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4
DIOQENES.
(A LEO END.)
'SJIojrcncii, the frugal, sat ono day
In contcmplalh o mood before his casljj
Sleek Luxury, unnoticed, pasged his way,
And left lilm In tho cliccrful sun to tjtielt,
Thcro camo to him n miser, ono whose aim
Was but to stint, nnd Htarrc, mid hoard hla
penco.
Quoth ho: "I've come, nttracted by thy fame,
" To learn how bcit to llvp with small ex
pense." ' Thou'rt welcome, friend," replied niojtcnc.
"Thy heart mid tnlno shall beat lu onenc
iiinl.
Come, I will teach thco how thou canst llvo
with eoc.
"Still siting, tuning tho best tho marts af
ford.' So arm In nrm, they to ti baker's hied,
Where I usclous lm es tlnjlr oj en did Erect.
4 Pray, ha e you brcud" they uslicd Tho halt
er cried
" Ay, succulent and nourishing as meat."
DIORontH turned to his friend and Bald;
" Come, wo tv 111 tratghtwiiy to thu marltct
lilo
' As meal doth seem superior to bread,
" A tender )ylnt for dinner let us buy.
Arrlicdat lor.gth before it butcher's Wrath,
Thcynnlirn: "Pray tell us. hunt thou Juicy
meats"
" Ay, that I hivo Delicious beef, forttoolh,
"As soft ua new churned butler, nnd so
kwlcU"
"Tnlxt btcf and butter, butter Is tho best.'
Diogenes tuld, turning on hla heel,
And to tho grocer's dragged his hungry guest,
To purchase butter for their tnld d ly meal
llcforo thcgroitr's lay n tempting lino
Of tpes nnd tnllli, mid products of tho soil.
" Pray hast thou butlers" "Yen, and ery Unci
Ai f ragnint mid its pure ns oils c oil."
" Como," lid Diogenes. " 'tis i 1 Idem
"That butter Is by olliootl suriKiRHcd."
And turning toward the market-place, they
went
Topurehipooll.nnd end their lengthy fast.
Dost thou sell oils" 'Iho man addressed re
plied.
" Ay, limpid ns pure water, and ns cltar."
" Lot's hmt ti to tho brook," tlio miser irlcd.
" Tor water Is tho best, It doth npiier "
They sought tho babbling broo'.t. Ulof-encs,
Some days before, had thrown nv ay his i up.
Without ndo. tho friends fell on their knees.
And c.ipcrly they lapped tho water up
" Ilurrahl" tho miter cried, "l'o nobly dined.
" Pi is learned tho lesson of economy
" Diogenes, thou hast n wondrous mind,
" Long life to thee, nnd thy philosophy I"
Milton Uoldstntth. Injury
35r"
&WL-K
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irrfilTirtf its
tsr
CIlAl'TI'.n XIX.
"voc a:;d vot; :;o cnoss shall iaiit."
A yenr passed nwny. Attron nml Jane
had married, ami wore living in ;i cot
tage near the mill. Iloth liml often
written to remind Olive of her prom
ised visit; but the lsit was not paid
yet, and tho 1 1 tippy pair said to each
other that it was strange to tlnd Ollvo
htill clinging to London. o doubt it
seemed strange to them, absorbed in
their own simple bliss, that sho should
know peace nmoni; crowds. Nor could
they realise that balm sometimes grows
in tho very path where tho thorns liavo
torn our feet. Wo do not always find
healing afar:
"From tho rpcro of our torrow."
1 April had come again; and tho old Sn-
oy churchyard seemed to gather nil
the freshness and sweetness of spring
within its narrow boundary. To Ollvo,
tho place was a sacred poem, breaking
into the prose of busy life. Tho grass
was green and roft under tho trees;
thcro was a twittering of birds among
tho budding boughs, and round those
ancient walla that were sternly watch
ing over their garden ground. Sternly,
nnd yet kindly, for the gill used to
think that tho old chapel had been a
silent witness of tho strife and suffer
ing of centuries, nnd must, therefore,
have a mysterious sympathy with tho
children of this generation.
She had come, as she had often done
before, to sit in the churchyard on ti
Saturday afternoon nnd enjoy its green
ness and quietness. The birds seemed
to bo singing to her to-day, nnd n voice
'insworcd them in her heart, Hho re
membered how she had onco come hero
like n sick child, tired nnd worn with
pain, and tho inlluenco of the place had
calmed her spirit. She loved every
hlado of grass, every rugged stono in
tlio gray walls.
And then she began to think of tho
chaplain, nnd of his Influences over her
life. Sho recalled tho very moment when
hho had looked up and neon him stand
ing by her side. What was tho secret
of that personal power of his? It camo
partly from his intenso sympathy with
every phase of humanity, n sympathy
clear and pure ns n strcnm of living
water. Like tho strcnm, his mind could
adapt Itself to nny channol, and could
run ns brightly in a narrow course as
in a broad ono. Then, too, there was
tho grace of perfect breeding, and tho
ucvor-falling consideration of others.
Surely his was ono of "tho few voices"
which God has toned, and Its sweetness
had stilled tho tumult of many n heart
no well us her own.
Seaward Aylstouo camo quietly in at
tho gate and sat down on the bench by
her side Thcro was 11 Hush In her
cheeks, a sudden light In her eyes, and
a somothlng In tho tone of her voice,
which would havo convinced nny looker
on that Scaward's presence was not un
welcome. Hut thcro were no lookors
on; tho chaplain hnd tho rare faculty of
keeping out of tho way when ho was
not wanted; and ns to tho birds they
had seen too many sweethearts to glvo
nny nttcntlon to a solitary pair. Ollvo
had been fooling for some time thnt tho
relation between tho painter and her
cif was entirely apart from nil com
mon acquaintances and friendships.
Yet ho had never spoken of anything
sleeper than friendship. Ho had been
waiting until tho right moment had
come; until ho wan quite sure that tho
last lingering noho of the old pain was
gone.
Tho autocrat of tho breakfast tnblo
says of his love, "it was in talking of
lifo that wo camo most nearly to
gether;" nd whenever Ollvo and Ayl
stono 'mot the were sure to talk of
lifo. They both wanted to bo doing
und living, and helping others to do nnd
Jivo. There wis so much to bo done; so
maav nlans huii to bo carried out; Sea
ward was concerning hlmsolf about tho
future of tho little children who sat to
Mm us models, and Ollvo listened to his
gcas and suggested others.
- i. - tTUS
-06) fRX.77,,?rirY3.
u a -& A&rj w
fir
Quito suddenly thero camo a lnll in
tho conversation. It was ono of thoso
pauses which romantic people nttributo
to tho passing of nn unseen angel. A
silence Hho this is ahvnys full of possi
bilities; slow hearts Btrugglo with tho
tllfllculty of expression, nnd nro dumb
when they ought to speak; quick hearts
brenk out Into over-much speaking and
so lose their cause. Others and they
tiro tho happy few say just tho right
words, nnd win tho response that they
long for.
Olivo's color deepened when that
pauso come. Sho sat still for a few
seconds, her heart beating fast. Then
sho made n slight movement ns If sho
were about to rise; but a hum! was laid
lightly on her own. "No, you must not
leave mo yet," Seaward said. "1 will
say something now that I have long
wanted to say. Olive, I lovo you. I
want you to bo with mo ulways, to help
me, dear, nnd comfort mo with your
lovo. If a man nnd woman love truly
they may make a garden of IM011 in tho
middle of 11 noisy world. Their homo
may bo ns fresh nnd enlm as this old
chapel garden, set in tho midst of tho
turmoil of busy life."
Ho wnssuro of hur answer before It
came from her lips, Sho was In no
haste to break tho silence that fol
lowed, but tho Blunder hand that ho
was holding lay quietly In his and tho
sweet eyes glnnced up nt him for one
moment with ti look of perfect content.
"I do love you," murmured tho soft
voice nt last
Sho sat there wntchltig tho afternoon
light flickering upon tho grass und
wondering what she had dono to de
serve this blessing. A Ww lifo was
opening out before her, nnd the old
troubles lay dim and far uwnv In tho
past- Sho was not destined to tread
her path alone. Even in this world,
with nil its sad pretenses and bitter dis
appointments, "tho voice that breathed
o'er Eden" may still be heard uml true
hearts can still come together.
"It seems to have been decreed," said
Mrs. Villlcrs. resignedly, "that ono of
my grnnthons should many a person of
low origin. Of course, I have not been
consulted!"
"Well, granny," remarked Adeline,
who was hovering near her with
bright, inischevious eyes, "I think you
must tulmlt thnt his own heait was a
safer counselor. As yet, you r.co. you
have not been u successful match
maker." "Am f to havo my misfortunes east
up in my faeo?" demanded tho old lady,
her cap ribbons quivering. "Am I
never to see nnyono belonging to mo
2&&Xa &
"omvi:, 1 i.ovi: you
making a decent mnrringe? If you
were not thoroughly heartless, Ade
line, you would bo n little sorry for a
disappointed old woman; nnd if you
had moro softnebs In your nature you
would forgive Claud nnd mnko me
happy yet"
"No, granny." Tho bright eyes were
suddenly grave. "I would do n good
deal to plcaso you, heartless as I am
supposed to be, but I cannot marry n
man who very nearly cheated me out of
a true love."
"That is just ono of your harsh
speeches," Mrs. Villlcra r.aid, irritably.
"Claud would havo made n kind hus
band. He would have lot you go your
own way."
"I don't want to go my own way,
granny. If I am married," answered
Adeline, turning upon her with flush
ing chcoks. "We will wall: side by sido,
my husband nnd I, or I will havo no
husband nt all. Oh, I am not so proud ns
you think mcl I am even willing tc
Down on my knees
And thnnk Heaven fastlrts for n good man'o
lovo.
when that love Is offered to me; but I
will not thank Heaven for tho .mero
scmblnnco of n lover."
Mrs. Villiers sighed profoundly.
"When is this this disastrous event
going to tnko pluco?" sho asked.
"Don't talk ni if it wore n dynnmlto
explosion," 6iild Adeline, recovering her
good humor and laughing. "Try to
take it pleasantly, granny. It is coming
oil on the lirst of Juno, and it will bo
tho prettiest wedding ever seen. Sea
ward has arranged that four of his lit
tle models lovely children nro to bo
bridesmaids. He says that whllo ho has
lM!Cti'piiuHng child-faces he has studied
child nature and has learnt n great deul
from these little friends of his."
"Ho Is full of fads," muttered granny.
"Well, I liko his fads," returned Miss
Vllllera calmly. "1 am looking forward
quite eagerly to this wedding, and I be
Hove, granny, that you are longing to see
it yourself. Don't deny it; you are fond
of' anything in tho shnpo of n show."
"1 will nuvcr look on whllo u grand
son of mlno makes a fool of hlmsolf; and
I am too old to go to shows."
"You aro not too old to Iruprovo, nnd
become, n pleasant-spirited nnd liberal
minded Granny. Now I will tell you n
little moro news; Col. Lorraine will bo
Scaward's best man."
Mra. Villiers looked up quickly, ns If
nho did not know whether Adeline were
jesting or not Col. Lorraine ranked
high in tho old lady's esteem; he was
possessed of all tho cardinal virtues,
birth, wealth and sx reputation for wis
dom. If ho countenanced unythlng.lt
was sure to bo right In tho eyes of oth
(--T--isAA . rr.Py
t
ers. Ho was a singlo man, too; and
onco or twice of late a faint gleam of
hopo had found its wny into grauny's
bosom. This man was Scaward's inti
mate friend, and thcro was a Arm bond
of sympathy between Seaward nnd Ad
eline. Tho wedding morning was ns fair
and bright ns It wus possible for a Juno
morning to be. Tho steep lit Uc street
lending to tho Savoy ehnpel wan
thronged with nn eager crowd. Tho
path leading to the principal cntrnnco
was carpeted with crimson; nnd the
old plane-trees, with nil their fresh
green leaves whispering softly hi the
sunshine, seemed to be lu a gentle flut
ter of expectation. The chapel was
full, llrlght faces, summer dresses.
I und gay flowers tilled every pew.
1 Granny wns theie-verlly there, ur
j rayed In somo of her best black
J lace, and looking calm and stately;
t Adeline wns thero, moro charming than
ever, with 11 light In her eyes that
spoke of inward triumph and satisfac
tion. The clergy and choristers went to
meet tho brldo at the gate; nnd when
tho procession entered tho church tho
wcddlng-hynin ponied forth, and tho
jeweled lights from tho windows fell
on the lovely face and soft white robes
of tho bride. She wore no ornaments,
nor did she want nny; her rich and
glowing beauty needed no luster of
gems or gold. A few choico white
blossoms, set In their deep greet!
lenies, were her only adornments. Hut
her price was far above rubies, and in
her tho heart of her husband did safely
trust.
"Thnt ye may plcato lilm both in
body and soul, nnd llvo together In holy
love unto your lives' end," hnld tho
chaplain's quiet voice.
ho had no fear for them, nor did
they fear for each other. They went
out of tho old chapel, nnd under tho
whispering plane-trees into tho Juno
sunshine; nnd In their hearts was tho
never-fading light of eternal pence.
Itiii: i:nd. I
A NCW LAWN GAME.
Tcmn, 11 l'ust lino fur Itoth H-xr nml All
.Scisom.
At the Queen's club,' West Kensing
ton, nn exhibition wns recently given of
the new lawn game Tenia, which has
recently been introduced. The game,
which can bo pluyed with equal enjoy
ment by both sexes, possesses many
claims to popular favor. It can bo fol
lowed in any season, and by as few as
four or as many us fouitcoii persons at
onco. Skill, agility ami a good eye aro
far moro requisite than mere physical
strength, nnd the proper manipulation
of the wand by means of quick wrist
turns develops und renders llexlblo tho
muscles of tho arms and wrists.
A screen of wood or canvas fixed on n
light frame, and having in tho center a
circular aperture eighteen inches in
diameter, iu erected, llchlnd tho hole
is fixed it bag-net, and the main object
of tho players, who stand some distance
away, Is to throw a number of colored
balls by means of tho wand Into this
bag. Tho wand has at ono end a pe
culiarly shaped hook for holding tho
ball, but somo little skill is necessary
to retain the ball in It for tho purpose
of making tlio throw.
Tlio number of "pot balls" to bo scored
by each side before it can complete tho
first stnge of the game corresponds
with tho number of players on" each
side. When either sido has scored the
number of "pot balls" agreed upon, it
enters upon tins second stage, and it nt
onco obtains ti single "zoned" ball.
Whichever side then lirst succeeds in
scoring its ".oncd ball" wins tho game.
The public exhibition of tho new pas
time was witnessed with Interest, and 11
favornblo opinion of its merits was ex
pressed by mnny of tlio spectators.
London Halty News.
NATURAL ASPHALT.
Wherein It 1)1 Horn from Certain Cont Tar
1'roductR.
A correspondent of tho Rallrond and
Engineering Journal takes occasion to
lay stress upon tho essential difference
between natural asphalt nnd certain
coal tnr products. A well made pnlnt,
tho body of which is true natural as
phalt, can be subjected to auy ninount
of heat not exceeding that of boiling
water, nnd oven on vertical surfaces
will not run. Moreover, its covering
power Is great, and Its toughness and
adheslvcnchs remarkably enduring
Tho uso in trado of the term asphalt ns
applied to certain coal tar products has
led to somo confusion of mind upon tho
subject. While these artitlclul products
bear a certain rcscmblnnco In somo of
their physical properties to natural as
phalt, tho two commodities aro chemi
cally very dissimilar. They nro so wido
apart in their natures, that it Is ns Im
proper to classify them utidur tho same
name ns it would bo to confuse "things
volatile und Invqlntllo, or destructible
nnd Indestructible." There is no
product of coal tar, short of tho final
residuum of coko In tho still, tho con
stituent oils of which do not gradually
volntlli.e in tho sun's heat; und coal tar
products suitable for uso as paints nlso
easily become- fluid when exposed to
sun heat, until by evaporation they be
come so far brittle as to solidify, after
which, a little furthor progress In tho
same direction causes them to pcrisli
nnd scale off. On tho otljor hand, the
constituent oils of natural asphalt aro
absolutely non-volntllo nt tlio highest
Mintampcrnturn, and tho material docs
not oxldio under nny atmospherlo con
ditions. j ,
Itt-itiurtditiln Gpitcriolty.
rater So to-morrow's Lord Hnglo's
blrthdny.ch? Well, as his (Innccc, I sup
pose you're expected to glvo him a
lmndsomo present or two?
Tho Daughter Why, yes of course.
Pater Then I'm going to let you glvo
him a receipted bill for every dollar ho
oweb me, nnd n Iirst-cla3s ticket to
Liverpool. Life.
An Tjo tor n Uarpiln.
Swnnkey Jim (begging) Glvo u a
nickel for a bed, boss?
lloss Why certainly, my man Where
Ia tho bed? Judge.
NO EXCUSE FOR DELAY.
Dr. Tnlmngo Continues Hla DIs
coursoo Whllo Abrond.
Tho (Innpol n I'owcrful Medicine I'or tlio
DlMinsn of HliiHiiltrntlon 1'rro t'or
All Noun Citu Kuritpo tli
Final liidKtnont.
Dr. Talmage continues to draw
crowds while abroad. The sermon
selected for publication the past week
wns entitled "The SouVs Crises," from
1 Isaiah iv. (1: "Seek ye the Lord while
He may Iks found." Following Is the
sermon:
Isaiah stands head and shoulders
above the Old Testament authors lu
vivid descrlptlvoness of Christ. Other
prophet!! give nn outline of our Saviour's
fun lines. Somo of them present, ns It
were, the side face cf Christ; others a
bust of Christ; but Isaiah gives us a full
length portrait of Christ. Other Scrip
ture writers excel in somo things.
Kicklcl more weird, David more pa
thetic, Solomon morecplgratnntlc, llub
tikkttk moro sublime; but when you
want to see Christ coming out fiom the
gates of prophecy In till His grandeur
and glory, you involuntarily turn to
Isaiah. So that if the prophecies in re
gard to Christ might be called tho "Or
atorio of tho Messiah," the writing of
Isaiah Is tho "Hallelujah Chorus,"
where nil the batons wave and all the
trumpets come in. Isulah was not a
man picked up out of Inslgntllcancc by
Inspiration. He wns known and hon
ored. Joscphus and Phllo, and Sirauli
extolled htm lu their writings. What
Paul was among the apostles, Isaiah
was among the prophets.
My text flnds him standing on n
mountain of Inspiration, looking out
into the future, beholding Christ ad
vancing and anxious thatallnion might
know Him; his voice rings down the
nges: "Seek ye tho Lord whllo I Ic may
be found." '()," says someone, "that
wns for olden times." No, my hearer.
If you have traveled In other lauds you
havo taken a circular letter of credit
from somo banking house in Loudon,
and In St. Petersburg, or Venice, or
l.oine, or Antwerp, or llrussels, or
Paris, you presented that letter and got
lhiunckil help immediately. And I want
you to understand that the text, in
stead of being appropriate for one age,
or for one land, is ti .circular letter for
all ages and for till lands, and whenever
It is presented for help, the help conies:
"Seek 'ye the Lord while He may bo
found."
1 come to-dny with no hair spun
theories of religion, with no nice dis
tinctions, with no elaborate disquisi
tion, but with u plain talk on tho mat
tetvs of personal religion. 1 feol that
tho Nurmon I preach this morning will
be the savor of lifo unto life, or of death
unto death. In other words, the gospel
of Christ is n powerful medicine; it
either kills or cures. There nro thoso
who say: "I would like to beconion
Christian. I hnvo been wailing 11 good
while for, the right kind of Inlluenco to
comu," and still you aro waiting. You
aro wiser In worldly things than you
arc In religious things. And yet there
are men who say they are waiting to
get to Heaven waiting, waiting, but
not with intelligent waiting, or they
would get on board the line of Christian
influences thnt would bear them into
the kingdom of God.
Now you know very well that to seek
n thing is to senrch for It with earnest
endeavor. If you want to seo n certain
man in London, und there Is a matter
of much money connected with your
seeing him, und you eanuot tit lirst And
lilm, you do not give up the search.
You look In tho directory, but cannot
And the name; you go In circles where
you think, perhaps, ho may mingle,
und, having found the part of tho city
where ho lives, but perhaps not know
ing tho street, you go through street
ufter street und from block to block,
and you keep on searching for weeks
and for months.
You say: "It is a matter of ton thou
sand pounds whether I seo him or not."
O that men were as persistent in seek
ing for Christ! Had you one-half thnt
persistence you would long ugo have
found Him who Is tho joy of tho for
given spirit Wo may pay oifr debts,
we mny attend church, we may relievo
tho poor, wo may bo public benefactors,
und yet all our life disobey tho text;
never seek God; never gain Heaven.
O that tho spirit of God would help this
morning while I try to show you In
carrying nut tho idea of my toxt, lirst,
how to seek the Lord, and In tho next
place, when to seok hlia "Seek ye the
Lord while he may bo found."
I rumnrk, In tho ilrst place, yon aro to
seek the Lord through earnest und be
lieving prayer. God is not tin autocrat
or despot seated on ti throne- with his
nrms resting on brnr.on lions und u sen
tinel pacing up and down at tho foot of
tho throne. God Is a father seated iu 11
bower, waiting for his children to come
und climb on his knee and get his kiss
nnd his benediction. Prayer is tho cup
with which we go to the "fountain of
living wnter" und dip up refreshment
for our thirsty soul. Grace does not
come to tho heart us wo set a cask of
water to catch tho rain in tho shower.
It is u pulley fnstcned to the throne of
God which wo pull, bringing tho bless
ing. I do not caro so much ubout what pos
ture you take in prayer, nor how largo
un amouut of voice you use. You might
get down on your face lxsforo God, if
you (Hd not pray right inwardly, ind
thcro would bo response. You might
cry ut the top of your yoice, nnd unless
you have a believing spirit within your
cry would go no farther up than tho
shout of a plowboy to his oxen. Prayer
must be believing, earnest, loving. You
nre in your house some summer day,
und u uhowor comes up, nnd a bird
affrighted darts into tho window and
wheels around the room. You seize it
You smooth its milled plumage. You
feel its fluttering hoart You say:
I "Poor thlug, poor thing!" Now ti prayer
goes out of the storm of this world into
, the window of God's mercy, und Ho
, catches it and ho feels its fluttering
. pulse, und Ho puts it in his owu bosatu
of ulfcctlou und safety,
Prayer Is a warm, ardent, pulsating
exercise. It Is this electric battery
which, touched, thrills to tho throne of
God. U Is the diving bell In which wo
go down Into the depths of God's mercy
und bring up "pearls of great price."
Theio Is an instance where prayer made
the waves of Gennesurot solid ns grnultc
pavement O, how many wonderful
things prayer has accomplished! Have
you ever tried It? In the days when
the Scotch Covenanters were persecuted
und tho enemies were after them ono of
the head men among tho Covenanters
prayed: "O Lord, we bo as detul men
unless Thou shall help ua O Lord,
throw the lap of Thy cloak over thoso
poor things." And instantly n Scotch
mist enveloped and hid the persecuted
from their persecutors the promise lit
erally fullllled: "While they tiro yet
speaking I will hear."
O, impenitent soul, have yon ever
tried tho power of prayer? God says:
"He Is loving and faithful and patient."
Do you Iwlluvo that? You arc told that
Christ came to save sltuturs. Do you be
lieve that? You nre told thnt till you
have to do to get the pardon of the gos
pel Is to ask for It. Do you believe that?
Then come to lilm and say: "O, Lord, 1
know Thou must untile. Thou hast
told me to eonio for pardon, and I could
gel It I come, Lord, keep Thy promise
nml liberate my captive soul."
O, that you might have tin altar In the
parlor, In the kitchen, lu the store, lu
tho barn, for Cht 1st will bo willing to
come again to the manger to hear
prayer, lie would comu in your place
of business as ho confronted .Matthew,
the tax commissioner. If ti meustiro
should come before congi ess that you
thought would ruin the nation, how you
would send In petitions and remon
strances. And yet there has been
enough sin in your heart to ruin It for
ever and you have never lemonstratcd
or petitioned against It. if your1
physical health fulled, and yon had the
means, you would go nml spend tho
hummer in Germany und the winter in
Italy, und you would think It a very
cheap outlay If you had to go all around
the earth to gut back your physical
health. Have you made tiny effort, nny
expenditure, any exertion for your Im
mortal und spiritual health? No, you
havo not taken one step.
I rumnrk, again, you must sock the
Lord through itlblo study. The Ilible
Is the newest book In the world. "O,"
you say, "It was made hundreds of
years ago, tlnd tho learned men of King
Juntos translated it hundreds of years
ago." I confute that Idea by telling
you it Is not llvo minutes old, when
God, by His blessed Spirit retranslates
It Into the heart. If you will, In seek
ing of tho way of life through Scripture
study, implore God's light to fall upon
the page you will find that tlie.su prom
ises nre not one second old, and that
thej' drop straight from the throne of
God Into your heart
There aro many people to whom the
Itlblo does not ninount to much. If
they merely look at tho outside licauty,
why it will no more lead them to Christ
than Washington's farewell address or
the Koran of Mahomet or the Sinister
of tho Hindoos. His the Inward light
of God's word you must get or die.
O my friends if you merely want to
study the laws of language do not go to
the lliblo. It Is not mado for that
Take Howe's Lluincntsof Criticism. It
would bo bettor than the lliblo for that
If you want to study metaphysics boU
tcr than tho lllblu will bo the writings
of William Hamilton. Hut If you want
to know how to have sin pardoned, und
ut last to gain the blessedness of
Heaven, search thu Scriptures, "for in
them ye have eternal life."
When people nro anxious about their
souls and thero are somo such hero to
dny there arc those who recommend
good books. That is all right Hut I
want to tell you that thu Itlblo Is the
best book under such clrcuinstnuces.
Itaxter wrote, "A Call to tho Uncon
verted." but this lliblo Is tho bust call
to the unconverted. Philip Doddrldgo
wtote, "Tho Ulso and Progress of
Religion in tho Soul," but tho lliblo
Is the best rise nnd progress. John
Angcll James wrote, "Advice to thu
Anxious Inquirer," but tho lliblo is the
best advice to the anxious inquirer.
0 tho lliblo Is the very book you need,
nnxlous nnd inquiring soul! A dying
soldier said to his uinto: "Comrade,
glvo mo a drop!" The comrade shook
up tho canteen nnd said: "There isn't
a drop of watur In the canteen." "O,"
Mild tho dying soldier, "that's not what
I want; feel In my knapsack for my
Ilible," nnd his comrade found tho Itlblo
and read hliu a few of tho gracious
promises, and tho dying wildicr said:
"Ah, that's what I want There Isn't
anything like tlio lliblo for u dying sol
dier, is there, my comrade?" Ot blessed
book while we live. Itle.ssed book when
wo die.
1 remark ngnln, we must seek God
through church ordinances. "What,"
say you, "can't a man bo saved with
out going to church?'' I reply there
are men, I suppose, in glory, who htive
never seen a church; but the church Is
the ordained means by which wo are to
be brought to God; und If truth aiTectr.
us when wo aro nlone, it affects us moro
mightily when we are in tho nssombly
tho feelings of others, emphasizing
our own feelings. The great law of
sympathy comes Into play nnd a truth
Unit would tnko hold only with tho
grasp of a sick mun lssits mightily
ugulust the soul with a thousand heart
throbs.
When you come into tho religious cir
cle, come only with one notion und only
with one purpose to find tho way to
Christ When I see peoplo critical
ubout sermons and critical about tones
of voice, nnd crlticnl about sermonlo de
livery they make mo think of a man in
prison. He is condemned to death, but
an offlccr of tho government brings u
pardon and puts It through the wluket
of thu prison and says; "Hero Is your
pardon, Como und get It." "What do
expect mo to take that pardon, altered
with such a voice us you have,
nnd with r.ucli tin awkwurd manner
as you have? I would rather die
than so compromise, my rhetorical no
tions!" Ah, tho man does not say that;
he takes it It is his life. Ho does not
cure how it is handed to him. And If
this morning thut pardon from the
S2
throno of God Is offered to our soul
should wo ntit soiius it, regardless of all
criticism, feeling that It is a mutter- of
Heaven or hell?
Hut I come now to the last part of
my text. It tells us when to seek tlio
Lord. "Whllo He may bo found.'
When Is that? Old agu? You may not
co old age. To-morrow? You may
not seo to-morrow. To-night? You
may not see to-night Now! O, If I
could only write on every heart In three
capital letters that word N'-O-W now!
Sin Is nn awful disease. I hear peo
ple say with a loss of tho head and w itlt
11 trivial manner: "O, yes, I'm a sin
ner." Sin Is tin awful disease. It it
leprosy. It Is dropsy. It is consump
tion. It Is all moral disorders In one.,
Now you know there Is a crisis In a
disease. Perhaps you have iiad somo
Illustration of It In your family. Some
times tho physician has called, nnd ho
has looked tit tho patient mid said:
"That caso was simple enough; but tho
crisis hns passed. If you had called 1110
yesterday, or this morning, 1 could havo
cured tho patient It Is tots late nowj
the crisis has passed." Just so it is lu
the spiritual treatment of thu soul
thcro Is 11 crisis, llcforo that, life! After
that, death! O my dear brother, ns you
lovo your soul do not let tho crisis p.issj
unattended tot
There is a time which mercy has sot
for leaving port If you are on board
before that you will get a passage for
Heaven. If you nre nut on board, you
miss your passage for Heaven. As In
law courts, n ease Is sometimes nd
journed from term to term, und frotn
year to year, till tho bill of costs eats
up the entire estnte, so there nro men
who arc adjourning the matter of reli
gion from time to time, nnd from year
to year, until Heavenly bliss is tho bill
of costs tho man would havo to pay for
It
Why defer this matter, O my dear
hearer? Have you tiny Idea thnt sin
will wear out? thut it will evaporate?
thai It will relax Its grasp? that you
may And religion us 11 man accidentally
Anils a lost pocketbook? Ah, no! No
man ever bccamis a Christian by acci
dent or by the relaxing of sin. Thu
cntbnrrnssinunts uro all tho time in
creasing. I would not bo afraid to challenge
this whole audience, so far ns they may
not hnvu found tho pence of the Goupei,
in regard to that matter. Your hearts,
you nre willing frankly to tell me, nro
becoming harder nnd harder, and that
If yon come to Christ it will Iks moro of
an undertaking now than It ever would
have been before, O fly for refuge!
The avenger of blood Is on tho track!
O, if mon could only catch just ono
glimpse of Christ, I know thoy wmild
love Him. Your heart leaps at thu sight
of a glorious sunrise or sunset Can
you bo without emotion ns tho Sun of
Ilighteoiisncss rises behind Calvary anil
sets behind Joseph's sepulchre,? Ho it
a blessed Savlourl Every nation has its
typo of beauty. Thcro Is German beauty,
and Swiss, beauty, und Italian beauty,
and English beauty, but I euro not In
what hind a man ilrst looks ut' 'Christ,
ho pronounces Him "chief among ten
thousand, und the one altogether love
ly." The diamond districts of Itrnzll nro
carefully guarded, and a man does not
get In thero except by a pass from the
government; but thu lovo at, Christ Is a
diamond district we mny all enter and
pick up treasures for eternity. O, cry
for morcyl "To-day, if yo will, hunr
His volcu, harden not your hearts.''
Why should I stand hero ami plead
nnd you sit thero? It is your Immortal
soul. It Is 11 soul that shall never die.
It Is a soul thnt must soon appear before
God for revlowal. Why throw nwny
your chance for Heaven? Why plunge
off into darkness when all thu gates of
glory are oponi' Why becomu 11 cast
away frotn God when you can sit upon
tho throne? Why will yo die miserably
when eternal life is offered you nnd It
will cost you nothing but just willing
ness to accept it? "Come, for nil things
are now ready." Come, Christ is ready,
pardon is ready! The church is ready.
Heaven is ready.
It is very certain that you and I must
soon appear before God in judgment.
Wo cannot escape it Tho lliblo says:
"Every eye shall see Him, nnd they
also which pierced lilm, and all tho
kindreds of the earth shall wail be
cause ot II I111." On that day all our ad
vuntages will come up for our glory or
for our discomfiture evpry prayer,
every sermon, every cxliortatory re
mark, every reproof, every cnll of
grace, and whllo the heavens aro roll
ing away liko a scroll nnd tho
world la being destroyed your
destiny and my destiny will Iks
announced. Alas! alas if on
that day it is found that we havo neg
lected thoso matters. Wo may throw
them otf now; we cannot then. Wo
will all be in earnest then. Ilitt uo
pardon then. No offer of salvation
then. No rescue then. Driven away
In our wlekcdnuss banished, exiled
forever!
Hut I want you to take tho hintof tho
text that I have no time to dwell on
the hint that there is 11 time, when Ho
cannot be found. Thcro is a mun in
tills city, eighty years of age, who said
to ti clergyman who camo in, "Do you
think that a man at eighty years of nge
can get pardoned?" "0, yes," said Uie,
clergyman. The old mun said: "I can't,
when I was twenty years of ago I aua , ,
now eighty years the spirit of God.'
came to my soul, nnd I felt the liapc4
tance of uttending to these thlngtvbufcl
put it off. 1 rejected God, and since then
lhavo no feeling." "Well," said the
minister, "wouldn't you liko to h4e mo
pray with you?" "Yes," replied the old
man, "but it will db no good. You can
pray with mo if you llkato.'i Thf min
ister knelt down nnd prayed, and com
mended tho man's soul to God. It
f.eomed to have no effoot upon htm.
After a whllo, tho last hour ot Uie man's
lifo came, and through' his delirium u
spark of intelligence seemed to flash
and with his Inst breuth ho said: "I
shall never bo forly.onl" "0, seek thu
Lord whllo He nutjf bo found."
1 7, j
A West Philadelphia (ran wants to
t.ell his parrpt, which he advertises as
being "Suitable for u deal family,"
Philadelphia Itecord,
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