The Penn's Grove record., 1889-02-09

lctu, tut Sicku6S5 ALMOST unto UedJn,
where the next dose of morphine decid.
ed between CHASTITY bereavement and an
unbroken home-clrc'ep Oh, yesi it was
trouble that whitened their hair. II
was trouble that shook the cup In their
hands. 1t raj trouble that washed the
lustre from their eyes with the rain OF
tears until they needed s~pectacles. II
was trouble that made the cane a 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 Oh the window
Sill, her hand to her brow-looking 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?
"Oft 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 atari" the
question was asked; and the response
came: "11iese 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 a 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 a 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. I suppose n glance at
their loved n 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 n take a mar on point of
spear or sword! We must win It'll" And
l have to tell you that between us and
coming into the compani0nship of our
loved mes who are departed, there is an
Austerlitz, there is a Gettysburg, there
is a Waterloo. War with the world,
wal 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 Stay 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, neve 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 / speak, you
could hear the cannonade of a foreign
navy, coming through the 'sNarrows, y
which was to despoil our city, and II
they really should succeed In carrying
our families away from us, how long
would we take before we resolved to 60
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 al
them, and then look at our families,
and the cry would be:
"vICToRY OR DEATH"
and when the ammunition vas 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 youI
earthly friends, will you not make as
much struggle for the gaining of the
eternal companionship of your heavenly
friends? Oh, yesl we must join them.
We must sit In their holy society. We
must sing with them the song. VIZ
must celebrate with them the triumph.
Let 1t never be told on earth or in
heaven that Davis and his men pushed
out with drawer hearts for the getting
back of their earthly friends for a few
years on earth than we to get our de-
parted!
You say that all this implies that our
departed Christian friends are alive.
Why, had you any idea they were deadf
They have only moved. If you should
90 on the I'd of May to a house where
one of your friends lived, and found
him gone, you would not think that he
WAS uedus lOu Wouiu iuHuho hSAt
door where he had moved to. Our de-
parted Christian friends have only
taken another house, The secret is
that they are richer now than they once
were, and a afford a better residence.
They once drank out of earthen-
ware; they now drink from the Kings
chalIce. "Joseph is yet alive" and
Jacob will go up and see him. Living?
are theyP Why, il 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 heavenp oh, yes,
THEY ARE LIvINGl
Do you think that Paul is 20 near
dead now as he was when he was living
IN the Roman dungeon? Do you think
that Frederick 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
positionY Do you think that Robert
Hall is as near dead now as when. on
his couch, he tossed in physical torturesY
No. Death gave them the few black
Jrons that cured them. That is all