Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-03-01


of God that had comforted her along
the way amid bereavements and temp
tations. and prosecutions, and sick
nesses, and privations, and trials OF all
sorts. Now she is going out of life.
The room is bright, not with pictures
or statues, not with upholstery. not
with any of the gems of mountain or
of sea, but there is a strange and vivid
glow in the room; not the light OF
chandelier, or star, or monday sun,
but something that outshines all of
them. 1t must be the presence of SUI
pernaturals. From her illumined face
| think she must hear sweet voices. Yea,
she does hear sweet voices-voices of de-
parted kindred; voices apostolic and pro-
phetic and evangelic, but all of them
overpowered by the voice of Christ,
saying, Come, we blessed of my Fa-
ther inherit the kingdom" From her
illuminated face, think she must hear
rapturous music. Yea, she does hear
rapturous music, now soft as solos, now
thunderous as orchestras; now saint
ly voice alone, now the hundred and
forty and four thousand in concert
From her illumined face. | think she
must breathe redolence. Yea, she does
inhale aroma from off the gardens
whose flowers never wither, and from
the blossoms of orchards, every tree of
which bears twelve manner of fruit
From her illuminated face, think she
must see a glorious sight. Yes, she
sees the wall that has jasper at the
base, and amethyst at the top, and
blood-red rubies between. Goodbye,
sweet soull Why should you longer
stay! Your work all done; your bur-
dens all carried; your tears all wept
Forward into the light Up into the
joy Out into the grandeursl And
after you have saluted Christ, and your
kindred. search out him of the palaces
of Lebanon cedar, and tell him that
you have found to be gloriously true
what thousands OF years ago he as
serted In this mornings text: "Wis-
dom is better than rubies." In those
FURNISHED palaces Of our God may
we all meet For j confess to
you that my chief desire for Heaven is
nOh tnC vi W eahC VIZ oAh
gestion of the text, not the rubescence
of the scene. My one idea of Heaven
is the place to meet old friends, God
our best friend, and our earthly friends
already transported. Ayel to meet the
millions whom l have never seen, but
to whom | have administered in the
gospel week by week through journal
+. 81 he nd
throughout Christendom, and through
many lands yet semi-bar barrie. For the
last twentv-three years every blast OF
injustice against me has multiplied my
readers all the world over and the
present malignancy printed and ut
tered because our church is in financial
struggle after having two great struc-
lures destroyed by fire, and we were
compelled to build three large churches
Il say the present outrageous injus-
tice in some quarters, will multiply
my audience in all lands IL ! can keep
in good humor and not fight back. A
gentleman tapped me on the shoulder
summer before last on street
of Edinburgh, Scotland, and said
live III TIC NHGAlanA Isl
ands, North Scotland. and read
your sermons every Sabbath to an
audience of neighbors, and my brother
lives i'm Cape Town, South Africa, and
he reads them every Sabbath to an
audience of his neighbors. And II
hear and now say to the forty millions
of the easth to whose eyes these words
81 Haar "a NJ
ticipations is to meet them in Heaven.
All that will be better than rubies-
Coming up from different continents,
from different hemispheres, from oppo' !
site sides of the earth TO greet each
other in holy love in the presence OF
the glorious Christ who made il posi-
bic for us to get there. Our sins all
pardoned, our sorrows all banished,
never to weep, never to part. never 10
die 4 tell you that it will be better
than rubies. Others may have the
crowns aud the thrones and the
scepters; give us our old friends back
again; Christ, ',the friend who sticketh
closer than a brother and all the
kindred who have gone up from our
bereft households, and all our friends
whom we have never vet seen. and
you may have all the rubies. for that
will be 'better than rubies." Instead
of the dying kiss when they looked so
pale and wan and sick. II will be the
kiss of welcome on lips jubilant with
song, while standing on floors paved
with what exquisiteness. under cell
ings hung with what glory. bounded
by walls facing us with what splendor,
amid gladness rolling over us with
what doxology. Far better, infinitely
better. everlastinglyb better than rubies.
Possibilities of Aluminium.