The Russellville Democrat., 1888-09-13

cause the fingers that played on t VIII no more touch the keys, and the childish voice that asked so many questions will ask no more. Then is 1t so easyf When man wakes up and fGds that his re- sources are all gone, he begins to rebel, and he sayss
 .sGod is hard, God is outrageous. He had no business to do this to me"
 My frien7 hose Of us who have besn through trouble know what sinful sna rebelious heart we have and how much God has to put up with and how much we need pardon. It is only in the light or flaming furnace that we can learn our own weakness and our own lack of moral resource. ss
 There is also a greatdeal of comfort in the fact that there will be family recon struction in O better place. From Scot land or England or Ireland child emi- grates to this country. It is very hard parting, but he comes, after awhile writ ing home as to what good land it is. Another brother comos, sister comes,
 and another and after awhile the mothor oomes, and after awhile the father comes, | and now they are all here and they have time of great congratulation and very pleasant reunion. Well, it is just so with our families-they are emigrating to a better land. Now, one goes out Oh, how hard it is to part with himi Another goes. oh, how hard it is to part with herl And another, and another, and we our selves will after awhile go over, and l then we will be together. Oh, what re- unioni Do you believe thatf "Yes," you say. You do notl You do not be- lieve if as you believe other things. II you did, and with the same emphasis, why, it would take nine ,tenths of your trouble off your heart. The fact is, Heaven to many of us is great fog. It is away of somewhere, filled with an un- certain and indefinite population. That is the kind of Heaven that many of us dream about; but it is the most tremend- ous fact in all the universe-this Heaven of the Gospel. Our departed friends are
 not afioat. The residence in which you live Is not so real as the residence in which they stay. You are aaoat; you do not know in the morning what will hap pen before night. They are housed and safe forever.
 DO not, therefore, pity your departed friends who have died in Christ. They do not need any of your pity. You might as we'll send n letter of condolence to
 Queen Victoria on her obscurity, or to
 the Rothschilds on their poverty, as to pity those who have won the palm. Do
 not say of those who are departed: "Poor childl, "Poor father" "Poor mother !"
 They are not poor. You are poor-you
 whose homes have been shattered--not
 they. You do not dwell much with your
 families in this world. All day long you
 are of to business. Will 1t not be pleas-
 ant when you can be together all the
 while, If you have bad four children and
 one is gone. ane any body asks
 how many children you have, do not bs
 so infidel as to say three. Say four--one
 in Heaven. Do you think that the grave
 IS unfrfendly? You go into your room
 and dress for some grand entertain
 ment, and you come forth beautifully ap-
 pareled;, and the gravo IS the only place
 where we go to dress for the glorious
 resurrection. and we will come out
 radiant radiant, mortality having be-
 come immortality. Oh, how much con- dolence there is in this thought I ex-
 pect to see my kindred in Heaven; I ex-
 pect to see them as certainly as expect
 to go home to-day. Aye, I shall more certainly see them. Eight or ten will
 come up from the, graveyard back of
 Somerville, and one will come up from the mountains back of Annoy, China; and
 huObueF VIII cuulet up lTOHl lue bei Ou
 Cape Hatteras; and thirty will come up from Greenwood; and I shall know them better than I never knew them here. And your friends--they
 may be across the sea, but the
 trumpet that sounds here will sound there. You will come up on just the same day. Some morning you have overslept yourself, and you open your eyes and see that the sun is high ins the heavens, and you say: II have overslept and must
 be up and off" So you will open your
 eyes on the morning of tho resurrection,
 insthe full blaze of Gods light, and you
 will say: 'I must be mp and away" Oh, yes; you will come up, and there will be
 areunion, a reconstruction of your fami-
 ly. like what Halliburton, think 1t was good old Mir. Haliburton-said in his
 last moments: q thank God that I ever
 lived, and that I have father in Heav-
 en, and a mother in Heaven, and broth- CTS in Heaven, and sisters iH Heaven,
 and am going up 10 see them."
 Iremark once more: Our troubles in this world are preparative for glory.
 What a transition it was for Paul-from
 the slippery deck of a foundering ship to the calm presence of Jesusi What a
 transition it was for Latimer-from the
 stake to the thronel What a transition it was for Robert Hall-from insanity to glory! What transition it was for Richard Baxter-from the dropsy to the
 s'saints everlasting restp And what a transition it will be for you--from a world of sorrow to a world of joy! John Hol- land, when he was dying, said:
 "What means this brightness in tho room? Have you lighted the candles?"
 If No, :" they replied, tive have not lighted
 any candles." Then said he: r
 "Welcome Heavenly the light already beam:ng upon his pillow. o ye who are perseeuted in this world, your enemies will get off the track after awhile, and all will speak well of you among the thrones. Hoi ye who are sick now, no medicines to take there. One breath of the eternal hills will thrill you with immortal vigor. And ye who are lonesome now, there will Do Q thousand spirits to welcome you into their rcompanionship. o ye bereft soulsl there will be no graye-digger's spade that will cleaye the side of that hill, and there will be no dirge wailing from that temple. The river of God, deep as the joy of Heaven, will roll on between banks odd a"ous with balm, and over depths bright with jewels, and under skies roseate with gladaess, argosies of light going down the stream to the stroke of glittering oar and the song of angelsl Not one sigh in the wind; not one tear minglfng with the waters. I There shall baihe my weary soul
 In seas of heavenly rest.