The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-24
In CHRIST'S STEAD.
Personal Service to the Master by
Substitution.
How the Most Humble Deed Done in
Christly Love May BE Exalted
Sermon by the "Hiphway and
Byway' Preacher.
tCopyright, 1902, by A. N. Kellogg News
paper Col


Chicago, 1902.
Text:-And the King shall answerand say
unto them, Verify l say unto you: Inasmuch
as We have done 1t unto one of the least of
these. My brethren, we have done it unto
Me.-Matt. $40.
The Last Chapter.-Where is the per-
son who, when reading the interest
ing story book, has not stolen a glance
into the last chapter to see how the
plot was going to turn out, and when
he has discovered the sequel and has
learned how the author finally dis
poses of the characters, he turns back
~contentedly and reads the interven-
ing chapters to see how the story has
been developed and the plot unfolded.
In the section from which our text is
taken, the latter part of the twenty
fifth chapter of Matthew, Christ has
given us a glimpse into the last chap
ter in the story of human events which
the years of time are now writing.
As He stood with His disciples during
the last few days of His earthly life
God quickened His prophetic vision
and He looked down through the CEN
turtles Una were " uAloll w bhS eAAN
when all nations were to be gathered
before Him, and the sheep of His own
fold were to be separated from h
goats of the worlds pastures.
1t was no idle or ~fanciful picture
which He was drawing for the enter
tainment of His disciples. He was
speaking of eternal realities which
God was yet to bring to passinthefull-
ness of time as He wrought out the
eternal purposes of His wisdom and
love. The disciples did not understands;
they could not understand. While
the marvellous work of redemption on
the cross and the glorious triumph
over death on the resurrection morn
ing was yet to be accomplished their
spiritual vision was holden. and their
conception of the deliverance which
Jesus was expected to accomplish
was limited to Israel and the break
ing of the Roman yoke of bondage.
But with the vision of their Lord nailed
upon the cross bearing their sins and
the sins of the whole world burned into
their inmost souls, and the glorious
presence of the risen Lord Tightening
the gloom of their despair and casting
a new and unfailing CLEAN of hope
into their lives, something of what
Christ meant in the section of Scrip
ture before us began to burst upon
their clearing vision.
During the 40 days in which the
risen Lord appeared to His disciples.
and they saw Him come and go I'M
hampered by human conditions or hui
man limitations, their understanding
began to open and expand to the I'M
limited and power of God.
And when they gathered on Olivet's
brow and had had a last parting word
with their Lord face to face. Heavens
cords drew Him from their midst.
up, up, until the feecy, glowing cloud
rolled beneath His feet and shut Him
from their view. They could not see
Heavens gates swing wide to admit
Him, but they knew they did. They
could not hear the rapturous song of
the hosts of Heaven as they bid the
King welcome, but the music of David's
psalm swelled in their souls and they
knew it echoed the Heavenly strains:
Lift up your heads, o ye gates;
AND, be We lifted up, We everlasting doors:
AND the King of glory shall come in.
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong ard mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, o ye gates;
Yea. lift them up, We everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory"
They could not see their Lord take
His seat at the right hand of God
on the thronein Heaven, but they knew
He was there. Yea. in the marvellous
days which were to follow. the vision
of the sanity Stephen was to pene-
trate the portals of Heaven and he
was to see the risen Lord to whom
his spirit was so soon to take its flight.
And with the knowledge of all this
filing their souls with peace and Joy
and confidence, the words which Jesus
spoke came to be full of reality and
meaning. "When the SOL of Man shall
come in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then shall He sit
upon the throne of His glory" They
knew this was to come to pass. They
knew that when the world had IL
its course and God had exhausted
every effort in mans behalf that the
nations and the peoples of the earth
would be ushered into the presence of
the King and the final separation of
the sheep from the goats would take
place. The last chapter lies open be-
fore US. We know what the sequel
of the story the nations and peoples
of the earth are writing is to be. We
are helping TO fill in the intervening
chapters. Are we in the love of Christ
living out a life of service to those in
need so that we shall hear Him in
that great day saying unto us: "In-
asmuch as We have done it unto one
of the least of these, My brethren. We
have done it unto Me;'' or are we in
the pride of the human heart, al
though, may be, in the name of church
and religion, SO serving self as to
he among those who will near Him say:
"Inasmuch as We did it not to one of
the least of these, ye did it not to Me.
Depart from Me-"
An Exalted Service.-The words of
our text throw a new and beautiful
light upon the earthly 4-fe and deeds
of those to whom the King is talk
ing. The cup of cold water which
was given to the tired, dusty, thirsty
traveller that day so long before
stands revealed in the pure searching