Some years ago, one of the North American Indians, a chief, visited our country, and at several large meetings told his story. That story was given in something like the following words : — ^' I was a worshipper of the sun, and moon, and stars, some fourteen years ago, when I heard a missionary preach of a beautiful heaven, into which, he said, all the righteous should enter, and of a dreadful hell, into which all the wicked must be cast. I asked, ' Is there any chance of a Chippewa Indian getting to heaven?' I was told, ' Oh yes, heaven is open to all who believe in Jesus, God's Son, if we come through Him we shall find a warm welcome and a ready entrance.' I was glad at this, for my sins began to trouble me ; I was like one of our Indian deer, when it is shot by the hunter; it flies over the hills and prairies until it becomes weary with its exertions and faint with loss of blood; it falls down, and turns first on one side, and then on the other side, and at last it dies. Thus it was with me, the pain in my heart rankled sorely, and I could get no rest from its smart. But I prayed to God : however, I thought God would only hear me if I prayed to Him in the English language. I did not know much English^ but I said, ^Oh Christ, have mercy upon me, poor sinner, poor Indian.' About that time I was asked out to dine. Before dinner a blessing was asked in the English lan- guage, '^Ah,' I thought, 'God understands that;' but after dinner, thanks were returned in the Chippewa language, and I thought, 'If God understands your Chippewa, He will understand mine.' I went home, I crept up into a little hayloft, and in my native tongue, I poured out my heart before the Lord, I said with Jacob, ' Oh Christ, I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me,' and before the day broke, my heart was full of joy unspeakable and full of glory." The results of this prayer we cannot omit. '' I then strove to make known to my fellow-men the blessedness of the Gospel I had received, I established a school, and, among other scholars, I had thirty married women, who taught their husbands at night what they had learned during the day. I had, however, but one spelling book and one Testament. My spelling book I took to pieces and gave a leaf to each scholar, my Bible was passed from hand to hand. Our progress was very slow, so I thought I would come to the country whence the Bibles came, to look out for help. And now, my dear friends, I have told my tale, and I want to ask you if you will give me some Bibles and spelling books to take back to my dear children." The response of the hall to this appeal was, " We will ! we will!" And soon afterwards, freighted with a large supply, the Indian went back to his own country, and lived and laboured for Christ. In "The Times'" obituary there subsequently appeared the following brief record of his death ; '"'■ Died, in North West America, (on such a day) Peter Jones, missionary and chief/^
"Heaven is my throne...Isaiah 63"
GOD'S REJECTION OF ALL MATERIAL TEMPLES. There was a time when it could be said that there was a house of God on earth. That was a time of symbols, when as yet the Church of God was in her childhood. She was being taught her A B C, reading her picture-book, for she could not as yet read the Word of God, as it were in letters. She had need to have pictures put before her, patterns of the heavenly things. Even then, the enlightened amongst the Jews knew well that God did not dwell between curtains, and that it was not possible that He could be encompassed in the most holy place within the veil It was only a symbol of His presence. But the time of symbols is now passed altogether. In that moment when the Saviour bowed His head, and said "It is finished! " the veil of the temple was rent in twain, so that the mysteries were laid open. So, one reason why God saith He dwelleth not in temples made with hands, is, because He would have us know that the symbolical worship is ended...
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