The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-12-19
4 CHILD IN HEAVEN.

Der of his months are with thee, thou hast
appointed his bounds that he cannot pass
JOB, xiv 5.
OF all the bereavements which are
possible to home the loss of a child
is perhaps the most disappointing
and the hardest to bear.
"There is no household, howsoe'r
defended, but has one vacant CHAIR"
and the worlds sympathy is most
generously given when that chair
has been occupied by one in the
halcyon days of youth.
At first sight it would seem as
though something had gone wrong
in the universe, and we are mentally
puzzled. We have the feeling that
young man has a certain right to
] life, and if he is robbed of it our faith
in the goodness of God is taxed to
| it's utmost limit. Reason fails to
| follow the ways of Providence, and
the deeper our love the harder is it
to believe that mistake has not
been committed. Faith droops and
we falter in our allegiance to the
Lord.
He was on the very verge OF great
] things, we say, and the prospect was
| specially alluring. He had noble
gifts, had dreamed dreams of a sue
cessful career, was full of hopefulness
| and buoyancy and vigor. Then
| death interviewed, and it instantly
| became impossible for him to do
what we should have taken pride in
seeing him do and what would have
| won for him an enviable name among
his fellows. How can we be resigned
under such circumstances and in
what way can religion explain the
terrible problem?
| There are SO many instances of
| this kind that solution must be
| found if there is one. | am aware
! that God moves in a mysterious
way His wonders to PERFORM" but
He always leaves footprints behind,
and if we follow them we are sure to
find light. If we cannot know all,
| We may discover enough to set our
| hearts at rest, enough to assure us
that no mere accident has occurred,
but that the eternal plan is being
carried on without error. Religion
deals with matters which are beyond
the reach of our reason, but l doubt
if it ever contradicts our reason.
The intellect of man is as feeble an
instrument with which to find out
God as Galileo's toy telescope was to
separate the stars in the Milky Way;
/ but Calico got glimpses of the
Creators plan, and we may do the
same thing.
There are certain facts which
ought to be beyond dispute, but
possibly you have neglected to note
them. If it is not wholly day, it is
not wholly night, and though OBJ
iects are dimly seen there is light
enough to walk by.
That boy was a bunch of vital
forces which took the form of char
acter. When death came it neither
dissipated the forces nor destroyed
the character. You did not bury
him. He was your son when you
carried his wornout body to the
churcbyard, and perhaps he accom-
panieL the sad procession. Vital
forces are indestructible, as science
long ago insisted, and personality
remains intact in spite of all that
death can do. Indeed, Death is
simply the server of a summons in
accordance with orders from above.
Some one is wanted in another
sphere of existence, and Death comes
to take the person named in the
warrant. When this person goes he
carries his entire personal entity
with him, without the loss of a jot
or tittle-his intellect, his moral
qualities and his affections. That
boy, therefore thrills with lite today
Just as he did when you folded him
in your embrace.
That is the corner stone, as sound
as logic can make it, on which you
are to build d shelter from raging
doubts and the fierce spirit of an.
tagonism to God.
There is larger field of usefulness
there than here, which is the second
fact. Heaven is not the louuging
place for INDECENT souls, the Sleepy
Hollow of the universe, where one
r poses on eternal river banks and
sings himself into a mental nOnenti
ty. A man wakes up in heaven,
alter this restless dream of earthly
lite, and sees that God has glorious
work for Tim to dO-woyk in his own
development and helpful work for
| others. That son has not ended bis
education because he has died, but
rather has just begun it, aud begun
it under better auspices and better
teachers. So far as he is concerned
he has reaped a great advantage and
would be sorry if you could call him
bs OK to these narrow quarters. He
has nothing to regret, although you
think you yourself have much.
/ The third fact is that the door Of
heaven is not bolted on either side
but swings both ways. There are
those who GO in and those who come
out. A great throng of released
souls are constantly finding theil
way upward to the new life, anC
another throng are constantly com
ing down to minister to our comfort
Heaven and earth are thus forever
intern,ingled, and in your home there
are unseen visitants who could tel
you strange news if you had ears tc
hear it. You cannot call for hell
but the Father hears you, neither
can you reach out your hands but
some one takes them. The coming
of the departed when they are needed
ia truth that underlies every
system of religion known to tn,
human race, and is chiefly illustrated
by Christianity.
1t is the fate of men and women tC
weep, but tears may become stepping
stones to higher thoughts, and thu
longings which cannot be represse(
and will not be satisfied until tn,
day of eternity dawns may be rounds
in some Jacobs ladder whose top il
| hidden nv tho cl0uds Won may