Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-01-08

the Father MANSION, or on the Dahh u
the river Just where it rolls from under
the throne, or at the outside gate Jesus
got the contrast by exchanging that
world for this. We will get it by ex-
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
grace, omnipotent gracel Among the
thousands Of words in the language
there is no more queenly word. Itmeans
free and unmerited kindness. My text
has no monopoly Of the word. One hun
dred and twenty-nine times does the
Bible eulogize grace. 1t is door swung
wide open to let into the pardon Of God
all the millions who choose TO enter It.
John Newton sang Of it when he
wrote:
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved wretch Ike me.
Philip Doddridge put it into all
hymnology when he wrote:
Grace. It's q charming sound,
Harmonious 10 the ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.
For Sinners sakes.
One Of John Bunyan's great books is
entitled "Grace Astounding. " 1T IS all
Of grace that am saved" has been on
the lips Of hundreds Of dying Christians.
The boy Sammy was right when, being
examined for admission into church
mem bership, he vas asked, Whose
work was your salvationf" and he an
swered, part mine and part Gods. "
Then the examiner asked, "What part
did you do, SammyT' and the answer
was, Il opposed God all could, and he
did the rest" " Oh, the height OF It, the
depth Of it, the length Of it, the breadth
of It, the grace Of God Mr.. Fletcher
having written 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 DO
fully understood until heaven breaks IN
upon the soul. An old Scotchman, who
had been a soldier in ono Of the Eu-
ropean wars, was sick and dying IN one
OF our American hospitals. His one de-
siro 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, but kind hearted, got
q company Of musicians to come and
play under the old soldiers window,
and among the instruments there was
baQpipe. The instant that the musicians
began the dying old man in delirlum
said: whats thatl What's thatg
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
Doonr' 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 ne was rich'
for your sakes became poor.
The Comforting Fact.
Yes. YES, for your sakesl IL was not
on a pleasure excursion that he came,
for It was all pain. 1t was not on an
astronomical 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.
| Ii was not because it was easy, for no
knew that it would be thorn and spike
and hunger and thirst and vociferatlon
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 fail on
your dying vision with the sunlight ci
glorious morn. "For your sakes.
| Ne, will change that. Paul will not
care and Christ will not care II change
| Ia. for must get into the blessedness OF
the text myself. and so | say, FOR our
sakes." For we all have our tempta-
tions 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 eartn
| is poorer than heaven. For our sakes.
But what frightful coming down to
take us gloriously upl
When Artaxerxes was hunting, Tire
hazua who was attending him, showed
the king a rent In his garments. The
king said. "How shall mend itf" by
giving 1t TO me" said Tirebazus. Then
the King gave him the robe, but COM
manded him never to wear It, as II
would be inappropriate. But see the
startling and comforting fact, while ouI
prince throws of the robe, he not only
allows us to wear it, but commands u'
10 wear Il, and 1t will become us well,
and for the poverties Of our spiritual
state we may put ON the splendors ol
heavenly regalement For our sakes
Oh, the personality Of this religionl Mo-
! an abstraction, not an arch under wnici
I we walk to behold elaborate masonry
I NOT an ice castle like that which th'
. Empress Elizabeth Of Russia over lo'
Q years ago, ordered to be constructed
winter with its trowel Of crystals CO
0 menting the huge blocks that had oeei
A Iouarried from the frozen rivers OF th'
' north, but our Fathers house with tn
: wide hearth cracking hearty welcome
& A religion of warmth and inspiration
-, -cOfrfofhfnG we Cal