The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-03-25

Christian explanation! Here is some
one bending over the grave of the
dead. What is going to be the conso-
lation? The flowers you strew upon
the tomb? Oh, no! The services read
at the grave? Oh, no! The chief con-
ISOLATION on that grave is what falls
from the throne of God Sunshine,
glorious sunshine. Resurrection sun
shine.
Again, find great deal of TIE san
shine of this Bible and of our religion
in the climacteric joys that are to
come. A man who gets mp and goes
from concert right after the opening
voluntary has been played, and before
the prima donna sings, or before the
orchestra begins, has better idea of
that concert than that man has who
supposes that the chief joy Of religion
are in this world. We here have only
the first note of the eternal orchestra
We shall in that world have the joy Of
discovery. We will in five minutes
catch up with the astronomers, the
biologists, the scientists. tie philoso-
pliers of all ages, who so far surpassed
us in this world. We can afford to ad-
journ astronomy and geology and
many of the sciences to the next world,
because we shall there have better ap-
paratus and better opportunity. l
must study these sciences SO far as to
help me in my work. but beyond that
must give myself to saving my own
soul and saving the souls of others,
knowing that in one dash of eternity
we will catch it all. Oh! What an OBJ
servatory in which to study astronomy
Heaven will be-not by power of tele-
scope. but by supernatural vision; and
if there be something doubtful ten
million miles away, by one stroke of
the wing you are there, and by another
stroke of the wing you are lack again.
and all in less time than tell you,
catching it all in one fash of eternity.
And geologyl What place that
will be to study geology, when the
world is being picked to pieces as east
ly as school girl in botanical lessons
pulls the leaf from the corolla! What
a place to study architecture, anid the
thrones and the palaces and the ca
thedrals-St Marks and St Faurs
rookeries in comparison.
Sometimes you wish you could make
the tour of the whole earth, going
around as others have gone; but you
have not the time, You have not the
means. You will make that tour yet,
during one musical pause in the eter-
nal anthem. say these things for the
comfort of those people who are
abridged in their OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
people to whom life is hum-drum,
who toll and work, and toll and work,
and aspire after knowledge but have no
time to get it s'If had the oppor-
tunities which other people have, how
1 would fill my mind and soul with
grand thoughts!" Be not discouraged
my friends. You are going to the uni
versity yet. Death will only matricu-
late You into the royal college of the
universe.
What sublime thing it was that DIR.
Thornwell, of South Carolina, uttered
in his last dying moments! As he
looked up he said, sit opens; itexpands,
it expands" Or as Mr.. Toplady, the
author of "Rocks OF Ages" in his last
moment. or during his last hours,
looked up and said, as though be saw
something supernatural, ''Lightr' and
then as he came on nearer the dying
moment, his countcnance more lulni-
nous, he cried, "Lightr' and at the
very moment of his departure lifted
br<t, had, ~,xco4I,;r,x~ c,,v~a~v, ~ yo ~,
his countenance as he cried: "Lightr'
Only another name for sunshine.
Besides that, we shall have all the
pleasures of association. We viii go
right up in front of God without any
fright. All our sins gone, there will
be nothing to be frightened about.
There our old Christian friends will
troop around us. just as now one of
your sick friends goes away to Florida,
the land of flowers, or to the south of
France, and you do not see him for q
long while, and after awhile you
meet him, and the hollows un-
der the eyes are all filed, and
the appetite has come back, and the
crutch has been thrown away, and he
is SO changed you hardly know him;
you say: "Why never saw you look so
we'll" He says: II couldn't help but
be we'll. / have been sailing these
rivers and climbing these mountains,
and that's how got this elasticity. I
never was so WELL" o. my friends!
your departed loved ones are only away
for their health in better climate,
and when you meet them they will be
so changed, you will hardly know
them; they will be 80 very changed,
and, after awhile, when you are
assured that they are your friends, your
departed friends, you will say: why,
where is that cough? Where IA that
paralysis? Where is that pneumonia?
Where is that consumption" And he
will say: "Ohl l am entirely well;
there are no sick ones in this country;
have been ranging these hills and
hence this elasticity. have been here
now twenty years, and not one sick
one have seen-we are all well in this
climate"
What is the use of postpoinng our
Heaven any longer? Let it begin now;
and whatsoever hath n harp. let her
thrum it; and whosover hath a trum-
pet, let him blow it; and whosoever
hath an organ. let him give US full
diapason. They crowd down the air,
spirits blessed, moving in cavalcade Of
triumph. Their chariot wheels whirl
in the Sabbath Of sunlight. They come.
Halt! Armies of God! Halt! until we
are ready to join the battalion of pleas
ures that never die.