Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-11-13

sea cmrtics IT, sarcophagus OF all tho
dead of the sunken shipping. and the
earth gives way, and the heavens
vanish. Again we rest moment from
the spectacle.
The panorama moves on before tho
cavern of Patmos, and John the exile be-
holds a city of gold, and a river moro
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 up
hustery of autumnal forests, and the
suurlses and sunsets of all the ages, and
the glory of burning worlds seem to be
comminglcd. And the inhabitants never
breath sigh, or utter groan. or DIS
cuss a difference, or frOwn dislike, or
weep a tear The fashion they wear Is
pure white, and their forcheads are en-
circled by garlands, and they who we're
old are young, and they who we're bereft
are reunited. And as the last figure OF
that panorama rolled out of sight think
that John must have fallen back into
his cavern ncrveIess and exhausted. Too
much was it for naked eye to look at.
Too much was it for human strength to
experience
nv friends, would not wonder if you
should have very similar vision after
awhile. Nou will be through with this
world, its cares and fatigues and strug-
giles, and 4 you have served the Lord
and have done the best you could,
should nc. wonder if y,ur dying bed
were Patmos. 1t often has been so. l
was reading OF dying boy who, while
the family stood around sorrowfullv, ex-
Il, 10 LD 1nc
cried: ''Open the gates! Open the gates!
Happy! Happy! Happy!" John Owen.
in his last hour, said TO his attendant,
day has come at last" Rutherford, in
the closing moment Of his life, cried out:
III shall shine. l shall see him as he is,
and all the fair company with him, and
shall have my large share. have got
ten the victory. Christ is holding forth
His arms to embrace me. Now l feel!
Now ] enjoy! Now | rejoice! feed on
mamma have angels food. My eyes
will see my Redcemcr. Glory, glory
dwcllcth in 1mmanueI's land" Yes,
1O,O 600 times in the history Of the world
has the dying bed been made Patmos.
You see the time will come when you
will, oh, chilu of God, lie eXiled to your
last sickness as much as John was eX-
lied to Patmos. You will go into your
room not to come out again, for God is
going to do something better and grand
err 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
ii he is ever to return to this tame world.
The apparent feeling of uncaSiness and
iestlessncss at the time OF the Christians
departure, the physicians say, is caused
by no real distress. 1t is an unconscious
and involuntary movement, aud / think
in many cases tits the vision of heavenly
gladness too great tor mortal endurance.
1t is only Heaven breaking in on the de-
parting 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, and songs let loose
on the air, and your old father and
mother gone for years will descend into
the room, and your little children whom
you put away for the last sleep years o 20
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 have known there
was in the phrascology Of the departing
appearance Of those long deceased.
1t is no delirium, no delusion,
but a supernal fact Your glorihed
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 wav up? May be the celestial
escort? May wait for that soul at the
edge Of the pillow?" And the Lord will
say: Yves. You may fly down on that
mission" And l think all your g!oritied
Kindred will come du"n, and they will
be in the room, and although those in
health standing around you may hear
no voice aud see no arrival from tho
Heavenly world, you will see and hear.
And the moment the t]eshy bond OF the
soul shall break, the cry will be: "Fol-
low me! Up this way! by this gilded cloud,
past these stars, straight for home,
straight for glory, straight for God!''
AS on that day in the Grecian archi-
pelago, Patmos began to fade out Of
sight, walked to the stern of the ship
that might keep my eye on the en-.
chantment as long as l could and the
voice that sounded out of Heaven to
John The exile in the cavern on Patmos
seemed sounding in the waters that
dashed against the side Of our ship, "Be-
hold the tabernacle of God is with men,
and He will dwell with them, and they
shall be His people and Tod himself shall
be with them and be their God; and God
shall wipe away oil tears from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall
their be any more pain, for the former
things are passed away"
1 Vi,,A A.. CA, ~,,