Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-12-11

that never part the procession that never
haltS, the trees that never Will CT, the walls
that never can le captured, the sun that never
sets, until we can no longer gaze, and we hide
our eyes, and eXcia m: Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart OF man, the things which God hath pre-
pared Tor them that love him" AS these tides
OF glory rise we have 10 retreat, and hold fast
lest we be swept on and drowned in the emo
lions OF gladntss, and thanksgiving, and
What think you OF tho family property II Is
considered an honor 10 marry into family
where there is great wealth. The Lord, the
bridegroom of earth and heaven offers you his
heart and his hand saying, in the words OF the
Canticles; Rise up, my love, my fair one, and
come away" and on % having put on thy hand
the siRnetring OF ms love, you will be endowed
with all the wealth OF earth, ana all the honors
OF heaven.
Almost every family looks back TO home
stead-some country place where you grew up.
You sat on the doorsill You heard the foot
step OF the rain on the gari tt,roo-. You swung
on the gate. You ransacked the barn. You
waded into the brook. You threshed the orch
ard for apples and the neighborlnk woods for
nuts; and every thing around the old
homestead is OF interest To you l tell you OF
the old homestead OF eternity. In my Fathers
house are many mansions. When we talk OF
mansions, we think OF Chatsworth, and Its
park. nine miles in circumference, and its con-
servatory, that astonishes the world: It's gal
leries OF art, that contain the triumphs OF
Chantrey Conova, and Ihorwaldsen; OF the
stately halls, or, flying over the heather. have
hunted the grouse. hut all the dwelling places
OF ukes, and Princes and Queens are as moth
ing 10 the family mansion that Is already await
ing our arrival The hand OF the Lord Jesus
lifted the pillars, and swung the doors, and
planted the parks. Angles walk there, and the
good OF all ages. The poorest man in the house
IN millionaire and the lowliest King and the
tamest word he speaks is On anthem, and the
shortest life an eternity.
1t took Paxton TO build for Chatsworth q
covering for the wonderful flower, Victora
Regia, five feet in diameter. But our lily OF the
valley shall need no shelter from the blast, and
in the open gardens OF God shall put forth Its
full bloom, and all heaven shall come 70 look at
IL, and its aroma shall be Az though the cher
ubim had swung before the throne thousand
censers. have not seen IL yet am in for
eign land. But my father is waiting for me to
come home have brothers and sisters there
In the bible have letters from there, telling
me what fine place II is. IL matters not much
10 me whether l am rich or poor, or whether the
world hates me or loves me- or whether go by
land or by sea II on may lift my eyes at last on
the family mansion. IL Is not frail house,
built in a month, soon 10 crumble, but an old
mansion which is as firm as the day IL was
built Its walls are grown with the ivy OF
many ages, and the urnS at the gateway are
a-bloom with the century plants OF eternity.
The Queen OF Sheba hath walked its halls, and
Esther and Marie Antoinette, and Lady Hunt
ington and Cecil, and Jeremy Taylor, and
Samuel Rutherford, and John Milton, and the
widow who gave two mites, and the poor men
from the hospital these last two perhaps out
family mansion means reunion
Some OF your families are very much
scattered cd The children .5, married n1 and
Charleston; but perhaps once year you come
together AT the old place. How you wake up
the old piano that has been silent for years.
Cfother and mother do not play on it, How
you bring out the cid relics, and rummage the
garrett and open old scrap-books and shout,
and laugh, and cry, and talk over old times.
and, although you may be forty-five years Of
age, act as though you were siXuenl Yet soon
il is goodbye at the car-window, and goodbye
at the steamboat wharf. But how Will we act
at the reunion in the old family mansion Of
heaven IL is a good while since you parted at
the door OF the grave. There will be Grace and
Mary, and Martha, and Charlie, and Lizzie, and
all the darllngs OF your househoid-not pale and
sick, and gasping for breath, as when you saw
them last, but their eyes bright with the lustre
OF heaven and their cheek roseate with the
flush OF celestial summer
WHAT clasping Of handsi What emhracinGsl
what coming together OF lip to lip! What tears
OF 10y, You say; W. thought there W. were reno no
says that: God shall wipe them away" and
II there were no tears there, how could he wipe
them away They cannot be tears OF grief or
Of gladness. Christ will come and say: What
child Of heaven, Is IL too much for thee; Dost
thou break down under the gladness OF this re
unioni Then will help thee" And, with his
one arm around US and the other arm around
our loved one, he shall hold Us up in the eternal
jubilee.
While speak some OF you, with broken hearts,
can hardly hold your peace. You feel as II you
would speak out and say: 20 blessed day speed
on. Toward thee / press with blstered feet
over the desert way. My eyes fail for their
weeping. i faint from listening for feet that will
not come, and the sound OF voices that will not
speak. Speed on, o day OF reunionl And then,
Lord Jesus, be not angry with me after l have
just once kissed thy pleased feet, turn around
To gather up the long lost treasures Of my heart
o. be not angry with me. One look at thee were
heaven. But al, these reunions are heaven en-
circling heaven, heaven overlapping heaven,
heaven commingling with heaven"
was at Mount Vernon, and went into the
dlning-room in which our first President enter.
tained the prominent men of this and other
lands. II vas very interesting spot But OH
the bang Thighs of the mansion OF which !
speak, Spread the table, spread IL wide;
for great multitude ore 70 sit az
IL. From the Tree by the River gather
the twelve manner OF fruits for that table
Take the clusters from the heavenly vineyards
and press them into the golden tankards for
that table ON baskets carry in the Bread OF
which, II man eat, he shall never hunger Take
all the shot-torn flags Of earthly conquest, and
entwine them among the arches. Let David
come with his harp, and Gabriel with his
trumpet, and Miriam with the timbrel for the
prodigals are at home, and the captives are free,
and the Father hath invited the mighty OF
heaven and the redeemed OF earth 10 come and
dinel