Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-25

Rlo!ouha silence is as good as , u.hn4uiii
as much. "eeompiishes Just
i5uf ought not praycsto be m,ao .
Soloeh words if it is 10 enter sunh = un .,
uool anu live beside seraphim M 80.
Hnsel: onsh not every phrase hr ,o,,mJnl1
m,,ep cotton ought not the language ba
.alS Si'N. anu classic and poetic and rhetori-
iointed netitinn os' illlterate cutlery. the un-
sentence 5e c breaking into gramma,icnl INV ,,o
u ~ an unWorded groan lis inst ne atront,,l
ny %utterance OF the souls want 4
thnnrha dn covered up with garlands of
a bnaI. moulu DE no attraction to God, but
contahla osohsm ana contrite-that is the ac-
dep.aol9 sacrifice. Il know that nv Rn-
ueehner nVeth, rising up in tho mighty har-
hlohy OF Il musica! academy. may ornr
power our ear and heart, but it viii nnt
ieach tne ear of God like the broken yojcnI
Iat,iin ~ o. some sufferer amid rags and DESC
i".lon looking up trustfullv to II Saviour's
compassion, singing amid tears and pannsY
AknoW that my Redeemer livcth." 7'
suppose that there was more rhetoric
u ph Classic elegance in the prayers of the
Lnarlsee than of the publican. but Won
h nno% Mh,eh Was successful, You may
cushion at an altar of alabaster ana utter -
prayer OF Miltonic sublimity, but neither
your graceful posture nor the roll of you.
uiaiih verse VIII attract heavenly attention.
MI M over some dark cellar in which a
onris.iin pamper IS PROSTATE in the straw
anseis PEND from their thrones and cry ono
TO another; Behold. he prays!" Through
inns open door of Heaven what n lone mo
yvsslon OF prayers is continually p%assingl
Mhat tha%nksgivings! What confessions!
Mhat lntercessions! What bcseechings!
And behold. Il door was opened in
Hcavcn." ~ VfNAN" III
AGAIN the doorof Heaven is opened to
ailoW us the opportunity of looking in.
ohrlst "hcn he came from Bethlehem left it
open ana no one since has dared to shut it.
Mat'hew threw it still wider open when he
came TO write. and Paul pushed the door
further back when he spoke of the glory to
ne revealed. and Johnin Revelation actually
points up to the harps, and the waters. and
the crowns, and the thrones. There are pro-
found mysteries about that blessed place
.hat we cannotsolve. But look through this
vide open door of Heaven and see what
you can see. God means us to look and
catch up now something of the rapture, and
atlunc our hearts to its worship.
luis wide open enough to see Christ. Be-
hold Him, the chief among ten thousand, all
1ne hammered pomp OF Heaven at His feet.
with your e%nkindled faith look on along
these ranks OF glory. Watch how their
palms wave and hear how their voices ring.
Floods clapping their hands. streets gleam-
ing with gold, uncounted multitudcs ever
accumulatlng in number and ever rising up
NV Sil'1tCl HoSuiludS. IL YOU annOt
stand to look upon that JOY for at least one
nour' now could you endure to dwell among
it forever? You would wish yourself out Of
it in three days and choose the eartn again
or any other place where it was not ALWAYS
Sunday.
honored, healthy and 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, higher in power. Hearers, afflicted
and tired, 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 fasci-
nation with this world, gather up your
souls for OF appreciative look upon riches
that never fly away. upon health that never
sickens, upon scepters that never break
upon expectations that are never disap-
pointed. Look in and see if there are not
enough crowns to pay us for all our battles,
enough rest to relieve all our futigues,
enough fountains to quench all our thirst,
enough glory to dash out for ever and ever
all earth's signing and restlcssness and
darkness. Battles ended, tears wiped
away. thorns plucked from the bosoms,
stabs healed, the tomb rivcn-what Il scene
to look upon!
Again, the o Of Heaven stands open
for the Christians lnal entrance. Death
to the righteous is not climbing hig walls
or fording deep rivers. but it is entering an
open door. If you ever visit the old home
stead where you were born. and while
father and mother are yet alive, as you &c
up tho lane in front of the farmhouse. 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 YOU 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
Vnn nnfpT thn prantjnps and nyoh1.panS nj
the innumerablc family of the righteous.
Nay. there is no latch. for John says the
door is already open. What IL company
Of spirits have already entered those por-
tails. bright and shining, Soul released
from the earthly prison house, how they
shouted as they went through! Spirits that
sped up from the flames of martyrdom, max
ing Heaven richie as they went in, pouring
their notes into the celestial harmony.
And that door has not begun to shut. II
redeemed by grace we all shall enter it.
This side OF it we have wept, but IN the
other side of it we shall never weep. On
this side we may nave 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 have the %victor's palm.
When you think Of dying what makes you1
brow contract. what makes you breathe SO
| deep and sigh? What makes you gloomy
in passing q graveyard? Follower of Christ
you have been thinking that death is some
thing terrible, the measuring of lances with
IL powerful antagonist, the closing in of
conflict which may be your everlasting de-
feat. You do MOI want much to think OF dy-
ing. The step beyond this life seems SC
mysterious you dread the taking Oft. Why
who taught you this lesson of horrorsi
! Heavens door is wide open, and you ster
| out Of your sick room into those portals.
: Not as long as Il minute will elapse be
! tween our departure ana your arriva
there. Not half as long as the twinkling Of
an eye. Not the millionth part OF an in
stant. There is no stumbling into dark
ness. There is no plunging down into
mysterious depths. The door is open. This
instant you are here, the next you are there,
| When IL vessel struck the rocks Of the
French coast while the crew We're Chamber
ing up the beach Il cage Of birds in the
| ships cabin, awakened. began to sing most
swectly. and when the last man left the
vcssclthey were singing yet. Even so il
the last hour of our dissolution, wher
driven on the coast OF the other world. may
| our Decentralization from this rough. toss
ing life be amid the eternal singing OF 6
| thousand promises of deliverance anC
victory!
For all %rcpenting and believing souls the
door of heaven is now wide open, the dool
of mercy. the door of comfort, for the
poorest as well as the wealthiest, for the
e.,