The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-22

! tiniest heliotrope, aster and gentian are
!, asiplainly seen by him as the proudest
/, magnolia, and not one vein of color in
their leaf deepens or fades without lis
notice. From this doorin heaven God
sees all human conduct and the worlds
moral changes. Not one tear of sor-
row falls in hospital or workshop OF
dungeon but he sees it, and in high
heaven makes record of it's fall
The worlds iniquities in all their
ghastliness glover under his vision.
Wars and tumults and the desolations
Of famine and earthquake, whirlwind
and shipwreck spread out before him.
If there were no being in all the uni
verse but God he could be happy with
such an outlook as the door of heaven.
But there he stands, no more disturbed
by the fall of kingdom than the drop
ping of a leaf; no more excited by the
rising of a throne than the bursting OF
bud, the falling of dcluge than the
trickling of raindrop. Earthly roy
atty clutches nervously its scepter and
waits in suspense the will of in1amed
subjects, and the crown is tossed from
one family to another. But above all
earthly vlcissitude and the assault OF
human passions in mistaken 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.
A WAY OF ENTRANCE FOR PRAYERS.
Again, learn from the fact that q
door in heaven is opened that there is
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 mp to Gods
ear Shall not our prayers be lost in
the clouds? Have words wingsi 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 n loud call, such as drowning
men utter, or like the shout of some
cheftain in the battlep No; whisper
is as good as shout, and the mere
wish of the soul in profound silence 10
as good as 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 archangel1 Ought not every
phrase be rounded into perfection,
ought not the language be musical and
classic and poetic and rhetorical2 No;
the most illiterate outcry, 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
souPs want. A heart all covered up
with garlands of thought would be no
attraction to God, but a heart broken
and contrite-that is the acceptable sac
rifloe. II know that my Redeemer
Hveth," rising up in the mighty har-
mony of 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
trustfllly to saviour's compassion,
singing amid tears and pangs, II know
that nv Redeemer liyeth."
suppose that there was more rhet-
ORIG 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 prayer of Miltenic
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 coen door Of heaven
what long procession of prayers is
continually passingl What thankssiv-
ingsl What confessionsl What fnter-
cesaonsl What beseechinss "And
behold, door was opened in heaven.
IT rs 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 liz Rev
elation actually points us to the harps,
and the waters, and the crowns, and
the thrones. There are profound mys-
teSes 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
Its worship.
1t is wide open enough to see Christ.
Behold him, the chief among ten thou
sand, all the hammered pomp Of heaven
at bis 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 forever9 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,
afluent, honored, healthy and happy,
look in upon that company of the re.
L u in