The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-12

that I am to be carried out from my
bright home and put away in the dark
ness? cannot bear darkness. At the
Grst coming Of the evening l must
have the gas lighted, and the fsrther on
in life l get the more 1 like to have my
friends round about me.
Aud am to he put off for Thousands
Of years in a dark place, with no one to
speak tc? When the holidays come and
the gifts are distributed, shall I add no
10y to the merry Christmas" or the
"Haypy New Year," All do not point
down to the hole in the ground, the grave
and call it a beautiful place. Unless
there be some supernatural illumination
shudder back from it. NV whole ma
ture revolts at 1t. But now this glori.
Gus lamp Is lifted above the grave, and
all the darkness is goae, and the way is
clear. I look into it now without sin
gle shudder. Now my anxiety ls not
about death. My anxiety is that l may
live arlght, for l know that if my life is
consistent, when [ come 10 the last hour
and this voice is silent, and these eyes
are closed, and these hands with which I
beg for your eternal salvation to day are
folded over the still heart, that then I
only begin to live.
What power is there in anything to
chill me in the last hour if Christ wraps
around me the skirt Of his own garment?
What darkness can fall upon my eyelids
then, amid the heavenly dayoreak? O
death, will not fear thee then! Back
10 thy cavern Of darkness, thou robber
of all the earth. Fly, thou despoiler of
families. With this battleax heH thee
in twain from helmet to sandal, the voice
of Christ sounding all over the earth and
through the heavens: 20 death, I will
lie thy plague. o grave, I will be thy
destruction"
TIE be saved is to wake up in the pres.
ence of Christ. You know when Jesus
was upon the earth how happy he made
every house he went into, and when he
brings US up to bis house in heaven how
great shall be our glee! His voice has
more music in it than is to be heard in
all the oratorios of eternity. Talk not
about banks dashed with eff presence.
Jesus is the chief bloom OF heaven. We
shall see the very face that baamed sym.
pathy in Bethany and take the very hand
that dropped its blood from the short
beam of the cross. Oh, want to stand
in eternity with him. Toward that har.
Dor 1 steer. Toward that goal 1 run. l
shall be satisfied when I awake in mis-
likeness.
Oh, broken hearted men and women,
how sweet it will be IN that good land to
pour all your hardships and breavements
and losses into the loving ear of Christ
and then have him explain why it was
best for you to be sick, and why it was
best for you to be widowed, and why
it was best for you to be prosecuted, and
why it was best for you to bs tried, and
have him point to an elevation proper.
tionate to your disquietude here saying,
"You suffered with me on earth; como
up now and be glorlfed with me IN hea-
ven."
Some one went into house where
there had been good deal of trouble
and said to the woman there, "You
seem to be lonely" Eyes" she said;
81 am lonely" How many in the
famlY?" "Only myself" Have you
had any chlldren?" 81 had seven chill
dren." H'Whsre are thel?" "Gone. :"
"All gomez" "AIl." "All dead?"
"All." Then sha breathed long sigh
into the loneliness and SAID. Goa, sir, I
have been good mother to the grave"
Aud so there are hearts here that are
utterly broken down by the bereave.
ments oflife. piont you today to the
eternal balm of heaven. Oh, aged men
and women who have knelt at the thorne
of grace for threescore year and ten, will
not your decreptitude change for the leap
OF heart when you come to look face
to face upon him whom having not seen
you love? Oi, that will be the Good
Shepherd, not out in the night and
watching 10 keep of the wolves, but
with lamb reclining on the sunlt hill.
That will be the Captain of our saliva.
ton not amid the roar and crash and
boom of battle, but amid his disbanded
troops keeping victorious festivity. That
will be the Bridegroom of the church
coming from altar, the bride leaning upon
his arm while he looks down into her
face and says: "Behold, thou art fair,
my love! Behold, thou art fair!"