St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-01-09
and the sunrises and sunsets of all the ages.

and the sunrises and sunsets of all the ages,
and the glory of burning worlds seem to be
commingled. And the inhabitants never
| breathe a sigh, or utter a groan, or discuss
difference, or frown a dislike, or weep a
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 tae last
| figure of that panorama rolled out of sight
| think that John must have fallen back into
| bis cavern nerveless and exhausted Too
much was it for the naked eve to look at.
| Too much was it for human strength to eX-
! perience
My friends would not wonder if you
| should have a very similar vision after
awhile You will be through with this world
its cares aud fatigues and struggles, aud if
you have served the Lord and have done the
| best you could, [ should not wonder if your
dying bed were Patmos. 1t often has been
so. was reading o. dying boy who, while
| the family stood around sorrowfully, ex-
pecting each breath would be the last, cried:
''Open the gatas Open the gates. Happy!
Happy! Happy" John Owen, in his
last hour. said to his attendant.
ooh, brother Payne! the long wish I'd
for day has como at lastT Ruther-
ford. in the closing moment OF lbs
his life, cried out, II shall shine [ shall see
Him as He is, and all the fair company with
Him. and shall have my large share. | have
gotten the victory. Christ is holding forth
His arms to embrace me. Now feel! Now
I enjoy! Now | rejoice! | feed on mania.
Ihave angels food. My eyes will sea my
Redeemer. Glory, glory dwelleth in Imman-
ueps land" Yes, ten thousand times in the
history of the world has the dying bel been
made PaJmos.
You see the time will come when you will,
oh, child Of God be exiled to your last sick
ness as much as John was exilei to PatmoS.
You will go into your room not to coma out
better and grander and happier for You
than He has ever done! There will be such
visions let down to your pillow as God gives
no man il he is ever to return to this tame
world. The apparent feeling OF uneasiness
and restlessness at the time Of the Christians
departure, the physicians say, is caused by
no real distress. 1t is an unconscious and
involuntary movement and | think i'll many
cases it is the vision of heavenly gladness too
great for mortal endurance. 1t is only
heaven breaking in on the departing spirit.
You see your WORK will be done and the
time for your departure will be ct hand, and
there will be wings over you and wings I'M
der 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 l have known there was in
the phraseology of the departing ones some
thing that indicated the temperance of
those long deceased. 1t is no deliriun, no
delusion, but supernal fact Your glor-
flied loved ones will hear that you are about
to come, and they will say in heaven: MAY
I 60 down to show that soul the way up?
May be the celestial escort? May wait for
that soul at the edge of the piiiow?' Aud the
Lord will say: Eyes You may fly down
on that mission And | think all your
glorified brethren will come down. AM they
will be in the room, and although those IN
health standing around you may hear no
voice and see no arrival from the heavenly
world, you will see and hear. And the mo-
ment the fleshly bond of the soul shall
break, the cry will be: Follow me! Up this
way! By this gilded cloud, past these stars,
straight for home, straight for glory, straight
for Godr
AS on that day in the Grecan archipelago,
Patmos began to fade out of sight, | walked
to the stern OF the ship that might keep my
eye on the enchantment as long as could,
and the voice that sounded out OF heaven to
John the exile in the cavern on Patmos
seemed sounding in the waters that dashed
against the side of our ship, Behold the tab
ernacle of God is with men, and He Will
dwell with them, and they shall be His pao-
Die and God Himself shall be with them ana
be their God; and God snail wipe away all
tears from their eyes. AMI there Shall ba no
more DEATH neither sorrow nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, for the
former things are passed away"