Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-01-07

pardon Of God all the millions who choose
10 enter IT,
John Newton sang Of 1t when he wrote;
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me.
Philip Doddridge put it into all hymnol-
ogy when he wrote:
Grace. tits charming sound
Harmonious to the ear.
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.
One Of John Bunyan's great books Is
entitled "Graee Astounding" sit is all
of grace that am saved" has been on the
lips Of hundreds Of dying Christians. The
boy Sammy was right when, being exam
ined for admission into church member
ship, be was asked, "Whose work was your
salvationf" And he answered, Part mine
and part Gods" Then the examiner
asked, "What part did you do, SammyS'
And the answer was, 81 opposed God all
could, and he did the restr' Oh, the
height Of it, the depth of 1t, the length of
1t, the breadth of it, the grace of God Mr.
Fletcher having written a pamphlet that
pleased the king, the king offered to COM
pensate him, and Fletcher answered,
"There Is only one thing l 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 un-
derstood until heaven breaks in upon the
soul An old Scotchman who had been
soldier in one of the European wars was
sick and dying in one of our American
hospitals. His one desire was to see Scot
land 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, but
kind hearted, got company Of musicians
to come and play under the old soldiers
window, and among the instruments there
was a bagpipe. The instant that the mu-
sioians began the dying old man in delir-
ium said: whats that? What's that?
Why, it's the regiments coming home.
That's the tune-yes, that's the tune.
Thank God, have got home once morep
"Bonnie Scotland and Bonnie Doonl"
were the last words he uttered as he passed
up to the highlands of the better country,
and there are hundreds homesick for heav-
en-, some because you have SO many be-
reavements, some because you have so
many temptations, some because you have
so many ailments-homesick, very home
sick 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"
| For Our Sakes.
| Yes, yes, for your sakesl 1t was not on
| a pleasure excursion that he came, for it
was all pain. 1t was not on an astronom-
ical exploration, for he knew this world as
we'll 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 for
give your wrongdoing, to ompanionship
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 glori-
Gus morn. "For your sakes" No; will
change that. Paul will not care and Christ
will not care if change it, for 1 must get
into the blessedness of the text myself, and
so 1 say, "For our sakes" For we all
have our temptations and bereavements
and conflicts. For out sakes! We who de.
serve for our sins to be expatriated into q
world as much poorer than this than this
earth is poorer than heaven. For oul
sakesl But what frightful coming dowr
to take us gloriously upl
When Artaxerxes was hunting, Tire
bazus, who was attending him, showed the
king a rent in his garments. The king
said, "How shall mend itP'' "By giving
it to me" said Tirebazus. Then the king
gave him the robe, but commanded hin
never to wear it, as it would be inappropri
ate.
But see the startling and comforting
fact-while our prince throws off the robe
he not only allows us to wear it, but com
mands us to wear it, and it will become III
we'll, and for the poverties of our spiritua
state we may put on the splendors of heav
emily regalement. For our sakes! Oh, tht
personality of this religion! Not an alb
} straction, not an arch under which WI
walk to behold elaborate masonry, not al
ice castle like that which the Empress
Elizabeth of Russia, over 100 years ago
ordered to be constructed, winter, with it
trowel of crystals cementing the hug
blocks that had been quarried from thu
frozen rivers of the north, but our Father
house with the wide hearth cracking {
hearty welcome. A religion of warmth
and inspiration and light and cheer
something we can take into our hearts ant
homes and business, recreations and joy
and sorrows. Not an unmanageable gift
like the galley presented to Ptolemy, whicl
; required 1000 men to row, and it's draft 0
! water was SO great that it could not COM
near the shore, but something you can rul
up any stream of annoyance, however shall
low. Enrichment now, enrichment for
{ ever.