The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-13

the joy of the wedding party as Christ
himself. He was the chief of the ban-
queters. When the wine gave out, he
supplied il, and SO, / take ii, he will
not deny US the joys that are positive
Iy festal.
THE RIGHT TO LAUGH.
I think the children of God have
more right to laugh than any other
people, and to clap their hands as loud
ly. There is not a single joy denied
them that is given TO any other people.
Christianity does not eli, the wings of
the soul. Religion does o frost the
flowers. What is Christianity? I
take ii to be simply a proclamation
from the throne OF God OF emancipa-
ton for all the enslaved, and if a man
accepts the terms of that proclamation
n becomes free has he not a right 10
be merry? Suppose a father has an
elegant mansion and large grounds.
To whom will he give the first privi-
lege of these grounds? VIII he say:
My children, o must not walk
through these paths or sit down under
these trees or pluck this fruit. These
are for outsiders. They may walk in
them" NO father would say anything
like that. He would say, The first
privileges in all the grounds and all of
my house shall be for my own chill
dren." And yet men try to MAKE US
believe tina Gods children are on the
limits and the chief refreshments and
enjoyments of life are for outsiders
and not for his own children. 1t is
stark atheism. There is no innocent
beverage too rich for Gods child TO
drink, there is no robe too costly for
him TO wear, there is no hilarity too
great for him to indulge in and no
house TOO splendid for him TO live in.
He has a right to the joys of earth:
he shall have a right to the joys of
heaven. Though tribulation and trial
and hardship may com unto him, let
him rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord. We
righteous, and again 1 say rejoice"
l remark. again, that Christ comes
to us in the hour of our extremity.
He knew the wine was giving out be-
fore there was any embarrassment or
notification. Why did he not per-
form the miracle sooner Why wait
until il was all gone, and no help could
come from any source, n then come
in and perform the miracle? This is
Christ's way, and when he did come in,
at the hour of, extremity, he made first
rate wine, so that they cried out
Thou mast kept the good wine until
now" Jesus is the hou of extremity
He seems to prefer that hour. In a
Christian home in Poland great power
ty had come, and on the week day the
man was obliged to move out of the
IlOuSS VIII liz WHIT diIill.. IL
night he knelt with his family and
prayed to God. While they were
kneeling in prayer there was a tap
on the window pane. They opened
the window, and there was a raven
that the family had fed and trained,
and it had in it's bill a ring all set with
precious stones, which was found III
TO be a ring belonging to the royal
family. 1t was taken up to the kings
residence, and for the honesty of the
man in bringing it back he had a
house given to him and a garden and
a farm. Who was it that sent the
raven tapping on the window? The
| Elijah by the brook Cherith. Christ
in the hour of extremity!
THE MERCY OF GOD.
You mourned over your sins. You
could not find the way out. You sal
down and said: God will not be
merciful. He has cast me Off" But
in that, the darkest hour of your his.
tory, light broke from the throne. and
Jesus said: "Oh, wanderer, come
home; 1 nave seen all thy sorrows. Ir
this, the hour of thy extremity I Offer
thee pardon and everlasting life"
Trouble came. You were almost
torn to pieces by that trouble. Yol
braced yourself up against it. YOU
said: Il will be a stole and will no
care" But before you had got through
making the resolution it broke dow
under you. You felt that all your re
sources We're gone And then JesuI
come. I'm the fourth watch of tn
night" the Bible says, Jesus cam
walking on the sea-. Why did he no
come in the first watch or in the sec
ond watch or in the third watch? 1 q,
not know. He anne in the fourth anC
gave deliverance to his disciples. Jesu.
in he last extremity
L wonder if it will be so in our very
last extremity. We shall fall suddenl,
sick, and doctors will come, out in vair
We will try the anodynes and the slim
ulants and h bathings, but all in vail
Something will say, You must go.
No n to hold us back, but the hand!
of eternity stretched out to pull us on
What then? Jesus will come to rs
and we say, Lord, Jesus, l am afrai(
of that water; 1 cannot wade through
to the other side" he will say, TAX,
hold of MI arm" And we will TAX
hold of his arm, inc then he will, pu
his foot in the surf of the wave, taking
us on down, deeper, deeper, deeper
and u soul will cry, All thy waves
and pillows have gone over me-" They
cover the feet, come to the knee anC
pass the girdle and come to the head
and our soul cries out, Lord Jesu.
Christ, l cannot hold thine army an!
longer. linen Jesus Will turn around
throw both his arms about us and Sc
us on the beach far beyond the tossins
Of the pillows. Jesus in the last ex
tremity!
A GRANGER WEDDING.
The wedding scene is gone now. TIL,
wedding ring has been lost, the tank
ards have been broken, the house i
down, but Jesus invites us to a grand
er wedding. You know the Bible say!
that the church is the Lambs wife
and the Lord will after awhile come t
fetch her home. There will be CLEAN,
ing of torches in the sky, and tn
trumpets of God will ravisa the al
with their music, and Jesus will stretch
out his hand, inc the church, robed IL
white, will put aside her veil and lool
up into the face of her Lord, the King
and the Bridegroom will say to tn,
bride: Thou hast been faithful
through all these years! The mansion
is ready! Come home! Thou art fair
my love-" And then he will put upoI
her brow the crown of dominion, ant
the table will be spread, and it will
reach across the skies, and the might.