Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-24

golden words II II Is 70 enter such a splendid
door and live beside seraphim and arch
angell Ought not every phrase be rounded
into perfection. ought not the language be
musical and classic and poetic and rhetori-
calf No; the most illlterate outcry. the un-
jointed petition, the clumsy phrase. the
sentence breaking into grammatical blum
ders, an unworded groan. .Hs Just as effectual
II 1t be the utteranee OF the souls want. A
heart all covered up with garlands of
thought would be no attraction to God. but
heart broken and contrite-that Is the ac-
ceptable sacrifice. i know that my Re-
deemer liveth.- 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 DESC
lation looking up trustfully to Saviour's
compassion, singing amid tears and pangs,
Il know that my Redeemer liveth."
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 a
prayer Of Miltonic sublimity. but neither
your graceful posture nor the roll of your
blank verse will attract heavenly attention.
while over some dark cellar in which
Christian pauper is PROSTATE in the straw
angels bend from their thrones and cry one
to another. Behold, he praysl" Through
this open door OF Heaven what long pro-
cession OF prayers is continually passing
What thanksgivingsl What confessions!
What intercessionsi What beseechingsl
And behold, door was opened in
Heaven"
Again. the door of Heaven is opened to
allow us the opportunity of looking in.
Christ when he came from Bethlehem leftit
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 in 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
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. Be-
hold Him, the chief among ten thousand. all
the hammered pomp of Heaven at His 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 gleam-
ing with gold. uncounted multitudes ever
accumulating 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
1t in three days and choose the earth again
or any other place where it was not always
Sunday.
My hearer in worldly prosperity, afduent,
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 whatriches,
to what royalty. Hearers, pleased to fasci-
nation with this world, gather up your
souls for one 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 fatigues,
enough fountains to quench all our thirst,
enough glory to dash out for ever and ever
all earth's signing and restlessness and
darkness Battles ended, tears wiped
away, thorns plucked from the bosoms,
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 is not climbing high 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 go
mp the lane in front of the farm house. 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 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 family of the righteous.
Nay. there is no latch, for John says the
door is already open. What a company
of spirits have already entered those por-
tails, bright and shining. Souls 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 richer as they went in. pouring
their notes into the celestial harmony.
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 have the victor's palm.
When you think of dying what makes your
Is
deep and sighP What makes you gloomy
in passing a graveyard? Follower of Christ
you have been thinking that death is some
thing terrible, the measuring of lances with
powerful antagonist, the closing in of
conflict which may be your everlasting de-
feat. You do not want much to think OF dy-
ing. The step beyond this life seems SO
mysterious you dread the taking Oft. Why.
who taught you this lesson of horrors?
Heavens door is wide open, and you step
out OF your sick room into those portals,
Not as long as minute will elapse be-
tween your departure and your arrival
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. vessel struck the rocks of the
French coast while the crew were Chamber
ing up the beach o 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 Hast hour of our dissolution, when
driven on the coast Of the other world, may
our Decentralization from this rough, toss
ing life be amid the eternal singing of a
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 moralist, for
Chinese coolie as well as his Emperor. for
the Russian boor as well as the czar, for
the Turk as well as the sultan. Richer than
all wealth, more refreshing than all foun-
tains, deeper than all depths. higher than
oil heights and broader than all breadths is
the salvation of Jesus Christ which press
upon your consideration. Come, all We
travellers OF the desert, under these palm