Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-04-18

WOTIQ saw ever. on put INTO q Cos
ton, and it comes out apparel You put into
a factory lumber and lead, and il comes out
pianos and organs And 50 into the factory
OF the grave you put In pneumonIas and con
sumptions, and they come out health gu
put In groans and they come out halle.u jahs.
For Us, on the final day. the most attractive
places will not be the parks or the gardens or
the palaces but the cemeteries.
We are not told in what season that day
will come II it should be winter, those who
come up will be more lustrous than the snow
that covered them. II in the autumn, those
who come up Will be more gorgeous than the
woods after the frostS have penciled thcm-
II in the spring, the bloom on which they
tread will be dull compared with the ruol-
cund of their cheeks. Oh the perfect resur-
rection body, Almost every one has soma
defective spot in his physical constitution;
a dull ear, dim eye, or rheumatic foot,
or a neuralgia brow, or twisted muscle, or
a weak side, an indame1 tOnsil, or some
point at which the east wind or
season of overwork assaults him. But
the resurrection body shall be withOu,
one weak spot, and all that the doctors and
nurses and apothecaries OF earth will there
after lave to do will BE- to rest without inter-
ruption after the broken nights OF their earth
~ existence. Not only will that day be the
Qualification of we'll kept cemeteries but
some of the graveyardS that have been neg
lected, and been the pasture ground for cat
tie and roofing places for swine. will for the
1t was a shame that in that place migrate
full generations planted no trees, and twisted
no garlands, and sculptured no marble for
their Christian ancestry; but on the day of
which l speak the resurrected shall make
the place of their feet glorious. From
under the shadow of the church, where
they slumbered among nettles and
mullen stalks and thistles, and slabs
aslant they shall rise with glory that shall
fash the windows of the village church, and
by the bell tower that used to call them to
worship, and above the old spire beside
which their prayers formerly assembled.
What triumphal procession never did for a
street, what an oratOriO never did for an
academy, what an orator never did for
brilliant auditory, what Obelisk never did
for King resurrection morn will do for all
the cemeteries.
This Easter tells us that in Christ's resur-
rection our resurrection, if we are His, and
the resurrection of all the piOus dead is as
sured, for He was the first fruits of them
that slept" Renan says He did not rise, but
five hundred and eighty witnesses, sixty of
them Christ's enemies, say He did rise, for
6hey saw Him after He had risen. If He did
not rise, how did sixty armed soldiers let
Him get away? Surely sixty living soldiers
ought to be able to keep one dead man!
Blessed be God! He did get away. After
His resurrection Mary Magdalene saw Him.
Cleopas saw Him. Ten disciples in an
upper room at Jerusalem saw Him. On
mountain the eleven saw Him. Five hundred
at once saw Him. Professor Ernest Renan,
who did not see Him. will excuse us for TAX
ing the testimony of the five hundred and
eighty who did see Him. Yes, yes; He got
away. And that makes me sure that our de-
parted loved ones and we ourselves shall get
away. Freed Himself from tho shackles of
cIod, he Is not gong to leave is ana ours
n the lurch.
There will be no door knob on the inside o!
our family sepulchre, for we cannot come
out of ourselves; but there is a door knob on
the outside, and that Jesus shall lay hold Of
and opening, will say: Good morning! You
have slept long enough! Arise Arise" And
then what f1utter of wings, and what flashing
of rekindled eyes, and what gladstone rush
ing t9cross the family lot, with cries of
your ''My darling, is that your How
you all have changed! The cough gone
the Group gone, the consumption gone
the paralysis gone, the WEAKNESS gone
Come, let us ascend tOgether The older
ones first, the younger ones next. Quick,
now, get into line! The skyward procession
has already started! Steer now by that en-
oankment of cloud for the nearest gate"
And as we ascend, on one side the earth gets
smaller until it is no larger than a mountain
and smaller until it is no larger than a pal
ace, and smaller until it is no larger than a
ship, and smaller until it is no larger than
wheel, and smaller until it is no larger than
a speck.
Farewell, dissolving earth! But on the
other side, as we rise heaven at first appears
no larger than your hand. And nearer it
looks like chariot. and nearer it looks like
a throne, and nearer it looks like star, and
nearer 1T looks like sun, and nearer it looks
like universe. Hail, scepters that shall al
ways wave! Hail, anthems that shall always
roll! Hail, comprehensive never again to be |
broken, and friendships never again to part! |
That's what Resurrection day will do for all
the cemeteries and graveyards, from the
Machpelah that was opened by Father Abra-
ham in Hebron to the Machpelah yesterday |
consecrated. And that makes Lady Hunt |
ington's immortal rhythm most Apostle:
When Thou, my righteous Judge. shalt come
10 take Thy ransomed people home,
Shall among them stand?
Shall such a worthless worm as l.
Who sometimes am afraid to die,
Be found at Thy right hand?
Among Thy saints let me be found.
W hene er tn arChangePs trump shall sound;
To see Thy smiling face:
Then lOudest of the throng I'll sing.
While heavens resounding arches ring
With shouts of sovereign grace