Connecticut western news., 1894-05-24

the society or our Ir160QS 1n heaven, we will not only have to travel path of faith and path of tribulation, but we will also have to positively battle for their companionship. David and his men never wanted sharp swords, and invulnerable shields, and thick breast plates so much as they wanted them on the day when they came down upon the Amalekites. If they had lost that bat tie, they never would have got their families back. suppose that one glance at their loved ones in captivity hurled them into the battle with tenfold courage and energy. They said: ''We must win it. Everything depends upon it. Let each one take a man on point of spear or sword. We must win it. " And have to tell you that between us and coming into the companionship of our loved ones who are departed there is an Austerlitz, there is Gettysburg, there is Waterloo. War with the world, war with the flesh, war with the devil. We have either to conquer our troubles, or our troubles will conquer us David will either slay the Amale kites, or the Amalekites will slay David. And yet is not the fort to be taken worth all the pain, all the peril, all the besiegement?
 Look! Who are they on the bright hills of heaven wonder? There they are, those who sat at your own table, the chair now vacant. There they are, those whom you rocked in infancy in the cradle or hushed to sleep in your arms. There they are, those in whose life yotr life was bound up. There they are their brow more radiant than ever before you saw it, their lips waiting for the kiss of heavenly greeting, their cheek roseate with the health of eternal summer, their hands beckoning you up the steep. the feet bounding with the mirth of heaven The pallor of their last sickness gone out of their face, nevermore to be sick, nevermore to cough, nevermore to limp, nevermore to be old, nevermore to weep. They are watching from those heights to see if through Christ you can take that fort, and whether you will rush in upon them-victors They know that upon this battle depends whether you will ever join their society. Up! Strike harderi Charge more bravelyl Remember that every inch you gain puts you so much farther on toward that heavenly reunion.
 Families Reunited
 If this morning while I speak you could hear the cannonade of foreign enemy which was to despoil your city, and if they really should succeed in car rying your families away from you, how long would we take before we resolved to go after them? Every weapon, whether fresh from the armory or old and rusty in the garret, would be brought out, and we would urge on, and coming in front of the foe we would look at them and then look at our fam lilies, and the cry would be, Victory or deathp' and when the ammunition was gone we would take the captors on the point of the bayonet or under the breech of the gun.
 If you would make such struggle for the getting back of your earthly friends, will you not make as much struggle for the gaining of the eternal companionship of your heavenly friends? Oh, yes, we must join them We must sit in their holy society. We must sing with them the song. We must celebrate with them the triumph. Let it never be told on earth or in heaven that David and his men pushed out with braver hearts for the getting back of their earthly friends for few years on earth than we to get our departeil
 You say that all this implies that our departed Christian friends are alive. Why, had you any idea they were dead? They have only moved. If you should go on the 2d of May to a house where one of your friends lived and find him gone, you would not think that he was dead You would inquire next door where he had moved to. Our departed Christian friends have only taken anoth- CT house. The secret is that they are richer now than they once were and can afford a better residence. They once drank out of earthenware. They now drink from the Kings chalice. Joseph is yet alive" and Jacob will go up and see him. Living, are they? Why, if man can live in this damp, dark dun- geon of earthly captivity, can he not live where he breathes the bracing at mosphere of the mountains of heaven? On, yes, they are uV1ng!
 Do you think that Paul is so near dead now as he was when he was living in the Roman dungeon? Do you think that Frederick Robertson of Brighton is as near dead now as he was when, year after year, he slept seated on the floor, his head on the bottom of chair because he could find ease ill no other position? Do you think that Robert Hall is as near dead now as when on his couch he toss ed in physical tortures? No Death gave them the few black drops that cured them. That is all death does to Chris tian-cures him. I know that what I have said implies that they are living. There is no question about that. The only question this morning is whether you will ever join them.
 The Glorious Promise.
 But I must not forget those 200 men who tainted by the brook Besor They could not take another step farther Their feet were sore; their head ached; their entire nature was exhausted. Be sides that they were broken hearted be- cause their homes were gone. Ziklag in ashesl And yet David, when dhe comes up to them, divides the spells among theml He says they shall have some of the jewels, some of the robes, some of the treasures look over this audience this morning, and I find at least 200 who have tainted by the brook Besor- the brook of tears. You feel as if you could not take another step farther, as though you could never look up again. But I am going to initiate David and 1 divide among you some glorious tro- phies Here is robe, 'All things work together for good to those who love God" Wrap yourself in that glorious promise. Here is for your neck string of pearls made out of crystallized tears, Weeping may endure for night, but | joy cometh in the morning' Here is @ coronet "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life ." | Oh va faiptino Opac bv tba lroolx Raco,