The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-02-17

mere it comes, our holy religion, witI
both hands full of anodynes, and
sedatives, and balsams, as in Daniels I
time to stop mouths leorSne; as
in Snadra2h's time to cool blast fur
naces; rs in Ezclliels time to console
asin st. Sohns time to IN
roll an apocalypse over rocky deSola-
tons Hear its soothing voiGa as it
declares: weeping may endure for
night but joy cometh in the morning." s
THE mountains shah depart and the
hills be removed, butmyloving kindness
shall not depart from YOU "Whom
the L9rd loycth he Chastcncth;' .
'"Thcy shall hun"er no more. neither .
thirst any more, 1either Shall the sun .
light on them, nor any heat; for tho
Lamb which is in the midst Of the |
throne shall lead chem to living founr1
tafhs of water aRd God shall wipe
away all tears from tGoir ewes"
70 bring out contrast that Will H.
Iustrate my text, put before you two
last earthly scenes. The one is IN
room with rub;eS but no religion, and
the other in a room with religion but
no r&bies. You enter the tirST room,
where an attluent and worldly Tan IS
abouG to quit this Sfc, There IS
ruby on the mantel, possibly among
the vases There is ruby in the
Q.ad -urcas of the T8eenly VIE. On
the finger of the dying man here 40
ruby. The presence Of these rabies
implies opulsnce of all kinds 8 The
pictures Gu the walls are hclr-loomS,
or trophies of European travel nc
curtains are from foreign looms. The
rugs arc from Damascus or Cairo. The
sofas are Stated with ease and
ouietude. The roclling-chah's roll
| backward and forward on lula
bys. The pillows are exquisite
" embroidered. All the APP
continents of the room are Pcro-
ration to a successful commercial or
professional life. But the man had no
RELIGION: never has had, and never
professcd to have. There is not a
Bible or one 6'eligious booa IN the
room. The departing man feels 1ha'
his earthly career is ended, ana noth
ins opens beyond Where he Wi.
land stepping off from this lif' IS
mystery, or whether he Will lana Al
all, for it may be annihilatlon. lie
has no prayer to offer, and he does no
know how to prayo No hope OF meet
ing again in another state OF exist
enco He is through with tins lie an'
S is sure of no other The ruby on TIN
, mantcl and the ruby on the waste
finger of the departing one say noth
G inc of the ransoming blood which the
so nightly typify. SO far as glyi8
solace or illumination to departlh
$ spirit, they are a dead failure, Mldnlgh
t of utter hopelessness drops on all I'll
i scene.
S Another room of mortal exit Re
S rrion and DO rubics She neve
had money enough to buy on
e of these exquisites Sometime
It she stopped at jeweler, s ehoWWlndo'
- and saw u row of them lncarnaarnlh
If the velvet. She had keen taste enoug
IS to appreciate those gems but 81
Us never owned one of them She w;
h not Jealous or unhappy because othe'
lie had rubies while she had none 81
t. she had arichcr treasure, and that WI
20 the grace of God that had comtort'
/, her along the way amid bereav
lie ments. and temptations, and persec
1t tiops, and sicknesses, and privatlon
re and trials of all sorts. Now she is
lie inc ont of life The room is brlgh
I: not with pictures or statues II
d. with upholstery, not with any
lie the gems of mountain or OF sea- o
cs there is a strange and vivid glow IN t
er room; not the light Of the chandell'
or star, or MONDAY sun, but somethi
70 that ontshines all of them 1t mt
le be the presence of supernatural
r. From her illumined face | think
h must hear sweet voices. Yea, she &C
III hear sweet voices-voices OF depart
hit kindred; voices apostolic and p
n phetic, and evangelic, but all OF thu
", overpowed by the voice OF Christ 81
1T inc, Come, We blessed of my fath
on inherit the kingdom" From her
ly lumined face, l think she must ne
le- rapturous music. Yea, she does he
90 ranturous music, now soft as sol
of now thunderous as orchestras; nov
hit saintlv voice alone, now the hundl
ty and forty and four thousand IN G.
he cert From her illumined face, tn
zee she must breathe redolence.
OF che does inhale aroma from OFT
Il gardens whose flowers never with
Up and from the blossoms OF orchaI
me ovarv tree of which bears twelve m
,he nor of fruit. From her illumined t
'ur, 7 think she must see glorious sig
.he Yes. she sees the wall that has jas
ut, If the base, and amethyst at the
and blood-red rubies between. &c
re-. bv sweet soul! Why should
tes longer stay? Your work all d'
in vonr burdens all carried; your tt
or all wept. Forward into the light
tell into the joy! Out into the grande
nee And after you have saluted Christ
the your kindred, search out him OF
and nalaces of Lebanon cedar, and
md Il 20 hka fy