Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-05-09
GODS POTENT GIFT.
Sermon on John $40 by the High
way and Byway" Preacher.
No Fairy's Thlisman or Aladdin's
Lamp Ever Wrought Half the
Blessing Is Realized
Through Jesus Christ.
copyright 1902. by A. n. Kellogg Newspa-
DaDer Col


paper Col
Chicago Maya.
Text: For God so loved the world that
He gave Hisonly begotten Son, that whose
ever believeth on Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.-John 3:16
The telescope of the astronomer
tells US that beyond the vision of the
natural eye there exist myriads of
starry worlds, and we believe him,
even though we have never been priv
ileged to search them out for our
selves. The microscope of the scien-
fist demonstrates that ins<the water
we drink and the air we breathe there
are perfect swarms of queer and gro
tesque and ahideous looking creatures.
We take.our glass of water and hold it
up to the light, and as the beams of
sunlight flash and CLINT through the
clear crystal liquid it is hard to be-
lieve that what the wise man says is
true, yet we do accept his statement
as a declarat ton of fact.
Gods Word tells US that Gods
throne is in. the heavens. and that the
earth is His footstool, and if our sp1r-
itual vision is not holden we believe
that it is true. Enoch walked with
God, and he was not, for God took him.
There is brief and complete blog-
raphy recorded by God. 1t tells US OF
his earthly career. He left the earth
a the behest of God, and went where?
To the heavens where God has His
dwelling place. Elijah, when his mis-
sion on earth was fulfilled, in the Prov
idence of God, was waited to the
heavens in a chariot of fire, ana Elisha
was left behind with the mantle OF
the great prophet in his hands to tell
the story. The former pupils of Elijah,
who doubted Elisha's story, went out
to search for the translated prophet,
but found him not, but it was the priv
ilege of Peter, James and John on the
3 mountain in Galilee to see the Lord IN
His TRANSPORTATION talking to that
same Elijah, who SO many hundreds OF
years before had walked through the
land of Palest tine and warned the peo-
pie of their sins and had destroyed the
$50 prophets of Baal.
When Jesus began His public min
-istry the heavens opened, we are told
by>God's Word, and a voice from that
unseen region said: "Thou art My be-
loved Son; in Thee I am we'll pleased y
q And Stephen, with his face lit up by
the glories of the Celestial Kingdom
as .She looked steadfastly towards
Hea rem, saw it open. and Jesus Him
self standing at the right hand of God
the place which He had designated, be-
fore His crucifXion and resurrection
should be His abiding place until the
fulfillment of the time of the Gentiles
and He should leave Heaven with a
shout of triumph and return to earth
in the clouds of Heaven even as He
went from earth into Heaven.
Paul bears testimony to the fact
that he was carried into the heavens
b and whether he was in the body or
out of the body he could not tell. but
he heard unutterable things and de.
.clares that "eye hath not seen no1
ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man the things which
God hath prepared for them that love
Him." Among the last declarations Oh
Jesus Christ were the words, in which
3 we find so much comfort, especially in
the hour of bereavement: SIN My Fa
theirs house are many mansions. Il
it were not so I would have told you
GO to prepare a place for you. An6
if l go and prepare az place for you
! will come again and receive you unto
Myself, that where I am there We may
be also"
Surely from the beginning of the
history of man, when Enoch stepped
from earth into the glories of Heaven
to the vision of John the Beloved, wht
saw the new Jerusalem being lei
down from Heaven, we have ample
proof and testimony that Heaven i:
a real place, even though we cannot
s see it with the natural eye, and it j:
the dwelling place of God. and Hi!
Christ and the hosts of angels and the
great company of the redeemed.
And so in Heaven, before the founda
tions of the world were laid, God pur
posed in His infinite heart of love to
give to the world the rarest treasure o:
Heaven in order that earth might b.
enriched and sinful man wooed back tt
Him. All Heaven was astir when tn,
time drew near that the Word of God
the Son of God, should become fesl
and dwell among men. Abraham, who
had the promise of God that in his seet
should all the nations of the earth b,
blessed, was among the long list o
patriarchs and prophets of the Ok
Testament who rejoiced with tn,
Heavenly hosts in the gift which Coz
was gong TO give unto men, the Iul
sfullment of all the law and the proph
cts.
Heavens music burst upon human
ears on that first Christmas morning
when the shepherds on the hillside o
Judea heard the glad tidings tina
unto you is born this day in the cit,
of David Saviour, which is Christ tn,
Lord" They came and worshiped tn,
young child and received Him int,
their hearts as the Compromised Mes
siah. The wise men brought thei
gifts of gold and frankincense an,