Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-08-12

health We want life "Thc whole need
not a physician. hut they that are sick"
l!lesscd he God that Jesus Christ comes
through this asscmblasr now. his gar
mcnts smelling of myrth that means
fragrance ''and alo,'s' they mean hit
ter sacriiicial memories ''and caSsia -
that means medicine and cure.
According tu my tcNt. he comes 'out
ot the ivory palaces" Nou know. or. il
y"u do not know. | will tell You NOW that
some ~ the palaces Of uldcn time were
adorned with ivory. Ahah and Solomon
had their homes furnished with Il. The
tnSkS of African and A>iatic elephants
vcrc twisted into all manners al shapes.
and there were stairs of IVORY and chairs
81 iv"ry anl tables 81 ivory ami iloor> II
ivory aud pillars nf ivory and windows of
ivory and fountains that dropped into
basin. 81 ivory aud r"om> that had cell
nsS If IVORY. oh. white aud nvcrmas-
icrinC beauty Green tree branches
sweeping the white curbS. Tapestry
trailing the snowy floors. brackets Of
light flashing on the lustr"uS surround
iuE>. Silv"ry music ripping on the
beach IL the arches. The mere thought
of il almost stuns my brain. and you say
oh. il ! could only have walked over
such floors, IL could have thrown my
self IA such a chair. II could have
heard the drip and dash Of those foun-
tains.." lou shall have something better
than thai il you only let Christ introduce
you. From that place hc came. and To
that plac" u" proposes Z" transport yon.
for his garments smell Of myrrh and
aloes and casSia ont Of the ivory pal
aces. What place heaven must lac,
The ruilrri,s II the French, the Wiulsor
castle ~ the English. lie Spanish alham-
bra the Russian krcmiin. ar, mere dun
gcnn, compared with It, Not many
castles on either side the Rhine a> On
both sides "f the river al God the ivory
palaces. one FOR the angels. inSulfcrably
bright winged. lire eyed. tempest char
ioicd one for the martyrs. with blood
red rohrS from under the altar. one for
the King. the steps Of his palace the
crown III the church militant; one for
the singers. VIII" lead the one hundred
and forty ana four thousand: one for you.
rans"mcd from sin: one Tor me. piuckcl
from the burning oh the ivory palaces.
Today il seems 10 me il the windows
OF those palaces were iilumincd for some
great victory. and look and see climb
ing the stairs al IVORY aud walking on
floors Of ivory and looking from the
windows of ivory some whom we knew
and loved on earth. Yes. | know them.
There are father and muihcr. not -
years aud 80 years a. when they left rs.
but bliihc and Young ~ when on their
wedding day And there are brothers
and sisters. mcrricr than when We used
TO romp across the meadows together.
The cough gone The cancer cured The
erySipclaS healed. The hcar;hrcak over.
oh. how fair they are in the ivory pal
aces, Aud your dear little children that
went out from you-t hiSt did not let
one uf them drop as he lifted them. lie
did not wrench one of them from you.
No. They went aS from one they loved
well 20 one whom they loved better. II
! should take your little child and press
its soft face against my rough check. |
might keep il little while. but when
you. the mother, came along it would
struggle To 90 with you. And You
stood holding Your dying child when
Jesus passed by in the room and the
little one sprang out to greet him. That
is all. Your Christian dead did not 20
down into the dust ami the gravel and
the mud Though il raincd all that
funeral day AMI the water came up to
the wheels huh - y"u drove out {" the
cemetery. il made u" difference Ia them.
for they stepped from the h"mc here To
the home there. right into the ivory pal
aces. All is well with them. All is we'll.
II is not dead weight that ynu lift
when you carry a Christian out. Jesus
makes the bed M soft with velvet prom
Uses. aud he says: Put her down here
very gently. PIT that head which will
never ache again on this pillow of halle
luiahs. Send mp word that the process
sion is coming. Ring the bells. Ringl
Open your gates. W ivory palaces And
50 Your loved ones are there. They are
just as certainly there. having died in
Christ. rs that you are here. There is |
only one thing more they want. Indeed. |
there is one thing in heaven they hav"
not got They want il. What is it? !
Your company. But. Oh my brother. nm
less you change your tack you cannot
reach that harl,or. Y"u nigh; as well !
take the southern Pacific railroad. cx-
pecting in that direction {" reach Toron-
10. NJ 10 90 on in the way some of You
are going and yet expect Ia reach the |
ivory palaces Your loved ones are look |
ing ont Of the windows of heaven now.
and yet yon seem To turn Your back upon
them. You Il" not seem To- know the |
sound of their voices as we'll as YOU used |
Ia or 10 Ice moved 10y the sight Of their |
dear faces Call louder. yc departed |
ones. Coli louder from the ivory pal |
aces,
When think Of that place and think |
Of my entering it. feel awkward. feel |
rs sometimes when have been exposed |
To- the weather. and my shoes have been |
bcmircd. and my coat is S"lcd. and my |
hair j. di>hcvclcd. and ! stop in front Of |
some fine residence where ! have an or |
rand. | feel not III 10 go in a | am and |
sit among thu guests So some Of us |
feel about heaven. We need Ia he wash |
ed we need To- hc rchahlitatcd before |
we go into the ivory palaces. Eternal |
God. let the surgcs of Thy pardoning !
mercy roll over Us. ! want not only {" |
wash my hands and my feet. hut. like |
some skilled diver standing on the pier |
head. who leaps into the wave and comes
up nj n far distant point from where he
went in. So ! want I" 90 down. and 80 |
want to come mp. q Jesus. wash me in
the waves of thy salvation.
And here ask you to solve mystery
that has been expressing me for 80 years
| have been asking il "f doctors of Iii |
vinity who have been studying theology
half n century. and they have given me
no satisfactory answer. | have turned
over all the books in my library. hut got
no solution Ia the question. and today !
come and ask you for IN explanation. |
BY what logic was Christ induced Ia cx
change the ivory palaces of heaven for
the cruciiiNion ag"nicS If earth: ! shall
take th. first thousand million years in
heaven to study out that problem. mean
while and now. taking il n the tender
tst. mighticSt of all facts that Christ did
come. that he came with spikes in his
feet. came with thcrnS in his brow. came
with spears in his heart. Ia save you and
10 save me God 81 loved the world
that he CAV" his only hcGoftcn Son. that
whatsoever hclicveth in him should not
perish. hut have everlasting life. oh. /
Christ. whclIn all our souls with thy com
passion Nov them down like simmer
grain with the harvesting. sickle "f thy
grace Ride through to-day the conquer
or. thy garments smelling 'of myrrh and
alocS and casSia ont Of the ivory pal
aces!''