The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-01-04

ROld IN baskets OF SILVER.
So also is word Of invitation po-
tent and beautiful. Who can describe
the drawing power OF that word, so
small and yet so tremendous, "Comel"
II is a short word. but its influence is
as long as eternity. Not sesqui-
pcdalian word. spreading its energy
over many syllables, but monosylla-
bic. Whether calling in wrong direc-
ton or right direction. many have
found IL irresistible. That one word
has filed all the places of dissipation
and dissoluteness. It is responsible
for the denominations that curse the
earth. Inquire at the door of prisons
what brought the offender there, and
at the door of almshouses what
brought the pauper there. and at the
door OF the lost world what was the
cause Of the Incarceration, and II the
inmates speak the truth they will
say: "The word Comet brought us
here" Come and drink. Come and
gamble. Come and sin. Come and
die Pronounce that word with one
kind of infection and you can hear in
IL the tolling of all the bells of con
fagration and woe.
The chief baker in prison in Pha-
raoh's time saw in dream something
quite different from apples OF gold in
baskets of silver, for he said TO Joseph:
81 also was in dream. and, behold,
] had three white baskets on my head,
and in the uppermost basket there
was all manner of baked meats for
Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them
out of the baskets upon my head"
Joseph interpreted the dream and said
it meant that the chief baker should
be beheaded and the birds would eat
his flesh.
But, oh, the power Of that word
"Come" when Alright uttered We do
well when we send young men into
schools and colleges and theological
seminaries and by nine years of in
struction and drill hope 20 prepare
them to sound Alright that sweet and
enrapturing and Heaven descended
word "Come. The Gospel we be-
lieve in is Gospel of Come
That word speak all the church
es. That word is now building
thrones for conquerors and bur
nished coronets for kings and queens
That word is to sound so clearly and
impressively and divinely that the day
is advancing when all nations shall re-
spond: 1--WE GOMEZ" 1--WE come!
And while the upper sleeps toward
God and Heaven will he thronged with
redeemed souls ascending there will
not he one solitary traveller on the
road of sin and death.
In the Kremlin at Moscow, Russia
is what is called the liking of bells,
but it is ruined bell. and it has rune
no sound for near 200 years. 1t is 81
feet in circumference, and i'm height
il is more than ten times the height OF
the average man, and it took a score
OF men TO swing its brazen tongue. II
weighs 200 tons. On the 18th of June
17O6, in a great fire il fell and broke
1t broke at the part which was weak
ened by the jewels which the ladies
of Moscow threw into the liquid meta
at the casting. The voices of that
bell are forever hushed. 1t will never
ring again, either at wedding or oh
sequy or coronation. What ajestiC
and overpowerng silencel Enthroned
and everlasting quietude! One walks
around il full of wonder and histor
zeal "reminiscences and solemnity. Or
il are figures in relief representing
car and empress and Christ and Mary
and the evangelists. But as | stood
before it last summer bethought my
self of n greater bell and one still
ringing. 1t is the Gospel bell, ages
ago hung on the beam of the cross
1t has vaster circumference and Will
mightier tongue sounds across seas
and continents and awakenS echoes
amid Alpine and lIimalayan and Sier
ra Nevadan ranges. The Jewels of al
lection thrown into it at its casting
by ransomed souls of earth ant
Heaven have not weakened it, but
made it stronger and more glorious
Evangelists and apostles ring it, ant
martyrs lifted their hands through
the flames to give it another sound
ing. 1t will ring on until all nations
hear it and accept its invitation;
"Come Gomez" 1t will not fall, u,
did that of Moscow. No storm car
stop it. No earthquake can rock il
down. When the fires of the last day
| blaze into the heavens, amid the crasl
of mountains and the gronn Of dying
seas, its clear, resounding voice vii
be heard calling TO the lest inhabit
ant of the burning planet: Come!
| Comet"
But it requires now no great
strength to ring the bell. With this
weak hand, yesterday formed and to
morrow turned to dust, | lay holt
that Gospel bell in invitation to al
| to whom these words shall come, OF
whatever land or whatever sea, il
| high places or low. | ring out tn,
| world Come, comet" Come ant
have your sorrows solaced. Come ant
have your wounds healed. Come anC
have your blindness illumined. Com,
and have your fatigues rested. Come
and have your soul saved. DO you moi
hear the very last proclamation from
the heavens which the seer of Patmol
was commissioned to make; "ThC
| Gnirtt and the hrida CIV couna ond lai