Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-01-30

sheir faces, We did not know that Rla
were called ''crow's fest' on their facs
were the marks of the black raven of trop b
le. Did you never hear the old people
seated by the evening stand, talk over then
early trials, their hardships, the accidents
the burials, the dissppointments,t the empty
-four barrel when there we're SO many hun
gry ones to feed, th sickness almost unto
death, where the next dose of morphine de
cided between CHASTITY bereavement aud an
unbroken home circle! Oa, yes! it wal
trouble that whitened their hair. 1t wa,
trouble that shook the cup in their hands
1t vas trouble that washed the lustre frap,
theIr eyes with the rain of tears until theS
needed spscsaoiss. It was trouble thai
made the cane necessity for their journey.
] Do you never remember seeing your old
mother aittinR, on some rainy day, looking
ous of the window, her elbow on the wlu.
dsw-sin, her hand 70 her brow-lookipR
out, not seaing the falling shower at all
(you well knew she was looking into the
distant past), until the apron came up to
her eyes, because the memory was too much
| for herr
"Ott 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 altar" the
question was asked;an the response came:
These are they which came out of great
tribulstion, and have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb" Our friends went by path of
tears into glory. Be not surprised if we
have to travel the same pathway.
l remark, again, it we want to win the
society OF our friends iu hsaven, We will
not only have to travel path of faith and
a path of tribulation, but we will also have
to positively battle for their companionship-
David and his men never wanted sharp
swords and invnlnerable shislds and thick
breastplates SO much as they wanted them
on the day when they came down upon the
Amalekites. If they had lost that battle
they never would have got their families
back. I suppose that one glance at their
loved ones iu captivity hurled them into
the battle with ten. fold courage and
energy. They said: "We must win it.
Everything depends upon it. Let each one
take man on poiut of spear or sword. We
must win it." Aud have to tell you that
bstween US and comiug into the com
panlonship of our loved ones who are de-
parted there is an Austsrltz, there is a
Gettysburg, there is a Waterloo. War
with the world, war 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 Amalekltes or the Amalekitss will slay
| David. And yet is not the fort to be taken
| worth ali the pain, all the peril, all the be-
siegement? Look! who are they on the
bright hills of heaven yonde,P There they
are, those who sat at your own table, the
chair now vacant. There thay are, those
| whom you rocked in infancy in the cradle,
or hushed to sleep in your arms. There
they ale, those in whose life your life was
bound up. There they are, their brow moro
radiant toan ever before you saw it, their
| ips waiting for the kiss of heavenly greet
| ing, their cheek roseate with the health of
eternal summer. their hsuds beckoaing you
I'D The steep, their feat bounding With the
| mjrth of heaven The pallor of their last
sickness gone out of their face, never mora
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-vie'ors. They know that
upon this battle depends whether you will
ever join their society. Up! strike harder!
Charge more br,vely! Rsnember that
every inch yon gan puts you so much fur
ther on toward that heavenly reunion.
If this morning while l speak you could
hear the cannonade of foreign navy, COM
ing through the ''Narro VS." which was to
despoil our city. and if they really should
succeed in carrying our families away from
US, how long would we take bafore we re.
solved 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 at them, and
then look at our families, and the cry would
be sVictory or death p and when the
ammunition was gone, we would take the
captors on the point of the bayonst OF
under the breech of the gun. If you would
make such a struggle for the getting bach
of your earthly friends, will you not make
as much struggle for the gaining of the
eternal companionship of your heavenly
friends? On, yes! we must join them. We
must sit 10 their holy society. We mas
sing with them the song. We must cels-
brate with them the triumph. Let it never
be told on earth or in heaven that Davit
and his men pushed ont with braver hearts
for the getting back of their earthly friend:
for few years on earth than we to get ou
departed
/ You say that all this implies that our de
parted Christian friends arc alive. Why
had you any idea they we're dead? They
have only moved. If you should go on th'
I'd of May to house whore one of you
friends lived and found him gone, yo,
would not think that he was dead Yol
would inquire next door where he has
moved to- Our departed Christian friends
have only taken another houae. Th'
secret is that they are richer now than the!
once were, and can afford a better resi-
dence. They once drank out of earthen-
ware; they now drink from the King
chalics 'Joseph is yet alive" aud Jaco'
will go up and see him. Living? are they
Why, if man can live 10 this damp, darl
dungeon of earthly captivity, Can he no
live where he breathes the braciag atmos
phere of the mountains of heavens Oh
iyes, they are livingl
Do you think that Paul as so near deaf
now as he was when he was living in tn
4 JoRoman dungeon? Do you think tina
Frederick Robertson, of Brighton, is as nea
dead now as he was when, year after year
, he slept seated on the floor, his head Oh
the bottom of chair, because he couli
find ease in no other positions Do yo'
think that Robert Hall is as near dead nov
as when, On his couch, he tossed in physi
cal torturess No, death gave them the fes
black drops that cured them. That is al
death does to Cbristisn-cu him.
know that what have said implies tina
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 two bundre'
, men who tainted by the brook Besor. The
, could not take ano. her stop farther. Thei
feet we're sore; their head ached; their en-
tire nature was exhausted. Besides that
they were broken-hearted because thei
homes were gone. Kiklag in ashes! AM
yet David, when he comes up to them
divides the spoils among them. He say
they shall have some of the jewels, some Q
tho robes, some of the treasures. l Loo