The national leader., 1889-02-02
A rRnnRLEn PATH.

/
and that David and his men had to 60
over the same difficult way. While
these captlves were being taken of,
they said: "Oh, we are so tired; we
are so sick; we are so hungryI" But
the men who had charge OF them said:
"Stop this crying. Go on!" David
and his men also found it hard way.
They had to travel it. Our friends
have gone into glory, and it is through
much tribulation that we are to enter
into the kingdom. How our loved ones
used to have to struggled how their old
hearts achedl how sometimes they had
tussle for breadl In our childhood
we wondered why there were so many
wrinkles on their faces. We did not
know that what were called "crow's
feet" on their faces were the marks of
the raven of trouble.
Did you never hear the old people,
seated by the evening stand, talk over
their early trials, their hardships, the
accidents, the burials, the disappoint-
ments, the empty iour-barrel when
there were SO many hungry ones to
feed, the sickness almost unto death,
where the next dose of morphine decid-
ed between CHASTITY bereavement and an
unbroken home-clrcle? Oh, yes! it was
trouble that whitened their hair. It
was trouble that shook the cup in their
hands. 1t was trouble that washed the
lustre from their eyes with the rain of
tears until they needed spectacles. 1t
was trouble that made the cane q nee
essity of their journey. Do you never
remember seeing your old mother sit
ting, on some rainy day, looking out of
the window, her elbow on the window
Sill, her hand to her brow-lcoking out,
not seeing the falling shower at all
(you well know she was looking into
the distant paSt), until the apron came
up to her eyes, because the memory was
too much for her?
soft the big, unbidden tear,
Stealing down the furrowed cheek,
Told in eloquence sincere,
Tales of woe they could not speak.
"But this scene of weeping DER,
Past this scene of toll and pain,
They shall feel distress no more,
Never, never weep again"
"Who are these under the altar?" the
question was asked; and the response
came: 'These are they which came out
of great trlbulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb" Our friends
went by path Of tears into glory. Be
not surprised If we have to travel the
same pathway.
1 remark again, if we want to win
the society of our friends In heaven, we
will not only have to travel a path of
faith and path Of tribulation, but we
will also
HAVE TO BATTLE
for their companionship. David and
his men never wanted sharp swords and
invulnerable shields and thick breast
plates so much as they wanted them on
the day when they came down upon the
AmalekItes. If they had lost that bat
tie, they never would have got their
families back. | suppose one glance at
their loved ones in captivity hurled
them into the battle with tenfold
courage and energy. They said: ''We
must win It'll Everything depends upon
It'll Let each one take a man on point of
spear or sword! We must win It'll" And
| have to tell you that between us and
coming into the companionship of our
loved ones who are departed. there is an
Austerlitz, there is Gettysburg, there
is Waterloo. War with the world,
war with the flesh, war with the devil.
We have either to conquer our troubles,
or our troubles will conquer US. David
will either slay the Amalekites, or the
Amalekites will slay David.
And yet is not the fort to be taken
worth all the pain, all the peril, all the
besiegement? Lookl who are they on
the bright hills of heaven yonder? There
they are, those who sat at your own
table, the chair now vacant. There
they are, those whom you rocked in in
fancy in the cradle, or hushed to sleep
in your arms. There they are, those In
whose life your life was bound up.
There they are, their brows more radi-
ant than ever before you saw it, their
lips for the kiss of heavenly greeting,
their cheek roseate with the health of
eternal summer, their
HANDS RECKONING YOU
up the steep, their feet bounding with
the mirth of heaven. The pallor of
their last sickness gone out of their
face, never more to be sick, never more
to cough, never more to limp, never
more to be old, never more to weep.
They are watching from those heights
to see if through Christ you can take
that fort, and whether you will rush in
upon them-victors. They know that
upon this battle depends whether you
will ever join their society. Upl strike
harderl Charge more bravelyl Remem-
Der that every inch you gain puts you
so much farther on toward that heaven
ly reunion.
II this morning, while l speak, you
could hear the cannonade of foreign
navy, coming through the ''Narrows," !"
which was to despoil our city, and if
they really should succeed i'll carrying
our families away from us, how long
would we take before we resolved to go
after themp Every weapon, whether
fresh from Springfield, or old and rusty
in the garret, would be brought out;
and we would urge on, and, coming
in front of the foe, we would look at
them. and then look at our families,
and the cry would be:
ssvICTORY OR DEATHP'