The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-10

LIS lt.t-4c .tG4ONS tIIt SA.H stiu III tllt
seven pris.natic colors he paints witt
pencil Of sunbeam the everlasting GOV
enan5 between God and every living
creature. God lifted up that great
arched bridge and set it over his OWL
head in the heaven John saw it, FOL
he says: There was rainbow rounG
about The throne.
TIE COVENANT oB MERCY.
noiice that none bnt the people who
were in the ark saw the rainbow II
east is shadow clear down into the
water where the people We're buried
and lighted up the dead faces with 8
strange radiance, but they could not see
it. So only those who are at last found
in Christ, the ark, will see the over
spanning slories of the throne. Hence
you had better get into the ark As
you call Your family out at the close OF
the shower to show them the sign in
heaven, so want you al! at last TO see
the grander rainbow round about the
throne Look there!' says Noah tc
his wife, at that bow in the clouds
aud, Shem and Japlet, look! look!-
the green, the yellow, the red, and the
orange should not wonder if some
of your own children in tie good laud
should after while cry ont to you,
Look, father! look, mother! there is
a rainbow round about the throne
You had better get into the ark, with
all your families, if you want to see it.
I notice also that the chief glory OF
God comes after the rain. No shower,
no rainbow; no trouble, no brightness
Of Christian consolation. Weavers are
sometimes, by reason of their work,
dusty and rough in their apparel; and
so it is the coarse clad tempest, whose
hand and foot swing the shuttle, that
weaves tie rainbow. Many Christians
are dull, and stupid: and useless be
cause they have not had disaster enough
to wake them up. The brightest scarf
that heaven makes is thrown over the
shoulders Of the storm. You cannot
make a thorough Christian life out Of
sunshine alone There are some very
dark hues in the ribbon of the rain
bow; you must have in life the blue as
well as the orange. Afingling all The
colors OF the former makes Il white
light and it takes all the shades and
sadnesses ard vicissiJudes Of life tc
make the white luster of a pure Chris
tan character.
Your child asks you, Father, what
makes the rainbow" and you say, 1T
is the sunlight striking through the
rain drops. Therefore I wondered
how there could be a rainbow il
heaven, since there are no storms there
but then conclude that that rainbow
must be formed by the striking Of
heavens sunlight through the falling
tears of earthly sorrow. When we see
Il man overwhelmed with trouble, and
MS health goes, and his property goes
and his friends go, l say, Now we
shall see the glory of God in this good
mans de!iverance" AS at Niagara
Falls I saw, one day, ten rainbow'
spanning the awful plunge Of the cata
ract, so over the abyss of the Christian:
trial hover the rich hued wings Of al
the promises.
EARTHs BEAUTIES TO BE GLoRIF1ED
| notice that the most beautiful
things of this world are to be preserved
in heaven. When you see the last color
fade out from the rainbow of earth
you need not feel sad, for you will see
the rainbow round about the throne
That story about the world burning uI
has given me many pang. When
read that Paris was besieged, | said
CHOW the pictures and statues in the
Louvre and Luxembourg will be de
stroyed; all those faces of Rembrandt
and those bold dashes OF Rubens, anc
those entertainments of Raphael on can
vas. and those statues of Canova.' Blu
is it not more melancholy though
that ruin is to come upon this grea
glory of the earth, in which the mount
aims are the clliseled sculptures, an(
upon the sky, in which the 'transfigu
ration" of sunrise and sunset is hunl
with loops and tassels of fire.
was relieved when l found that tn
pictures had been removed from TIL
Louvre and the Luxembourg, and | al
relieved now when l think that the bes
parts of this earth are either to be re
moved or pictured in the Good Land
The trees must twist in the last fire
the oaks, and the cedars, and tn
naples; but in heaven there shall b
the trees Of life on the bank of tia
river, and the palm trees from whicl
the conquerors shall pluck their branch
es. The Hudson, and the ST. Law
renee, and the Ohio shall boil in tn
last flame, but we shall have,more tina
their beauty in the River of Life froI
under the throne The daisies, and th
| pertulacas, and the roses OF earth WI
| wither In tho hot sirocco of the juds