Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-06-29
now strike for your lifef You have .
grcat many friendS here. With that

soldiers No. paul was not going To
interfere with his own covonation. lie
was too glad 20 70. see him looking
up In the face OF his exccutioner, and.
ms the grim official draws his sword
Paul calmly says. II am now ready To
be offered. and the time OF my depart
urc is Mt hand" hut I put my hand
over my eyes. / want not To see that
last struggle. One sharp keen stroke,
and Paul does so To the banquet, and
Paul does dine with the king.
What n transition IL was, From the
malaria of Rome to the finest climate In
all the univcrse-thc zone of eternal
beauty and health. His ashes were put
In the catacombs of Rome. but I'm one
moment the air Of Heaven hathcd from
the soul the last ache. From ship
wreck, from dungeon. from the biting
pain of the clmwood rods, from the
sharp sword of the hcadsman. he goes
into the most brilliant asscmblagc of
Heaven, king among kings. multi
tudcs OF the sainthood rushing out and
stretching hands of welcomes; for do
really think that IA ON the right hand
of God is Christ so on the right hand of
Christ is Paul. tho second great In
Heaven
lie changed kings likewise. Before
the hour of death, and up tn the last
moment, he was under Nero, the thick
nccked, the cruel eyed, the filthy-lipped;
the sculpturcd features of that man
bringing down Ia us to this very day the
horrible possibilities OF his nature
seated as he was amidst the pictured
marbles OF Egypt, under rof
adorned with mothcr-of-pcarl. In din
ing room which by machinery was kept
whirling day and night with most be-
witching magniticcnce; his horses stand.
ing in stalls of solid gold. and the
grounds around his palace lighted at
night by its victims. who had been be-
daubed with tar and pitch and then set
on fire TO illuminc the darkness
That WAS Pauls 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 sot on pillars of love. and
whose sccptcr Is adorned with jewels OF
love, and whose lifetime is an eternity
of love. When Paul was leaving so
much on this side the pillar OF mar
tyrdom, 20 gain SO much on tho other
side, do you wonder ut the cheerful
valcdictory of the text. ''rhc time OF
my departure Is at hand?''
Now, why can not all the old people
have the same holy glce ms that aged
man had? Charles L., when he was
combing his head, found grey hair
and he sent IL To tho queen as a great
joke; but old age IL really no
Joke at all. For the last forty
years you have been dreading that
| which ought To have been an
cNhilaration. You say you most fear
the struggle Mt the moment the soul
and body part. But millions have en-
dured that moment, and may not wc ms
| wcll2 They got through with Il, and
so can we. Besides this all medical
men agree In saying that there il prob
ably no struggle at the last moment
not so much rs the prick OF a pin. the
seeming signs OF distress being alto
gether involuntary. But you say, ut
Is the uncertainty OF the future Nov,
child of God. do not play the infidcl
After God has filed the Bible till Il can
hold no more with stories of the good
things ahead, better not talk about un-
certaintics.
But you say. ~ can not bear to think
Of parting from friends here IL YOU
are old you have more friends in Heav-
On than here. just take the census.
Take some large sheet OF paper and be-
gin To record the names OF those who
have emigratcd 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 IL be that they have
been gone so long you do not care any
y mora IA hnttf tha,,t a,sI Il 30
their society? Oh no. There have been
days when you have felt that you could
not endure another moment away from
their blessed companionship. They have
gone. You say you would not like
20 bring them back 20 this world OF
trouble. even II you had the power. IL
would not do 10 trust you. God would
not give you resurrection power. Be-
fore 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
] 10 the hall where you used 20 piayi
Come back 20 the table where you used
20 str and there would bca great bur-
glary in Heaven. No. no God will
not trust you with resurrection power.
but he compromises the matter and
/ hHy1s on Tan not bfiI0 thefn where
you are, but you can 20 where they
are" They are more lovely now than
ever. We're they beautiful here, they
are more beautiful there.
BESIDES that II s. more healthy there
for you than here. aged man. better
climate there than these hot summers
and cold winters and late springs; bot
I ter hearing; better eyesight; more tonic
in the air; more perfume IN the bloom;
more sweetness ia the song. DO you
I not geei. aged man, sometimes ~ though
I you would like % get your arm and
/ foot free? DO you not feel ~ though
/ You would like ~ throw away spec
! tacles and canes and crutches? Would
I you not like - feel the spring and elias
I ITCHY and mirth OF AN eternal boyhood7
7 When the point az which you start from
/ this world Is old age. and the point ~
which you 90 is eternal juvenescence,
I aged man, clap your hands at tho anti
cipation, and say, in perfect rapture OF
soul. The time 81 my departure - at
hand"
remark. again. All those ought %
feel flTfa fr.v ~ tho favf ..tt, N..... . E1f.,