The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-09-23
"The Glory of McKinleys Life Was a Reflected Glory-"-The Rever-
end w. W. Newell.

stfoy all of the high places at which the
becoming elated with his prosperity. he Ell
tered the temple and was about to offer in
ccnSe contrary 10 the command Of God. anu
wRa struck with lelirosy. Then began The
! people nf tiofi 10 neglect the affairs OF De
. hdvah: and losing their respect for him.. he
deserted them. leavlns them at the m-Tc!
OF their enemies. So that. during the prGpt-
ecy OF Isaiah Judah was contlauallg kat-
assed by he enemy from without. and was
heapins rupoa herself destruction from
within.
"At such :; time the need was made imml-
hent Tor 4 prophet. to appear I" give a mes
s;sse OF hope and consolation, Such was
the mission OF Isaiah Israel was not
Lord, nor To heed his commands. rhe
es's vision. and only afar OFT could he
see promise of hope and cheer for his
people And as he beholds their present con-
desoiation and waste like unto that OF the
Arabian desert. For Standing on a rocky
summit the seer Isaiah behe!d a yellow sea
zon, BY day the scorch,ns As;atic sun
made it a furnace of heat and blishtins
Death. Anon. sandstorms arise and the
weary traveller is driven TO seek refuge un-
der the lee of the shelterins rocks. All is
waste and desolation. except here and there
4 small oasis appears. where, by the minis
Try of some preventing power, the sands
| have been stayed and vegetation and life
abound.
"Ihe prophets vision was not only one
| VI AN anu lliI.tEiISttlttl. litAe ~ tIlit
thing real i'll the type OF the desert life and
barren wilderness. 1t was not y new figure
thcn: nor is ii without meaning now. From
her infancy had Israel been taush by sore
experience the desert life appearance and
reality of life; This history of the chosen
people OF God is one of wanderinss and
tfiaiS. The forefather. abraham. had been
sent ont into 4 strange land, not knowing
whittier he went. 1t was in the mountain
wilderness that he was told to offer IN his
Only son. Isaac was driven out of the land
OF Canaan because there was IL sore famine
in the land. Jacob was driven from his fa-
Tiers house by the anger of his brother.
and 1t remained for the house of Jacob to
experience the grievous famine in the land
oi Canaan by which they were driven into
Egypt to procure food at the hands OF their
brother. Joseph. whom, they had sold as Il
SLAVE. driving him out Of his fathers land
10 dwell in the midst of a strange people.
But to the descendants of Joseph and his
brethren was the great lesson of life'S wan
derinSs and desert wilderness 10 be laugh
in Its ful!ress and true meaning. For thelr
Wanaerinss in the wilderness and in the
desert Of sin had not heen the fancy OF
n prophets vision; but it was a very essen-
ttal part of their true history.
Nor to us are the prophets words a
sounding brass or a tinklins cymbal.' for
life indeed Is ii journey. We travel toward
n far-oif land. Oft times we are compelled
10 travel through trying ways where the
hrambles in !ife's thicket press US sore. and
We look with longing eyes for the vision
splendid, when ~eartii's hopes shall be real
ised and the clouds of the mist, vale lifted.
'N1' '.A- ~ go - " OststN jig q INV
way. The history of the world is as Il
sketch from Il travellers notebook. Every
advance srep of time records new mile
stones and brings rs but n little farther ON
the way. Like un;a the great ship that
plows the waves. it leaves hist a faint trace
behind. Its captain may record its route
from point to point. and furnish a chart
Tor other ships, but they cannot plow the
same waters. |
Even Christ knew earthly life as a jour .
ney- whose starting paint was the manager |
and whose terminus was Calvary. Nor of
ats storms and trials WIS he ignorant. From |
across the desert did tie wise men come to |
hait. him king. From place to place he |
was arireIi. seeking refuge from the wrath !
Of man. But like unto the agricuiturist. /!
who by irrigation transforms the bleak |
arid desert into tropical beauty. so that.
where once the bleak winds blew now
waves the boun,eous crest OF a bounteous
harvest, and where before the seorchinS .
sands heaped themselves in desolate wastes /
now the healing waters flow. giving life and !;
happiness. So Christ conquered fhe world
Of sin into spiritual fruitfulncss. so that
those who hunger and thirst after right
may be filed. Nc longer do we
travel across q desert that is void of life. |
nor where we are deceived by the shifting
mirage. but where the stream That the
prophet predicted flows in opulent life. and
prophet here speaks of the coming Christ. !
who has become The living water, ana of
which If any man drink he will not thirst
again.
If to the prophet life seemed like a
and Isresl was suffering under
one continuous drought. to us it hath been
siiiness ard behold the transforming power
Of the Son of God at work in the hearts
and lives of men: For the stream OF eter-
nal h:essedness has burst forth. and for
the soul of man the skies have sent their
rain. ~
To sin-benighted man the stream that
become as the refreshing showers on the
odrched ground. So that the weary plod-i
ier IN life. or he taht is tired of sin may
take new hope and renew his strength. he
nay mount up with wings as eagles; he
nay run and not be weary: he NAV walk
nd not faint Where once was death and
now may appear abundant life.
heaven no longer wilshoids her blessings.
The parclied soul has received the heavenly
aims. and the life that before was blighted
n SIN now bears an abundant fruitagc. The
tide of mercy has orerfown its
ranks and has become a gracious stream
Ike the wilderness of the sea. |,
,hrist in the world Is his saving power
Fer II the showers refresh the thirsty land.
:Hd the stream in the desert; quickens new
ife. no less does the Influence of Christ IN ,
ne world save the. higher life. rescuing it
rom the thraldom of sin. Christ is not ,
my come that We might have life. but
lhundance of life implies everlasting life. F,
lis mission was one of healing: but 1t was
more than that. 1t was also one of taking
the disease. Having saved man from
he penalty Of sin. he goes vet n step fur
her AID saves him from the bondage of
from SHINING. =
But to adorn mans life with supreme
'eauty and Perfection the task of salvation.
: not complete until the waste places are I
encwsd and the faculties of man are re-
reated. that the deeds may he new. The !;
.npaired body of sin must be replaced By a /,
creature made in. the image of its Re- !;
eehneF some wears ago AN eScavator in G
SIecian island was nnearthing an ancient I
einnle. One day he uncovered n mass of q
fragments. He threw the pieces {
. marble to one side. not realizing their
aiue- one day a great artist brought these ,
rasinenis f%oget'sr into the image of a j
slhsed victory. The head and. hands were {
while the pieces of the image were /
ady spiied and married. Reverently and a
a,,entiy he studied the outlines Of the h
image: and by his kill was enabled I
Q replace the missing head and to ~retrace e
he lowing movement Of the arms to their =
onpletlon: until over against the frar-
lentarv form there now stood the finished q
DIVINE PROVIDENCE !
. AaIr q