The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-05-30


to sleep, ladders of light angel blossom
ing, are let into his dreams; IL he be
thirsty, the potentates of Heaven are
his cup-bearers; IL he sit down to food,
his plain table blooms into the Kings
banquet. Men say: Look at that old
fellow with the worn-out coat;" the an
gels of God cry: Lift up your heads, We
everlasting gates, and let him come imp
Fastidious people cry: "Get off my front
steps," the doorkeepers of Heaven cry:
Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom!" When he comes to die,
though he may be carried out in pine
box to the potter's field, To that potter's
field the chariots OF Christ will come
down, and the cavalcade will crowd all
the bOulevards OF Heaven.
| bless Christ for the present satisfac-
ton of religion. 1t makes a :nau al right
with reference to the past; il makes a
man all right with reference to the fut-
ure. Oh these neither springs OF COM
fort! They are perennial. The founda-
ton of God staudeth sure having this
seal: THE Lord knoweth them that are
His" "The mountains shall depart and
the hills be removed, but my Kindness
shall not depart from thee, neither
shall the covenant of my peace
be removed, saith the Lord, who
hath mercy upon them" Oh,
cluster Of diamonds set in FURNISHED
goldl Oh, neither springs of comfort
bursting through all to- valleys of trial
and tribulation! When You see, you Of
the world, what satisfaction there is on
earth in religion, do you not thirst after
ii as the daughter of Caleb thirsted after
the water springs? 1t is no stagnant
pond scummel over with malaria, but
springs of water leaping from the Rock
of Ages? Take up one cup of that spring
water, and across the top of the chalice
will float the delicate shadows OF the
heavenly wall, the yellow OF jasper, the
green Of emerald, the blue Of sardonyx,
the fire of iacinth.
wish l could make you understand the
joy religion is to some of us. 1t makes
man happy while he lives. and glad when
he dies. With two feet upon a chair and
bursting with dropsies, l heard an old
man in the poor house cry out: "Bless
the Lord, oh my soul" ! looked around
and said: "What has this man got to
thank God forg" 1t makes the lame man
leap like the hart, and the dumb sing.
They say that the old Puritan religion is
juiceless and joyless religions; but re-
member reading Of DR.. Goodwin, the
celebrated Puritan, who In his last
moments said: SIS this dying? Why, my
bow abides in strength! l am swallowed
up in Godw "Her ways are ways of
pleasantness, and all her paths are
peace" oh, you have been trying to
satisfy yours elves with the South land"
Of this world, do you not feel that you
would this morning like to have access
al, -
fort? Would You not like to have Jesus
Christ bend over your cradle and bless
your table, and heal your wounds, and
strew flowers of consolation all up and
down the graves of your deadg
IT'S religion that can give.
Sweetest pleasures while we live;
IT'S religion can supply
Sweetest comfort when we die.
But I have something better TO tell you,
suggested by this text. 1t seems that old
father Caleb on the wedding day Of his
daughter wanted to make her Just as hap
Ply as possible. Though Othniel was tax.
en- her away, and his heart was almost
broken because she was going, yet he
gives her south land;" not only that,
but the upper springs. o Col, my Fa.
ther,I thank Thee that Thou hast given me
neither springs Of spiritual comfort in this
world; but, more than all, thank Thee
for the upper springs i'll Heaven. 1t
is very fortunate we can not see
Heaven until we get into it. Oh,
Christian man, if you could see what a
place it is we would never get you back
again to the office or store or shop, and
the duties you ought to perform would 60
neglected. am glad | shall not see that
world until l enter it. Suppose we were
allowed to so or an excursion into that
good land with the idea of returning.
When we got there, and heard the song,
and looked at their raptured faces, and
mingled in the supernal society, we would
cry out: "Let rs stay. We are coming
here anyhow. Why take the trouble Of
going back to that old world? We are
here now; let us stay" And 1t would
take angelic violence to put us out of that
world, if We once got there.
But as people who can not afford to pay
for an entertainment sometimes come
around it and look through the door aiar,
or through the opening in the fence, so
we come and look throu yh the creviccs in
that good land which God has provided
for US. We eau Just catch glimpse of
=. We come near enough to hear the
ri Ebling Of the eternal orchestra, though
not near enough to know who blows the
cOrnet or who fingers the harp. My soul
spreads out both wings and claps them in
triumph at the thought Of those upper
springs. One of them breaks from be-
meath the throne; another breaks forth
from beneath the altar Of the temple; an
other at the door of "the house of many
mansions" Upper springs of gladness!
Upper springs of light! Upper springs OF
love! 1t is no fancy of mine. 1.-The Lamb
which is in the midst Of the throne shall
lead them to living fountains of waters"
Oh, Saviour Divine. roll in upon our
souls one of those anticipated raptures!
Pour around the roots OF the parched
tongue one drop Of that liquid life. Toss
before our vision tin Ose fountains of God,
rainbowed with eternal victory. Hear it.
They are never sick there; not so much
as headache, or twiIge rheumatic, or
thrust neuralgia. The inhabitant never
saws: Il am sick" They are never
tired there. Flight to farthest world
is only the play of holiday. They
never sin there. 1t is as easy for them to
be holy as it is for US to sin. They never
die there. You might go through all the
outskirts of the great city and find not
one place where the ground was broken
for grave. The eyesight of the redeemed
is never blurred with tears. There is
health in every cheek. There is spring in
every foot. There is majesty on every
brow. There is joy in every heart. There
is hosanna on every lip. How they must
pity US as they look oyer and down and