Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-12

land Of heaven. / wish that some day
you might go to the Holy Land and
take drink out of Jacobs well, and
take sail on Galilee. and read the
Sermon on the Mount while standing
on Olivet, and see the wilderness where
Christ was tempted, and be some after
noon on Calvary about three o'clock
the hour at which closed the cruel
fixiOn-and sit under the sycamores and
by the side of brooks, and think and
dream and pray about the poverty OF
him who came our souls to save. But
you may be denied that, and so here, in
another continent and in another hem
possible, we recount as well we may
how poor was our Heavenly Prince.
But in the other holy land above we
may all study the riches that he left
behind when he started for earthly ex.
petition Come, let US bargain to meet
each other at the door OF the Fathers
mansion, or on the bank of the river
just where 1t rolls from under the
throne, or at the outside gate. jesus
got the contrast by exchanging that
world for this; we will get 1t by ex1
changing this world for that. There
and then you will understand more OF
the wonders of the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who, though he was
rich, yet for your sakes became poor
Yes, grace, free grace, sovereign
thousands of words in the language
there is no more queenly word. 1t
means free ard unmerited kindness.
My text has no monopoly OF the word.
One hundred and twenty-nine times
does the Bible eulogize grace. 1t IL
door swung wide open to let into
the pardon of God all the millions who
choose to enter 1t.
John Newton sang Of 1t when no
wrote:
>""AEazing grace. how 'sSeer the SOUND;
That saved a wretch like me-"
Philip Doddridge put it into all hymn.
nology when he wrote:
Grace, tbs charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear:
Heaven with the echo shall resound.
And all the earth shall hear"
When Artaxerxes was hunting. Tire
bazus, who was attending him, showed
the king rent in his garments; the
king said: How shall / mend it,"
by giving it to me-" said Tirebazus.
Then the king gave him the robe. but
commanded him never to wear it. as
it would be inappropriate. But seeing
the startling and comforting fact, while
our Prince throws off the robe, He no.
only allows us to wear it. but commands
us to wear it. and it will become us
well. and for the poverties OF our spir
itual state We may put on the splendor
of heavenly regalement. For our sakes'
Oh. the personality OF this religion
Not an abstraction, not an arch under
which we walk to behold elaborate ma.
sonry, not an ice castle like that which
the Empress Elizabeth of Russia, owe,
hundred years ago, ordered to be
constructed. Winter with it's trowe
of crystals cementing the huge block.
that had been quarried from the frozen
rivers of the North but our Fathers
house with the wide hearth cracking
hearty welcome. A religion OF
warmth and inspiration, and light, anc
cheer: something we can take into our
hearts, and homes, and business, re-
creations, and joys, and sorrows. Not
an unmanageable gift, like the galley
presented to Ptolemy, which requires
four thousand men to row, and its
draught of water was so great that II
could not come near the shore, but
something you can run up any stream
of annoyance, however shallow. En-.
richment now. enrichment forever.