Democratic messenger., 1894-08-25

the stars in 4 leash of love That head
that dr,rlcd ON the bosom in fainting
and death shall make the world quake
III its nod. That voice that groaned in
the last rang shall swear before the
trembling world that time shall he no
longer oh. do not insult the common
sense of the race by telling us that this
person was only a man in whose pres
ence the paralytic arm was thrust out
we'll. and the devils crouched, and the
lcpcrS dropped their scales. and the
tcmpe>ts folded their wings. and the
boys satchcl of Il few loavcs made Il
banquet for 1000, and tho sad process
sion Of my text broke UP i'll congratula
ton and hosanna!
Again, | learn from this subject that
Christ WAS a sympathiZcr. Mark you,
this was u city funeral. In the country.
when the bell tolls, they know all about
ii for five miles around, and they know
what was the matter with the man,
how old he was and what were his last
experiences. They know with what
temporal prospects he has left his fam
lily. There is no haste. there is no indie
cency i'll the obsequics. There is moth
ing done as a mere matter of business
Even the children come ont as the pro-
cession passes and look sympathetic, and
the tree shadows seem to deepen, and
the brooks weep i'll sympathy rs the pro-
ccssion goes by. But. mark you. this
that | am speaking of was city fu-
neral. In great cities the cart jostlcs the
hearse, and there is mirth and gladness
and indifference as the weeping process
sion goes by. In this city of Main it was
a common thing to have trouble and be-
reavement and death. Christ saw it cv-
there Were Others being carried out, but
this frequency of trouble did not harden
Christ's heart at all. He stepped right
ont, and he saw this mourner. and he
had compassion on her, and he said
Weep not"
Now have to tell You, o bruised
souls, and there are many everywhere
have you ever looked over any great
audience and noticed how many shadows
of sorrow there are? come to all such
and say. Christ meets you, and he has
compassion on you, and he says, Weep
not. Perhaps with some it is finan-
cial trouble. "Oh. you say, lit is such
a silly thing for "a man to cry over lost
money!
Is it? Suppose you had \ large for
tune, and all luxuries brought to your
table, and your wardrobe was full, and
your home was beautiful by music and
sculpture and painting and thronged by
the elegant and educated. and then some
rough misfortune should strike you i'll
the face and trample your treasures and
taunt your children for their faded dress
underling where once you waved q
scepter of gold. do You think you would
Cry then? think you would. But Christ
comes and meets all such today. He sees
all the straits i'll which you have been
thrust. He observes the snccr of that
man who once was proud to walk in
your shadow and glad TO get your help.
He sees the protested note. the uncan-
ccled Judgment, the foreclosed mort
gage, the hcartbrcaking evaporation,
and he says: ''Weepnot l own the cat
tie on thousand hills. l will never let
you starve. From my hand the fowls Of
heaven peck all their food. And will !
let you starvc? Never; no, my child.
never.'
Perhaps it may bc living home
trouble that you cannot speak about to
your best friend. 1t may be some do
mestic unhappincss 1t may be an evil
suspicion. 1t may be tho disgrace fol-
lowing i'll the footsteps of n son that is
wayward, or "a companion who is cruel,
or father that will not do right, and
for years there may have been vulture
striking its beak into the vitals of your
soul, and you sit there today feeling it
is worse than death. 1t is. 1t is worse
than death. And yet there Is relief.
Though the night may be the blackcst,
though the voices of hell may tell you
to curse God and die. look up and hear
the voice that accosted the woman of
the text as it says, Weep not.
Earth hath no sorrow
That heaven cannot cure.
I learn, again, from all this that
Christ is the master of the grave Just
outside the gate of the city Death and
Christ measured lanccs and when the
young man rose Death dropped. Now
we are sure of our resurrection. Oh,
what scene il was when that young
man came back! The mother never ex-
pected to hear him speak again. She
never thought that he would kiss her
again. How the tears started, and how
her heart throbbed as she said, "Oh,
my son, my son, my son. And that
scene is going TO be repeated. 1t is go-
ing TO be repeated 10000 times. These
broken family circles have got to come
together These extinguished household
lights have got TO be rekindled There
will be stir i'll the family lot III the
cemetery, and there will be a rush into
life ut the command, Young man.
say unto thee arise!' AS the child
shakes Off the dust of the tomb and
comes forth fresh and fair and beauti-
full. and you throw your arms around it
and press it To your heart, angel to an
gel will repeat the story of Main, He
delivered him to his mother" Did you
notice that passage i'll the text rs read
it: He delivered him to his mother" "
Oh, We troubled souls! Oh. We who have
lived to ste every prospect blasted,
peeled. scattered, consumed, wait "a lit
tie! The seedtime of tears will become
the wheat harvest. In Il CLINE cut of
no wintry blast. under sky pallcd by
20 hurtling tempest and amid redeemed
ones that weep not. that l;:; nnt, that
die not. friend will come To friend, and
kindred will join kindred, aud the long
procession that marches the avenues of
gold will lift up their palms rs again
and again il is announced that the same
one who came to the relief Of this wom-
an of the text came TO the relief of many
n maternal heart and repeated the won
ders of resurrection and delivered him
TO his mother" Oh, that will bc the
harvest of the world. That will b. tn"
coronation of princes. That will be the
Sabbath Of eternity.