Morris tribune., 1883-02-07

Viii ''N>-N'
brief life is here our portion,
Brief sorrow, short lived care;
The life that knows no ending,
The fearless life is there"
The separation which we may fear
is the separation between those who
are Christ's and those vino are not
between Dives and Lazarus. The I'M
godly and the sinner are cut off by
death from all hope of heaven, from
all companionship with the just Not
so the servants of Jesus Christ. They
but enter in, at death, to await with
ioy and confidence glorious reserrec-
elton.
How full OF comfort is the thought,
As we lay our dear ones out Of sight,
that we can say, II shall go to her,
she shall not return to ne" The sign
of the cross is on her brow and gives
the assurance Of Him, whose word
never fails. "The Lord knoweth them
! that are His" The Lord gave and the
same dear Lord hath taken away.
There is deep consolation to be de-
rived from the knowledge of the inf
| mite love Of our God and Saviour. A
love shown in all His works about us,
and in that testimany of Jesus, which
! it is our privilege to hear and know.
| Above everything else there is AL
mighty love looking down on the
troubles and darkness Of the world.
''To the Cody there ariseth up light
in the darkness. He is merciful, low
ing, and righteous
Have you ever seen, or perhaps made
one of a party of pcople,who were go
ing to explore some dark, deep cavern
the Mammoth Cave, or the Cate
combs of Rome? They all stand out
in the sunlight, and the attendants,
who know the journey they are going
| to make, pass round among them and
put into the hand of each IL lighted
candle, How useless it seems? How
pale and colorless the little flame APP
pears in the gorgeous blaze of sun
light! But the procession moves
along: one after another enters the
dark cavern's mouth one after anoth
er loses the splendor of daylight; in
the hands of one another the feeble
candle light comes out bright in the
darkness; and by and by they are all
walking in the dark, and holding fast
their candles as if they were their very
lives-totally dependent upon what
seemed so useless half an hour ago.
That seems to me to be a picture of the
way in which Gods promises of CON-
ISOLATION, to which we attach very lit
| tie meaning at first, come out into
| beauty and value as we go on in our
| lives, and encounter the darkness of
sorrow and bereavement.
Not the least part of the comfort to
be derived from the sad partings of
earth lies in the awakened activity of
| the soul. Faith is aroused to look
deeper and more seriously into the
realm of the soul, The physical fac-
ulties deaden, but spiaitual faculties
clearer and brighter. 4 strange light
dawns upon the soul. The portals of
heaven open and stand ajar. They
shed forth something of heavens
pure light upon our pathway. God
comes very near to us in sorrow, while
in prosperity and mirth the heart is
closed to anything better than titful
vanities.
Thus God gives peace to the broken
in heart, and medicine to heal their
sickness; but it is not all idle peace.
Duty calls-"Seek ye the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness" 1t ought
to be an added inspiration to working
out ouI own salvation that dear loves
are waiting for us just across the river.
Paradise is doubly dear to us since it
contains our loved ones who have
gone before. Heaven is no longer the
dream-land-the far-away mansions,
vacant and lonely. Heaven is peopled
with dear faces and familiar forms.
When the good shepherd findeth the
little lambs lost and wearied, he takes
them up in his arms he stills their
timid bleatings on his own bosom;
and so carries them home. Well he
knows that if he takes into the warmth
and shelter of his fold the tender lamb
kins, the sheep will follow their young
to the safe enclosures: So does the
Saviour, whose watchful eye and ten
der compassion discovers all the dam
gers in the pathway of the young.
Many times He takes them out of this
dark world to His own heavenly man.
sions. We may not ask them back
again. 1t were wrong to ask them
back. But we may go to them. The
Masters voice is calling us to himself;
calling us out of the hayward, crooked
poths we have so blindly chosen.
It is wr.tted, blessed are they that
mourn now, for they shall laugh
and sing" A hard sayinge Yet,
when our Utmost souls are tempest
tossed; when we turn back from the
grave to the pathway now lonesome
ard dark; when we refuse to be COM
forted;
"Yet, ever, through the rifting clouds,
Shines out one steady star;
For when our Guide went up,
He left the pearly gates ajar."
Finally, Brethren, life is uncertain.
| I'm the midst of life we are i'm death
Let us see to it that those we love are
rhristened in the water from the
'smitten Book. Life is at best too
short for delays in doing our duty by
those whom God has given us. For
bid not the little ones to come unto
Him who has said: "Of such is the
Kingdom of God"
He who came into the world as all