the de-
mands of corporeity, and have no him
drance or environment III the shape of
bone and muscle, and flesh, and hence
that which may delectate our palate, or
invigorate our poor, dying frames would
be of no use to them. But they have a
food of their own. My text says so.
There may be other courses of food in
the heavenly menu that am not aware
Of, but l know of five or six styles of
food always on celestial tables when
cherubim, and seraphim, and archangel
gather for heavenly repast; the mystery
of redemption; celestialized music; the
heavenly picturesque; sublime and col
loquy; eternal enterprises; sanity asso-
citation; Divine companionship; celebra-
tive jubilance. There is one subject that
excites the curiosity and inquisitiveness
Of all those angels. st. Peter says,
(which thing the angels desire to look
into:' That is why Christ exchanged a
palace for a barn? Why did he drop a
scepter from his right hand to take a
spear into his left side? Why quit the
anthem of the worshiping heavens to
hear the grooming of weary mothers
voice? Was straw better than gar
land? Gould it not have been done in
some other way?' says angel the first
WAS the human race worth such
sacrifice?" says angel the second. How
could heaven get along without him for
thirty-three years?" says angel the
third. Through that assassination may
sinful man rise into our eternal COM
panionshipn' says angel the fourth. And
then they all bend toward each other
and talk about it, and guess about it,
and try to fathom it, and prophesy con-
corning it. But the subject is too big,
and they only nibble at it. They only
break off piece of it. They only taste
IL. Iney just DIP lntO IL. anu Lnen one
angel cries: Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain!" And anothey says, I'm
searchable!' And another says, Past
finding out!' And another says, ALE
luia! And then they all fill their cups
of gold with the new wine of the king
DOM" Unlike the beakers of earth,
which poison, these glow with immortal
health, the wine pressed from the grapes
of the heavenly Eshcol, and they all
drink to the memory of manger and
cross, shattered sepulchre and Olivetic
ascension. oh, that rapturous, inspir-
ing, transporting theme of the worlds
ransom! That makes angels food The
taking of that food gives stronger pulse
to their gladness; adds several mornings
of radiance to their foreheads; gives
vaster circle to the sweep of their wings
on mission INSTRUMENTATION. Some of
the crumbs of that angels food fall all
around our wilderness camp to-day, and
we feel like crying with Paul, "Oh, the
depth of the riches, both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God!' or with expir-
Ing Stephen, Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit" or with many an enraptured
soul, "None but Christ! None but
Christi Pass around this angels food.
Carry it through all these aiSlsA Na1Inb