Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-07-31

groan is Just as effectual if it be the utterance
Of the souls want A heart all covered up
with goriaBdEe q thoughts would be no attrac-
ton to God, fEs heart broken and contrite
that is the acceptable sacrifice. ~ know
that my Redeemer liveth," rising up in the
mighty harmony of musical academy, may
overpower our ear and heart, but it win not
reach the ear of God like the broken voiced
hymn of some sufferer amid rags and desc
| lation looking up trustfully to a Saviour's
compassion, singing amid tears and pangs,
II know that my Redeemer liveth."
| l suppose that there was more rhetoric
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 alabaster and utter prayer of Mil
tonic sublimity, but neither your graceful
posture nor the roll Of your blank verse will
attract heavenly attention. while over some
J dark cellar in which a Christian pauper is
! PROSTATE in the straw angels bend from
their thrones and cry one to another: "Be-
hold, he praysp Through this open door of
heaven what long procession of prayers is
continually passing What thanksgivings!
What confessions What intercessionsl
What beseechingsl "And behold door was
Again, the door or heaven is opened to al
low us the opportunity of looking in. Christ
when He came from heaven to Bethany leftit
open, and no one since has dared TO shut it.
Matthew Threw IL SUlu wider open Wneu nc
came to write, and Paul pushed the door
further back when he spoke of the glory to be
revealed and John in Revelation actually
points us TO the harps, and the
waters, and the crowns, and the
thrones. There are profound mysteries
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 some
thing of the rapture and attune our hearts
to its worship.
1t is wide open enough to see Christ. Be
hold Him, the Chief among ten thousand, all
the hammered pomp of heaven 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 gleam-
ing with gold, uncounted multitudes ever
accommodating 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 for
everi 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, affiuent,
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
tried, look in through that open door, that
you may see to what gladness and glory you
are coming, to what life, TO what royalty.
Hearers pleased 10 fascination with this
world, gather up your souls Tor one aDpre-
ciative look upon riches than 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 restless
ness and darkness. Battles ended tears
wiped away thrones plucked from the
bosoms stabs healed, the tomb riven-what
a scene to look uponl
Again, the door OF heaven stands open for
the Christians final entrance. Death TO the
righteous is not climbing high walls or ford
ing deep rivers, but it is entering an open
door. II 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 fearg No, you are glad TO en-
ter. 80 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
hitting OF the latch before you enter, the I
greetings and embraces of the innumerable /
family Of the righteous Nay, there is no
latch, for John says the door \ already open.
What a company Of spirits have already en-
tered those portals bright and shiningl
Souls released from the earthly prison house
how they shouted as they went through
Spirits that sped up from the flames of mar
tyrdom, making heaven richer as they went
in, pouring their notes into the celestial bar
mony.
And that door has not begun TO shut II
by grace we all shall enter it. This
side OF it we havewept, 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 il we shall be without
fatigue On this side we bleed with the war
rlor's 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 a sighy What makes
you gloomy IN passing graveyard Fol-
lower of Christ, you have been thinking
that death is something terrible, the measur-
ing OF lances with a powerful antagonist,
the closing in of a conflict which NAV be your
everlasting defeat You do not want much
10 think of dying. The step beyond this
life seems so mysterious you dread the taking
Of it. Why, who taught you this lesson
IF horror< Heavens door is wide open,
and you step out of your sick room into those
portals.
Not as long as minute will elapse between
your departure and your arrival there. Not
nall so long as the twlnkllng OF an eye. Not
The millionth part of an instant There is no
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 a vessel struck the
rocks of the French coast, while the crew
were clambering up the beach cage Of birds
in the ships cabin, awakened, began to sing
most sweetly, and when the last man left the
vessel they were singing yet Even so in the
asst hour of our dissolution, when driven on
he coast of the other world, may our disem-
from this rough, tossing life be
amid the eternal singing Of thousand prom
ses OF deliverance and victoryl
For all repenting and believing souls the
ioor of heaven is now wide open, the door
If mercy, the door of comfort. for the poor
st as well as for the wealthiest, for the out
aw as well as for the moralist, for Chinese
soolie as well as his Emperor for the Rus
;ian boor as well as the Car, for the Turk
Is well as the Sultan. Richer than all
wealth, more refreshing than all fountains,
ieeper than all depths, higher than all ,
heights and broader than all breadths is ,
he salvation of Jesus Christ which press
Upon your consideration Come all We trav-
alafs of the desert under thaSa nalua trees !