The Monitor-register., 1897-01-08

- 0EtSMAN KALI WORkS,
90 Nassau ST., New York.
The boy Sammy was right when, being
examined for admission into, church
mem bership, he was asked. "Whose
work was your salvation?" and he an
swered, "Part mine and part Gods. -
Them the examiner asked, "What part
did you do, Sammy?'' and the answer
was, II opposed God all could, and he
r did the rest" Oh, the height of it, the
depth of it, the length of it, the breadth
of it, the grace of Godl Mr.. Fletcher
having written a pamphlet that pleased
the king, the king offered to compensate
him, and Fletcher answered, "There is
only one thing want, and that is more
grace Yes, my blood bought hearers,
grace to live by and grace to die by,
grace that saved the publican, that
saved Lydia, that saved the dying thief,
that saved the jailer, that saved me.
But the riches Of that grace will not be
fully understood until heaven breaks in
upon the soul An old Scotchman, who
had been soldier in one of the Eu-
ropean wars, was sick and dying in one
of our American hospitals His one de-
sire was to see Scotland and his old
home and once again walk the heather
of the highlands and hear the bagpipes
of the Scotch regiments. The night that
the old Scotch soldier died young man,
somewhat reckless, butkind hearted, got
a company Of musicians to come and
II old co1Iior,c
and among the instruments there was
bagpipe The instant that the musicians
began the dying old man in dellrlum
said: "What's that? What's that?
Why, it's the regiments coming home.
That's the tune-yes, that's the tune
Thank God, 1 have got home ence
morep' "Bonnie Scotland and Bonnie
Doon!'' were the last words he uttered
as he passed up to the highlands of the
better country. And there are here hun
dreds of homesick for heaven, some be-
cause you have SO many bereavements,
some because you have SO many tempta-
tions, some because you have SO many
ailments-homesick, very homesick, for
the fatherland of heaven, and the music
that you want to hear now is the song
of free grace, and the music that you
want to hear when you die is free grace,
and forever before the throne of God
you will sing of the ''grace Of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich.
for your sakes became poor. "
The Comforting Fact.
Yes, yes, for your sakes! 1t was not
fhof ho
for it was all pain. 1t was not on an
astronomical exploration, for he knew
this world as well before he alighted as
afterward. 1t was not because he was
compelled to come, for he volunteered.
1t was not because it was easy, for he
knew that it would be thorn and spike
and hunger and thirst and vociferation
of angry mobs. "For your sakes." To
wipe away your tears. to forgive your
wrongdoing, to companionship your
loneliness, to soothe your sorrows, to sit
with you by the new made grave, to
bind up your wounds in the ugly battle
with the world and bring you home at
last, kindling up the mists that fall on
your dying vision with the sunlight Of
a glorious morn. "For your sakes."
No, I will change that. Paul will not
care and Christ will not care if change
it, for must get into the blessedness Of
the text myself, and SO say, For our
sakes." For we all have our tempta-
iions and bereavements and conflicts.
For our sakes. We who deserve for our
sins to be expatriated into world as
much poorer than this than this earth
is poorer than heaven. For our sakes.
But what frightful coming down to
take us gloriously upl
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 COM
manded him never to wear it, as 1t
would be inappropriate But see the
startling and comforting fact, while our
prince throws off the robe, he not only
allows us to wear it, but commands rs
to wear it, and it will become us we'll,
and for the poverties of our spiritual
state we may put on the splendors of
heavenly regalement. For our sakes.
Oh, the personality of this religionl Not
an abstraction, not an arch under which
we walk to behold elaborate masonry,
not an ice castle like that which the
Empress Elizabeth of Russia, over 100
years ago, ordered to be constructed,
winter with its trowel of crystals ce.
menting the huge blocks 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 and dcheer-something we can
take into our hearts and homes and busi-
ness, recreations and joys and SORROWS
Not an unmanageable gift, like the gal
ley presented to Ptolemy. which re.
quired a, 900 men to row, and its draft
of water was SO great that it could not
come near the shore, but something you
can run up any stream of annoyance.
however shallow. Enrichment now, en-
richment forever.