Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-11-09

at earth because Of the panorama tha
re passed before the mouth of that cavern
" LET Us vIEw THE PANORAMA.
is Turn down all the lights that W
le may better see it. The panoram
"a passes, and lol the conquering Christ
5e robed, girdled armed. the fash o
d golden candlesticks and seven stars il
g his right hand. candlesticks and star
s meaning light held up and light scat
Y tered And there passes a throne anC
. Christ on it. and the seals broken, anc
Z tho woes sounded. and dragon slain,
u and seven last plaques swoop, and
: seven vials are poured out, and the
vision vanishes. And we halt a mo
6 ment to rest from the exciting spec
] tacle.
> Again the panorama moves on be
fore the cavern of Patmos and John
the exile sees great city representing
all abominations-Bab lowered,
palaced, tempted, fountained, foliaged,
sculptured, hanging gardens suddenly
going crash! crashl and the pipers cease
TO pipe, and the trumpets cease to
trumpet, and the dust and the smoke
ard the horror fill the canvas, while
from above and beneath are voices an
nnunciug. Babylon is fallen, is fallen!'
| And we halC again TO rest from the
1 spectacle.
Again tho. 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 charg
ers galloping through the scene, the
clattering of hoofs, the cinLing of
bride bits and the fash of spears, all
the earth conquered and all heaven in
Doxology. And we halt again to rest
from the spectacle. Again the peno-
rama passes before the cavern of Pat
mos, 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 sits,
and pOnderOus books are opened, |
their leaves turned over, revealing
the names of al that have ever lived, |
the good and the bad, the renowned !
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 sunken shipping, and the
earth gives way, and the heavens van
ish. Again we rest moment from the
spectacle. The panorama moves on be- |
fore the cavern of Patmos, and John |
the exile beholds a city of gold, and a
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 Inhabitants never breathe a !
sigh, or utter a groan, or discuss diff
ference, or frown a dislike, or weep a
tear. The fashion they wear is pure
white, and their foreheads are encir-
cled by garlands, and they who were
sick are well, and they who were 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 exhaust
ed. Too much was it for naked eye to
look at. Too much was it for human
strength to experience.
OPEN THE GATES.
My friends, l would not wonder
if you should have very similar
vision after awhile. You will be
through this world, its cares and ia
tigues and struggles, and if you have
served the Lord and have done the
best you could. should not wonder If
your dying bed were a Patlnos. 1t
often has been so. / was reading of a
lying boy who, while the family stood
'ound sorrowfully expecting each breath
would be the last, cried: open the
rates! Open the gatesl Happy Hap
oyl Happy"
John Owen in his last hour said to
lis attendant, "Oh, Brother Payne, !
he long wished for day is come at
astm Rutherford, in the closing mo-
nent of his life, cried out 81 shall
shine, shall see him as he is, and all
,he fair company with him, and shall
nave my large share. | have gotten
the victory. Christ is holding forth
his arms TO embrace me. Now feel!
Now l enjoy! Now rejoicel feed
on mama have angels food. My
eyes will see my Redeemer. Glory,
glory dwelleth in ImmanueIs land"
Yes, ten thousand times in the his
tory of the world has the dying bed
been made Patmos. You see the
time will come when You will, oh, child
Of God, be eXiled to your last sickness
rs much as John was exiled to Patmos.
You will go into your room not to
come out again, for God is going to do
better and grander and hap
pier for you than lie 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
rostlessness at the time of the Chris
tian's departure, the physicians say, is
caused 10y no real distress
Ii is an unconscious and involuntary
and think in many cases
IL is the vision of heavenly gladness too
great for mortal endurance. 1t is only
heaven breaking in ON the departing