Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-05-02
6GateS Aiar!o

art Phelps with mastery effort hurled
Coates Ajar" all unexpectedly into the
literary world. Probably the slain
would not have been more nor the num-
Der of wounded ones multiplied. Ger
tainly the cries of those injured could
not have been more plaintive and pitt
full. We who stood afar off and only
received the shock later and indirectly
too of course suffered little Still that
very bomb (for it is a theological bomb)
was destined to find its way to us and
accomplish our death. Did I say our
death? no not ours but the death of
what we had so long considered our
selves that we recognized no difference
between our actual selves and the selves
made up of prejudices, whims and all
sorts of fanciful theories, savoring Won
derfully Of tradition and having for au-
thority the ''scribes and elders" rather
than Jesus.
For myself had for months been
YEARLY dragging about dead theOlOgic-
al body, ever and anon in agony crying
out ''whO shall deliver me from this
body of death ?" Few can understand
the deep unutterable joy that filled my
soul when suddenly [ found this body
torn from me and [ lifted at once into
new and really resurrection life. The
world can never seem the same dark,
prison house it did before Heaven
must ever be nearer and dearer because
more real.
Coates Aiar" is rightly named, The
Heavenly Pearls were not swung ruth
lessly and sacrilegiously open but long
ago when the angels on noiseless hinges
opened wide the ''everlasting gates" to
admit the Lord of Glory" they pity
ingly and tenderly left them slightly
ajar that the disciples, catching occasi-
onal glimpscs of their compassionate
Christ, might eyermore keep their hearts
from trouble. He had said, Il go to
prepare a place for you" This promise
was to be remembered. He had not
said you cannot know anything about
this place until it is ready for you if
you love me do not seek to know"
This they forgot and so sadly enough
through all these ages eyes turned Heav-
ward have been so tear bedimmed as to
see naught but darkness. All that +.
S. Phelps did was to point to those
gates and showing that they are not
closed, use the light thence obtained to
burn out theories most delusive.
Dear Mrs. Forcyth,' cried, ''why
could not yon have come to me and led
me into the green pastures of right
thinking and beside the still waters of
perfect peace ?" Il loved my Roy bet
ter than anything in earth or Heaven
and Whenhe was gone for me the light
and beauty had indeed died out of the
world. | drank in all the bitterness of
those German lines even if Satan was
their author and often felt ITO be with
Wilhelm. that was Heaven
Without him, that was He'll"
| too with Mary could have wished the
host of ecit-stylcd considers swept from
existence almost, for believed them to
be Satan's emissarics sent to torture
stricken souls. Was it not enough that
Job should have been covered with b0ilS
from the crown of his head to the S0leS
of his feet ? Must we vet have those
miserable comfortprs Bjldad. Flihu and
EIipbaz come to hisrclicf ? Their speech
wiring his heart causing him more pain
than did his sores. and they became to
him much greater atiiction than his
disease. The world has many Jobs, and
for every one of these there are NOT Tess
than three refined Inonisitorial friends.
Does it not seem strange that though
God 50 plainly and so utterly condcm-
inc the theology of these three consci-
rntious comforters who 50 wisely made
quotations to Job. does it not seem
strange saw while this is 50 that theirs
sh0uId he the theology broucbt to con
sole every sorrovinr heart Let those
who wonld annlv sncb balm stay at
home and leave God to take care If
those nassing under tho rod throuch
some divinriy 9nDointrd Mrs Forcyfh
and there viii be far less bitterness in
the world To be in Heaven md then