Newport weekly independent., 1902-09-26

JoS shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Luke. 15:7.
 Eternal Realities.-Our Lord, Who spoke the words of our text, had charming way of enforcing Divine truth by picturing in realistic and sim pie way the absolute certainties of the unseen realm. When He talked of Heaven or hell, of the angels or the Devil, it was with no vague "perhaps,' or ''it may be-" or "I think so." His natural vision beheld the magnifcence, the grandeur, the stability of the tenn pie, He felt with the rest of His na- tion the world-controlling power of the Roman government, He came in touch with the great wisdom and learning not only Of men of His own nation, but of the Greeks and Romans as we'll and yet the eternal real ities of the unseen world were not shut out; for He knew that "the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" His theology was not of that specula- tive character which busted itself with studying and evolving man-made the ories, and endeavoring to reason out. by intellectual gymnastics and contor- tions, the secrets of God, but He was content to take God at His word. His faith laid hold of the truths of God, and He knew that because they were eternal verities there was no room for argument, or speculation, or hu- man reasoning. Heaven was Gods dwelling place, the home of the re- deemed, the realm in which the angelic hosts lived moved and had their be- ing, and hence was a more permanent abiding place than the magnificent cit ies which the nations of the earth had reared. Hell was not eliminated by system of human deductions, but it's boundaries were definitely fixed, it's awful torments wildly described, and in the parable of "certain" rich man and Lazarus He gives us a glimpse into the Devils dwelling place. and what is the real agony of lost soul.
 And in our text Jesus tells us of the rejoicing in Heaven because one soul has been snatched from the power of Satan. One poor repentant sinner ill the earth able to set the angelic hosts to singing and to make the arches and dome of Heaven ring with the glad sound! Think of it! When it came time to open the Charleston exposi tion, the president pressed golden key at Washington, and the ponderous machinery all through the vast build ings in the distant city was set in mo- tion. It is wonderful to think that slight touch can accomplish so much at so great a distance. But stop and think, and contemplate the picture which unrolls before us in the words of the text. Let your mind expand with the vastness of Gods universe Here are the sun, moon and stars roll ing in space and kept in place by His Almighty power. Here is the earth, with it's teeming millions, and God moving in Nature to supply the tenn poral needs of these millions. Surely a busy God, and no idle moments for the hosts of Heaven as they move hith- CT and thither in fulfillment of the will of God! And yet, one single soul crushed under a load of sin is able by touching the golden key of repentance to send a thrill through Heaven, and receive back the celestial music of par don, peace and eternal life. It is diff ficult, indeed, to obtain an audience with an earthly king. An ordinary mortal cannot hope to be received, ex- cept as he is lavish in his expenditure of money, and is aided by influential R.sa l. with the repentant sinner! The first faint cry for help and deliverance is caught by the angelic hosts and the soul is ushered into the presence of the King to receive His pardon and His blessing. With the swiftness of the lightning flash the message from earth to Heaven is sped and receives the immediate attention of the King. Marvellous, is it not? And while the Recording Angel is enrolling the name 5n the Lambs book of Life, the vast choir of Heaven bursts into a glad paean of rejoicing, the like of which has never penetrated to human ears. And mingled with the voices of the angels are those of the Old and New Testament saints, the "so great a cloud of witnesses" to the love and mercy of God. There is David with his harp; and his rejoicing in the Lord and His saving grace rings out clearer and sweeter than ever it did on the hillsides of Judea as he tend ed his sheep. There are Peter and John and the other disciples singing with the rest. There is Philip, who came to know the value of one poor aoul IS he went out into the desert