Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-05-02

| into the graves that open to swallow
down what we love best? Was Lazarus
! more dear to him. than our beloved dead
to us? No. We have right to weep.
Our tears must come. You shall not
drive-them back to scald the heart. They
fall into Gods bottle Afflicted ones
have died because they could not weep.
Thank God for the sweet, the mystic
rious relief that comes to us in tearsl
Under this gentle rain the flowers of
corn put forth their bloom. God pity
that dry, withered, parched, all consum-,
Ing grief that wrings its hands and
grinds its teeth and bites its nails unto
the quick, but cannot weepl We may
have found the comfort Of the cross, and
yet ever after show that in the dark
night and by the brook Jabbok we were
trouble touched.
The Day Breaketh.
Again, we may take the idea of the
text and announce the approach of the
day dawn. No one was ever more glad
to see the morning than was Jacob after
that night of struggle. 1t is appropriate
for philanthropists and Christians to
cry out with this angel of the text,
1.-The day breaketh. The worlds pros
poets are Frightening The church of
Christ is rising up in its strength to go
forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun
and terrible as an army with banners. "
Clap your hands, all ye people, the
day breaketh. The bigotries of the earth
are perishing. The time was when we
were told that If we wanted to get to
| heaven we must be immersed or sprin-
kled, or we must believe in the perse-
verance Of the saints, or in falling away
from grace, or a. liturgy, or no liturgy,
or they must be Calvinists or Armin-
ians in order to reach heaven. We have
all come to confess now that these are
nonessentials in religion.
During my vacation one summer j
was in Presbyterian audience, and it
was sacramental day, and with grateful
heart received the holy communion.
dist church and sat at love feast. On
the following Sabbath was in an Epis-
copalian church and knelt at the altar
and received the consecrated bread. i
do not know which service 1 enjoyed
the most. "I believe in the communion
of saints and in the life everlasting. ="
1.-THE day breaketh.
AS look upon this audience see
many who have passed through waves
Of trouble that came up higher than
their girdle. In Gods name proclaim
cessation of hostilities. You shall not
go always saddened and heartbroken.
God will lift your burden. God will
bring your dead to life God will stanch
the heart s bleeding. / know he will
Like as father pities his children, SO
the Lord pities you The pains Of earth
will end The tomb will burst. The
dead will rise. The morning star trem-
bles ON Frightening sky. The gates of
the east begin to swing open The day
breaketh.
Luther and Melanchthon were talking
together gloomily about the prospects
of the church. They could see no hope
of deliverance,. After awhile Luther
got up and said to Melanchthon: "Come,
Philip, let us sing the forty-sixth psalm
of David: God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble,
Therefore will not we fear, though the
earth be removed, and though the noun
tains be carried into the midst of the
sea; though the waters thereof roar and
be troubled; though the mountains
shake with the swelling thereof. Sc
lah.
The Death Struggle.
Death to many, nay to all, is a strug-
gle and wrestle. We have many
friends that it will be hard to leave.
care not how bright our future hope is
1t is a bitter thing to look upon this
fair world and know that we shall new
er again see its blossoming spring, its
falling fruits, its sparkling streams and
to say farewell to those with whom we
played in childhood or counseled in
manhood In that night, like Jacob, we
may have to wrestle, but God will not
leave us unblessed. 1t shall not be told
in heaven that dying soul cried unto
God for help but was not delivered.
The lattice may be turned to keep out
the sun, or book set to dim the light
of the midnight taper, or the room
may be filled with the cries Of orphan
age and widowhood, or the church Of
Christ may mourn over our going, but |
if Jesus calls all is well. The strong |
wrestling by the brook will cease; the
hour of death s night will pass along
O'Clock in the morning; 2 o'clock in
the morning; O'Clock in the morning |
The day breaketh.
So | would have it when die / am
in no haste to be gone. have no grudge |
against this world The only fault / have
to find with the world is that it treats |
me too we'll, but when the time comes
to go trust to be ready, my worldly |
affairs all settled If have wronged
others, want then to be sure OF their
forgiveness In that last wrestling, my |
arm enfeebled with sickness and my
head faint want Jesus beside me. II
there be hands ON this side OF the flood
stretched out 70 hold me back, / want
the heavenly hands stretched out to draw
me forward. Then, o Jesus, help me ON
and help me up. Unfearing, undoubting.
may step right out into the light and
be able to look back to my kindred and