Milford chronicle., 1895-04-19
The Black Giants Foe.

But one Christmas night his antagonist
was born. As most of the plaques and
Isicknesses and despotisms came out of the
east it was appropriate that the new CON
4ueror should come out of the same quar-
ter Power is given him to awaken all
the fallen Of all the centuries and of all
lands and marshal them against the black
giant. Fields have already been won. but
the last day viii see the decisive battle.
When Christ shall lead forth his two bri-
gades, the brigade Of the risen dead and
the brigade of the celestial host the black
giant will fall back, and the brigade from
the riven sepulchers will take him from
beneath, and the brigade of descending
immortals will take him from above. and
death shall be swallowed up in victory"
The old braggart that threatened the con
quest and demolition of the planet has lost
his throne, has lost his scepter has lost
his palace, has lost his prestige and the
one word written over all the gates of
mausoleum and catacOmb and metropolis.
on cenotaph and sarcophagus, on the
lonely cairn of the arctic explorer and on
the catafalque of great cathedral, written
In capitals of azalea and Gala lily, written
In musical cadence, written in dOxologv
Of great assemblages, written on the
sculptured door of the family vault, is
victory" Coronal word, embannered
word, apOcalyptic word, chief word of
triumphal arch under which conquerors
return. Victory Word shouted at Cul-
loden and Balaklava and Blenheim, at
MegiddO and Solferino at Marathon,
where the Athenians drove back the
Medesi at POitiers, where Charles Martel
broke the ranks Of the Saracens; at Sal
amis, where Themistoclos in the great sea
light COMPOUNDED the Persians, and at the
door Of the eastern cavern of chiseled rock
where Christ came out through a recess /
and throttled the king of terrors and put |
him back in the niche from which the ce- |
lestial conqueror had just emerged. Aha, |
when the jaws Of the eastern mausoleum |
took down the black giant "death was |
swallowed up in victoryrn
I proclaim the abolition of death. The 4
I'D antagonist is driven back into mythol-
sgy with all the lore about Stygian ferry
md Charon with oar and boat We shall
nave no more TO do with death than we
nave with the cloakroom at a governors
n presidents levee. We stop at such cloak
DOM and leave in charge Of the servant
'ur Overcoat, our ovcrshoes, our outward
pparel that we may not be impeded in
he brilliant round Of the drawing room.
Veil, my friends, when we go out Of this
world, we are going TO kings banquet,
nd to a reception Of monarchs, and at the
oor Of the tomb we leave the cloak of flesh
nd the wrappings with which we meet tha
forms of the world. At the close of our I
arthly reception, under the brush and /
room Of the porter, the coat or hat may !
e handed to us better than when we re-
lgned it, and the cloak Of humanity will |
nally be returned to us improved and |
frightened and purified and glorified You !
nd do not want our bodies returned to
s as they are now We want to get rid of
Il their weaknesses, and all their suscepti- ,,
ilities to fatigue, and all their slowness Of
,cQmotion. They viii be put through a
dentistry of soil and heat and cold and
hanging seasons, out of which God viii
construct them as much better than they
re now as the body Of the rosiest and
ealthiest child that bounds over the lawn
better than the siclest patient in the V
Ospital. h
As to the Soul. 1
But as to our soul, We win cross right e
yer, not waiting for obsequies, indopend- t
1T Of obituary, into state in every way v
sitter, with wider room and velocities be-
md computation, the dullest Of US into Il
'mpaniOnship with the very best spirits f
their very best moods, in the very best v
,om of the universe, the four walls fur c.
shed and paneled and pictured and glori- "
ID with all the splendors that the infinite il
Cd in all ages has been able to invent "
ictoryi o.
This Yiew, of course. makes It of but lit. 81
e Importance whether VIC are cremated or "
pultured- If the latter is dust to dust. I