Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-11-08


seen you" "Why," he says, i was IN
the Sabbath-school class over which you
we're the teacher. One Sunday you IN
vited me to Christ; l accepted the offer.
You see that church with two towers yon-
dcr?" eyes," you say. He says, That IS
where preach" or, DO you see that gov
errors house? That is where live;
Good morning" You look at him and
saw. "NVhy, YOU have the advantage OF me;
/ cannot place YOU" lie says, Don't you
remember thirty years ago giving me ,et-
Ter OF introduction to Young MAN. icy,
ter of introduction to William Il. Dodge:
dyes. YES, I do" He says, IL am the
man. That was my first step toward
fortune. But have retired from business
now and am giving my time TO phhantnro'
pies and public interests, Come UP 10 my
house and see me"
Or a man comes 10 YOU and Gays
want to introduce myself 60 yeu l went
into a PRAYER. meeting some years ago,
sat back by the door, vow arose 10 MAKE
an exhortation. That tak changed the
course of my life. and ii | ever set to
heaven under God will owe my salvation
TO you.' In only ten, twenty or thrty
wears the circle swept out and swept back
again to your own grateful heart.
But sometimes it is wider circle ana
does not return for great while, L saw
bill of expenses for burning Latlmer
Shillings Pence.
One load of fire fagots. :.....;..3
Carriage for four loads of wood..2
Item, a post. .................''.d
Item, two chains. ..............'o
Item, two staples. ...........'":
Item, for laborers. ...........2
making in all 25s. 3d. That was cheap
IRE, considering all the circumstances, but
it kindled light which shone all around
the world and aroused the martyr spirit,
and cut from that burning OF I1atimer
and Ridley rolled the circle wider and
wider. starting other circles, conyoluting,
overrunning, circumscrlolng, oVefreachihg
all heaven-a circle.
But what is true Of the good is Just as
true OF the bad. You utter a 9lander
against your neighbor. 1t has gone forth
from your teeth. 1t will never come back,
Won think. You have done the man all
the mischief YOU can. You rejoice to see
him vince. You cay, Didn't give 1t 10
him." That word has gone out, that
sanderous word, on its poisonous ana
blasted way. You think it will never do
voI, any harm. But I am watching that
word. and [ see it beginning to curve and
It curves around and it is aiming at your
heart. You had better dodge it. You can
not dodge it. 1t rolls into your bosom,
and after it rolls in word of an old book
rolls in after it, saying: with what meas
ure We mete it shall be measured to you
again"
You maltreated an aged parent. You
| begrudge him the room IN your house.
| You are impatient with his whimsicalIties
end garru1ity. 1t makes you mad to near
him tell the same story twice. You give
| him food he cannot inasticate. You WISH
he was away. You worder II he IS gong
| to live forever He will be gone very soon.
| His steps are shorter and shorter. He is
Going to stop. But God has an account to
| settle with you on that subject. After
| awhile your eye will be dim, and your gait
! will halt. and the sound of the grinding
will be low, and you will tell the same
story twice, and Your children will wonder
il you will never be taken away; They
called you Gather" once. Nov. they call
You the "old man." If YOU live few
years longer they will call You the "old
chap" What are those rough WORDS WIN
which your children are accosting. you!
They are the echo of the very words. you
used in the ear o. your old father forty
years ago.
A gentleman passing along the avenue
saw son dragging his father into the
street by the hair of the head The gentle
man. outraged at this hrutal conduct, was
about to punish the offender. when the
old man arose and said "Don't hurt HIM.
It's all right. Forty years ago thus very
morning l dragged out my father by me
hair Of his head" It is circle. Other
sins may be adjourned to the next world,
hut maltreatment Of parents is punished IN
this world. That circle is made quickly,
vtry quickly.
The meanest thing man can dc IL after
some difficulty has been settled tn BRING
it ND again. and God will not do anything
| like that. Gods memory is mighty enough
To hold all the events of the ages. but
there il one thing that Is sure to slip his
memory, one thing He IS sure to forget,
and that is pardoned transeress,on.
How do | know it? L will prove H.
Their sins and their iniQuites will ! re-
member no more" BLESSED is he whose
transgression is forgiven"
But do not make the mistake OF nix
ing that this doctrine of the circle stops
with this life. It rolls On through heaven
You might quote in opposition to me what
st. John says about the city OF heaven
He Gays it "lieth four square" That does
secm to initiate against this idea OF CIR
Gle. But do you not know. there re many
square house that has family, circle fac
1 Ing edcn Quiet anu III n SiiSiS Hi0''
and / can prove that this is so in regard
to heaven. St. John says, Il heard the
voice of many angels round about TING
throne and the beasts and the elders.
And again he says, "I saw round about
the throne four and twenty seats" Anc
again he says, "There was rainbow rounc
about the throne"
The two former imply a circle tho last
either a circle or a semicircie. The seats
| facing each other, the angels facing cact
other, the men facing each other. Heavcr
an alnphitheatre Of glory. Circumtcrenc'
of patriarch and prophet and apostle. Cir
conference of Scotch Covendpters ant
Theban legion end Albigenses. Circumter
ence OF tue good of all ages. Pcrlpher!
of splendor unimagined and lndescribable
A circle! A cirale!
But every circumference must have
! centre. and what is the centre CT ills hcav
euly circumference? Christ. Hiu all Il!
glory; His all the praise; His all tn
crowns. All heaven wreatbel into a gar
land round about Him. Take off The i'm
, | perial sandal from His foot and behold tn
scar of the spike. Lift the coronet OF dc
minion from His brow and sec where wa
the laceration of the briers- Come closer
all heaven. Narrow the circle around Hi
,, great heart. o Christ, the Saviour.
| Christ. the man! o Christ, the God
,, Keep Thy throne forever, seated on tn
circle Of the earth, seated on the circle 0
, heaven.
T