The Brookhaven leader., 1891-11-19

crash. the plpers cease 70 plpe,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 Babylon il
fallen, is fallen!' And we halt again
to rest from the spectacle. Again the
panorama passes before the cavern of
Patmos, and John the exile sees q
mounted Christ on a snow-white
charger leading forth the cavalry Of
Heaven. the long line of white chargers
galloping through the scene, the clat-
tering of hoofs, the clinking Of bride
bits and the flash OF spear. all the
earth conquered and all Heaven
in Doxology. And we halt again to
rest from the spectacle. Again the
panorama 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 high
err than all on which Jesus sits, and
ponderous books arc opened, their
leaves turned over, revealing the names
of all 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 vanish. Again
we rest moment from the spectacle
The panorama moves on before
the cavern of Patmos, and John,
the exile, beholds city of gold, and
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 for
csts and the sun rises aud sun sets of
all the ages, and the glory of burning
| worlds seem to be commingled. And
the inhabitants never breathe sign, or
utter groan, or discuss difference, or
frown dislike, or weep tear. The
fashion they wear 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, l 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 ex-
perience.
My friends, / would not wonder il
you should have very similar vision
after awhile. You will be through this
world, its cares, and fatigues, and
struggles, and if you have served the
Lord and have done the best you could
| should not wonder if your dyiug-bed
were q Patnos. It often has been so,
| was reading of dying boy who,
while the family stood round sorrow.
fully expecting each breath would be
the last, cried: "Open the gates!
Open the gates! Happy! Happy!
Happy" John Owen in his last hour
said to his attendant: "Oh, Brother
Payne! the long-wished-fo day is come
at last" Rutherford, in the closing
moment of his life cried out II shall
shine, l shall see Him as He is, and all
the fair company with Him, and shall
have my large share, l have gotten
the victory. Christ is holding forth
His arms to embrace me. Now / feel!
Now enjoy! Now l rejoice! l feed
on mama. ! 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 dy-
ing bed been made n PatmOs. You
sec, the time will come when you
will, o child of God, be exiled to your
last sickness as much as John was ex-
lied to Patmos. You will go into your
room not to come out again, for God is
going to do something better and grand
err 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 uncas-
mess and restlessness at the time of
the Christian departure, the physi-
clans say, is caused by no real
distress 1t is an unconscious and
involuntary movement, and, l think,
in many cases it is the vision of
Heavenly gladness too great for mortal
endurance. 1t is only Heaven break
ing 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 foreheads, and you will see
gardens in full bloom, and the swinging
open of shining gates, and will hear
voices long ago hushed. In many
Christian departure that you have
known and | have known there was in
the phraseology of the departing ones
something that indicated the reappear-
ance of those long deceased. 1t is no
delirium, no delusion, but a supernal
fact. Your glorified 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 up?
May l be the celestial escort? May
| wait for that soul at the edge
of the pillow?'' And the Lord will say:
Eyes. You may fly down ON that mis-
sion." And | think all your glorified
kindred will come down, and they will
be in the room, and although t.nse in
health standing around you may bear
no voice, and see no arrival from the
heavenly world, you will see and hear.
And the moment the tieshy bond OF the
soul shall break the cry will be: FOL
low mel I'm this wayi Rv this pilded