Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-06-09

showers meet. tHS cl0OQ from THIS
mountain, and another cloud from that
mountain, coming nearer and nearer
together, and, responding to each
other. crash TO crash, thunder 10 thun-
der. boom! boom. And then the clouds
break aud the torrents pour, and they
are emptied perhaps into the very same
stream that comes down 50 red at your
feet, that il seems as IL all the carnage
OF the storm battle had been emptied
into II. So In this Bible l see two
storms gather, one above Sinai, the
other above Calvary, and they respond
one TO the other--flash to fash. thunder
to thunder. boom! boom! Sinai thun-
ders: The soul that sinneth, 1t shall
die;" Calvary responds: Save them
from going down 10 the pit. for have
found ransom"
Sinai says; "Woe! Wool" Calvary an
swevs: Mercy! Mercy!" and then the
clouds burst, and empty their treasures
into one torrent. aud 1t comes lowing
to our feet, red with the carnage OF
our Lord-in which IL thy soul be
plunged, like the bird In the text, II
shall go forth free--free! Oh. | wish
al! people to understand this; that when
man becomes a Christian he does not
become a slave, but that he becomes q
free man; that he has larger liberty
after he becomes n child Of God than
before he became a child of God. Gen.
Fisk said that he once stood at slave
block where an old Christian minister
was being sold The auctioueer said of
him; what bid do hear for this
man? He is a very good kind of n man;
he is minister" Somebody said:
Twenty dollars" Che was very old aud
not worth much): somebody else:
Twenty fre-"Thirty = Thirty five"
Forty" The aged minister began to
tremble. He had expected to be able to
buy his own freedom, and he had just
$40, and expected with the $40 to get
free. AS the bids ran up the old man
trembled more and more. Forty
Forty five" - Fifty" "Fifty-tive"-
sixty "Sixty-tive," The old man
cried out: Seventy" He was afraid
they would outbid him. The men
around were transhxed. Nobody dared
bid, and the auctioueer struck him
down to himself-done-done!
The next thing | notice about this
bird, when II was loosened land this
is the main idea). is, that 1t flew away.
Which way did it go? When you let
bird loose from your grasp, which
way does it fly? Up. What are wings
forP To fly with. Is there anything
in the suggestion of the direction taken
Try that bird to indicate which way we
ought to goP
Rise. my soul. and stretch thy wings,
Thy better portion trace;
Rise from transtory things
To heaven thy native place"
We should be going heavenward.
That is the suggestion. But know that
we have great many drawbacks. You
had them this morning, perhaps. You
had them yesterday, or the day before;
and although you want TO be going
heavenward, you are constantly dis
couraged. But suppose when that
bird went out OF the priests hands 1t
went by inflections-sometm stoop-
ing. A bird does not shoot directly up,
but this is the motion Of bird So the
soul scars toward God, rising up in love,
and sometimes depressed by trial. 1t
does not always GO in the direction 1t
would like to go. But the main course is
right. There is one passage in the Bible
which quote ofteuer to myself than
any ether: HE knoweth our frame, and
He remembered that we are dust"
There is legend in Iceland which
says that when Jesus was boy playing
with His comrades one Sabbath day, He
made birds of clay; and as these birds
of clay were standing upon the ground
an old Sadducee came along, and he was
Disguised at the sport, ard dashed the
birds to pieces; but the legend says
that Jesus waved His hand above the
broken birds, and they took wing ard
went singing heayenward. OF course,
that is a fable among the lcelanders;
but II is not fable tDat we are dust,
and that, the hand Of Divine grace waved
over us once, we go singing toward the
skies.
] wish. my friends. that we could live
In higher atmosphere. If mans
whole life object is 10 make dollars, he
will be running against those who are
making dollars. IF his whole object is
to get applause. he will run against
those who are seeking applause. But
II he rises higher than that. he will not
be interrupted in his flight heaven
ward, Why does that flock Of birds
floating up against the blue sky so high
that you can hardly see them, not
change its course for spire or tower2
They are above all Instructions. So
we would not have so often TO change
our Christian course II we lived in
higher atmosphere, nearer Christ, near.
er the throne Of God.
Oh ye who have been washed In the
blood of Christ ye who have been
!ooscd from the hyssop branch-start
Leayenward 1t may be to some Of you
long flight.
Temptations may dispute your way;
storms Of bereavement and trouble may
Il Nm al