The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-10-30
THE CHRISTIANS HOPE.


THE CHRISTIANS HOPE.
The Words of Jesus to Martha the Key
Note to Christians Life and Happiness,
and the Words of David the Glad Re-
frain.
A Christian lady, who, in the provi-
dence OF God has been called to suffer
much, alike from impaired health and
sore bereavement, in letter addressed
to friend, and reciting the facts OF
her own experience, used the follow
ing beautiful words: ..f4,.t lao.
81 have learned by Gods help to set my life
to the sweet music OF faith and hope The
words of Jesus to Martha are the key note, and
the words Of David, 4 shall go TO him., are the
glad refrain" FsY EuYqlla
There is appetite beauty and deep
spirituality in this language that one
can not help admiring. The "words
Of Jesus to Martha" as referred to by
this lady. are these: Il am the resur-
rection and the life, he that believeth in
Me though he were dead, yet shall he
live; and whatsoever liveth and believ-
eth in Me shall never die" John XII,
%. 26) This is what Jesus said to
Martha when she was stricken with
grief and weeping over Lazarus, then
dead and buried. The "words OF Da-
vid.' as also referred to, were uttered
by him when he was informed that his
child. for whose recovery he had earn
estly prayed, was dead. Il shall 60 to
him." said the King. ''but he shall not
return to me-" QL Sam, xii, 49,
Referring to both sets Of words, the
one for the key note" and the other
for 1.-The glad refrain" this lady said:
Il have learned. by Gods help, to set
my life to the sweet music OF faith and
hope"
Take this music, with 1.-THE key
note" and 1.-THE glad refrain" in the
precise relation here indicated. and
surely no other music so joyful and
soul-inspiring ever fell on any human
ear. Here is mother who has just
buried child. with the full faith that
the child ''died in the Lord" and also
the faith that he or she will be raised
from the dead by Him who is 1.-THE res
direction and the life," and with the
still further faith that, by dying her.
self. she will again meet and know that
child in the Heavenly home. This was
King David's case; and this is the case
Of the Christian lady whose language
we have quoted. The 'sweet music OF
faith and hope" just meets such case,
and gives comfort and relief to the
heart. The separation is not final, and
not eternal. Oh! no. The pious dead
we have loved and lost are not de-
stroyed. They are more living in the
true sense than they were when living
here; and although we can not bring
them back and again greet them and be
greeted by them ON these earthly
shores, we shall. if Christians, 60 to
them and again live with them in the
better land. Such is the music OF
faith and hope" and any one who has
the requisite experience fitting him to
appreciate its charms will need no one
to tell him that the music is sweet. "
He hears it whenever he thinks of the
remembered absentee. He never hears
1t without comfort; and as friend after
friend leaves him here. until perhaps
he stands alone, the future brightens
in his eve, and Heaven becomes dearer
to his heart. He is willing to die him.
self, whenever it shall please the Lord
to call him, having far more to gain
than to lose in dying.
The sweet music of faith and hope"
is. however. not confined to, this spe.
cial application, 1t is the music fol
the whole Of life. and for all its events.
Every note in it. from the deepest bass
to the highest soprano. is a note Of mel
ody. Faith and hope" are in them.
selves rich and royal exercises of the
mind; and when they rest upon God in
His providence of grace through Christ
and embrace Heaven and eternal glory,
us cen in thought and guaranteed by
the promise divine, they become vast
powers in the soul, filling it with sub
lime visions. lifting it above events
scattering the darkness Of the present
scene and making life joyful and happy
when otherwise it would be extremely
miserable. Yes, faith and hope" with
God behind both. and with His WORD
for the guide of both. are the best pos
sible equipment for the great battle O
life; the sweetest music with which tc
beguile its weary and sorrowful hours
and at last the hallowed SOM to be
sung when the shadows of death thick
en- around us There is no condition
between the cradle and the grave tt
which faith and hope are not fitted; ant
he who has LEARNED by the help O
God" to set his life Ito the sweet music
of faith and hope" has learned JUS
what every man needs to learn. Tit
two make the best tune ever sung il
this world; and it is not possible to liv,
or die happily without learning to sins
this tune. Faith and hope in tn,