Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-01-24
ONfETH TIL: END.

tulneSS,
faithlessnesS.
can see the Master, with His people
.hered before Him. \ name is called
,at is familiar, and | see that one stand
10 before Him with great expectancy.
Then the Master speaks-with that voice
that John tells us sounds like the flow OF
many waters, that voice that stilled the
tempest tossed sea, and caused Lazarus to
break the bonds of death. l hear Him
speak The crowns are being lifted up,
and the first one is the crown of life. /
hear Him say:
This is given to the one who has done
little things well for My glory, or to the
one who has suffered for My sake. You
might have had it, but you failed in your
own home. You had no testimony for your
own circle of friends. A kind word you
might have spoken, but you left 1t unsaid.
The cup of cold water was never given.
You might have had the crown of life, but
it has been taken by another"
! see Him hold aioft the second crown.
This" He says, lis given to the one
who has done hard work for Me. | suf-
fered the pains of Gethsemane and the
mockings of the crowd, and the stripes of
the Roman fagellator. and the pains of
hell upon the cross. This crown is for the
one who has endured all things if only My
cause might have been advanced. But
alas when there came n time when the
church seemed about to move forward you
opposed it. When thousands of souls
might have been converted your prejudice
against the work of the Holy Ghost
BLOCKED THE BLESSING.
You might have had the crown, but an
other has taken it"
| see Him hold aloft the third crown,
respondent with jewels. All the angels
shout aloud:
This is the soul-winner's crown"
There has always been JOY in the pres.
ence of the angels OF God over those re-
deemed from sin.
You might have had this crown. but
alas your culture, your intellectual
strength and your social position never
won !. soul for Me. The members of your
own household were led into My kingdom
by others. The people in your own store
did not know you were Mine"
/ remember once holding a series of
meetings in Paris, Illinois. In walking
| heard him talking with young man,
asking him to be Christian, but he made
no impression upon him. l heard him say,
Your mother wants YOU to become
Christian. does she not:" And the young
man began to cry. Then heard him ask,
Your. father wants you to become
Christian, does ne not:' Ind there was
no answer. But soon / heard him make
this statement: My father il an officer in
the church and my mother Is a leader in
the work of the women's society In the
church, but neither OF them has ever spo-
ken to me about my SOUL
l believe many a father and mother will
stand before the Judge on the great day of
awards and hear the words:
You are crownless. Your children were
not saved, or il they were, in their saliva
ton you have had no part. You might
have had this crown, but another has
taken IL.
Ii 1.gs ~
crown, the crown OF glory. / can hear Him
picture how one came into the church
from great depths of sin; how his constitu-
ton had been undermined by the power of
an evil life; how he had been saved by
the power of God and cheered by the
warm hand clasp. and the sympathizing
word, and a brothers sympathy to hold
Him say:
Such an one sat beside you in church
and walked with you in the streets, or
in the store, or possibly lived with you in
your home, and you said never a word.
You let him slip away from fellowship
with Christ and when he wandered You
exclaimed in surprise: L expected no
more
| can catch the tones of His voice, as
He says:
You might have had this crown, but
another has taken it,
l see Him hold aloft the fifth and last
crown-the crown of righteousness. /
hear Him say:
Did not promise that would come
again: Had not | written it over and over
again in the book? Was not line added to
line. statement added to statement, that
in like manner as | went away | should
come back? Were not all the prophecies
of My coming fulfilled, even to the last de-
tails of My life, My suffering and My
hax-a fat hat nj
prophecy was fulfilled the others might
have been fulfilled also?"
And then that crown, which is to me
the most beautiful, the brightest and the
best, is held aloft for moment, dazzling
in its glory. and hear Him say:
you might have had this crown, but
another has taken it."
We may miss the five crowns by our un.
faithfulness, yet we may be saved, so as
by fire." But one thing must be- we must
see Him face to face.
In the city of Indianapolis a celebrated
Quaker minister told me OF friend whose
child had been born blind. He was
brought to Indianapolis, and this Quaker
was asked to find specialist who would
successfully treat him. Such an one was
found. When the operation had been
finished he announced that the boy would
certainly see, and sure enough he opened
his eyes. His first glance rested upon hi:
mOlner, whom ne nau never known out DIV
fnger-touch. The mother bent down to
see il she was to be recognized, crying out:
'1Oh, my son. my SOM"
The boy gazed at his mother, and whep
he knew her. cried out:
"OH, MOTHER. Is THIS HEAVEN?'
1t shall be heaven for us when the scale.
shall he taken from our eyes and the vel
that dims our vision shall be removed, and
we shall see Him fare to face We may
miss every crown mentioned in the New
Testament. but we cannot fail to see Him
! do not know if there can be sadness il
heaven. but what feeling will it be that
will take possession of us when we hear
Him say:
You might have had the crown, but
another has taken it?'
What feeling will it be that shall possess
US when we hear Him saw:
well done, good and faithful servant
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" ans
we shall have tn. five crowns. and
A GLIMPSE OF HIS FACE!