The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-10-17
4 PRETTY PICTURE.
A SWEET, GLORIOUS COMMUNION.
DESCRIBED BY HENRY BLOUNT.
AS He Saw Full -BlossOmed Christian
ity in its Rich Fragrance and MOs1
Luxuriant Beauty.
Wilson MirrOr.l

ling together of christians in blessed
communion, of another tender and
touching and heart-melting comming-
ling of christians in a beautiful fellow
ship we once witnessed, and which
made a scene SO sweet with the pure
and delicious aroma of christianity in
its fullest bloom and richest luxuriance
that we wondered if the angels in
Heaven did not quit their own dear,
sweet communion, and creep to the
embattlement Of the skies, and peep
down with beaming appreciation upon
a scene that must have reminded them
of their own sweet communion seasons
around the throne of God. We were
once in city, and feeling sad and de-
pressed, and with heart bowed down
in the deeps of the blues" we con-
cluded to call on a Baptist minister
whom we knew, and to spend the eve
ming with him. 1t was good for US
that we went, for we found the precious
CLEAN of Heavens S own sunlight there,
which chased away all clouds of sadness
and of care; the very clouds did ope,
and glory from Gods Throne fell down
and bathed in beauty the christians He
did own; we almost heard Him say,
thy work is now we'll done, and bless
ed Immortality on earth is now begun
Yes, we did find there a scene of heav-
emily beauty. We found an old Episco-
pal minister, an old Presbyterian min
lister, and an old Methodist minister
all of them tremulous with the palsy
of old age, and with cheeks furrowed
with the wrinkles of many years, and
with hair white with the spray that
was being flung up by the breakers on
the eternal sea and there they we're
these four old ministers-met together
and enjoying in this temporary COM
munion the glores and beatitudes of
that blissful and eternally commingling
together on that bright shore, where
L" my church, creed is heard no more
When we were presented to those ripe
and mellow christians, we remarked, g,
as preface to conversation, that we
were reminded OF the meeting up
yonder, when the pure in heart of all
churches should meet together in a
harmonious communion and spend
eternity in singing hosannahs to the
Lamb whose blood washed away the
sins of the world. And the old Epis-
copal minister then took US by the
hand and said, "My brother, when l
first left the theological seminary l had
SO much of theology in me and SO lit
tie of Christ that honestly thought
that it was almost essential for person
to be a member of "my church" in
order to be saved, and l looked with
bitter antagonism and scornful preju-
dice upon the teachings of all other
denominations. But the older l grew
the richer | became in grace; the near
er l got to the Cross, and the hallowed
shadow of a crucfed Savior envelops
me so closely that l can hardly tell
one church steeple from another, for
they are all SO near alike and they all
point to Heaven and to glory, and
proclaim alike the sweet and dear old
story" The old Presbyterian minis
ter then took him by the hand, and
with eyes streaming with tears, and
with tongue tremulous with the CULVER
ings Of heart-throbs, he said, "My
btother, the partition that divides true
believers is SO very thin that when you
sound the blessed name of Jesus in one
place it is heard in all the different
| chambers, and all repeat praise to the
Savior of us all In the utterances oi
these old ministers weheard two of the
grandest sermons that mortal lips can
preach, for the glory of religion they
did so grandly teach; they made us
look to Jesus, who for us all did bleed
to put our trust in Him, and not risk
all on creed.
| And the other night, as we witness.
ed the closing exercises of the District
Convention of the Young Mems Chris.
tian Association, and beheld christians
mlngling in such sweet fellowship, we
were most tenderly reminded Of the
touching scene described above. And
when the heart of the eloquent Tuttle
was melted under the warm sunburs,
of christianity, which 'glowed in that
meeting with such Heavenly glory
he SO feelingly and ferventfy exclaimed
+ that hereafter he would preach more
t about those themes on which all had
agreed, and less about those on which
they differed. he touched many re-
sponsive chord of reciprocal feeling
and the heart-strings sent out roaring
waves of appreciation in loud and Ions
applause. And the precious refrair
of that grand, thrilling, electrifyins
heart-throb was caught up and re
AechOed bv every dancing dimple O