The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-08
onel Get down palm branch it you can
reach onel Why, it makes us all feel like

I onei Get down a palm branch Il you can
reach onel Why, it makes us all feel like
crying out with James Montgomery:
When shall these eyes thy heaven built walls
And pearly gates beholdf
Oh, my soull If my text shows us only
the outside, what must heinside bes While
riding last summer through the emperor's
mark near st. Petersburg, was captivated
with graves transplanted from all zones,
aud the flower beds-miles this way and
miles that way-incarnadined with beauty,
and the fountains bounding in such revel
with the sunlight as nowhere else Is seen,
said: "This is beautiful. never saw any
thing like tho before"
But when entered the palace and saw
the pictured walls, and the long line OF stat
uary. and aquariums afoat with all bright
scales, and ayiaries a.chant,with bird voices,
and the inner doors Of the palaces were
swung back by the chamberlain, and saw
the emperor and empress and princes and
priucesses, and they greeted me with cor.
dia,ity of old acquaintanceship, forget all
the groves and foral bewitchment l had
seen outside before entrance. And now
ask, IL the outside Of heaven atTacts our
souls to-day. how much more will be the up
lifting when we get inside and see tne hlng
in His beauty and all the princes ana
princesses of the palaces Of amethystf
Are you not glad that we did not stop In
our ascent this morning until we got to the
top round of the foundation wall OF heaven,
the twelfth row, the amethystl Perhaps the
ancient Hebrews were not, after all, 30 tar
out of the, way when they thought that the
touch of the amethyst gave pleasant dreams,
for the touch of it this hour gives me very
pleasant dream. Standing on this amethyss
+ dream q dream. close my eyes and gee
it all. We are there. This is heavenl DOT
the outside, but the inside OF heaven.
With what warmth Of welcome our long
ago departed loved ones have kissed us. Myt
How they have changed in looksl They
were so sick when they went away. and now
they are so we'll Lookt Yonder Is the
place Of our Lord tho King. Not Kept
moment outside we are ushsred into the
throneroom. Stretching out His Scared
hand he saya 81 have loved thee with an
everlasting love-" and we respond, WHOM
have I in heaven but TheeS
But, lookl Yonder is the playground Oh
the children. Children do you want a throne.
A throne would not At child. There they
are on the Fairgrounds OF heaven-the emu
dren. Out OF the sick cradle OF ss sarea n:I sney
came into this romping mtrth OK the eternal
Fairgrounds. I clap my hands to cheer
them in the glee. Yonder are the palaces or
the martyrs and before their doorway the
flowers crimson as the bloody martyrdoms
through which they waded up into glory.
Yonder Ia APOSTOLIC row, and the highest
turrets Is over the home Of Paul. Here ls
Evangelist place. Yonder are the concert
halls in which the musicians Of earth and
heaven are taking part-Handl with organ,
and David with harp. and Gabriel Wien
trumpet and four a0d twenty elders with
voices.
And an ,noel of God saws: ssWhers shall
I take yous On what street of heaven
would YOU like to liver What celestial
habitation would you like to occupyr And
I answer, Snow thst have got inside the
wall made up Of all manner OF precious
stones 7 do not care where you put me. just
show me where my departed loved ones are.
I have seen the Lord, aud next I want to
see them. ,..:,,s;
the kingdom Of God on earth. Iney are
from nv old parishes at Belleville and Syra,
cuse and Philadelphia and Brooklyn. anu
from many places on both sides Sne sea
where have been permitted to work with
tham and for them. Give them the best
nIsces YOU can find. T will help steady
them as they mount the thrones. l will help
YOU burnish their coronets.
ITake these, my old friends to as gooo
rooms as you can get for them IN the mouse
of many mansions, and with windows look'
ASfor myself. anywhere in heaven ID good
enonoh for me. aaIieluiah to the Lamb
That was slain" But awake. In the ecstasy
of the momont my foot slipped from the
layer of amethyst, that so called producer
of dreams, and in the effort to catch myself
the vision vanished. And, 10, it was but
dreaml