Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-09-24

shall have a merry supper with the Lord
tonight" Yonder is Henry Woes. who ex-
GAINED as he diei. IF hal tn heads they
should all fall Off for Christ"
The great throng OF the martyrs, They
had hot lead poured down their threats.
horses were fastened to their hands, and
other horsA to their feet, aud thus they
were pulled apart; they had their tongues
pulled out by red hot ~pin"ers; they were
Sewed UP in the SKINS OF animals and then
thrown u the dogs. they were dauo9i with
c~ombus,ibles AMI then set on fire. IL all
the martyrs stakes that have been kindled
could be set at proper distances they would
make the Midnight all the world over as
t as MONDAY.
And nov they sit yonier in the martyrs
gallery. For them the fires o. persecution
have gone out. The swords are sheathed
ami the mob hushet. Now they watch US
with an all observing sympathy. Iney
know all the pam, all the hardships. all the
anguish, all the injustice, all the privation.(
They canno. keep still. They cry: "oour-
age! The fire will not consume. The floods
cannot drown. The lions cannot devour.
Courage. down tn re in the arena"
What, are they all looking, This night
We answer back the salutatlon thsy give, ant
cry. fail. IONS and daughters Of the fire.
look again and see another gallery. that
Of eminent Christians. What strikes me
strangely is the mixing in conpanionshlp OF
those who on earth could not agree. There
is Albert Barnes. and around him the pres
bytery who tried him tor h~etero1oxyl
Won Or is LYMAN Rnacnar and tho chnpch
court that ~deu0unca1 MIN. stranger tnan
all, there is John Calvin aui James Arnin-
iu,. WHO would have thought that they
would sit so lovingly toy .ther? There Is
George Whitefioll and the ministers who
would not let him come into their pulplts De-
auSa they Thought him a fanatic. 1Derc
are the sweet singers ToplaIy, Montgomery,
Charles Wesley. Isaac Watts and Mrs. Sig
Quincy. If heaven had had no music be-
fore they went up, they wonid have started
the singing.
And there tue band Of mlsslonarles-Davld
Ab+-ei, talking OF China Redeemed; and
John Scudder. 0f India saved; and DAVID
Brainard, Of the aborigines evangellzod, and
Mrs. Adoniram Judson. whose prayers Tor
Burmah took heaven by violence. All these
Christians are looking into tue arena. Our
struggle is nothing to theirs. Do we. III
Cnrists cause, suffer from the coli' They
walked GreenlanIs icy mountains. Do VIZ
suffer from the heat They sweitered in
the tropics. ID W. get fatigued? They
faiated, with none to care for them out can
nibals. Are We prosecuted? Tney vera
mathematical. Aud as they look from their
gallery and see us falter III the presence OF
the lions, | seem to hear Isaac Watts address
Ing Us in his Oh hymn, only a little changed
Must Won be ca-riet to the skies
on fowery beds OF ease.
While others fou rat to win the pfiz,
Or sailed Though bloody seas
Toplalv shouts in hi, old hymn:
Your narps, ye trembling saints,
Down from tn willows take;
Loli t. me praise OF love DIVINE.
Bid every string awake.
While Charles Wtsiev. tho M4tho ;ict.
breaks fortil in his fevorte words, a it'll.
varlei:
a charge to keep YOU haYe,
A cod TO glorift.
never dying soli to save,
And fit II for the sky
! LOOK again and | see the gallery OF our
departed. MANY OF thos. III the othar
galleries We have heard of: but these we
knew. Oh. how familiar their faces! They
sat ut our tables, and We walked to ths
house OF Cod III company. Have they Tor
gotten Us? Those fathers AMI mothers
started us on the road OF life. Are they
careless as to what becomes Of Us? And
those chill lren-do they look on with stolid
Indifference as to whether we win Or lose
this battle Tor eternity? Nay: | see that
child running It's hand over your brow and
saying, Father, do not fret" Mother,
do not worry"
They remember the day they left us. They
remember the agony Of the last farewell
Though years in heaven they know our
faces. Tney remember our sorroUs. They
speak our names. They watch this ii sht for
heaven. Nay, | see them rise up and lean
and encouragement Tha gallery is not
full. They are keeping places for us. After
we have slain the hon they expect the King
TO call US, saying: Come up higher" Be
tween tn" hot struggles i'll the arena [ wipe
the sweat from my brow aud stand on til
toe, reaching up my right hand to clasp
theirs III rapturous handsnaking, while their
voices cOipe ingin down from the gallery,
CRYING: "3e thou faithful unto death. and
You shall have a crown
But here l pause, overWhelme9 with the
ma jesty and Joy OF the scene, Gallery OF
the King, Gallery OF angels. Gallery OF
prophets ami apostles Gallery OF martyrs!
Gallery of SAINTS. Gallery of friends and
kindred, On, majestic circles of light and
love! Throngs! rhrongs! Throngs. How
shall we stand the gaze of the universe,
MyrIais Of eyes beaming on us, Myria1s OF
hearts beating in sympathy for us! How
shall we ever dare to sin again! How shall
We ever become discourage again! How
shall We ever feel lonely again,
with Goi for As, and angeis for us, and
prophets and apostles for us, and the great
sou, of the ages for us, and our glorifiei
inirei for us-shali We give up the tight
md die M, SoI OF God, who didst die to
save Us. No We angels, whose wings are
spread forth to shelter us No, ye prophets
and apostles. whose warnings startle us. No
We ioSet oIltS, WHO'S 6TiuS are CuIStGcCCQoO
TO receive US. No, we will never surrender
Sure | must fight il | would reign
be faithful TO my LORD;
And bear the Cross, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
Thy saints ia all this glorious war
shall conquer. thou IN they die:
They Sc the triumph from afar
And seize it with their eye.
When tina, iliu.,rlou. day shal! rise,
And all Thine armies shine
Iii rooes o: victory through the skies.
The glory shall be Thine.
My nearer, shall we die in the arena o,
Use To join our friends in the gallery
through Christ we may come off more
<:hau conQuerors. A sol1ier dying in the
hospital rose up in bed the last moment an
cried. Here, Here" His attendants pu
him back on his pillow AMI asked him WHY
be shouted Here "Oh. | heard the rol
call Of heaven aud | was only answering t
nv n.me." | wonder whether. after thi
battle of life is over. our name will be Gale,
IN the muster role o. the parionei ana glori
fed, aui with the 3oy of heaven breakiu
upon our souls, We cry. "He~e' Here