Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-02-20

this MASTERPIECES OF heaven By ST. John is
more Impressive when we take only thirty
minutes Of It at q time. Nov we have some
thing that We can come nearer to grasp!nr,
and II Is a quiet heaven. hen We discourse
a bout the Inultitudes of heaven it must be
alnosc g nervous shock to those who have
ali their lives been crowded by many PEG
PIE and who want a quie. heaven.
For the last thirty-ive years | have been
much OF the time IN crowds and under public
scrutiny and amid excitenentS, and | have
sometimes thought for a few weeks after I
r5ach heaven l would like to go down in
s1nne quiet part o. the realm with a few
frien1s and for some little while try com
para.va solitude. Then there are those
whose hearing is 50 delicate tina: they get no
satisfaction when you describe the crash Of
the eternal orchesrra. ana they feel like say
ing. as a good woman III Hudson. n. Y,
sali. after hearing NE speak OF the mighty
chorus OF heaven. That must be a great
heaven. but what will become Of nv poor
head les. this half hour OF my text is q
still exerience.
There was silence in heaven for half an
hour" You will find the inhabitants all
at homs. Enter the Kings Palace and take
only a glimpse, for we have only thirty min
utes for al! heaven. lis that jesus YES"
Just Under the hair along His forehead Is the
mark Of 4 wound male by a bunch OF
twisted brambles, AMI His foot on the throne
has on the rouni OF His instcp another mark
Of a wound made by spike. and a scar on
the palm of the lett hand. But what a
c~ountenance. What a smile, What a
grandeur What a loneliness. What
al overwhelming look of kindness
and grace. Why. He looks as If
lie had redeemed a world'. But come on.
Tor our time is short. Do you see that row of
palaces: That is the Apostolic row. Do
you see that long reaca of architectural
Eioriess That is Martyr row, Do you see
that ilnlnens. structures? That is the big
Eest house i'll heaven; that is the House OF
Many Mansions" Do you see that wall!
Shade your eyes against its burning splen-
dor, fer that is the wall OF heaven, jasper
At the bottom AMI amethyst at the top.
See this river rolling through the heart OF
he great metropolis? That Is the river
concerning which those who once lived on
the banks Of the Hudson, or the Ala
anna, on the Rhine, or the Shannon
say, 1--WE never saw the like. of this
for clarity and sheen" That is the
chief river OF heaYcn-so bright. SO wide. so
deep. But you ask, where are tho
a~sylulns FOR the old:" l answer, the
inhabitants are all young" Where are
the hospitals for the lameT' They are all
agile Where are the infirmaries for the
blind and deaty' They all see and hear"
where are the almhouses for the poor"
They are all multimlllionaires.n "Where
are the inebriate ~asylums:' why, there
are 40 saloons.' Where are the grave
yards" "Why, they never die" Pass
down those boulevards Of gold and
amber and sapphire and see those
tect OF the universe into homes,
over the threshold of which sorrow
never steps. and out of whose windows faces,
once pale with earthly sickness, now look
rubicund with immortal health. "Oh, let
me go in and see themy' you say. No, you
cannot on IN IhnrA r thnSa fhara who
would never consent to let you come W.
You say, Let me stay here i'll this place
where they never sin, where they never suf-
Ter, where they never part" no., no! Our
time Is short, Onr thirty minutes are almost
gone. Come on We must get back to the
earth before this half hour of heavenly silence
breaks up, for in yOur mortal state you can
not endure the ponp and splendor and reso-
nance when this half hour of silence is ended.
The day Will come when you can see
heaven in full blast, but not now. l am now
only showing you heaven at the dullest half
hour Of all the eternities. Come on! There is
something in the celestial appearance which
makes me think that the half hour of silence
will soon be over. Yonder are the white
horses being hitched to charlots, and yonder
are seraphs lingering harps as II about to
strike them into symphony, and yonder are
~conquerors taking down from the blue halls
Of heaven the umpe of victory.
Remember, we are mortal yet, and cannot
endure the full rc!l of heavenly harmonles
and cannot endure even the silent heaven
FOR more than half an Hour. Hank! the
clock in the tower OF heaven begins to strike
ard the half hour is ended. Descend! Come
back! Come down till your work Is done!
Shoulder a little longer your burdens! Fight
Il little longer your battles, Weep a little
longer your griefs. And then take heaven,
rot in its dullest half hour, but in its
ntightiest ponp. and instead OF taking 1t
fa. thirty minutes taxa 1t world without
md.
Eat how viii you spend the first half hour
Of your heavenly citizenship after you have
gone in to stay: After your prostratiou be-
fore the throne in worship OF Him who
made it pos-ibieffor You to get there at all,
| think the rest OF vour first half hour i'll
heaven VIII he passed II receiving your re-
ward if YOU have been faithful. | have a
strangely beautiful book containing the pic
lures Of the medals struck by TIE English
Government in honor OF great battles; these
medals pinned over the heart of the re-
turned h~eroesof the army on great occasions,
the royal family present; the Crlmeau
medal, the Victoria cross, the Waterloo
medal.
In your first half hour IN heaven in some
way YOU will be hOnoreI for the earthly
struggles in which you won the day. Stand
up before all the royal house OF heaven and
receive the insignia while you are an
nounced as tbs. victor over the droughts
AMI tresnets OF the farm field, victor over
APPROXIMATIONS o. theAStock Exchange,
victor over professional! ;Alurements, victor
over domestic intellcities, victor over me
chanic's shop. victor over the storehouse.
victor over holus worrlincnts, victor over
physical distresseS, v4ctoc over hereditary
Expressions, VICTOR over s:l am ueatn AM
he'll. Take the badge that celebrates those
victories throu-a our lord Jesus Christ.
Take it in the presence OF al the galleries
sanity. angelic ani divine.
Thy SAINTS in g. this glorious war
Snalt cdnqa r taou-l they die.