The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-11-11

IN JAZZ fft w ~ t4F ffftsf 4
Patmos, and John the exile beholds
city Of gold, and river more beautiful
than the Rhine or the Hudson rolls
through 1t, and fruit trees bend their
burdens on either bank. and all Is sur
rounded by walls in which the uphol-
stery of autumnal forests, and the sun
rises and sunsets Of all the ages, and
the glory Of burning worlds seem TO be
commingled. And the inhabitants
never breathe sigh, or utter q groan,
or discuss difference, or frown dis
like, or weep tear The fashion they
wear Is pure white, and their foreheads
are encircled by garlands, and they who
were sick are well, and they who were
old are young, and they who were be-
reft 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 1t for human strength TO
experience. rst
My friends, / would not wonder II
you should have very similar vision
after awhile. You will be through this
world, its fatigues and struggles, and II
you have served the Lord and done the
best you could, should not wonder II
your dying bed were a Patmos 1t
often has been so. was reading Of a
dying boy who, while the family stood
round sorrowfully, expecting each
breath would be last, cried: "open the
gates! Open the gates! Happy Happyl
Happy" John Owen in his last hour
said to his attendant: 20, Brother
Payne! the long wished for day is
come at last!" Rutherford, in the clos
ing moment OF his life, cried out: II
shall shine, shall see Him as He is,
and all she 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 / rejoice! | feed on
mama. l have angels food. My eyes
will see my Redeemer. Glory, glory
dwelleth in Immanuel's land" Yes,
ten thousand times in the history Of the
world has the dying bed been made a
Patmos You see the time will come
when you will, o child of God, be ex'
lied to your last sickness as much as
John was exiled TO Patmoa 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 yet donel There will
be such visions let down to your pillow
as God gives no man II he is ever TO re.
turn to this tame world. The ap
parent feeling of uneasiness and rest
lessness at the time Of the Christian'i
departure, the physicians say, is caused
by no real distress. 1t is an uncon
scious and involuntary movement, ant
| / think in many cases 1t is the vision o.
heavenly gladness too great for morta
endurance. II is only heaven breaking
in on the departing spirit You SCI
your work will be done and the time TO
departure will be at hand, and ther,
will be wings over you and wings unde
you, and songs let loose on the air, an'
your old father and mother gone 70
years will descend into the room, ant
your little children whom you pu
away for the last sleep years eg'
will be at your side, and their kis
will. be on your foreheads, and yo'
will see gardens in full bloom and thu
swinging open of shining gates, and vii
hear voices long ago hushed. In man.
a Christian departure that you hav
known and have known there was i
the phraseology Of the departing one
something that indicated the reappeaI
ance Of those long deceased. II is n
delirium, no delusion, but superns
fact. Your gloriHed loved ones vii
hear that you are about TO come an
they will say in Heaven, MAY ! 6
down 10 show that soul the way up
May | be the celestial escort? Ma
I wait for that soul at the edge @
the pillow?" And the Lord will say
Eyes. You may fly down on tha
mission" And think all your gloriie
kindred will come down, and they vii
be In the room, and although those |
health standing round may hear n
voice, and see no arrival from tn
heavenly world, you will see and heal
And the moment the neshy bond OF tn
soul shall break the cry will be: "Fo
low mel Up this wayl By this glide
cloud, apast these stars, straight 70
home, straight for glory, straigh
for Godr' AS on that day !
the Grecian Archipelago Patmo
began TO fade out OF sight wake
to the stern Of the ship that I migt
keep my eye on the enchantment q
long as | could, and the voice this
sounded out Of Heaven 10 John th
exile in the cavern on Patmos SCENE
sounding in the waters that dashe
against the side of our ship: "Behol
the tabernacle of God is with men, an
He will dwell with them, and the
shall Be His people, and God himse
shall be with them and be their Coz
and God shall wipe away all tears frol
their eyes, and there shall be no MOI
death, neither sorrow nor crying, neith'
shall there be any more pain, for th
former things are passed away"
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