The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-12-02

and the suurfses and sunsets or all the ages,
and the glory Of burning worlds seem to be
commingled. And the inhabitants never
breathe q sigh, or utter a groan, or discuss
a difference. or frown a dislike, or weep
tear. The fashion they VICAR Is pure white,
and their foreheads are encircled by gar.
lands, 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
I think that John must have fallen back into
bis cavern nerveless and exhausted. Too
much was it for the naked eve to look at.
Too much was it for human strength to e3-
perience.
My friends, I would not wonder il You
awhile. You will be through with this world.
its cares and fatigues and struggles, and II
you havs.sarved the Lord and have done the
best you could, 1 should not wonder If your
dying bed were a Patmos. It often has been
80. I was reading Of a dying boy who, while
the family stood around sorrowfuly, .e1-
pecting each breath would be the last cried:
Happy! HappyF' John Owen, In his
last hour said to his attendant,
'iOh, brother Payne! the long wished
for day has come at lastp Ruther-
ford. In the closing moment Of his
his life, cried out, ~ shall shine, I shall soc
Him as he Is, and all the fair company with
Him, and shall have my large share. I have
gotten the victory. Christ Is holding forth
His arms to embrace me. Now I feell Now
I enjoy! Now I rejoice! feed on mama.
Ihave angels food. My eyes will see my
Redeemer. Glory, glory dweaesh in lmman'
uels land" Yes, ten thousand times In the
history Of the world has the dying bed been
made q Patmos.
You see the time will come when you will,
oh, child Of God, be eriled to your last sick
ness 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 grander and happier for you
than He has ever done! There will be such
visions let down to your pillow as God gives
no man il he Is eyer to return to this tame
and restlessness at the time Of the Christians
departure. the physicians say, is caused by
no real distress. It Is an unconscious and
involuntary movement, and I think In many
cases 1t is the vision Of heavenly gladness too
great for mortal endurance. It 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 un.
der you, and songs let loose on the air, and
your old father and mother gone for years
Will QebCSuu uUO uA6 EOom, ouu ySuE heoeo
children whom you put away tor the Last
sleep years ago will be at your side, and their
kiss will be on your forehsads 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 some
thing that indicated the reappearauce OF
those long deceased. It Is no delirium, no
delusion, but a supernal fact. Your glor.,
to come, and they will say In heaven: "May
I go down to show that soul the way upf
May I be the celestial escort! May I wait for
that soul at the edge Of tbs pillow?' And the
Lord win say: Eyes. You may fly down
on that mission.'' And l think oil your
elorifed brethren will come down, aud they
viii be In the room, and although those In
health standing around you may hear no
voice and see no arrival from the heavenly
world, you will see and hear. And the mo.
ment the feshIy bond Of the soul shall
break, the cry will be: "Folow me! UP this
wayl By this gilded cloud, past these stars.
straight for home fraight for glory straight
As on that day in the Grecian archipelago,
Patmos began to fade out Of sight, I walked
to the stern Of the ship that I might keep my
eye on the enchantment as long as I 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, Behold the tab.
,ernacle of God Is with men, and He Will
dwell with them, and they shall be His peo-
ple and God himself shall be with them and
be their God; and God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes, and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, for the
former things are passed away"