Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-12


rope, Asia, Africa, North and South
America pressing into line. Islands OF the
sea, shoulder to shoulder. Generations be-
fore the food following generations alter the
feed. and as Jesus rises at the head OF that
great host and waves his sword In signal Of
victory. all crowns ara lifted, and all ensigns
slung cut, and all chimes rung, and all halle.
lujahs chanted, and some cry: "Glory TO God
most high" and some: "Hosanna to the son
Of David" and some: "Worthy is tbs Lamb
that was slainn-till all EXPLANATIONS OF en-
dearnent and homage in the vocabulary OF
heaven are exhausted, and there comes W
surge after surge OF 'Ameni amsni and
anlenr" Eye hath not seen it, ear hath
not heard it"
Skim from the summer waters the brightest
spariles and you will get no idea OF the sheen
OF the everlasting sea. Pile up the splendor
OF earthly cities and they would not make
stepping stone by which you might mount to
the city of God. Every house is q palace.
Every step triumph. Every covering for
the head coronation Every meal is baa'
quet. Every stroke from the tower Is a we'd
ding bell. Every day is a jubilee, every hour
a rapture and every moment an ecstasy.
"Eye had not seen it, ear hath not heard it,"
! remark further, We can get no idea on
earth OF the reunions Of heaven. Hyou have
ever been across the seas and met friend,
or even an acquaintance, in some strange
city, you remember how your blood thrilled,
and how glad you were to see him. What
will be our joy, after we have passed the seas
of death, to meet In the 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
in their faces, and we say: "How you have
changed" But oh, when We stand before the
all fraor Naa faa
marks of sorrow disappeared, and feel-
ing the joy of that blessed land, methinks
we will say to each other, with an ex-
u,tation we cannot now imagine: How you
have changed" In this world we only meet
to part. 1t is goodby; goodby. Farewells
floating in the ar. We hear it at the rail
car window, and at the steamboat wharf
goodhy. Children lisp it, and old age an
sweps il Sometimes we say it in light way
-"goodby:" and sometimes with anguish in
which the 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; gooiby.
But not so in heaven. Welcomes in the air,
welcomes at the gates, welcomes at the house
of naany manslons-but, no gOodby. That
group is constantly being augmented. They
are going up from our circles of earth
to join it-little voices to join the
antham-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 a group on the other side OF the river.
Now there gees one from this to that, and
another from this to that, and soon we will
all be gone forever. How many of your
loved ones have already entered upon that
blessed place! If should take paper and
pencil, do you think / could put them all
down2 All, my friends, the waves OF Jordan
roar so hoarsely, we cannot hear the joy on the
other side when that group is augmented. 1t
is graves here, and coftins and hearses here.
A little child's mother had died, and they
comforted 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 body of her mother, said:
SIS this heavenn Oh, we have no idea what
heaven is. 1t is the grave here-it is dark
ness here-out there is merrymaking yonder.
MethinkS when soul arrives some angel
takes il 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
o. the great jehovah; this is Jesus" II
boy; II am going to see Jesus" The mis-
sionery said: "You are sure you will see
Him" ''Ohl yes; that's what Iwant to goto
heaven for" 'tBut," said the missionary,
suppose Jesus should go away from heaven
what thenP' 81 should follow Him." said
the dying boy. "But if Jesus went down to
hell-what then?' The dying boy thought
is there can be no hell" Oh! to stand in His
presencel That will be heavenl Obi to put
our hand in that hand which was wounded
for us on the cross-to go around amid the
groups of the redeemed, and shake hands
| with the prophets, and apostles, and martyrs,
aud with our own dear, beloved onesi 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 come to us. We go on the banks
| of the Jordan and call across TO them, but
they don't seem to hear We say: "Is It well
with the childs Is it well with the loved onesl'
! and we listen to hear il any voice comes back
over the water. Nonei none Unbelief says:
"They are dead, and they are annihilated;' :
but, blessed be God. we have Bible that
tells us different. sWe open it and we FIND
they are neither dead nor annihilated-
they never were SO much alive as now-that
they are only waiting for our coming, anc
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 fol
them that love him." Oh, what a place o.
explanation it will bel
/ see every day profound mysteries O
Providence. There is no question we asl
oftener than Whyl There are hundreds o1
graves in Greenwood and Laurel Hill thai
need to be explained. Hospitals for th'
blind and lame, asylums for the idtotic anc
insane, almshouses for the destitute, and I
world Of pain and misfortune that demand
more than human solution. Ahi God will
clear it all up. In the Light that comes from
the throne no dark mystery can live. Thing
now utterly inscrutable will be illuminated a
plainly as though the answer were writer
on the jasper wall, or sounded in the tempt
anthem. Bartimeus will thank God that h
was blind; and Lazarus that he was covere
with sores; and Joseph, that he was cast int
the pic; and Daniel, that he denned with TIN
lions; and Paul, that he was humpbacked
and David that hs was driven from Jerusa
lem; and that invalid, that for twantv wear
he could not lift his head from the pillow
and that widow. that she had such hard W orr
to earn bread for her children. The SON
will be all the grander for earth's weepin
ewes and aching heads, and exhausted hands
and scourged backs, and martyred agonies
; But we can get no idea of the authem here
We appreciate the power OF secular music
| but do we appreciate the power OF sacre
! song? There is nothing moro inspiriting .
me than a whole congregation lifted
! the wave Of holy melody; When "
, sing some of those dear old psatms an,
/ tunes they rouse all the memories OF th
. past. Why, some Of them were cradle song
/ In our fathers house. They are all sparklin
with the morning dew Of g thousand Chri
tian Sabbaths. They were sung by brother
|, and sisters gone now--by voices that wei
no.od and hrokan in the music voices mon