Thomas County cat., 1890-10-30

l.
at His feet. With your enkindled faith
look up along these ranks of glory.
, Watch how their palms wave and hear
how their voices ring. Floods clapping
their hands, streets cleaning with gold,
uncounted multitudes ever accumulat-
ing in number and ever rising up into
gladder hosannas. If you cannot stand
to look upon that joy for at least one
hour. how could you endure to dwell
among it forever? 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 hearer in worldly prosperity, af-
fluent, 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, bright
er in apparel, richer in estate, higher in
power. Hearers, afflicted and tried,
look in through that open door that
you may see to what gladness 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 sicksss, 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 our fatigues. enou gh glory to
dash out forever and ever all earthS
signing and restlessness and darkness
Battles ended, tears wiped away, thOrn1
plucke6 from the bosom, stabs healed,
the tomb riven-what scene to look
upon.
Again: The door of heaven stands
open for the Christians final entrance.
Death to the righteous 10 not climbing
high walls or fording deep rivers, but
it is entering an open door. IfyOu 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 you 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 fam
lily of the righteous. Nay, there is no
latch, for John says the door is already
open. What company of spirits have
already entered those portals,
bright and shining. Souls released
from the earthly prison house, how they
shouted as they went through! Spirits
that spec. up from the names of martyr
dom making heaven richer as they went
in, pouring notes into the celestial har-
mOny.
And that door has not begun to shut.
If redeemed by grace, we all shall enter
it. This side of it we have wept, but on
the other side of it we shall never weep.
On this side we may have grown sick
with WEAKNESS, but on the other side Of
it we shall be without fatigue On this
side we bleed with the warriors wounds,
on the other side we shall wave the
victor's palm. When you think OF
dying what makes your brow contract
what makes you breathe so deep and
sigh? What makes you gloomy in pass
ing a grave yard? Follower Of Christ.
you have been thinking that death is
something terrible, the measuring OF
lances with powerful antagonist, the
closing in of conflict which may be
your everlasting defeat. You do moi
want much to think of dying. The steI
beyond this life seem so mysterious yOu
dread the taking of it. Why, wht
taught you this lesson of horrors:
Heavens door is wide open, and yor
step out of your sick room into those
portals. Not as long as a minute will
elapse between your departure and yOul
arrival there. Not half so long as the
twinkling of an eye. Not the milliontt
part of an instant. There is no stumb,
ling into darkness. There is no plung-
ing down into mysterious depths. The
door is open. This instant you are here.
the next you are there. When vesse:
struck the rocks of the French coast.
while the crew were clambering up the
beach cage of birds in the ships cabil.
awakened, began to sing most sweetly
and when the last man left the vessel
they were singing yet. Even so in the
last hour of our dissolution, when driver,
on the coast of the other world, may
our disembarcation from this rough
tossing life be amid the eternal sirginS
of thousand promises of deliverance
and victory!
For all repenting and believing souls
the door of heaven is now wide open,
the door of mercy, the door of comfort
for the poorest as well as the wealthiest,
for the outlaw as well as for the moral
ist, for Chinese cOOlie as well as for h..
emperor, for the Russian boor as well
as the car, for the Turk as well as tf
sultan. Richer than all wealth, more
refreshing than all fountains. deeper
than all depths, higher than all heights,
and broader than all breadths is the
salvation of Jesus Christ, which press