The Opelousas courier., 1890-08-30

our ear and heart, but 10 win mot
reach the ear Of God like the broken voiced
hymn of some sufferer amid rags and desc
lation looking up trustfully to q Ssviour's
compassion, singing amid tears and pangs.
81 know that my Redeemer hveth.s
I 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 q utter a prayer Of Nil
tonic sublimity, but neither your graceful
posture nor the roll of your blank verse will
attract heavenly attention, while over some
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
continually passingl What th~anksgivingst
What confessional What intercessionsi
WhaSbeseechings! "And behold q door was
opened in heaven"
Again, the door of heaven Is opened to al
low us the opportunity Of looking in. Christ
when He carna from heaven to Bethany left 1t
open, and no one since has dared to hut it.
Matthew threw it still wide 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 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 il wide open enough to see Christ. Be-
hold Him, the Chief among ten thousand, all
the hammered pomp of heaven at His fest.
With your enkindled faith look up along
unese ranks Of glory. Watch how their
palms rave, and hear how their voices ring
Floods clapping their hands, streets gleam-
ing with gold, u~ncounted multitudes ever
accommodating in number and ever rising up
into gladder hosannas, II you cannot stand
to look upon that joy for at least one hour
how could you endure to dwell among it for
everf 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 nearer in worldly prosperity, afluent
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.
ECaE6gS pI6dS6G 10 EhSClUdblCI Win VlfS
world, gather up your souls for Que appre-
ciative look upon riches than never fly away,
upon health that never sickens, upon scepteFs
never disappointed. Look in nj sec IL
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 ina 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 feari No, o are glad to en-
ter. 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 Gays the door is already open.
What a company Of spirits have already en-
\ tered those portals. bright and shinfngi
Souls released from the earthly prison house
how they shouted as thew went through
Spirits that sped up from the flames OF mar
tyrdom, making heaven richer an they went
in, pouring their notes into the celestial har-
mouy.
And that door has not begun DO shut. Il
redeemed by grace we all shall enter it, This
side OF it we have wept, but on the other side
of 1t we shall never weep. On this side We
may ave grown sick WITH wearlness, q
ON the other side OF IL we snaii 90 witnous
1atgue. On bnls side We oieed WIZ 1ne war
tha v;ctor's nsin, When Won thinI ~ avino
zbat makss vor,r brow contrsct whsf mskss
yo,. Gloomy In nassing a 0raveverds Fol.
over oS Christ Won have baen Thinking
Thar daatb IL something terrible the measnr.
mo ~ lancas with : noverfnI snfaooDist
ths CLOSING in of = c%onfi;ct winch NAV ha yorr
ayerlastino dsfeat. Won do NOT want much
to think Of diving. The step beyond this
life seazns 80 mn ysterious yor1 dread fbe takine
me ~ y se0'1 VIZ wSo es19,s vo,, THE ,saacS
~ borrors5 Heaven's door AZ vide opea.
and Won stem ont Of your sick room into thoss
v-ortsis
NoS a. lono 40 n m;nuta will elansa hatvveau
vos,r danart1,rs ana vo,,r syrivaI fbera No
half 50 long as the t1inkling OF an eye. Mo-
the mjllion5h part of an instant. There ia nc
into darhnaas Thera iano nlpng.
i,g down into u,vsterioms danths The don
i; - enSn 1his ;rstant Wi, ara here tha nert
90, ara thara When = vaeael stynok nm
yoc.rs ~ tha Frarch roast whiIa Sha fraw
&c cIamharinp m tha reach 4 cara IL firdl
ii tha shine cabin ayvakened. ba9an 10 sins
n9ost .weetiv- and yyhen the last fna, LEFT ths
vessel thew were singing vet. Even 90 In the
issS hoTr 81 omr d~iasolufion. when driven b.
s91V M0@- S@S