The Kingwood chronicle. [volume] (Kingwood, Va. [W. Va.]) 1861-1861, 1861-05-04
SUNDAY READING,
Hidden Mamma. White Stone.

den mamma and will give him white stone.
and in the stone new name written, which
no man knoweth saving he that receiveth
it,
| a cENsURE and a warning have been COM
municated. The tenderness of the SAvIoUR's
love shows itself once more, in its more OBJ
yious form. All between the thirteenth and
seventeenth verses is fearful parenthesis,-
startling undcrtones in the anthem Of I'm
manuels good will to men
To him that overcometh will give to eat
Of the hidden mamma : After victory comes
the feast How are believers allured to heayna
en- BY what imagery otreseryed blesscdnea
are their souls animated for present struggles
With what refreshing supplies are they fQ1
nishcd after each successive victory this 4
final distribution Of crowns The hiddl
mamma has hidden as well as nutritiye powq
It is the balm Of Gilcad for every woundcd
soldier Of the Great King. The Emperol
Caracilla, like many another, once repair
to lIergamos to try the virtues Of its yauntcd
drugs: but he went away as much Of an in
valid as he came Not 50 with his Christiapz
subjects, or with any who have fought the
good fight oftaith Amid contests with prin-&
cipalltles Of darkness, they have angels food,
bread from heaven, Of which if man eat he
shall never die. Not 50 indispensable, not
. lasting not 81 eladdcning was the mama
Of old. whereof was a memorial specimen in
the holy Of holics On which, however, the
II, ,,1 D,,ass, .la,.n I'LL. l>.l. No. ,..l.ah
even he might not taste The food here
promised, and now furnished, is the free
portion IT every saint whose life is hid with
Christ in God, and Is thus uuickcned and in
vlgoratcd
And will give him white stone, and
IN the stone 4 new name written, which no
man knoWcth, saving he that rcceivcth it. "
10 him that overcometh there j. pledged not
only supplies for lasting spiritual rcfrcShment,
but also token, which is proof OF friend
ship, and Of right to peculiar privileges
II is not necessary to enlarge upon the csti-
mate We place Oh anything - well known,
whose value IS not SO much intrinsic rs that
it represents the donor heart whose fond
memory calls to mind many such delicate and
beautiful pledges
All the token flowers that tell
What words can never speak SO we'll =
! on are thinking Of one precious ring, and
Of the hour when it was received You know
whatini are traced within that more than
golden heart ) treasure Connected with it
is an enshrined history known to no one but
the eiver, and you who hold the sacred gift.
To the faithful at Pergalnos, and to all the
faithful in Christ Jesus, there Is given .
white stone, and iii the stone a new name
written, which no man knowcth, saving he
that recciycth it.
Various ancient customs might he referred
to as an explanation here but the most sat
sfactory appears to be this . Among the
u>ages Of hospitality, it was the case that
when a host and guest contracted friendship
for each other, they would take some small
article appropriate to the purpose, often
stone and breaking il in two. each would
write his name upon the piece lie held.
These pieces were then exchanged, and were
called mssnroe hpSrttnles They we're prools
respectively ct private friendship, and 0f
claim q the privileges Of hospitality, If pre-
served and presented even by lcscendents Of
the parties
Christian pilgrim yon call to mind the
hour Of your first successful contest with spi5.
itual enemies, and how the one who ~
passing there, aud who enabled you to oser-
come, kindly took you home with Him, nd
gave such bread as you never tasted before.
And did he not give you a white stone with
q new name in it ? As you look now at tho
precious mcmento, does not that seem
name above every other? And when you
have since presented yourself from time to
time at His table, and have shown your t.
ken, has he not shoWnit counterpart with
the name you wrote when you subscribed that
private compact, D'cs not wayfarcr como
often to your door and knock, and you open
tie door and Hcshows the well known token:
and you bid Him come in, and He sups with
you, and you with Him.
Be careful Of that treasure you win one
day want it still more It will be your pass
port at the threshold Of another world. And
when at length 80 come to the marriage sup-
per Of the Lamb, the Master will draw near
and you must have the white stone with tho
new name upon il ready; and If it tallies ~ifh
the one He holds He will say, '.Welooss!
sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jaeoh,
in Ny Kingdom, and go no more ont 1br-
ever
Whether God chose you 10 hbor o. suNer.