The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-11-20

rocks and each wave has a voice and
all the waves together make a chorus
and they remind him of the multitud
nous anthems of Heaven and he says
''They are like the voice of many wa
ters" One day as he looked off upon
the sea the waters we're very smooth and
they were like glass and the sunlight
seemed to set them on fire, and there
was mingling of white light and in
tense flame, and as St John looked
out from his cavern home upon that
brilliant sea- he thought of the
splendors of Heaven and describes
them ''As q sea of glass mingled
with fire." Yes, seated in the
dark cavern of Patmos, though
homesick and hungry and loaded with
Domitian's anathemas, St John was
the most fortunate man on earth, be-
cause of the panorama that passed be-
fore the mouth of that cavern Turn
down all the lights that we may better
see 1t The panorama passes, and lol
the conquering Christ, robed, girdled,
armed, the flash of golden candlesticks
and seven stars in his right hand, can
dlesticks and stars meaning light held
up, and light scattered. And there
passes throne and Christ on it, and
the seals broken, and the woes sounded,
and a dragon slain, and seven last
plaques swoop. and seven walls are
poured out, and the vision vanishes.
And we halt a moment to rest from
the exciting spectacle. Again the pam
Drama moves on before the cavern of
Patmos, and John, the exile, sees a
great city representing all abomina-
tons, Babylon lowered, palaced, tenn.
pied, fountained, foliaged, sculptured,
hanging gardens, suddenly going crashI
crash! and the pipers cease to pipe, and
the trumpeters cease to trumpet, and the
dust and the smoke and the horror fill
the canvas, while from above and be-
meath are voices announcing "Babylon
is fallen, is fallen!" And we halt again
to rest from the spectacle.
Again the panorama passes before
the cavern of Patmos, and John the
exile sees a mounted Christ on a snow
white charger leading forth the cavalry
of Heaven, the long line of white
chargers galloping through the scene,
the gathering of hoofs, the clinking of
bride bits, and the flash of spears, all
the earth conquered and all Heaven in
Doxology. And we halt again to rest
from the spectacle.
Again the panorama passes before
the cavern of Patmos, and John the
exile sees great thrones lifted, thrones
of martyrs, thrones of apostles, thrones
Of ~ ST. ~
throne higher than all on which Je-
sus sits, and ponderous books are
opened, their leaves turned over, re-
vealing the names of all that have ever
lived, the good and the bad, the re-
nowned and the humble, the mighty
and the weak. and at the turn of every
leaf the universe is in rapture or fright,
and the sea empties its sarcophagus of
all the dead of the sunl1en shipping,
and the earth gives way, and the
heavens vanish. Again we rest a mo-
ment from the spectacle.
The panorama moves on before the
cavern of Patmos, and John the exile
beholds city of gold, and river more
beautiful than the Rhine or the Hudson
rolls through it, and fruit trees bend
their burdens on either bank, and all
is surrounded by walls in which the
upholstery of autumnal forests and the
sunrises and sunsets of all the ages,
and the glory of burning worlds seem
to be commingled. And the inhabit-
ants never breathe sigh or utter a
groan. or discuss difference, or frown
dislike, or weep tear. The fashion
they wear is pure white, and their fore
heads are encircled by garlands, and
they who were sick are well, and they
who were old are young. and they who
were bereft are reunited.
My friends, l would not wonder if
you should have very similar vision
after awhile. You will be through this
world, its cares, and fatigues, and
struggles, and if you have served the
Lord and have done the best you could,
l should not wonder if your dying bed
were at Patmos- 1t often has been so.
Yes, ten thousand times in the his
tory of the world has the dying bed
been made a Patmos. You see the
time will come when you will, o child
of God, be exiled to your last sickness
as much as John was exiled to Patmos.
You will go into your room not to come
out again, for God is going to do some
thing better and grander and happier
for you than He has ever yet done!
There will be such visions let down to
your pillow as God gives no man if he
is ever to return to this tame world.
The apparent feeling of uneasiness and
OF hn IF hn Chrie
tian's departure, the physicians say, is
caused by no real distress 1t is an IN
conscious and involuntary movement,
and 1 think in many cases it is the
vision of heavenly gladness too great
for mortal endurance. 1t is only Heaven
breaking in on the departing spirit
You see your work will be done and the
time for your departure will be at hand,
and there will be wings over you and
wings under you, aud songs let loose on
the air, and your old father and mother
gone for years, will descend into your
room, and your little children whom
you put away for the last sleep years
ago will be at your side. and their kiss
will be on your foreheads, and you
will see gardens in full bloom, and the
swinging open of shining gates, and
will hear voices long ago hushed.
In many a Christian departure that
you have known and i have known
there was in the phraseology of the
departing ones something that indicated
the temperance of those long
deceased. 1t is no delirium, no delusion,
but supernal fact Your glorifed
loved ones will hear that you are
about to come and they will say in
Heaven. MAY l go down to show
that soul the way up? May
/ be the celestial escortP Nav