Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-21


remember what my glorified mother taught
me about keeping Sunday. and I seem to
hear her voice again and feel as did when
every evening knelt by her side in prayer.
Gentlemen, l vote for the observance Of
the Christian Sabbath" And he carried
every thing by storm, and when the quss-
ton was put 'Shall we open the exhibition
on Sabbath:" it was almost unanimous
mo, "No." What one man can do if he
does right, boldly right emphatically
right.
What if we could get this whole genera
ton saved! These people who are living
with us the same year and amid the same
stupendous events and flying toward the
future swifter than eagles to their prey.
We can not stop. They can not stop. We
think we can stop. We say: Come now.
my friend, let US stop and discuss this
subject" but we do not stop. The year
does not stop, the day does not stop, the
hour does not stop. The year is a great
wheel and there is a band on that wheel
that keeps it revolving, and as the wheel
turns, it turns 365 smaller wheels, which
are the days. and then each of these 365
wheels turn twenty-four smaller wheels,
which are the hours, and these twenty
wheels, which are the minutes. and these
sixty smaller wheels turn sixty
still more smaller wheels, which are
the seconds, and they keep rolling, rolling,
rolling, mounting, mounting. mounting,
and switching, switching, switching.
o, God! if our generation is going like
that and we are going with them, waken
us to the short but tremendous opportunity.
l 20 hat -fChi l., -,
serve this generation, not to antagonize il,
not to damage it not to rule it, but to
serve it. 1 would like to do something
towards helping unstrap its load, to stop
its tears, to balsam its wounds and to in
duce it to put foot on the upward road
that has as its terminus, reclamation
rapturous and gates pearline, and garlands
amaranthine and fountains rainbowed
and dominions enthrowned and coroneted,
for 1 can not forget that lullaby in the
closing words of my text: David, alter
he had served his own generation by the
will of God. fell on sleep"
And what a lovely sleep it was! Un-
filial Absalom did not trouble it Ambi-
tious Adonijah did not worry it. Perse-
cutting Saul did not harrow it. Exile did
not fill it with nightmare. Since a red
night he had not had such a good sleep.
At seventy years of age he lay down to
it. He has had many a troubled sleep, as
in the caverns of Adullam or in the palace
at the time his enemies were attempting
his capture. But this was a peaceful
sleep. a calm sleep, restful sleep, glori-
Gus sleep. "After he had served his gen.
Grafton by the will of God, he fell on
n -LoA a. + IL
hard days work. 1t takes all the aching
out of the head and all the WEAKNESS out
of the limbs and all the smarting olIt of
the eyes. From it we rise in the
morning and it is a new world. And
if we, like David, serve our generation, we
will at life's close have most desirable and
refreshing sleep. In it will vanish our last
fatigue of body, our last sorrow of soul.
Away with all your gloomy talk about
departure from this world. If we have
served our generation it will not be put
ting out into the breakers. it will not be the
fight with the King of Terrors; it will be-
going to sleep. A friend writing me from
Illinois says that Rev. DR.. Wingate, pres
ident of Wake Forest College, North Car
DINA, after a most useful life. found his
last day on earth his happiest day, and
personally talking with Christ as friend
with friend, saying: 20, how delightful
it is. 1 knew you would be with me when
the time came and l knew it would be
sweet, but L did not know it would be
as sweet as it is" The fact was, he had
served his generation in the gospel min
istry, and by the will of God he fell on
Sleep
T. r., g III 81
England, there is a fragment of book
that was found in the Arctic regions amid
the relics of Sir John Franklin, who had
persisted amid the snow and ice, and the
leaf of that piece of book was turned
down at the words: "When thou passest
through the waters 1 will be with thee"
Having served his generation in the cause
of science and discovery by the will of
God. he fell on sleep.
Why will you keep us all so nervous
talking about that which is only a dormi-
tory and pillowed slumber, canopied by
angels wings? Sieepi Transporting
sleep! And what a glorious awakening.
You and L have sometimes been thorough
ly bewildered after a long and fatiguing
journey; we have stopped at friends
house for the night. and after hours Of
complete Inconsistencies we have opened
our eyes, the high risen sun full
in our faces, and before we could
fully collect our faculties, have
said: ''Where am l; whose house is
this, and whose are these gardens:" And
then it has flashed upon us in glad reality.
And should not wonder if, after we have
served our generation and, by the will Of
God, fallen on sleep. the deep sleep, the
Destful sleep, we should awake in blissful
bewilderment and for little while say:
''Where am 1? What place is this? Who
hung this upholstery? What fountains are
those tossing in the light? Why, this looks
like Heaven. 1t is. II is. Why, there is a
building grander than all the castles of
earth heaved into a mountain of splendor,
that must he the palace of Jesus.
And look there at those walls lined with
a foliage more beautiful than any thing
ever saw before, and see those who are
walking down those aisles of verdure.
From what have heard of them those two
arm in arm must be Moses and oshua,
him of Mount Sinai and him of the hating
sun over Ajalon. And those two walking
arm in arm must be John and Paul, the
one so gentle and the other so mighty.
And those two with the robes as brilliant
as though made out of the cooled off flames
of martyrdom must be John Huss and
Hugh Latimer.
But must not look any longer at those
gardens of beauty, but examine this build
ing in which have just awakened. ]
look out of the wind ow this way and that
and up and down and find that it is a man.
sion of immense size in which am stop
ping. All it's windows of agate and its
colonnades of porphyry and alabaster.
Why, wonder if this is not the house OF
many mansions of which used to readi
1t is, it is. There must be many of my kim