The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-18

not heard It,"
Skim from the summer waters the brightest
sparkles and you will get no idea of the sheen
or the everlasting sea. Pile up the splendor
Of earthly cities and they would not make q
stepping stone by which you might mount to
the city Of God. Every house Is q palace.
Every stop a triumph. Every covering TOR
the head coronation. Every meal is ban.
Quet. Every stroke from the tower is wed.
ding bell Every day is a jubilee, every hour
q rapture and every moment an ecstasy:
''Eye had not seen it, ear hath not heard it. !"
I-remark further, we can get no idea on
ealeh OF the reunions Of heaven. If you have
ever been across the seas and met a friend
or even an acquaintance, in some strange
city, you remember how your blood thrilled,
and how glad you were to see hum. What
will be our Joy, after we have passed the seas
Of DEATH to meet in tho bright city OF the
sun those from whom we have long been sep
arated. After We have been away from our
friends ten or fifteen years, and we come
upon them, we see how differently they look.
The hair has turned, and wrinkles have come
changedi" But oh, whom we stand before the
throne, all cares gone from tho face, all
marks Of sorrow disappeared, and feel
ing the joy of that blessed land, methinks
we will say to each other, with an e1-
utation We cannot now imagine: I" how you
have changed" In this world we only meet
to part. 1t is goodby; goodby. Farewels
floating in the ar. We hear it at the rail
car window, aud at the steamboat wharf
goodby. Children lisp it. and old age an
swers it. Sometimes we say it in light way
.-"goodby:" and sometimes with anguish in
which tho soul breaks down. Goodby All,
that Is the word that ends the thanksgiving
banquet; that is the word that comes in to
close the Christmas chant. Goodby; gcodby.
But not so in heaven. Welcomes IN the cir,
welcomes at the gates, welcomes at the house
or many mansions-but, no goodby. That
group is constantly being augmented. They
are going up from our circles Of earth
to join it-littie voices to join the
anthem-little hands to take hold in
the great home circle-little feet to dance in
the eternal glee, little crowns to be cast down
before the feet of Jesus. Our friends are in
two groups-a group this side Of the river
and group on the other side Of the river.
Now there goes one from this to that, and
another from this to that, and soon we will
all bs gone forever How many Of your
loved ones have already entered upon that
blessed placef II ! should take paper and
pencil, do you think I could put them all
downl All, my friends, the waves OF Jordan
other side when that group is augmented. 1t
is graves here, and collins and hearses here
A little child's mother had died, and they
cemforted her. They said "Your mother
has gone to heavcn-don't cry" and the next
day they went to the graveyard and they
laid the body Of the mother down into
the ground; and the little girl came up
to the verge Of the grave, and, look
ing down at the boly OF her mother, said:
heaven is. 1t Is the grave here-it is dark
ness here-but there is merrymaking yonder.
Methinks when Soul arrives some angel
vakes it around to show it the wonders Of
that blessed place. The usher angel says to
the newly arrived: "These are the martyrs
that persisted at Piedmont; these were torn
to pieces at the Inqusition; this is the throne
of the great Jehovah; this IS Jesus" II
am going to see Jesus" said q dying
sionery said: "Yoa are snre you will see
Himf' "Ohl yes; that's what Iwant to 30 to
heaven for.' "But," said the missionary,
suppose Jesus should go away from heaven
what thenl'' 81 should follow Him." sail
the dying boy. "But if Jesus went down to
hell-what thenf The dying boy thought
for moment, and then said: where Jesus
Is there can be no helll'' OIL to stand in His
presence! That will be henvenl Oil to put
our hand in that hand which wss wounded
for US on the cross-to 60 around amid the
groups Of the redeemed, and shaxe hands
with the prophets, and apostles, and martyrs,
aud with our own dear, beloved ones! That
will be the great reunion; we cannot imagine
it now, our loved ones seem so far away.
When We are in>trouble and lonesome they
don't seem to como to Us. We go on the banks
of the Jordan and call a2ress to them, but
they don't seem to hear. We lay: "ls it xell
with the childl Is ii well with the loved onSsi"
and we listen to hear il any, voice comes back
over the water. Nonel none! Unbelief sa:1:
"They are dead, and they are annihilatg~,
but, blessed be God, We have a Bible that
tells us different. We open it and we find
they are neither dead nor annihilated-that
they never were so much alive as now-that
they arc only waiting for our coming, and
that we will Join them on the other side OF
the river. Oh, glorious reunionl We cannot
grasp it now. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him" Oh, what place of
explanation it will bel
1 see every day profound mysteries OF
Providence. There Is no question we ask
oftener than Why. There are hundreds OF
graves in Greenwood and Laurel Hill that
need to be explained. Hospitals for the
blind and laino, asylums for the idiotic and
insane, almshouses for the destitute, and
world Of pain and misfortune that demand
more than hv,nan solution. All! God will
clear it all up. In the light that comes from
the throne no dark mystery can live: Things
now utterly inscrutable will be illuminated as
plainly as though the answer were written
on the Jasper wall, or sounded in the temple
anthem. Eartimeus will thank God that he
was blind; and Lazarus, that he was covered
with sores; and Joseph, that he was cast into
the pic; and Daniel, that he denned with the
lions: and Paul, that he was humpba cked A.;
and David that he was driven from Jerusa.
lem: and that invalid. that for twontv wears
he could not lift his head from the pillow;
and that widow. that she had such hard " ork
TO earn bread for her children Inc song
will be all the grander for earths weeplhg
evee and aching heads, and exhausted hands
and scourged backs, and martyred agonles'
But we can get no idea Of the authem mere
We appreciate the power of secular music
but do we appreciate tho power OF sacrec
song9 There is nothing more lnsplritinS te
me than O. whole congregation lifted or
the wave Of holy melody. When we
sing some Of those dear old psalms anu
tunes they rouse all the memories OF 1ne
past. Why, some of them were cradle song:
in our fathers house. They are al spaFHhtn;t hr;I
with the morning dew Of q thousand chris
tian Sabbaths. They were sung by brother
and sisters gone now-by voices tnat "et'
AGED and broken in the music voices none
the less sweet because they did tremble anl !,
break. When hear these old songs sung y
seems as il all the old country meeting nome: s
ioined in the chorus, and city church ane ane
Sailors bethel and western cabin, until the
whole continent lifts the doxology and tn
sceptcrs Of eternity beat time to the muse aSa
Away, then, with your starvelms aMS .u,es .ua nnI
chill aRe the the d1sSSDS psOps sit o. silent when
itrne io msrchinp On to victory. When generals
come me- back from victorious wars, don't w
cbnar them and shout "Huzza huzzal' ant
when Jesus passes along in the CONQUEST O :,
the earth, shall we not have for him ons LOUD
ringing cheera
All hail the power Of Jesus names
Let angels PROSTATE fall,
Brinp forth the royal dia1em.
I ord nYa all