The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-08-09

come. are mine. Yea. further than that
Mrs. Sigourney. DR.. Young, and almost
all the poets have said handsome things
about death. There is nothing beautiful
about It When we stand by the
white and rigid features Of those whom
we love, and they give no answering
pressure of the hand and no return.
ing kiss of the lip. we do not want any
body poetizing around about us. Death
is loathsomeness. and midnight, and the
wringing of the heart until the tendrils
snap and curl in the torture, unless Christ
shall be with me. would rather go down
into a cave of wild beasts or a jungle of
reptiles than into the grave, unless Christ
goes with US. Will you tell me that l am
10 be carried out from my bright home
and put away in the darkness: l can not
bear darkness. At the first coming of the
evening | must have the gas lighted, and
the further on in life get the more l like
to have NV friends round about me.
And am l 10 be put off for thousands of
years in dark place with no one 10 speak
to? When the holidays come and the
gifts are distributed, shall add no joy to
the merry Christmas" or the Happy
New Year," All. do not point down to
the hole in the ground. the grave, and call
it beautiful place. Unless there be some
supernatural illumination l shudder back
from it. My whole nature revolts at it.
But now this glorious lamp is lifted above
the grave and all the darkness is gone and
the way is clear. l look into it now with
out a single shudder. Now my anxiety is
not about death; my anxiety is that
may live Alright for ! know that if my
life is consistent when l come to tht
last hour and this voice is silent and
these eyes are closed and these hands With
with which I beg for your eternal saliva
ton to- day are folded over the still teart,
that then shall only begin to lie VIVA,
power is there in any thing 10 chill me the
last hour if Christ wraps around M the
skirt OF His own garment! What darkness
can fall upon my eyelids then amid the
heavenly daybreak? o death, l will not
fear thee then. Back to thy cavern OF
darkness, thou robber Of all the earth.
Fly thou despoiler of families. With this
battle axe l hew thee i'm twain from he met
to sandal, the voice of Christ sounding all
over the earth and through the heavens:
20 Death. will be thy plague. o Grave,
l will be thy destruction"
To be saved is to wake up in the pres
ence of Christ. You know when Jesus
was upon the earth how happy He made
every house He went into. and when He
brings us up to His house in Heaven how
great will be our glee. His voice has more
music in it than is to be heard in all the
oratorios of eternity.
Talk not about banks dashed with effior-
escence. Jesus is the chief bloom of
Heaven. We shall see the very face that
beamed sympathy in Bethany, ana take
the very hand that dropped its blood from
the short beam of the cross. o! l want to
stand in eternity with Him. Toward that
harbor 1 steer. Toward that goal l run.
q, broken hearted men and women,
how sweet it will be in that good land to
pour all your hardships and bereavements
and losses into the loving ear of Christ
and then have Him explain why it was
best for YOU to be widowed. and why it
was best for you to be prosecuted. and
why it was best for you to be tried, and
have Him point to an elevation proper
tionate to your disquietude saying: "You
suffered with Me on earth, come up now
and be glorifi ed with Me in Heaven"
Some one went into house where there
had been a good deal of trouble. and said
TO the woman there: You seem to be
lonely" Yes" she said, Il am lonely"
How many in the family" ''Only
myself" Have you had any childrens"
Il had seven children" Where are
they:" "All gomez" "AlL" ''All
dead:" "Ali." Then she breathed q
long sigh into the loneliness, and said:
"Oh, sir. l have been a good mother
to the grave" And SO there are hearts
here that are utterly broken down by
the bereavement of life. l point you to-
day to the eternal balm of Heaven. Are
there any here that am missing this
morning? Oh, you poor waiting maid!
your hearts sorrow poured in no human
ear, lonely and sad! bow glad you will be
when Christ shall disband all your sor-
rows and crown you queen unto God and
the Lamb forever. Aged men and women,
fed by His love and warmed by His grace
for three score years and ten. will not
your decrepitude change for the leap of
hart when YOU come to look face 20 iacs
upon Him whom having not seen you love!
That will be the good shepherd, not out in
the night and watching to keep off the
wolves, but with the lamb reclining on
the sunlit hill. That will be the captain
of our salvation, not amid the roar and
crash and boom of battle, but amid his
dis banded troops keeping victorious
festivity. That will be the bridegroom
of the Church coming from afar, the bride
leaning upon his arm, while he looks down
into her face and says: Behold. thou art
fair, my love! Behold. thou art fair"