The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-12-17

the two rooms you had in house when
you started? Have you not had more
care and worriment since you won that
$4,000 than you did before? Some of
the poorest men have ever known have
been those of great fortune. A man of
small means may be put in great bust
ness straits. but the ghastliest of all
embarrassments is that of the man who
has large estates. The men who COM
NIT suicide because of monetary losses
are those who cannot bear the burden
any more because they have only $780,
600 left
Blessed be God, we have more adj
appreciate! We have spiritual bless
ings offered us in this world which
shall call the neither springs and glories
in the world to come which shall call
the upper springs.
Where shall find words enough
threaded with light to set forth the
pleasures of religion? David, unable to
describe it in words. played it on
harp. Mrs. Hemans, not finding enough
power in prose, sings that praise in
canto. Christopher Wren, unable to de-
scribe it in language. sprung it into the
arches of St. Paul's. John Bunyan. I'M
able to present II in ordinary phrase
ology. takes all the fascination of allie
CORY. Handel, with ordinary music un
able to reach the height of the theme.
rouses it up in an oratorio. Oh, there is
no life on earth so happy as really
Christian life! do not mean a sham
Christian life, but real Christian life.
Where there Is thorn there is whole
garland of roses. Where there is one
groan there are three doxologies.
Where there is one day of cloud there is
whole season of sunshine. Take the
humblest Christian man that you know
angels of God canopy him with their
white wings; the lightnings of Heaven
are his armed allies; the Lord is his
Shepherd, picking out for him green
pastures by still writer's. II he walk
forth, Heaven is his bodyguard. II he
lie down to sleep, ladders of light, angel
blossoming, are let into his dreams. If
lie be thirsty, the potentates of Heaven
are his cupbearers. If he sit down to
food, his plain table blooms into the
Kings banquet. Men say: Look at
that odd fellow with the wornout
coat" The angels of God cry: Lift up
your heads, We everlasting gates, and
let him come I'M" Fastidious people
cry: Get off my front steps!" The
doorkeepers of Heaven cry: Come, We
blessed of my Father, inherit the King
Gom!" When he comes to die, though
he may be carried out in pine box to
the potter's field, to that potter's field
the chariots of Christ will come down,
and the cavalcade viii crowd all the
boulevards of Heaven.
bless Christ for the present satisfac-
ton of religion. 1t makes a man all
right with reference to the past; it
makes man all right with reference to
the future. Oh, these neither springs OF
comfort! They are perennial, The
foundation of God standeth sure having
this seal: The Lord knoweth them
that are His" 1.-THE mountains shall
depart, and the hills be removed, but
my kindness shall not depart from thee,
neither shall the covenant of my peace
lie removed, saith the Lord, who hath
mercy upon thee" Oh, cluster of dia.
lnonds set in FURNISHED gold! Oh
neither springs of comfort bursting
through all the valleys of trial and trb-
nlation! When you see, you of the
world, what satisfaction there is on
earth in religion, do you not thirst after
it as the daughter of Caleb thirsted
after the water springs? 1t is no stag.
nant pond, scummed over with ma
laria, but springs of water leaping
from the Rock of Ages! Take up one
cup of that spring water and across the
top of the chalce will float the delicate
shadows of the Heavenly wall, the vel.
low of jasper, tho green of emerald, the
blue of sardonyx. .he fire OF jacinth.
l wish could make you understand
the JOY religion Is to some of us. II
makes q man happy while he lives and
glad when he dies. With two feet upon
ID chair and bursting with dropsies,
heard an old man in the poorhouse cry
out: BLESS the Lord, oh, my SOUL"
looked around and said; What has this
man got to thank God for?" 1t makes
the lame man leap as hare and the
dumb sing. They say that the old Puri
tan religion is tliceless and joyless
religion, but remember reading of DR.
Goodwin, the celebrated Puritan, who
in his last moment said: us this dy'
ing? Why, my bow abides in strength.
am swallowed upin God!" Her ways
are ways of pleasantness, and all hei
paths are peace" Oh. you who have
been trying to satisfy yourselves will
the "south land" of this world, do you
not feel that you would this morn
ing like to have access to the neither
springs of spiritual comfort? Would
you not like to have Jesus Christ benz
over your cradle and bless your table
and heal your wounds and strew flower!
of consolation all up and down the
graves of your dead?
IT'S religion that can give
| Sweetest pleasures while we live,
IT'S religion can supply
Sweetest comfort when we die.
But have something better to tel
you, suggested by this text. 1t seem,
that old Father Caleb on the wedding
day of his daughter wanted to make he1
just as happy as possible. Though 9th
| - Il Ii l, ~ e ,o