The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-12-05

bHe contrast HGtWGen liiiS GffANbNfdt
view Of God and that which we shall
have when standing face to face This
is a picture of the morning: that will be
the morning itself
Again; My texts are true OF the
Saviour's excellence. BY image, and
sweet rhythm Of expression, and START
ling antitheses, Christ is set forth Ills
love, His compassion, His work, His
life, His death, His resurrection. We
are challenged to measure il, to compute
it, to weigh it. In the hour Of our
broken enthrallment we mount up into
high experience Of His love, and shout
until the couutenance glows, and the
blood bounds, and the whole nature is
exhilarated:
81 have found Hint"
And yet it is through a glass, darlSly.
We see not half OF that compassionate
face. We feel not half the warm tn Of
that loving heart. We wait for death
to let us rush into His outspread arms.
Then we shall be face to face. Not
shadow then, but substance. Not hope
then, but the fulfilling Of all prefigure-
folding. The rushing out in view Of all
hidden excelency; the coming again Of
a long-absent Jesus 70 meet us-not in
rags, and in penury, and death but
amidst a light, and pomp, and outburst-
ing Joy such as none but glorifed in
telligence could experience, OH to
gaze full upon the brow that was LAGER
ated, upon the side that was pierced,
upon the feet that were nailed; to stand
close up in the presence of Him who
prayed for rs on the mountain, and
thought of us by the sea, and agonized
for us in the garden, and died for us in
horrible cruci6xion; to feel OF Him, to
embrace Him, to take His hand, to kiss
His feet, to run our fingers along the
scars of ancient suffering, TO say:
"ThiS is my Jesusl He gave Himself
for me. shall never leave His pres
ence. shall forever behold His glory.
shall eternally hear His voice. Lord
Jesus, now see Thee, behold where
the blood started, where the tears
coursed, where the face was distorted.
have waited for this hour. ! shall never
turn my back on Thee. No moro look
ing through imperfect glasses. No
more studying Thee in the darkness.
But as long as this throne stands, and
this everlasting river flows, and those
garlands bloom, and these arches of
victory remain to greet home Heavens
so long | shall see Thee,
Jesus of my choice, Jesus of my song
Jesus of my triumph, forever and for
ever-face to facet"
The idea OF my texts is just as trGe
when applied to Gods providence. Who
has not come to some pass ine life thor
oughly inexplicable? You say;
''What does this mean? What is God
going to do with me now2 He tells me
that all things work together for good.
This does not look like it."
You continue to. study the dispense
ton, and after awhile guess about what
God means.
che means to teach nae this. l think
He means to teach me that. Perhaps it
is to humble my prize, Perhaps it is to
make me feel more dependent. Perhaps
to teach me the uncertainty of life"
But, after all, it is only a guess-a look
ing through the glass, darkly.
The Bible assures us there shall be
satisfactory unfolding.
'sWhat / do thou knowest not now,
but thou shalt know hereafter"
You win know why God took to Him.
self that only child. Next door there
was a household of seven children.
Why not take one from that group, in
stead of your only one? Why single out
the dwelling in which there was only
one heart beating responsive to yours?
Why did God give you child at all, if
He meant to take itaway? Why fill the
cup Of your gladness trimming, if He
meant to dash it down? Why allow all
the tendrils of your heart TO wind around
that object, and then, when every fiber
Of your own life seemed TO be inter-
locked with the child's life, with strong
hand to tear you apart, until you fall
bleeding and crushed, your dwelling
iesolate, your hopes blasted, your heart
broken? Do you suppose that God viii
explain that? Yea. He viii make it
palmer than any mathematical problem
AS plain as that two and two make
four. In.fhe light of the throne you
will see that it was right--all right.
Just and true are all Thy ways Thou
King Of saintsw Here is man who can
not get on in the world. He always seems
to buy at the wrong time and sell at the
worst disadvantage. He tries this en-
terprise, and fails; that business, and is
The next door to him has
a lucrative trade; but he lacks custo-
mers. A new prospect opens. His in
come IS increased. But that year his
family are sick, and the profits are ex-
pended in trying to cure the ailments.
He gets a discouraged look. Becomes
faithless as TO success. Begins to eX-
pect disasters. Others wait for some
thing 10 turn up; he waits for it 10 turn
down. Others, with only half as much
and character, get on twice
as well. He sometimes guesses as to
what IL all means. He says; .t ...
Perhaps riches would spoil me
Perhaps poverty is necessary to keep
me humble Perhaps might, if thugs
we're otherwise, be tempted into dissi-
patton" But there is no complete solu-
ton to the mystery. He sees through
glass darkly, and must wait for higher
unfolding. VIII there be an explana-
ton? Yes; God viii take that man in
the light of the throne and say; "Child,
here the explanation You
remember the failing of that great en-
terprise. This is the explanation.
And you win answer: at is all
right"
/ see every day profound mysteries of
There is no question we
ask oftener than Why? There are hun
dreds of graves that need to be ex-
planned Hospitals for the blind and
lame, asylums for the idiotic and in
sane, almshouses for the destitute and
a world Of pain and misfortune that de-
mand more than human solution. Ali
God viii clear it all up. In the light
that pours from the throne no dark
mystery can live. Things now utterly