The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-02-22

In the wake OF that ship OF the Celestial line
Who can tell the post mortem influence OF u
savouarola. n winkelried. n Gutenberg.
Marlborough. Decatur. a Toussaint, n Bolt
vnr. n CIarkson. n Robert Raikes, Harls
Page. who had i25 Sabbath scholars. eigb
four OF whom became Christians, and NJ
them ministers OF the gospel.
With gratitude and peoitence aud vorsh
I mention the grandeet life that was ev
! lived. That ship OF ltsht was launched fro
the heavens nearly 1900 years ago, angel
hosts chanting. and from the celesth
wharves the ship sprang into the roughe
sea that ever tossed. Its billows were mad
up OF the wrsth OF men and devils. Herodi
and ssuhedrinic prosecutions stirring tn
deep with red wrath and all the hurricane
OF woe smote II until on the rocks OF Goigo
| tina that life struck with resound OF agony
| that appalled, the earth and the heavens.
| But In the wake OF that life what phospho-
rescence OF smiles on the cheeks OF souls
| pardoncd. and lives reformed, and Nations
redeemed. The millennium itself is only
one roll OF that iradiatei wave OF g,adness
and benediction. In the sublimest OF all
| senses IL may bo said OF Him. "He maKeth u
/ path TO shine after Him
But cannot look upon that luminosity
| that follows ships without realizing how fond
the Lord is OF ltfe. That nre OF the deep is
/ life. myriads OF creatures all a-swir1 AN ! n
! play and a-romp In parks Of marine beauty
laid out and parterrei and roseated and
I W
of those creatures called by the n,turalists
''crustaceans" and "copopods.' not more
/ than one out OF hundreds OF billions OF which
tire ever seen by human eyep God created
! ahem for the same reason that He creates
flowers In places where no human foot ever
makes them tremble. and no human nostrii
ever inmates their redolence. and no human
| eye ever sees their charm. In the botanical
world they prove that God loves flowers. a.
in the marine world the phosphori prove that
He loves life. and He loves life Ia play life IN
brilliancy OF gladness. life In exuberance.
And 80 I am led TO believe that He loves
our life 10 we fulnll our r.lssion "a fully ~
the phosphori fulnll theirs. The Son OF God
came that we might have life and have II
more abundantly." But am glad to tell you
that our God il not the God sometimes de-
scrbsd rs harsh critic at the head Of the
universe. or an infinite scold. or a God that
loves funerals better than weddings, or
God that prefers tears to lau ghter. an om-
nipotent Nero. ferocious Mana Sahib. but
the loveliest Being In the universe. loving
flowers and life and play. whether OF phos-
phori in the wake OF the Majestic or OF the
human race kcepinga holiday.
But mark you that the phosphorescence
has q glow that the night monopolizes. and
ask you not only wiat kind OF influences you
are going TO leavs In the world as you pass
through It. but what light are you going TO
, throw across the worlds night OF sin aud
sorrow? People who are sailing on smooth
sea and at noon do not need much sympathy
, but what are you going TO DO Tor people In
, the night OF misfortune? VIII you drop on
, them shadow, or will you Sindle for them
, phosphorescencs?
, Ar this moment tbe-e are more people cry
, ing than laughing. moro people on the round
, world this moment hungry than well led,
! more households bere0 than homes un-
broken. What are you going to do about ~
, We'll" says yonder soul. 81 would IKE to
do something toward illumininy the great
ocean OF human wretchedness, bu. | cannot
/, do much.
, Can you do as much "a one OF the phos-
pnori In the middle OF the Atlantic Ocs1n,
creatures smaller than the point OF a sharp
: pinp '0h. yes you say. Then DO that.
Shine! Stand before the looking glass and
/ ! experiment 10 ses IL you cannot get that
: scowl Off your forehead, that pceyish look
. | out Of your lips Have at least one bright
q ribbon IN your bonnet. Embro,der ut least
, one white cord somewhere In the midnight
!. OF your apparel DO not any lonysr i1psr-
!. .ona'~ funeral. Shir say sonnet .ire
out soc.P " tho%crld.
.ew drops OF ispo-
n. Once ina sweet
ge for a sour
member that ,hemy
and that optimism Is Christianity. Throw
some light ON the night ocean. II you can
not be n lantern swinging In the rigging, be
one of the tiny phosphori back OF tho keel.
shine! "Let your light 30 shine before men
, that Others seeing your good works may
glorify your Father which is In heaven"
Make one person happy every dsy. and do
, that for twenty years, and you will have
made 1900 happy. You hnow man who has
lost all his property by an unfortunate in
yestment or 10y putting his name on the back
, OF IA friends note. After you have taken n
, brief nap, which every man and woman Is
, entitled 10 on sunday afternoon. go and
cheer up that man. You can. II God helps
YOU, say something that will do him good
after both OF you have been dead thousand
, years.
. Shine! You know OF family with bad
, boy who has run away from home. Go be-
fore night and tell that father and mother
the parable OF the prodigai son. and that
some OF the ilustrious and useful men now
In church and state had a silly passage in
, their lives and ran away from home. Shine |
You know Of IA family that has lost u child,
: and the silence OF the nursery glooms the
whole house from cellar to garret. Go be-
fore night and tell them how much that child
has happily escaped. since the most prosper
Gus life on earth Is "a struggle.
shine You know of some invalid who IL
dying for lack oi an appetite. She cannot
get we'll because she cannot eat. Broil q
chicken and take II TO her before night and
cheat her poor appetite into keen relish.
Shine! You know of some one who likes
you, and YOU like him, and he ought 10 be a
done for you, and ask him II you can pray
for him.
.. Shine Oh, for disposition so charged
with sweetness and light that we cannot help
hut shine! Remember II you cannot be u
levlathan lashing the ocean into fury you
can be one OF the phosphori, doins your part
toward making path OF phosphorcscence.
Then will tell you what impression you
will leave as YOU pass through this life and
after you are gone. will tell you TO your
face and not leave II for the minister who Of
ficiates at your obsequies.
The failure In all euogium OF the departed
Is that they cannot hear II. All hear IL OK
cept the one most interested. This, In sub
stance, Is what or some one else Will say OF
you on such an occasion ''We gather for
offices OF respect to this departed one. II In
impossible to tell how many tears he wiped
away, how many burdens he lifted, or how
many souls he was. under God, instrument
, tai in saving. His influence will never cease.