Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-20

spear. Hurry zloag How far Is It, =
s4ys Paul, we have 10 travel" 'TIRres
miles Three miles Is a good way for
an old Elaa 70 travel after ne has been
whipped @nd crippled with aaltFe4t-
msIt- Bar they Son get 70 the place Of
execzElos4-Ac41se SALIVA and he L
fastened % the pillar CT IaATtyraon- II
Goes aoc take any strength 10 tie him
fast. He nl4Ass 40 resistance.
" Paul. why Lot now arrike sor yoai
lfes You have great many friends
hers. With thai witasred hand Jus!
launch the thnISisrbolt OF the people
upon those Infamous soldiers. No. Paul
Was not going - Interfere with his own
e0ronation. He ~as to- glad 70 90. see
hini hooking ap in the face Of his execu-
TONER, And. IS tne grim Official draws
ths sword. Paul calmly says, Il am now
ready 70 be offered. and the time OF my
departure Is At hand" But lot my
hand over ny eyes. want moi 20 see
that last struggle. One sharp. keen
stroke. and Paul does 81 10 the banquet.
and Paul does dine with the king.
A S1OAtDts TRANSITION
What . transition IL vast From the
malaria az Rome 10 the finest climate in
al the un1verso-ths zoee Of eternal
beauty and health His ashes were pat
in tho estaccmbs OF Rome. bat in one
moment the air u heaven bathed from
his soul tvs last ache. From shipwreck,
from dungeon. from the biting pain Of
the elmwood rods, from tho sharp sword
Of ths hesdsmaa. no goes into the most
brilliant ssscmblage OF heaven, king
among kings, multit1des Of the saint
hood rushing out and stretching forth
hands Of welcome, for do really think
that a. on the right hand Of God is
Christ. so on the right hand of Christ is
Paul, the second great Ia heaven
He changed kings likewise. Before
the hour OF death, and up to the last
moment, he was under Nero, the thick
necked. the cruel eyed, the filthy Tipped,
the sculptured features Of that man
bringing down TO US this very day the
horrible possibilities Of his nature
seated a. be was amid pictured mar
bles Of Egypt. under . roof adorned
with mother-of-pesrl. in q dining room
which by machinery was kept whirling
day and night with most bewitching
magniGcence; his horses standing in
stalls of solid gold, and tho grounds
around his palace lighted at night by
its victims, who had been bedaubed
with IA, and pitch and then set on fire
to illurnins the darkness. That was
Paul's king.
But the next moment he goes into the
realm Of him whose reign Is love. and
whose courts arc paved with love, and
whose throne is set ON pillars Of love,
and whose scepter is adorned with jew.
els Of love, and whose palace is lighted
with love, and whose lifetime is an eter.
nifty Of love. When Paul was leaving
so much ON this side the pillar of mar.
tyrdom to gain so much on the other
side, do you wonder at the cheerful vale
dictory Of the text, The time of my
departure is at hands"
Now, why cannot all the old people
have the same holy glee as that aged
man had? Charles I, when he was comb
ing his head. found a gray hair. and he
sent it to the queen as a great joke; but
old age is really no joke at all. For the
last forty years you have been dreadine
that which ought TO have been an ex.
hilaration- You say you most fear the
struggle 1t the moment the soul and
body part. But millions have endured
that moment. and may not we as Welt
They got through with it and so can we.
Besides this, al medical men agree in
saying that there is probably no struggle
at the last momsnt-not so much pain
as the prick Of q pin, the seeming signs
Of distress being altogether involuntary.
But you say, ut is the uncertainty Of
the future" Now. child Of God, do not
play the infdel. After God has filled
the Bible till it can hold no moro with
stories of the good things ahead, better
not talk about uncertainties.
THE GLoMoUs COMPANY.
But you say. II cannot bear to think
of parting from friends here" II you
are OLD. you have more friends In heaven
than here. Just take the census. Take
some large sheet OF paper and begin I'd
record the names Of those who have erni
grated to the other shore; the oompan,
ions Of your school days. your early
business associates, the friends Of mid
life, and those who more recently went
away. Can it be that they have beer
gone so long you do not care any more
about them, and you do not want th6u
society Oh. 10. There have been day.
when you have felt that you could 10,
endure another moment away from theil
blessed com 2snionship. They have gone
You say you would not ike to bring
them back 20 this world Of trouble, even
II you had the power. 1t would not Dc
to trust you. God would not give you
resurrection power.
Before tomorrow morning you would
be rafting az the gates of the cemetery
crying to the departed: Come back Il
the cradle where you slept Come bach
to the hall where ron used to play
Come back 70 the table where you used
to str aud there would be great bur
glery in heaven. No. nc. God win MOI
trust zen with resurrection power; bit
he compromises the matter and says
"You ossnct bring them whore you are
bat Won can go where they are" They
are more lovely new than ever. Were
they beautiful here. they are more beau
tifal there.
Besides tnst. IL In more healthy thers
for yea than here, aged man; better
climate there than these hot summers
and cold wintsrs'snd late springs; bet
Ter hearing, better eyesight, more tonic
in the sir. more perfume in the bloom
more sweeeaess in the cong. Do you