The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-10-09

Stroyed. The heather gave to the
Christian Che key to his house, that he
might go in and destroy the idols. He
battered to pieces all he saw, but still
the man did not get well. The Chris
tian said to him, 'There must be some
idol in your house not yet destroyed"
The heathcn confessed that there was
one idoAof beaten gold that he could
not bear to give up. After awhile,
when that was destroyed, in answer to
the prayer of the Christian, the sick
man got well.
Many a man has awakened in his
dying hour to find his sins all about
him. They clambered up on the right
side of the bed, and on the left side,
and over the headboard, and over the
footboard, and horribly devoured the
soul.
Repentl the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare delay;
The wretch that scorns the mandate dies,
And meets fiery day
Again, we need believing heart. A
good many years ago weary one went
up one of the hills of Asia Minor, and
with two logs on his bacl, cried out to
all the world, offering to carry their
sins and sorrows. They pursued Him.
They slapped Him in the face. They
moclIed Him. When He groansd they
groaned. They shook their fists ct
Him. They spat on Him. They bounded
Him as though He were wild beast.
His healing of the sick, His sight-giy-
ing to the blind, His mercy to the out
cast, silenced not the revenge of the
world His prayers andN benedictions
were lost in that Whirlwind of execr-
ton; Away with HIM Away with
Him."
All! it was not merely the two pieces
of wood that he carried; it was the
transgressions of the race, the anguish
of the ages, the wrath of God, the sor-
rows of hell, the stupendous interests
of an unending eternity. No wonder
His back bent. No wonder the blood
started from every pore. No wonder
that He crouched under torture that
made the sun faint, and the everlast-
ing hills tremble, and the dead rush up
in their winding sheets as he cried: ''If
it be possible, let this cup pass from
Me-" But the cup did not pass. None
to comfort.
There He hangs What has that hand
done that it should be thus crushed in
the palm? 1t has been healing the lame
and wiping away tears. What has that
foot been doing that it should be SO
lacerated? 1t has been going about
doing good. OF what has the victim
been guilty? Guilty of saving world.
Tell me, ye heavens and earth, was
there ever such another criminal? Was
there ever such crime? On that hill
of carnage, that sunless day, amid
those bowling rioters, may not your
sins and mine have perished? l believe
it. Oh, the ransom has been paid.
Those arms of Jesus were stretched
out SO wide that when He brought
them together again they might EN-.
brace the world. Oh, that might, out
of the blossoms of the spring, or the
flaming foliage of the autumn, make
one wreath for my Lord! Oh, that all
the triumphal arches of the world
could be swung in one gateway. where
the King of Glory might come in! Oh,
that all the harps and trumpets and or.
gans of earthly music might, in one an
them, speak His praise
But what were earthly flowers tc
Him who walketh amid the snow of the
white lilies of Heaven? What were
arches of earthly masonry to Him who
hath about His throne rainbow spun
out of everlasting sunshine? What
were all earthly music to Him wher
the hundred and forty and four thou.
sand cn one side, and cherubim and
seraphim and archangels standing Oh
the other side, and all the space be
tween is filed with doXologics ot
eternal jubilee-the hosanna of re
deemed earth, the hallelujah of unfal
len angels, song after song rising above
the throne of God and of the Lamb:
In that pure, high place, let Him hear
us Stop! harps of Heaven, that oui
poor cry may be heard. Oh, my Lore
Jesus! it will not hurt Thee for one
hour to step out from the shining
throne. They will make it all up when
Thou goest back again. Come hither
0 blessed One, that we may kiss Thy
feet. Our hearts, too long withheld
we now surrender into Thy keeping
When Thou goest bacl; tell it to all the
immortals that the lost are found, anC
let the Fathers house ring with the
music and the dance
Again, to have right heart it mus
be forgiving heart. An old writer
says: "To return good for evil is God
like; good for good is man-like; evi
for good devil-like." Which of these
natures have we? Christ will hav,
nothing to do with us as long as we
keep any old grudge. We have al
been cheated and lied about There are
people who dislike us so much that /
we should come down to poverty arc
disgrace, they would say: Good fol
himl Didn't 1 tell you so?" They de-
not understand us. Unsanctified hu
man nature says: "Wait till you ge-
a good crack at him, and when at las
you find him in tight place give it tc
him. Flay him alive. No quarter
Leave not rag of reputation. Juml
on him with both feet. Pay him in hi,
own coin-sarcasm for sarcasm, sccrr
for scorn, abuse for abuse" But, my
friends, that is not the right kind O
heart, No man ever did SO mean I
thing toward us as we have done to
ward God. And if we cannot forgiv,
others how can we expect God to for
give us? Thousands of men have beer
kept out of Heaven by an unforgivinI