Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-05-24

Christ They lived religious life; we
must live religious life. They were
in some things like ourselves
know, now that they are gone,
there is halo around their names;
but they had their faults They
said and did things they ought never
to have said or done. They were
sometimes rebellious, sometimes cast
down. They were far from being per-
feet So suppose that when we have
gone, some things in us that are now
only tolerable may be almost res plend-
ent But as they were like us in de-
| fciencies, we ought to be like them in
taking supernal Christ to make up
! for the deficits Had it not been for
Jesus, they would have all persisted;
but Christ confronted them, and said,
II am the way" and they took it.
have also to say to you that the
path that these captives trod was
troubled path, and that David and his
men had to go over the same difficult
way. While these captives were being
taken off, they said, ''Oh! we are so
tired; we are so sick; we are SO hun
gry" But the men who had charge of
them said, Stop this crying. Go onr'
David and his men also found it
hard way. They had to travel it. Our
friends have gone into glory, and it is
| through much tribulation that we are
to enter into the kingdom. How our
loved ones used to have to strug-
gle! how their old hearts ached! how
sometimes they had a tussle for bread!
In our childhood we wondered why
there were so many wrinkles on their
faces. We did not know that what
were called ''crow's feet" on their
faces, were the marks of the black
raven of trouble. Did you never hear
the old people, seated by the evening
stand, talk over their early trials, their
hardships, the accidents, the burials,
the disappointments, the empty flour
barrel when there were so many hun
CRY ones to feed, the sickness almost
unto death, where the next dose of
morphine decided between CHASTITY be-
reavement and an unbroken home
whitened their hair 1t was trouble
that shook the cup in their hands. 1t
was trouble that washed the luster
from their eyes with the rain of
tears until they needed specta-
cles. 1t was trouble that made the
cane necessity for their journey.
Do you never remember seeing your
old mother sitting, on some rainy day,
looking out of the window, her elbow
or, ha ind Gil he, I'm, vi 20 1.,s
brow-looking out, not seeing the fall
ing shower at all you we'll knew she
was looking into the distant past), I'M
til the apron came up to her eyes, be-
cause the memory was too much for
her?
Oft the big unbidden tear
Stealing down the furroughed cheek,
Told In eloquence sincere,
Tales Of woe they could not speak.
But this scene of weeping DER,
Past this scene of toll and pain,
They shall feel distress no more,
Never, never weep again.
''Who are these under the altar?"
the question was asked, and the re-
Spouse came, These are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb" Our
friends went by path of tears into
glory. BE not surprised if we have to
travel the same pathway
l remark again, if we want to win
the society of our friends in heaven,
we will not only have to travel path
of faith and a path of tribulation, but
we will also have to positively battle
for their companionship David and
his men never wanted sharp swords
and invulnerable shields and thick
breastplates so much as they wanted
them on the day when they came
down upon the Amalekites. If they
had lost that battle, they never would
have got their families back. l sup
pose that one glance of their loved
ones in captivity hurled them into
battle with tenfold courage and
energy. They said, I'VE must win it.
Let each one take a man on point of
spear or sword. We must win
it." And l have to tell YOU
that between us and coming into
the mpanionship of our loved
ones who are departed, there is an
Austerlitz, there is Getty sburg, there
is Waterloo. War with the world,
war with the flesh, war with the devil.
We have either to conquer our troubles,
or our troubles will conquer us. David
will either Stay the Amalekites, or the
Amalekites will Stay David. And yet
is not the fort to be taken worth all
the pain, all the peril, all the besiege-
ment? Look! Who are they on the
bright hills of heaven yonder? There
they are, those who sat at your own
table, the chair now vacant There
they are, those whom you rocked in
infancy in the cradle, or hushed tc
sleep in your arms. There they are,
those in whose life your life was
bound up There they are, their
brow more radiant than ever before
you saw it, their lips waiting for the
kiss of heavenly greeting, their
cheek roseate with the health of eter-
nal summer. their hands reckoning
you up the steep, the feet bounding
with the mirth of heaven. The pallor