The Penn's Grove record., 1894-02-16
rials OF ali sorts. Now she Is going out Of

trials OF all sorts. Now she IS going out Of
life.
The reom Is bright, not with pictures OF
statues, not with upholstery, not with any oil
the gems of mountain or OF sea. but there Il
a strange and vivid glow In the room. Not
the light Of the chandelier or star or noon.
day sun. but something that outshines all Of
shem. 1t must be the presence OF super
1atura's. From her illumined face | tbinB
The must hear sweet voices. Yea, She does
lear sweet voices-voices of departed kin.
ired, voices apostolic and prophetic and
9yangelic, but all of them o~verpowered by
sha voiced Of Christ. saying, Come, ye blessed
Of Ny Father, inherit the k%ingdom.'
From her illumined face, l think she must
heHr rapturous music. Yea, she does hear
raptdrous music, now soft as solos, now
shunderous as orchestras; now q sanity
voice alone. now the hundred and forty and
four thousand in concert. From her illu.
mined face, think she must breathe redol.
.nce. Yea, she does inhale aroma from of
he gardens whose flowers never wither and
rom the blossoms OF orchards. every tree OF
which bears twelve manner of fruit. From
her illunined face, l think she must see a
glorious sight. Yea, she sees the wall that
has jasper at the base and amethyst at the
top and blood red rubies between. Goodby,
sweet soul! WHY should you longer stay?
Your work all done, your burdens all carried,
your tears all wepti Forward into the
light! Up into the joy! Out into the
yr%andeursl And after you nave saluted
Christ and your kindred, search out him OF
The palaces of Lebanon cedar aud tell him
hat you have found TO be g%loriousIy true
What thousands OF years ago he ASSERTED IN
this mornings text. 'Wisdon is better than
rubies."
In those FURNISHED palaces of our God may
ge all meet. For I con ess to you that my
,hiet desire for heaven is not the radiance,
DR., to take the suggestion OF the text. not the
rlbeseence OF the scene. My one idea of
heaven is the place to meet old friends, Col,
our best friend. and our earthly friends al
ready transported. Aye, to meet the millions
whom L ave never seen, but 10 whom 1
have administered in the gospel week by
week by journalism on both sides OF the SEA,
and throughout Christendom, and through
many lands yet semibarbaric.
Forthe last twentY-three years every blast
of injustice against me has multiplied my
readers all the world over. and the present
~nalignancy printed AMI uttered becaue our
church is in financial struggle after having
TWO great structures destroyed by fire and
We compelled to build three large churches
Il say the present outrageous injustice in
'ome quarters will multiply my audience in
Ill lands ii I can keep in good humor and
lot fight back.
A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder
GUNNER before last IN a street OF Edinburgh.
scotland, and said, II live in the Shetland
Islands, North Scotland, and read your SER
mons every Sabbath TO an audience OF neigh
Dors, and my brother lives in Cape Town,
south Africa, and he reads them every Sab
oath to an audience OF his neighb6rs." And
[ hear and now say to the forty millions of
The earth to whose eyes these words will
come, that one of my dearest a~nticipations
Is to meet them in heaven. All, that will be
bette than rubies.
Coming up from different continents, from
1ifferent hemispheres, from opposite sides
Of the earth, 10 greet each other in holy love
In the presence of the glorious Christ who
made it possible for us to get there. Our
sins all p%ardoned, our sorrows all
part, never to die! I tell you
hat will be better than rubies. Others may
nave the crowns, and the thrones, and the
scepters :; give us our old friends back again,
Christ, ''the 'riend who sticketh closer than
q brother" and all the kindred who hav got
up from our bereft households, and all our
friends whom we nave never vet seen, and
you may have all the rubies, Tor that will be
''better than ruoies."
Instead of the dying kiss when they looked
90 pale and wan and sick. it would be the
kiss OF welcome on lips iubilant with song,
while standing on floors paved with what ex-
luisiteuess, under ceilings hung with what
glory, bounded by walls facing US with what
splendop, amid gladness rolling over US with
what doxology-far better. infinitely better,
everlastingly better than rubies!