Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-11-25

Christian invitation What q memory you
hAvel Why, that must have been down there
In Brooklyn or New Orleans at least ten
thousand million years ago" And the an
swer will be, eyes, Il was as long as that,
but 1 remember IL as well as though 1t we're
yesterday"
oh, this character building The structure
lasting independent OF passing centuries, In
dependent OF crumbling mausoleums, indie
pendent OF the whole planetary system. Aye,
u the material universe, which seems all
bound together like one piece Of machinery,
, should some day meet with an accident that
shouli send worlds crashing into each other
IKE telescoped railway trains. and all the
wheels OF consultations and galaxies should
stop, and down into one chasm of immensely
all the suns and moons and stars should
tumble like the midnight express at Ashta-
oula, that would not touch us and would not
hurt God, for God Is "A spirit. and character
and memory are immortal, and over that
grave OF a wrecked material universe might
truthtully be written "rhs righteous shall
De held In everlasting remembrance.
U, Time, We defy thee ., Death, We
stamp thee In the dust OF thine own sepu-
,hers o, Eternity, roll on till the last star
nas stopped rotating and the last sun Is ex-
hnguished on the sapphire pathway. and
the last moon has ilumined the last night,
and as many years have passed as all tho
scribes that ever took pen could describe by
as many figures rs they could write in all the
centuries OF all time, but thou shalt have no
power to efface from any soul In glory the
memory OF anything We have done TO bring
1t to God and heaven
There Is another and a more complete de-
feat for oblivion, and that is in the heart Of
God himself You have seen a sailor roll up
MS sleeve lid show you his arm tattoord
With the figure Of q favorjte ship-parh1ps
the first ono in which he ever sailed. You
have seen soldier roll up his sleeve and
show you his arm tattooed with the figure
OF fortress which he Was garrlsoned, or
he face OF a great general uuier whom no
fought. You have seen many a hand tat
tooed with the face OF loved ono before or
after marriage.
This tattooing Is almost as old as the world
II Is some colored liquid puuctured into the
flesh 80 indelibly that nothing can wash il
out. 1t may have been there fifty years, but
when the man goes into his coffin that pic
ture will go with him on hani or arm. Now,
God says that he has tnttooed us upon his
hands. There can be no other meaning in
the forty ninth CHAPTER Of Isaiah, where God
says, "Behold, have craven thee on the
palms OF my hands ~
1t was as much as TO say. al cannot open
My hand to help, but think OF you. | can
not spread abroad Ny hands TO bless, but
4
the heavens take these two pictures OF YOU
with Me. They are so inwrought into My
being that | cannot lose them. Az long AZ
My hands last the memory OF you will last.
Not on the back OF My hands as though to
announce you to others, but on the palms OF
My hands for Myself 10 look AT and study
and love. Not on the palm OF one hand
alone, but on the palms OF both hands. for
while am looking upon one hand and think.
ing of | nngf luya tha a hpF bap.l fraa
to protect you, free to strike back your
enemy, ireeto lift II you fall. Palms OF NV
hands indelibly tattooei! AMI though l
hold the winds In Ny hrst no cyclone shall
uproot the inscription OF your name and
your lace, and though | hold the ocean in
the hollow OF My hnni its hIllOwinG shall not
wash out the record Of Ny remembran %.
Behold, have craven thee on the palms OF
Ny hands"
What Joy, what honor can there be COM
parable to that OF being remembered by the
mightiest and kindest and loveliest and ten
derest and most affectionate being In the
untverse2 Think OF il, TO hold an everlasting
place in the heart OF God. Tho heart OF Coil
The most beautiful palace in the universe.
Let the archangel build some palace as
grand as that II he can. Lot him crumble up
all the stars OF vesternight and tomorrow
night and put them together as mosaics for
such a palace floor. Let him take all tho sun
rises and sunsets OF all the days and the
auroras of all the nights ant hang them as
upholstery at its wlndo ws.
Let him take all tho rivers, and all the
lakes, and all the oceans, an | toss them into
the fountains OF this palace court. Let him
take all the gold ofall the hills ant hang II in
its chandeliers, and all the pearls OF all tho
seas, and all the diamonds OF all the fields,
ami with them arch tle dOOsTdys oil that
palace, and then invite into 1t all the glories
that Esther over saw at u Persian banquet. or
Daniel ever wa.Sel among in Blbylontau
gastles or Joseph ever wtne sse In PhAraOh's
throneroom. aud then yourself enter ihis
castle OF archangelic construction, and see
how poor palace 1t is compared with the
greater palace that some VI You have already
founl IN the heart OF q loving AMI pardoninS
Gol, and into which all the music ant all
the prayers, ami all the sermOnio considera-
tons OF this day arc trying to intro luce you
through tho bloc OF the slain Ian5.
Oh, where Is oblivion now? From tho
dark and oversha lowing word that it seemed
waen | began. it has become something
which no man or wo nan or child who loves
the Lord need ever fear. Oblivion defeated
Oblivion dca l. Oblivion seprinlarel. But
| must not be 50 hard on that deyouriny
monster, Tor into its grave 20 all our sins
when the Lori Tor CnrIst's sake has forgiven
them. Just bow resurrection trumpet
them down. Not ono Of them rises Blow
again. Not a stir amid all the pnrdoned in
EQUITIES OF u lifetime. Blow again. Not ono
OF them moves in the deep grave trenches.
But to this powerless resurrection trumpet
voice responds, half human, half divine,
and 1t must be part man AMI part God, say
ing, "rheir sins and their iniquities will re-
member no more"
Thank God for this blessed oblivion SO
you see did not invite you down into cell
lar, but upon throne not into the grave
yard TO which all materalism is destined.
but into garden all abloom with everlasting
remembrance. Tho frown OF my first text
has become the kiss OF the secon text. An
Inhalation has become coronation. The wiring
Ing hands OF great agony have become the
clapping hands OF q great JOY The requiem
with which we began has become the grand
march with which We close. The tear OF
sadness that rolled down our check hGs
struck the lip on which sits tho laughter oil
eternal triumph.