The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1888-01-05

looking down at the body of her mother,
Slid is this heaven?" Oh! we have
no idea what heaven is. 1t il the grave
here--it is darkness here-but there is
mcrrymaking yonder. Methinks when
n soul arrives some angel takes it around
to show it the wonders of that blessed
place. The usher angel says to the newly
arrived: These are the martyrs that
perizhed at Piedmont; these were torn
to pieces at the Inquisition; this is the
throne of the great Jehovah; this is Jesus.
Il am going to see Jesus, said a dying
boy; Il am going to see Jesus. The
missionary said, You are sure you will
see him. "Oh! yes; that's what l
want to so to heaven for. But, said
the missionary, suppose Jesus should go
away from hcaven-what them Il
should follow him, " said the dying boy.
But il Jesus went down to hell-what
them The dying boy thought
Where Jesus is there can be no
hell!" Oh! to stand in his presencel
That will be heaven! Oil to put our
hand in that hand which was wounded
for us on the Cros5-to go around amid
the groups of the redeemed. and shake
hands with the prophets, and apostles,
and martyrs, and with our own dear,
beloved ones! That viii be The great re-
union; we cannot imagine 1t now. our
loved ones seem so far away. When
we are III trouble and lonesome. they
don t sem u come to us. We go ON the
banks Of the Jordan and call across to
them. but tIiev don't seem to hear We
say: is il well with the child! Is i: well
with the loved ones:" and we listen to
hear if any voice comes back over the
waters. None! nonel Unbelicf says.
They are dead. and they are annihi-
lated" but. blessed be God. we have q
Bible that tells US different. We open it
and we iud they are neither dead nor
ann.hilated--that they never were SO
much alive as now-that they are only
waiting for our coming, and that we
shall join them on the other side of the
river. Oh, g.orious reunion! We can
not grasp it how. Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered init
the heart of man the things which Got
hath prepared for them that love him. ,
Oh, what place Of explanation II will
be!
l sec, every day, profound mysteries
of Providence. There is no question we
ask oIteuer than Wh}? There are hum
ured, OF graves lii Greenwood and Lau-
rel Hal tAat need to he explained. Hos
pitaIs fo1 the blind and lame. asylums for
the idiotic and ile,uc. IL. .,a..,es for
the destitute, and world of pam and
e, ,l,r,o-,I IL,
man solution. All! God will clear it all
Up. II the light that pours from the
throne, no dark mystery can live.
Things now utterly inscrutable will be
ulumined as plainly as though the
answer were written on the Jasper
wall, or sounded in the temple anthem.
Bartineus will thank God that he
was blind; and Lazarus that he was
covered with sores; and Joseph that he
was cast into the pit; and Daniel that he
denned with lions: and Paul that he was
hunpbacked; and David that he was
driven from JerusalaM; and that invalid
that for twenty years he could not lift
hls head from the pillow; and that widow
that she had such hard work to earn
bread for her children The song viii be
all the SranGer for earth's weeping eyes,
and aching heads, and exhausted hands,
and scourGed backs, and martyred
agonies. But we can get 10 idea of that
anthem here. We appreciate the power
Of secular music, but do we appreciate
the power Of sacred song? There IS moth
iny more ilspiritlng to me than 4 whole
congregation lifted on the wave Of
I.1l--
Of those dear oil psalms and tunes
they rouse all the memories OF the
past. Why come of them were cradle
songs in our fathers house. They are
all sparkling with the morning dew Of a
thousand Christian Sabbaths. They were
sung Ly brothers and sisters gone now
by voices that were aged and broken il
the nusic-voiceS none the less sweet
because they did tremble and break.
When | hear those old songs surg, it
seems as if all the old country meeting
homes joined in the chorus, and city
church, and sailors bethel and western
cabins, until the whole continent Lifts tho
LoXolo~y and tho scepter3 OF eternity
beat time in The music. Away then
with your starveling tunes that chill the
GevotiOns Of the sanctuary, and make
The people sit silent when Jesus
is marching on to victory. When
generals come back from victorious wars,
dol'c vo cheer tho.a ana shout, "llUzZa,
huzza." and when Jesus passes along; II
the conquest of the earth, shall we MOI
have for him one loud, ringing cheer?
Al hail the power Of Jesus name!
Let angels PROSTATE fan,
Brlu.7 forth tn r. yal dlalem,
Aal crown him Lord OF all
But my friends, if music on earth is
so sweet, What will it be in heaven!
They ali know the tune there. Al the
best singers Of all the ages will join il
ch0.rs Of white robcl children, choi-s Of
pa,Gi~rchs, ci.oirs Of apostles Morning
stars c!apping their cymbals. Earpers
with their harps. Great anthems CT
God, roll On! roll on!-other empires
Joining the harmony till the thrones arc
al fun, and the nations al saved. An
them shall touch anthem, chorus join
Chorus, AMI all the sweet sounds of earth
and heaven be poured into the ear Of
Christ David Of the harp will be there
Gabriel of the trumpet will be there.
Germany, redeemed, will pour its deep
b2s5 voice into the song, and Africa will
ada to the music with her matches
voices. .....
l wish we could anticipate that song.
l wish in our closing hymn today We
might catch an echo that slips from the
gates. Who knows but that when the
heavenly door opens today to let sonle
soul through there may come forth the
strain of the jubilant voices until we
catch it? Oh, thai as the song drops
down from heaven, it might meet half
way a song coming up from earth.