Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-07-11
3eliaiolls department.
SEALED ORDERS.

1t has nappeueu III .en0 ni9U0'J
naval warfare that a ship-of-war has
gone forth with sealed orders, to be
opened in mid-ocean, out of sight of
land: public safety, the policy of state
craft. the far-reaching insight of great
government holding the threads of its
life with steady hand, has demanded
this. The admiral held the orders, but
the official envelope lay in his private
desk. and it was sealed. There IS some
thing solemn and inspiring in the fact
of feet of ships, fully equipped for
battle and carnage and death, sailing
out into an unknown sea.
In that heraldic record of saints, the
eleventh of Hebrews, we read OF one
who event out not knowing whittier ne
went" There were spiritual giants IN
those days, and Abraham was one of
them. The Apostle has blazoned names
in that chapter which are monuments of
lives sublime. There were exceeding
great and precious promises given to
this father of race, but he must take
them on trust and step out alone. 1t
was no slight thing to leave kindred
and country and fathers house. The
telling of it does not half express the
grim pain of such resolve. In his
young manhood, as years ran then with
hopes and affections and ambitions,--in
an age when God had not been revealed
in the face of Jesus Christ, when spirit
ual knowledge was crude and rudiment-
airy to the masses of men,-this man of
heroic type went forth with 'seaIed or
ders" at command of God.
There have been sublime moments in
profane history, when picture was
born, an oratorio sprang into life, when
nation began to breathe; but no mo-
ment is fraught with deeper interest
than that when this ''friend of God
rose up and obeyed.
Gods policy of dealing is not great
ly different in this later century; hi
requires soldiers of the Church mllitan
often to 60 under ''sealed ORDERS" ask
ing no questions and receiving no an
swers. Before the wilderness ma,
come Red Sea threatening us witt
death, but beyond is Canaan. Whel
the waters touched the feet of the ad
vancing host, they receded and tn
multitude went over dry-shod. Th
walls of Jericho fell down after the pee
pie repeatedly had done a seemingly
senseless and foolish. thing. The eley
enth of Hebrews has its sequel page
bound into the Book of Remembrance
kingdoms have been subdued, righteous
ness wrought, promises obtained, tn
mouths of lions stopped, and all til
rest of that grand finale. There al
those who all their life are under "sea
ed ORDERS" and turn at last their fade
eyes toward the King in his beaut
with the secret unrevealed. There al
others who, with the dew of their yout
upon them, seek with ardor for ii
Holy Grail, but find at last, althoue
the order was before them, they had III
read Alright. 10 many there come Il
words, Suffer it to be so now
What l do thou knowest not now, b,
thou shalt know hereafter"
The eyes Of some may fall upon th
page who now are under 'sealed o
ders." Dear friends, remember His e.
never slumbers or sleeps. Among tt
trackway of the years his wisdom b
planned the course-a way cast up f
the ransomed of the Lord. Your fe
may falter, your heart grow sick-th
is only human; the mystery of 20
life may thicken and glover about 20
until out of its darkness there may see
to come fends of despair. In such
Valley of the Shadow of Death rea
out for the "rod" and "staff'' of &c
Remember your orders Stand at 20
post Go forward at word of comman,
And if not here, in Gods wise 10,
when the waters of the last dark ri,
shall touch your feet. the mystery sh
stand revealed.-FaLconridge an N
York Observer.