Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-06-30

his creviced forehead, and see him
looking up through the hole in the roof
of the dungeon into the face OF his exc
cutioners, and hear him say: II am
now ready to be offered, and the time
ofmy departures at hand" Then they
lift him out Of the dungeon, and
they start with him to the place of
execution. They say, "Hurry along,
old man, or you will feel the weight of
our spear. Hurry along" GLOW far
is it, says Paul, eve have to travel?"
"Three miles," Three miles is a
good way for an old man to travel
after he has been whipped and crippl-
ed with maltreatment. But they
soon get to the place of execution
Acque Salvia-and he is fastened to
the pillar of martyrdom. It does
not take any strength to tie him fast.
He makes no resistance. o Paul! why
not now strike for you life? You have
great many friends here. With that
withered hand just launch the thun-
der-bolt of the people upon those in
famous soldiers. No! Paul was not
going to interfere with his own coro-
nation. He was too glad to go. I
see him looking up in the face Of his
executioner, and rs the grim official
draws the sword Paul calmly says II
am now ready to be offered, and the
time OF my departure is at hand"
But put my hand over my eyes. I
want not to see that last struggle.
One sharp, keen stroke and Paul goes
to the banquet, and Paul does dine
with the king.
What transition it was! From
mate in all the universe-the zone OF
eternal beauty and health. His ashes
were put in the catacombs Of Rome,
but in one moment the air of heaven
bathed from his soul the last ache.
From shipwreck, from dungeon, from
the biting pain of the elm wood rods,
fromthe sharp pain OF the headsman,
he,goes into
THE MOST BRILLIANT ASsEN1BLAGE OF
HEAVEN,
king among kings, multitudes OF the
sainthood rushing out and stretching
forth hands OF welcome; for do really
think that as on the right hand OF
God is Christ, so on the right hand of
Christ is Paul, the second great in
heaven.
Now, why cannot all the old people
have the same holy glee as that aged
man had? Charles l., when he was
combing his head, found gray
hair, he sent it to the queen as a.
great joke; but old age is really
no Joke at all. For the last 40 years
you have been dreading that which
ought to have been an exhilaration.
You say you most fear the struggle at
the moment the soul and body part.
But millions have endured that mo-
ment and may not we as well? They
got through with it and SO can we.
Besides this, all medical men agree in
saying that THERE'S probably no strug-
/ gle at the last moment-not SO much
pain as the prick OF u pin, the seeming
signs of distress being altogether in
voluntary. But you say, at is the
uncertainty of the future" Now,
child OF God, do not play the inidel.
After God has filled the Bible till it
can hold no more with stories of the
good things ahead, better not talk of
uncertainties.
But you say, II cannot bear to
think OF parting from friends here"
If you are old, you have more friends
in heaven than here. Just take the
census. Take some large sheet OF pa
per and begin to record the names of
those who have emigrated to the
other shore;
THE COMPANIONS 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 been gone so long you
do not core any more about. them,
and you do not want thei, society?
O, no. There have been days when
you have felt that you could not en-
dure another moment away from their
blessed companionship. They have
gone. You say you do not like to
bring them back to this world Of
trouble, even if you had the power.
It would not do to trust you. God
would not give you resurrection pow
er.
Besides that, it is more healthy
there for you than here, aged man;
better climate there than these hot
summers and cold winters and late
springs; better hearing; better eyesight;
more tonic in the air; more perfume
in the bloom; more sweetness in the
song.
remark, again, all those ought to
feel this Joy OF the text who have a
holy curiosity to know what's beyond
this earthly terminus. l hope some
day, by the grace of God, to go over
and see tor myself; but not now No
we'll man, no prospered man, I think,
wants to go now. But the time will
come. 1 think when shall go
over. I want to see what they,
do there, and I want to see
how they do it. I do not want
to be looking through the gates ajar
forever. Iwant them to swing wide
open. There are $1,000 things Iwant
explained-about you. about myself,
about the government OF this world,
about God, about everything. We
start in plain path of what we
know, and in q minute come up against
high wall of what we do not know.
I wonder how it looks over there.
Somebody tells me it is like q paved