Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-07-21

/ waits in suspense the will of inffaIned
subjects, and the crown is tossed from
one family to another But above all
earthly vicissitude and the assault of
human passions in unshakerI security
stands the King of kings, watching all
The affairs of his empire, from the in
PRODUCTION of an era to the counting of
the hairs of your head.
WAY OF ENTRANCE FOR PRAYERS.
Again, [ learn from the fact that
door in heaven is opened that there is
a way of entrance for our prayers and
of egress for divine blessings. 1t does
not seem that our weak voice has
strength enough to climb up to Gods
ear Shall not our prayers be lost in
the clouds? Have words wings2 The
truth is plain Heavens door is wide
open to receive every prayer. Must it
not be loud2 Ought it not to ring up
with the strength of stout lungs? Must
it not be a loud call, such as drowning
men utter, or like the shout of some
chieftain in the battle? No; whisper
is as good as a shout, and the mere
wish of the soul in profound silence is
as good as a whisper. 1t rises just as
high and accomplishes just as much.
But ought not prayer to be made up
of golden words if it is to enter such a
splendid door and live beside seraphim
and archangel? Ought not every
phrase be rounded into perfection,
ought not the language be musical and
classic and poetic and rhetorical? No;
the most illiterate cutlery, the unjointed
petition, the clumsy phrase, the SEN
tence breaking into grammatical blum
ders, an unwOrded groan, is just as eff
fectual if it be the utterance of the
souls want A heart all covered up
with garlands Of thought would be no
attraction to God, but heart broken
and contrite-that is the acceptable sac
rifice. Il know that my Redeemer
iveth," rising up in the mighty har-
mOny of a musical academy, may over
power our ear and heart, but it will
not reach the ear of God like the
broken voiced hymn of some sufferer
amid rags and desolation looking up
trustfully to a Saviour's compassion,
singing amid tears and pangs, II know
that my Redeemer iveth."
suppose that there was more rhet-
oric 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 ala
baster and utter a prayer of Miltonic
sublimity, but neither your graceful
posture nor the roll of your blank verse
will attract heavenly attention, while
over some dark cellar in which Chris
tan pauper is PROSTATE in the straw
angels bend from their thrones and cry
one to another, Behold, he prays!"
Through this open door of heaven
what a long procession of prayers is
continually passing! What thanksgiv-
ings! What confessions! What inter-
cessions! What beseechingsl ''And
behold, door was opened in heaven"
1T IS OPEN THAT WE MAY LOOK IN.
Again, the door of heaven is opened
to allow us the opportunity of look
ing in. Christ when he came from
Bethlehem left it open, and no one
since has dared to shut it, Matthew
threw it still wider open when he came
to write, and Paul pushed the door
further back when he spoke of the
glory to be revealed, and John in Rev
elation actually points US to the harps,
and the waters, and the crowns, and
the thrones. There are profound mys-
teries about that blessed place that we
cannot solve. But look through this
wide open door of heaven and see
what you can see. God means us to
look and catch up now something of
the rapture and attune our hearts to
it's worship.
1t is wide open enough to see Christ.
Behold him, the chief among ten thou
sand, all the hammered pomp of heaven
at his feet With your enkindled faith
look on along these ranks of glory. Watch
how their palms wave and hear how
their voices ring. Floods clapping their
hands, streets cleaning with gold, I'M
counted multitudes ever accommodating
in number and ever rising up into glad
der hosannas. If you cannot stand to
look upon that joy for at least one
hour, how could you endure to dwell
among it forever2 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.
My nearer in worldly prosperity,
affluent, honored, healthy and happy,
look in upon that company of the re-
deemed, and see how the poor soul in
heaven is better off than you are,
brighter in apparel, richer in estate,
higher in power. Hearers, afflicted
and tried, look in through that open
door that you may see to what glad
ness and glory you are coming, to what
life, to what riches, to what royalty.
Hearers, pleased to fascination with
this world, gather up your souls for
one appreciative look upon riches that
never fly away, upon health that never
sickens, upon scepters that never
break, upon expectations that are
never disappointed. Look in and see
if there are not enough crowns to pay
us for all our battles, enough rest to
relieve all our fatigues, enough living
fountains to Quench all our thirst,
enough glory to dash out for ever and
ever all earth's signing and restlessness
and darkness. Battles ended, tears
wiped away, thorns plucked from the
bosoms, stabs healed, the tomb riven-
what a scene to look-uponl
WE MAY ENTER HEAVEN THROUGH IT.
Again, the door of heaven stands
open for the Christians final entrance.
Death to the righteous is not climbing
high walls or fording deep rivers, but it
is entering an open door If you ever
visit the old homestead where you were
born, and while father and mother are
yet alive, as you go up the lane in front
of the farm house, and put your hand
on the door and lift the latch, do you
shudder with fear? No, you are glad
to enter. So your last sickness will be
only the lane in front of your Fathers
house, from which you hear the voice
of singing before you reach the door.
And death, that is the lifting of the
latch before you enter, the greetings and
embraces of the innumerable family of
the righteous. Nay, there is no latch,
for John says the door is already open.
What a company of spirits have already !
entered those portals, bright and shin |