Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-11-24

mortality at all. Oblivion A hundre
years. But while recognize this univers
submergence of things earthly who wants [
be forgotten? Not one of us.
Absent for few weeks or months frol
home, 1t cheers us to know that we are r,
membered there. 1t is phrase we have a
pronounced, 81 hope you missed me-" Nee
ing some friends from whom we have bee
parted many years, we inquire, "Did 20
ever see me before?" and they say, Eyes,
aud call US by name, and we feel delight
full sensation thrilling through their han,
into our hand and running up from elbow
to shoulder, and then parting, the one cur
rert OF delight ascending to the brow ant
the other descending to the foot, movin
round and round in concentrc circle unit
every nerve and muscle and capacity ofbodl
and mind and soul is permeated with de
light.
A few days ago, visiting the place OF my
boyhood, met one whom l had not seer
since we played together at ten years OF age
and had peculiar pleasure in puzzing him
little as to VINO was, and can hardly de-
scribe the sensation as after awhile he mum
blei out "Let me see. Yes, you are De
Witt" We all like to be remembered.
Now, have to tell you that this oblivion
OF which have spoken has its defeats, and
that there is no more reason why we should
not be distinctly and wildly and gloriously
remembered five hundred million billion
trillion quadrillion quintillion years from
now than that we should be remembered six
weeks. 1 am going to tell you how hethiny
can be done and will be done.
We may build this Everlasting remem-
brance," as my text styles 1t, into the SUPER
nal existence OF those to whom we do kind
nesses in this world. You must remember
that this infirm and treacherous faculty
which we now call memory Is in the future
state to be complete and perfect. "Ever-
lasting remembrance Nothing will slip
the stout grip of that celestial faculty. Did
you help a widow pay her rent2 Did you
find for that man released from prison
place to get honest work? Did you pick up
child fallen on the curbstone, and by
stick OF candy put in his hand stop the hurt
on his scratched knee? Did you assure
business man, swamped by the stringency OF
the money MARKET that times would after
awhile be better2
Did you lead Magdalen OF the street into
midnight mission, where the Lord said to
her: Neither do condemn thee go AMI sin
no morew Did you tell a man, clear dis
couraged in his waywardness and hopeless
and plotting suicide that for him was near
BY LAYER in which he might wash and
coronet OF eternal blessedness he might
wear?
What are epitaphs in graveyards. what are
eulogiums in presence ofthose whose breath
is in their nostrils, what are unread biogra-
phies in the alcoves of city library, con-
pared with the imperishabe records you
have made in the illumined memories of
fh0ca N L. ind
Forget them? They cannot forget them.
Notwithstanding all their might and splen-
dor, there are some things the glorihed of
heaven cannot do, and this is one of them
They cannot forget an earthly kindness
done. They haye no cutlass to part that
cable. They have no strength to hurl into
oblivion that benefaction.
Has Paul forgotten the inhabitants OF
Malta, who extended the island hospitality
when he and others with him had felt, added
to shipwrec1. the drenching rain and the
sharp cold? Has the victim OF the highway
man on the road to Jericho forgotten the
Good Samaritan with q medicament OF oil
and wine and free ride to the hostelry?
Have the English soldiers who went up to
God from the Crimean battlefields forgotten
Florence Nightingale?
Through all eternity will the Northern and
Southern soldiers forget the Northern and
Southern women who administered to the
lying boys in blue and gray after the awful
lights in Tennesses and Pennsylvania and
Virginia and Georgia, which turned every
house and barn and shed into hospital, and
ncarnadined the Susquehanna, and tae
lanes, and the Chattahoochee, and the Sa-
'annah with brave blood? The kindnesses
'ou do to others will stand as long in the APP
Dreciation of others as the gates OF heaven
will stand, as the "House of Many Mansions"
will stand, as long as the throne of God will
tand
Another defeat of oblivion will be found
n the character of those whom We rescue,
plift or save. Character is eternal. Sup
ose by right influence we aid in trans
orming bad man into cool man, a dol
rous man into happy man, disheartened |
nan into courageous man-every stroke OF |
hat work done will be immortalized. There |
lay never be so much as one line in news
aper regarding it, or no mortal tongue may
yer whisper 1t into human ear. but where
yer that soul shall go your work upon 1t
hall co. wherever that soul rises your WORK
pom it shall rise, and so long as that soul
ill last your work on 1t will last.
Do you suppose there will ever coma such
n idiotic lapse In the history of that soul in
eaven that it shall forget that you invited
i'm TO Christ that you, by prayer or gospel
ord. turned him round from the wrong way
} the right way2 No such insanity will ever
mite heavenly citizen. 1t is not half az
ell on earth known that Christopher Wren
tanned and built St. Pauls as it will be
nown in all heaven that you were the in-
of building Il temple for the
".
We teach Sabbath class, or put a Chris
an tract in the hand of a passaby, or tes-
fy for Christ in prayer meeting, or preach
sermon, and go home discouraged, as
Tough nothing had been accomplished, when
2 had been character building with ma
rial that no frost or earthquake or rolling
the centuries can damage or bring d wn.
There is no sIlblimer art In the world chan
With pencil and rule and con-
ISIS the architect sits down alone and in ST.
nee, and evolves from his own brain ca
edral, or National capitol, or massive
)me before he leaves that table, and then he
,es out and unrolls his plans, and calls car
enters and masons and artisans of all sorts
execute his design, and whenit Is finished
walks around the vast structure and sees
o completion Of the work with high salts
ction, and on stone at some corner of the
Hiding the architects name may be chiseled.
1t the storms do their work, and time, that
kes down everything, will yet take down
at structure until there shall not be one
one left upon another.
But there is a soul In heaven Through