Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-12-11

get no idea Of it unless You can ring all
the church bells in one chime and sound
| all the organs in one diapason and gather
| all the congregations of Christendom in
one Gloria In EScelsis" Mighty camp
meetings! Mighty Ocean Groves. Mighty
Chautauquas Mighty conventions of
Christian workers, Mighty general as
semhlies Of the Presbyterian church,
Mighty conferences OF the Methodist
church. Mighty associations Of the Bap-
tist church, Mighty conventions Of The
| Episcopal church, There may be many
years II hard work yet before the con
summation, but the signs are to me SO en-
/ eouragng that ! would not be unheleiv-
/ ing il | saw the wing Of the apocalyptie
angel spread for its last triumphal flight
! in this days sunset or if tomorrow MORN
/ ing the ocean cables should thrill us with
the news that Christ the Lord had light
| ed on Mount oliyet to proclaim uni,ersal
dtminion.
The Coming of Light.
| AL dead churches. wake up Throw
! back the shutters of stiff ecclcsiastici-
| and let the light Of the spring morning
come in Morning for the land, Morning
for the sea. Morning Of light and love
| aud peace. Morning of a day in which
! there shall be no chains TO break, no sor-
rows to assuage, no despotism 10 shatter,
! no woes to compassionate. Blessed Christ,
/ descend! Scared temple, take the crown,
I Bruised hand, take the seepter, Wounded
/ foot step on the throne. Thine is the
Kin DOM
! These things l say because / want you
/ TO be alert. | want you to be watching
/ all these wonders unrol!ing from the
! heavens AMI the earth. God has classi-
! hed them. whether caiamitvus or pleas
ing. The divine purposes are harnessed
/ in traces that cannot break and in girths
that cannot slip and in buckles that can
| not loosen and are driven by reins they
must answer. l preach no fatalism. A
! swarthy engineer at one of the depots
/ in Dakota said. When will you get on
! the locomotive ana take a ride with Us! z"
Wei : | said, 'now, if that suits you"
| So | got on one side Of the locomotive,
| and a Methodist minister, who was also
/ invited, got on the other side. and be-
| tween us were the engineer and the sto-
! kerr The train started The engineer
| had his hand on the agitated pulse of the
great engine. The stoker shoveled in the
| coal and shut the door with a loud clang.
| \ vast plain Slipped under Us. and the
/ hills swept by. and that great monster
on which we rode trembled and bounded
and sn tied and ragged rs it hurled us
on. | said % the Methodist minister ON
| the other side of the LOGON. tive: My
| brother. why should ministers quarrel
| about the DEGREES and free agency? You
! see that track. that firm track, that iron
| track; that is the decree. You see this
engineers arm; that is free agency. How
| beautifully they work ogether! They
are going TO take us through We could
not do without the track, and we could
not do without the engineer"
So rejoice day by day. Work for all
: 90 do. and we may turn the crank of the
| Christian machinery this way or that, for
we are free ages. But there is the
| track laid SO long ago 40 one remembers
/ it-laid by the hand cf the Almighty God
| in sockets that no terrestrial or satanic
pressure can ever affect. And along the
| track the car of the worlds redemption
will roll and roll 10 the Grand Central
| depot Of the millennium. ! have no anx-
! iety about the track. | am only afraid
| that for our Incidence and unfaithfuness
| God will discharge US and get some other
stoker and some other engineer. The train
| is going through with ms or without us
| So. my brethren. watch all the events
| that are going by II things seem to
! turn ont right. give wings to your JOY.
If things seem to turn out wrong. throw
| out the anchor of faith and hold fast
Standing on the watehtower.
Years ago | was ar Fire Island, Long
Island, and went up in the cupola from
which they telegraph TO New York the
approach of vessels ho2rs before they
come into port. There is an opening in
| the wall, and the operator puts his tele-
! scope through that opening and looks out
and sees vessels far out at sea. While l
was talking with him he went up and
| looked out. He said, We are expecting
| the Arizona tonight" | said: rs il pos
sible you know all those vessels? Do you
| know them as you know a mans faceT
| He said: Yes. never max mistake.
Before see the hulIs often know them
| by the masts. | know them ALL have
watched them so long" Oh. what grand
thing it is to have ships telegraphed and
| heralded long before they come to port.
| that friends may come down to the wharf
and welcome their long absent ones, SO
to-day we take our stand in the watch
| tower, and through the glass of inspira
/ ton we look off and see whole fleet o.
! ships coming in. That is the ship OF
peace. with one star Of Bethlehem foat-
| ing above the top gallant. That is the
| ship of the church. mark of salt water
| high upon the smok estack. showing She
! has had rough weather. but the Captain
| Of Salvation commands her, and all is
well with her The ship Of heaven, might
| lest craft ever launched. millions Of pas
| sengers waiting for millions more. proph-
| cts and apostles and martyrs in the cabin,
conquerors at the foot of the mast, while
from the rigging hands are waving this
way as if they knew us and We wave
be- ok again, for they are ours. they went
/ out from our own households Ours!
Hail, hail. Put off the black and put on
the white. Stop toling the funeral bell
and ring the wedding anthem Shut up
the hearse and take tire chariot
Now the ship comes oand the great
headlaud. Soon she viii ike the wharf
| and we will 90 aboard aer. Tears for
/ ships going ont. Laughter for ships com
ing in. Now she touches the wharf.
! Throw out the pIanks. Block not mp that
gangwaA Wan embracing long iosl
! friends for you will nave eternity Of re-
union. Stand back and rive way until
other millions come aboard -'r. Farewell
10 sin, Farewell to struggle! j rewel to
sickness, Farewell to death. Blessed
/ are all they who enter in through The
gates into the city"