The Penn's Grove record., 1904-04-15

slons of an eternal bone, that yoDder
waits a fathers welcome to love. and light
and joy ineffable? Most majestic are the
achievements of intellect.
Greek tragedy tells US how King Edipus
at the close Of life heard a cry-a strange,
weird, imperions far OF, yet
near, in some distant world, yet close at
hand; a voice that drew ike gravitation.
So does every man. in virtue of that royal
nature which allies him with heayen's
throne, hear at times Just such a cry re-
sounding from some distant sphere. even
from that spirit realm which is his true
fatherland, yet near, within his verv soul,
that beckons him to his highest destiny.
oh. soul of man, awake. awake, shake
off the chains Of spiritual slumber and
sloth. Escape the earth-bound life. Heav-
en-born and heaven-aspiring, live for Cod"
The Hindoo palace echoed with that cry,
and Buddha swept out to brood in the will
derness depths over its mysterious mean
ing. Those accents foated over the land
of Pallas Athene, and in academy and por-
tico there gathered groups Of thinkers that
sought to follow its leading as the wise
men followed the Orient star. Every
dweller in Christian lands hears that cry
more plainly. 1t is borne to him IN the
quiet peacefulness of the Sabbath that
whispers to his toil-worn spirit of that rest
that remaineth when the toll of this work
aday world is done. 1t m to him from
the open church door that tells him of a
home shelter for his storm-beaten soul. 1t
speaks to him from the Scripture. where 10
| syllables the s~plendors of the Christ, and
declares that such is the glorious image
which God has planned to reproduce in
him now sullied and sickened with sin.
But where, in all the ages, is the man that
girding himself at this signal call has won
in the race for holiness? Are we not some
/ kt-o- - ALL 1871 - 49, a~r1-kfo2
that motives are not visible2 that we are
not b~reastplated with transparent glass,
through which the workings of the inner
life might lie open to the curious eye2
Are we not glad that it is sometimes 4
function of language to conceal, as well as
to convey thought? If our struggles after
| holiness be as honest hearted as that OF
the old pagan seekers after God, we viii
unhesitatingly echo their sad avowal,
voiced by one of that highsouled but dis
couraged company, Il approve the better
courses, but l follow the worst" And II
our own hearts, sin-darkened and sim
warped, condemn us, how can we meet the
scrutiny of Him who is greater than our
hearts and knoweth all things?
"If thou contendest with the footmen,
and they weary thee, how canst thou con-
tend with horses?" There Is but one
method by which this problem of the He
| DISH DIOpHCb Cdu NC HEOuSuk O0~ " az
encouraging solution. Let its terms be in
verted. Read the formula backward. IL
the horsemen could be conquered first, who
would waste a thought upon footmeng ii
we could meet the mightiest foes and over
ride them there would De little difficulty
in outmatching lesser needs. II we could
run with horses and outrun them, we
should shake the dust of a sandaled scoru
in the face of the footmen. Such a solu-
tion is limited at in scripture. Turn the
Bible page. Put the apostle against the
prophet. Reply to the challenge of Jere-
miah with the triumph shout of Pau.
Over against the impotency of man array
the suficiency Of God and cry, Owe are
eonquerors. yea, more than ~eonquerors
through Him that loved us" A divine
hand extends to us the crown which, un-
assisted, we are helpless to win. That
helper of men needs no other name than a
personal p%ronoun. The whole of His won.
drous story, the initial sentence Of which
was written before the morning stars sang
together. the sequel of which shall remain
to be written when "The sun is old. and
the stars are cold. and the leaves of the
judgment book unfold" can be condensed
into three words: He loved us" Loved
US? Do you ask how did He display that
love? ''There is a green hill far away
without a city wall" and there upon the
death instrument of a slave, His back fur
rowed with the scourge. His brow bleed
inc with the thorn crown, His side rent
with the spear thrust, spiked upon the
cross, wounded in body, broken OF heart,
troubled in spirit, in agony, IN lgnomlny,
in strange majesty, died the Christ. What
is the meaning Of that spectacle which has
so strangely fastened upon itself the gaze
of the nations? Was it a theatrical dis
play of the divine estimate of SIM Was IT
an heroic winning of the splendid crown OF
martyrdom by an adherence to truth that
death could not shake? If it be no more
than this, then that cross Is of little value
to a sinful world, and Jesus IS of little
worth to me. The ignorant need a teacher.
The wandering need a guide. The lost soul
needs a Saviour. Error can be reasoned
away. evil habit can be reformed away.
The stain of sin can only be whitened by
sacri6cial blood.
| can make money in the market place.
l can obtain pleasure in the playhouse. l
can win culture in the school room. But
the remission of my sins | can secure only
upon Calvary. Christ is the solitary Sa-
vlour.
When the sin want Is appeased all want
is met. When this is righted all Is right.
With the regal robes of Righteousness go
the sceptre of power and the dIadem OF
peace. Bring the matter to a test OF a
| DerSOnai experience anu see IL IL II nOA SSg
and imagine that every one IN this assem-
blv was a Christian; that each one OF US
began the weeks work as a saved soul.
You 90 forth tomorrow morning, your
heart aglow with a brighter splendor than
the glory-bath with which sunrise floods
the earth. 'The light of the knowledge OF
the glory of God as it shines IN the lace OF
Christ" You go downtown, not knowing
what the hours may be bringing to meet
- T-o--- forfefon corrlaz Won INTO a
realm u~ntrodden. Every clock-tick swings
Won into a mysterious future. But you
know some things now. You know that
,Jesus died for YOU; that God loves you;
that. as far as the setting of the sun IS
from the rising, so far has your SIN been
carried away from you Toll begins. Jesus
worked. Trial approaches. Jesus sur
fered. Your truest words are twisteo,
vour noblest acts are mIslnterpreted, Tor
your manifest endeavors mean motives are
suggested. Jesus drank the same bitter
Gun He who told Capernaum usher foik
tn launch out and cast net calls you TO
take up the pen or the plane or the yard
stick or the needle or the loom. lie who
said to Peter Feed My lambs mas said to
Won: "Sit by the eradle-side and ldo nurs-
erv work. He who SAID to Matthew
cake mn the cross and follow Me" has
said to YOU: Come after Me into the lone.
Nv pavihon of pain, keep midnight vigil
With Me in the Swallowed paths Of Geth-
semane." Evening-tide draws on. Home
| shelter beckons to rest. Fireside reunions,
with their heart deep satlsfactions. Whisper
to YOU of another home that waits beyond
the toll of earth. Empty chairs and van
ished faces stir your heart with the gior-
ious certainty that the Saviour IS placlnga
| chair for you where the home circle Is
| forming. never to be broken; So a life OF
work resolves itself into a life Of worship.
So the days, with ever qWlckenlng step,
shall hasten by. So the night time shall
draw on apace. And the lengthenlng OF
the shadows and the waning OF the hight
shall bring to your C~hrist-enriehed nature
the message which life's setting sun
| flashed into the heart of an old nursemaids
who, becoming blind and deaf, said:
you're worrying about me, dear. There
is no need of that. l am happy as a little
child. | sometimes think l am just a little
child whom the Lord Is hushing to my
long sleep, for when l was a nurse gtri my
mistress always told me. Speak very soft
| and low and darken the room so the little
ones may go to Sleep and now thu noises
| are hushed and still to me and the benny
earth seems dim and dark, and 1 know u
is my Father lulling me away to my long