Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-01-31

Amalekites or the Amalekites will stay
David. And yet is not the fort to be taken
worth all the pain, all the peril, all the
besiegement
Looki 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 infancy 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 brow more
radiant than ever before you saw it, their
lips waiting for the kiss of heavenly
greeting, their cheek roseate with the
health of eternal summer, their hands
beckoning you up the steep, their feet
bounding with the mirth of Heaven.
The pallor of their last sick
ness 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. Up! Strike harder! Charge
more bravely! Remember that every inch
you gain puts you so much further on
toward that heavenly reunion.
If this morning while / speak you could
hear the cannonade Of a foreign navy,
coming through the ''Narrows" to despoil
our city, and if they really should sue
coed in carrying our families away from
US, how long would we take before we re-
solved to go after them? Every weapon,
whether fresh from Springfield or old and
rusty in the garrett 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: Victory or death! !" and when
the ammunition was gone, we would take
the captors on the point of the bayonet or
under the breech of the gun. If you would
make such a struggle for the getting back
of your earthly friends, will you not make
as much struggle for the gaining of tbs
eternal companionship of your heavenly
friends?
o, yes, we must join them. We must sit
in their holy society. We must sing with
them the song. We must celebrate with
them the triumph. Let it never be told on
earth OF in Heaven that David and his men
pushed out with drawer hearts for the get
ting back Of their earthly friends for O
few years on earth than we to get
our departedi You say that all this
implies that our departed Christian friends
are alive. Why, had you any idea
they were dead? They have only moved.
If you should go on May to a house
u, hara apa Of vo,,r friapds Gvad opd found
him gone you would not think that he was
dead. You would inquire next door where
he had moved to. Our departed Christian
friends have only taken another house.
The secret is that they are richer now
ter residence. They once drank out Of
earthenware; they now drink from the
Kings chalice. "Joseph is yet alive. and
Jacob will go up and see him. Living, are
they? Why, if a man can live in this
damp. dark dungeon of earthly captivity
can he not live where he breathes the
bracing atmosphere OF the mountains Of
Heaven? o. yes, they are livingl
Do you think that Paul is so near dead
now as he was when he was living in the
Roman dungeon? Do you think that Fred
erick Robertson, of Brighton, Is as near
dead now as he was when, year after year,
he slept seated on the floor, his head on the
bottom }of a chair, because he could find
ease in no other position? Do you think
that Robert Hall is as near dead now as
when on his couch, he tossed in physical
tortures? No. Death gave them the few
black drops that cured them. That is all
death does to Christian-cures hira.
know that what 1 have said implies that
they are living. There is no question
about that. The only question this morn.
ing is whether you will ever join them.
But / must not forget those 200 men who
tainted by the brook Besor. They could
not take another step farther. Their feet
were sore, their heads ached, their entire
nature was exhausted. Besides that they
were broken-hearted because their homes
were gone. Ziklag in ashes And yet David,
when he comes up to them, divides the
spoils among them. He says they shall
have some of the jewels, some of the
robes, some of the treasures. 1 look over
this audience this morning and I find at
least 200 who have tainted by the brook
Besor-the brook of tears. You feel as il
you could not take another step further,
as though you could never look up
again. But I am going to imi-
tate David and divide among you SONS
glorious trophies. Here is a robe: "All
things work together for good to those
who love God" Wrap yourself in that
glorious promise. Here is for your neck q
string of pearls, made out of crystallized
tears: "Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in The morning" Here Is
a coronet: BE thou faithful unto death
and / will give thee a crown of life" o,
We fainting ones by the brook Besor, dip
your blistered feet in the running stream
of Gods mercy. Battle your brow at the
wells of salvation! Soothe your wounds
with the balsam that exudes from trees Of
life! God will not utterly cast you of, O
broken hearted man, o, broken-hearted
woman, fainting by the brook Besor.
A shepherd finds that his musical pipe
is bruised. He says: 81 can't get any
more music out of this instrument; so I
will just break it, and ! will throw this
reed away. Then 1 will get another reed
and will play music on that" But God
says he will not cast you of because all
the music has gone out Of your soul. ''Ths
bruised reed he will not break"
As far as can tell the diagnosis of your
disease, you want divine nursing, and It is
promised you: "As one whom his mother
so will 1 comfort you" God
will see you all the way through, O
troubled soul, and when you come down to
the Jordan of death you will find 1t to be
as thin brook as Besor; for DR.. Robinson
says thatin April Besor dries up and there
is no brook at all. And in your last
you will be as placid as
the Kentucky minister who went up
to God, saying in the dying hour: Write
to my sister Kate, and tell her not to be
worried and frightened about the story
Of the horrors around the death bed. Tell
her tn ere is not q word of truth in 10, for I