Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-12
scattered. And there passes throne and
Christ on it, and the seals broken, and

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 mo-
ment to rest from the exciting spectacle.
| Again the panorama moves on before the
| cavern of Patmos, and John the exile sees i
great city representing all denominations,
| Babylon lowered, palaced, tempted, foun-
| tanned, foliaged, sculptured, hanging-gar-
dens, suddenly going crashl crash! and the
| piperS cease to pipe, and the trumpets cease
| to trumpet, and the dust and the smoke and
| the horror fill the canvas, while from above
and beneath are voices announcing Baby
! lon is fallen, is fallen!'
| And we halt again to rest from the specta-
| Gle. Again the panorama passes before the
| cavern of Patmos, and John the exile sees a
| mounted Christ on 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 bridle-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 piano.
| rama passes before the cavern of Patmos,
| and John the exile sees great thrones lifted,
| thrones of martyrs, thrones of apostles,
thrones of prophets, thrones of patriarchS,
and throne higher than all on which Jesus
| leaves turned over, revealing the names of
all that have lived, the good and the bad,
| the renowned and the hum Die, 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 Sunken shipping, and the earth gives
way and the heavens vanish.
Again we rest moment from the spec
tacle. The panorama moves on before the
cavern of PatmoS. and John the exile be-
holds city of gold, and river more beau
tiful than the Rhine or the Hudson rolls
through it, and fruit trees bend their bur-
dens on either bank, and all is surrounded
by walls in which the upholstery OF au-
tumnal forests, and the sunrises and sun
sets of all ages. and the glory of burning
worlds seem to be commingled. And the
inhabitants
NEVER BREATHE A SIGH
or utter d 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 we'll and they who We're
old are young, and they who were 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,
nerveless and exhausted. Too much was
it for naked eye to look at. Too much was
it for human strength to experience.
My friends. | would not wonder if you
should have very similar vision after
awhile. You will be through with this
world, its cares and fatigueS and struggles,
and if you have served the Lord and have
done the best you could. should not Won
der if your dying bed were a PaJm0s. 1t
often has been so. l was reading of dy-
ing boy who, while the family stood round,
sorrowfully expecting that each breath
would be the last, cried, "Open the gates!
Open the gates Happy! Happyl Happy!'
John Owens in his last hour said to his at
tendant: "Oh, brother Payne, the long
wished for day is come at last!' Ruther-
ford, in the closing moment of his life,
cried out: Il 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 | feel! Now l
enjoy! Now I rejoice! l feed on mama.
l have angels food. My eyes will see my
manuers land" Yes, ten thousand times
in the history of the world has the dying
bed been made 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 something
better and srander 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 I'M
eaSinesS and restlesSness at the time of the
Christians departure, the physicians say,
is caused by no real distress. 1t is an I'M
and involuntary movement, and /
think in many cases it is the vision of heav-
emily gladness too great for mortal endur
ance. 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, 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 ago will be at your
side. and their kiss will be on your fore
heads, 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 phraseology of the departing ones some
thing that indicated the temperance Of
those long deceased. 1t is no delirium, no
delusion, but supernal fact. Your glori- !
fed loved ones will hear that you are about
to come and they will say in heaven, ''May
go down to show that soul the way upl |
May be the celestial escorts May l wait |
for that soul at the edge of the pillow"
And the Lord will say, Yes, you may fly |
down on that mission And l think all |
your glorified kindred will come down, and |
they will be in the room, and although those !
in health standing round you may hear no |
voice and see no arrival from the heavenly |
world you will see and hear. And the mo- |
ment the fleshy bond of the soul shall break |
the cry will be, ''Follow me! Up this way! |
By this gilded cloud, apast these stars,
straight for home. straight for glory, |
straight for God!"
As on that day in the Grecian Archipel- |
ago, Patmos began to fade out of sight, 1 |
walked to the stern of the ship that might |
keep my eye on the enchantment 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 God himself shall be with
them and be their God, and God shall wipe |
away all tears from their eyes, and there