Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-01-05
A Mighty Word.

"come" when Alright uttered! We do
well when we send young men Into
schools and colleges and theological
seminarics and by nine years Of in
structIon and drill hope to prepare
them to sound Alright that sweet and
enrapturIng and heaven descended
word "come." The gospel we believe
In Is a gospel Of come" That word
speak all the churches. That word Is
now building thrones for conquerors
and FURNISHED coronets for kings and
queens. That word is to sound so clear
ly and impressvely and diyinely that
the day Is advancing when all nations
shall respond: I'VE come! We come"
And while the upper sleeps toward
God and heaven will be thronged with
redeemed souls ascending there will
not be one solitary traveller on the road
Of sin and death.
In the Kremlln at Moscow Is what Is
called the king of Bells" but 1t Is
ruined bell. and 1t has sung no sound
for near 200 years. 1t Is 67 feet In cir
cumference. and In height It Is more
than ten times the height Of the aver
age men, and II took score OF men to
swing its brazen tongue. 1t weighs
200 tons. On the 10th Of June. 1706, In
q great fire 1t fell and broke. 1t broke
at the part which was weakened by the
Jewels which the ladies Of Moscow
threw into the liquid metal at the cast
Ing. The voices Of that bell are forev-
er hushed 1t will never ring again ell
ther at wedding or obsequy or corona
ton. What majestic and overpowering
silence! Enthroned and everlasting
quietude! One walks around 1t full OF
| wonder and historical remlnlscence and
solemnity. On It are figures In RELIEF
representing czar and empress and
Christ and Mary and the evangelists.
But as | stood before 1t last summer
bethought myself Of a greater bell and
one still ringing 1t Is the gospel bell
ages ago hung on the beam OF the
cross. It has vaster circumference and
with mightier tongue sounds across
seas and continents and awakens ech-
oes amid Alpine and Himalayan and
Sierra Nevadan ranges. The jewels Of
affection thrown into It at Its casting
by ransomed souls Of earth and heaven
have not weakened 1t, but made 1t
stronger and more glorious. Evangel-
lists and apostles rang 1t. and martyrs
lifted their hands through the flames
to give 1t another sounding. 1t will
ring on until all nations hear 1t and
accept it's invitation. Come, come! 1t
will not fall, as did that Of Moscow.
No storm can stop It No earthquake
can rock 1t down. When the fires OF
the last day blaze into the heavens
amid the crash Of mountains and the
groan of dying seas, Its clear, resound-
ing voice will be heard calling to the
last lnhabitant Of the burning planet
"Come. come"
But It requires now no great strength
to ring that bell With this weak hand,
yesterday formed and tomorrow turned
to dust, lay hold that gospel bell In In
yitation to all to whom these words
shall come on whatever land or what
ever sea, In high places or low. ring
out the word, Come. Gomez Come
and have your sorrows solaced. Come
and have your wounds healed. Come
and have your blindness illumined.
Come and have your fatgues rested.
Come and have your soul saved. Do
you not hear the very last proclama'
ton from the heavens which the seer
| Of Patmos was commissioned to make:
THE spirit and the bride say come, and
let him that heareth say come, and let
him that Is athirst come. And whose
ever will let him take the water OF life
freelyr' Aye. hear you not the chime
Of many gospel bells in the invitation
this moment sounding from the heav-
ems, "Come out from among them and
be We separate" saith the Lord, land
touch not the unclean thing. and will
receive you and Will be father unto
you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters" saith the Lord Almighty.
Come and sit down at the Kings ban
uuet. Was there ever such brilliant
feast or 20 many royal guests? Here
are the chalices filled not from the
brewerles OF earth but with the new
wine Of the kingdom" And here are
the ripe, purple clusters Of Eschol. and
pass them around to all the banqueters
-"apples of gold in baskets of silver"
TCoryright. 1900. Louis Klopsch. n. ~