The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-06-25

says Paul, we have to traVel?" "Three
miles" Three miles Is good way for
an old man to travel after he has been
whipped and crippled with maltreat-
ment. But they soon get to the place
of execution-Acque Salvia-and he is
fastened to the pillar of nartyrdom. 1t
does not take any strength to tie him
fast. He makes no resistance. o Paul!
why not now strike for your life? You
have great many friends here. With
that withered hand Just launch the
thunderbolt of the people upon those
infamous soldiers. No. Paul was not
going to interfere with his own corona
ton. He was too glad to go. see him
looking up in the face of his execution
er, and, as the grim official draws the
swords, Paul calmly says: 81 am now
ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand.'' But l put my
hand over my eyes. want not to see
that last struggle. One sharp, keen
stroke, and Paul does go to the banquet,
and Paul does dine with the king.
What transition it was! From the
malaria of Rome to the finest climate 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 shipwrecz,
from dungeon, from the biting pain of
the elmwood rods, from the sharp
sword of the headsman, he goes into
the most brilliant assemblage of
Heaven, king among kings, multi
tudes 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.
He changes kings likewise Before the
hour of death, and up to the last mo-
ment, he was under Nero, the thick
necked, the cruel-eyed, the filthy-lipped;
the sculptured features of that man
bringing down TO us to this very day
the horrible possibilities of his nature
seated as he was amidst pictured mar
bles Of Egypt, under roof adorned
with mother-of pearl, in a dining-room
which by machinery was kept whirling
day and night with most bewitching
magnifcence; his horses standing in
stalls of solid gold, and the grounds
around his palace lighted at night by
its victims, who had been daubed with
tar and pitch and then set on fire to il
lumine the darkness. That was Paurs
king. But the next moment he goes
into the realm of Him whose reign is
love, and whose courts are paved with
love, and whose throne is set on pillars
of love, and whose scepter is adorned
with jewels of love, and whose palace
is lighted with love, and whose lifetime
is an eternity of love. When Paul was
leaving SO much on this side the pillar
of martyrdom to gain so much on the
other side, do you wonder at the cheer
full valedictory of the text: ''The time
of my departure is at handr'
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 a gray hair,
and he sent it to the queen as great
joke; but old age is really no joke at
all. For the last forty years you have
been dreading thatwhich ought to have
most fear the struggle at the moment
the soul and body part. But millions
have endured that moment, and may
not we do as well? They got through
with it and so can we. Besides this, all
medical men agree in saying that there
is probably no struggle at the last mo-
ment-not SO much pain as the prick of
a pin, the seeming signs of distress
being altogether involuntary. But you
say, SIT is the uncertainty of the fu-
ture." Now, child of God, do not play
the infdel. After God has filed the
Bible till it can hold no more with
stories Of the good things ahead, better
not talk about uncertainties.
But you say, 81 cannot bear to think
of parting from friends here" If you
are old, you have more friends in
Heaven than here. Just take the CEN
sus Take some large sheet of paper
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 midlife, and those who more
recently went away. Can it be that
they have been gone SO long you do not
care any more about them, and you do
not want their society? O, no. There
have been days when you felt that you
could not endure another moment
away from their blessed companionship.
They have gone. You say you would
not like to bring them back to this
world of trouble, even if you had the
power. 1t would not do to trust you.
God would not give you resurrection
power. Before tomorrow morning you
would be rafting at the gates of the
cemetery, crying to the departed:
''Come back to the cradle where you
slept! Come back to the hall where
you used to play! Come back to the
table where you used to sit!' and there
would be great burglary in Heaven.
No, no. God will not trust you with
resurrection power, but he compromises
the matter and says: ''You cannot
bring them where you are, but you can
go where they are" They are more
lovely now than ever Were they
beautiful here, they are more beautiful
there.
.