Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-08-01
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But ought not prayer 70 be made OF golden
words II II is TO enter such a splendid door
and live beside sersphim aud archangeli
Ought not every phrase be rounded into per
lection, ought not the language bs musical
and classic and poetic and rhetoricali MOI
the most illiterate outcry, the unjointed pc
htion, the clumsy phrase, the sentence break.
Ing into grammatical blunders an uLTorded
groan Is Just as effectuali II it be the utterance
Of the souls want. A heart all covered up
with garlands OF thoughts would be no attrao-
ton to God, but heart broken and contrite
that is the acceptable sacrifice. 81 know
that my Redeemer liveth, rising up in the
mighty harmony OF a musical academy may
overpower our ear and heart but 1t will not
roach the ear OF God like the broken voiced
hymn Of some sufferer amid rags and desc
lation looking up trustfully to a Saviour's
compassion, singing amid tears and pangs
81 know that my Redeemer hveth."
suppose that there was more rhetoric
and classic elegance in the prayers OF the
Pharisee than of the publican, but you know
which was successful. You may kneel with
complete elegance on some soft cushion at an
altar Of alabaster and utter prayer OF Nil
tonic sublimity, but neither your graceful
posture nor the roll or your blank verse will
attract heavenly attention, while over some
dark cellar in which Christian pauper is
prostrate in the straw angels bend from
their thrones and cry one TO another: "Be
hold, he praysp Through this open door OF
heaven what long procession Of prayers Is
continually passingi What thanksgiyingsl
What confessionsl What intercessonsI
What beseechingsl sand behold door wai
opened in heaven"
Again, tho door of heaven Is opened 10 al.
low us the opportunity Of looking in. Christ
when He came from heaven to Bethany left II
open, and no one since has dared to shut it.
Matthew threw il still wider open when he
came to write, aud Paul pushed the door
further back when he spoke Of the glory to be
revealed, and John In Revelation actually
waters and the crowns AMI the
thrones There are profound mysteries
about that blessed place that we cannot
solve. But look through this wide open door
OF heaven and SEQ what you can see. God
means us TO look aud catch up now some
thing Of the rapture and attune our hearts
TO its worship.
1t is wide open enough to see Christ Be-
hold Him, the Chief among ten thousand, all
the hammered pomp OF heaven at His feet
With your onkindled faith look up along
these ranks OF glory. Watch how their
palms wave, and hear how their voices ring'
Floods clapping their hands streets CLEAN.
ing with gold, uncounted multitudes ever
accumulating in number and ever rising up
into gladder hosannas. II you cannot stand
To look upon that Joy for at least one hour
how could you endure to dwell among IL for
everi You would wish yourself out Of it in
three days and choose the earth again or
any other place where it was not always
Sunday.
Ny hearer in worldly prosperity, afiuent
honored, healthy an1 happy, look in upon
that company OF the redeemed, and see how
the poor soul In heaven Is better off than
% you are brighter in apparel, richer in estate,
tried, look in through that open door, that
you may see to what gadness and glory you
are coming, to what life, to what royalty.
Hearers pleased to fascination with this
world, gather up your souls for one appre-
Hutive IooH upon rIcnes rnan never ny away,
ipon health that never sickens, upon scepters
hat never break, upon expectations that are
ieyer disappointed. Look In and SEQ IL
hero are not enough crowns to pay us for
Ill our battles, enough rest to relieve all orr
atigues, enough living fountains to quen.h
Ill our thirst. enough glory TO dash out for
wer and ever all earth's signing and restless
less and darkness Battles ended, tears
wiped away, thrones plucked from the
oosomS stabs healed, the tomb riven-what
4 scene to look uponi
Again, the door OF heaven stands open for
he Christians final entrance. Death TO the
righteous Is not climbing high walls or ford
ing deep rivers but 1t Is entering an open
loor. IL you ever visit the old homestead
where you were born and while father and
mother are yet alive, as you go up the lime
front Of the farm house, aud put your
land on the door and lift the latch. do you
hudder with fear' No, you are glad to en-
er. So your last sickness will be only the
nne In front of your Fathers house from
which you hear the voice Of singing before
Fou reach the door. And death, that Is the
ifting OF tho latch before you enter, the
greetings and embraces OF the innumerable
'amily OF the righteous Nay there is no
atch, for. John says the door is already open.
Ehat a company Of spirits have already en-
ercd those portals bright and shiuingi
Souls released from the earthly prison house
how they shouted as they went through
Spirits that sped up from the flames Of mar
Lyrdom, making heaven richer as they went
II, pouring their notes into tho celestial har-
nony.
Aud that door has not begun to shut II
redeemed by grace we all shall enter 1t. This
ide OF 1t we have wept, but on the other side
)f it we shall never weep. On this side we
may have grown sick with weariness, but
on the other side OF IL we shall be without
fatigue. On this side We bleed with the war
tiors wounds on theother side we shall wave
The victor's palm. When you think OF dying
what makes your brow contract what makes
you breathe so deep sighf What makes
you gloomy In passing a graveyard Fol-
lower Of Christ, you have been thinking
that death Is something terrible the measur-
ing Of lances with powerful antagonist
the closing in OF conflict which NAV be your
everlasting defeat. You do not want much
10 think of dying. The step beyond this
life seems so mysterious you dread the taking
of it. Why, who taught you this lesson
If horrorsf Heavens door Is wide open,
and you step out of your sick room into thoss
portals.
Not as long as q minute will elapse between
your departure and your arrival there. Not
half so long as the twinkling Of an eye. Not
the millionth part Of an instant. There 10 no
stumbling into darkness. There Is no plnng-
Ing down into mysterious depths. The door
Is open. This instant you are here the next
you are there. When a vessel struck the
rocks OF the French coast, while the crew
were clambering up the beach a cage OF birds
in the ships cabin, awakened, began to sing
most sweetly, and when the last man left the
vessel they were singing yet. Even so in the
Inst hour OF our dissolution, when driven on
the coast OF the other world, may our disem-
barkation from this rough, tossing life be
amid the eternal singing OF thousand prom
lSes Of deliverance and victoryl
For all repenting and believing souls the
door of heaven Is now wide open, the door
OF mercy, the door OF comfort Tor the poor.
est as we'll as for the wealthiest for the out
law as we'll as for the moralist, for Chinese
coolie as well as his Emperor, FOR the Rus.
sian boor as well as the Gar, for the Turk
as well as the Sultan. Richer than all
deeper than all depths, higher than ali
heights and broader than all breadths Is
the salvation OF Jesus Christ which press
upon your consideration. Come all ye trav-
elers Of tho desert under these palm trees.
Oh. IL could gather before you that tire.
mendous future upon. which you are