Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1895-11-01

And there the band of missionaries-Da
vid Abecl, talking Of China redeemed, ant
John Scuddar Of India saved, and DaviC
Brainerd of the abOrigines evangelical
and Mrs Adoniram .Iudson, whose prayers
for Burma took heaven by violence. AL
these-Christians arc looking into tho arena
Our struggle is nothing TO theirs. Do we
in Christ's cause, slifor from the cold
/ They walked Groenland's icy mountains.
1 Do we suffer from the heat? They swell
/ tered in tho tropics. Do we get fatiguedi
They tainted, with mono to care for them
but oannihals. Are We uersecuteds They
4 were mathematical. And as they lool,
from their gallery and SEQ us falter in tho
presence of tho lions l seem TO hear Isaac
Watts addressing us in bis old hymn, only
q little changed:
Must you be carried to the skies
On iiowery beds Of case,
While others fought to win the prize,
Or sailed through bloody seasf
Toplady shouts in lis old hymn:
Your harps, ye trembling saints,
Down from the willows take,
Loud to the praise Of love divine,
Bid every string awake.
While Charles Wesley, the Methodist
breaks forth in his favo~ite words, little
varied;
a charge 20 keep you have,
A God TO glorify;
A never dying sonl TO save.
And lit 1t for the sky
look again, and 1 see the gallery Of
our departed Many of those in tho other
galleries we have heard Of, but these we
knew Oh, low familiar their facesi
They sat at our tables, and we walked to
the house Of God in company. Have they
forgotten usg Those fathers and mothers
started us on the road Of life? Are they
careless as 20 what becomes Of usg And
those children, do they look on with stolid
Indifference as to whether we win or lose
this battle for eternity? Nay. / see that
child running his hand over your brow
and saying Father, do not fret; mother,
do not worry" They remember the day
they left us. Thoy remember the agony
of tho last farewell Though years in
heaven, they know our faces. They re-
momber our sorrows. They speak our
names. They watch this fight for heaven.
Nay, l see thom rise up and lean over and
wave before us their recognition and en-
enlargement. That gallery is not full.
They are keeping places for US. After we
have slain the lion they expect the king to
call us, saying, Come mp higher" Be-
tween the hot struggles in the arena wipe
tho sweat from my brow and stand on tip
toe, reaching up my right hand to clasp
theirs in rapturous Misunderstanding while
their voices como ringing down from the
gallery, crying, DO thou faithful unto
death, and you shall have a crown"
In the Arena or Gallery?
But hero pause overwhelmed with the
majesty and joy Of the scene. Gallery of
II. TrT C,T -
prophets and apostlesl Gallory Of mar
tyrs Gallery of saintsl Gallery Of friends
and kindred Oh, majestic circles Of light
and logol Thpongsl Throngsl Throngsl
How. shall we stand the gaze Of the uni
verse; Myriads of eyes boaming on usl
Nyriads Of leurts beating in sympathy for
usi How shall we ever dare to sin againS
How shall we ever become discouraged
again? How shall we ever feel lonely
again? With God for us, and angels for
us, and prophets and apostles for u.s. and
the great souls of the ages for us, and our
gloriled kindred for us, shall we give up
the fight and die2 No, Son Of God, who
didst die to save usl No, yo angels, whose
wings are spread forth to shelter usl No.
ye prophets and apostles whose warnings
startle usl No, ye loved ones, whose arms
are outstretched to receive u.s. No, we will
never surrender
Sure l rsust fight if would reign
Be faithful to ny Lord
And bear the cross, endure the pain,
Supported by thy word.
Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die,
They see the triumph from afar,
And seize it with their eye
When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all thine armies shine
In robes Of victory through the skies
The glory shall be thine
My hearers, shall we die in the arena or /
rise to join our friends in the gallery? |
Christ we may come of more /
than conquerors. A soldier dying in tho |
hospital rose up in bed the last moment |
and cried "ucrel Herew His attendants /
put him back ON his pillow and asked him /
why he shouted "Herep ooh, heard .
the roll call Of heaven, and 1 was only an
swering to my name. " 1 wonder whether, |
after this battle Of life is over, our names |
will be cal in tho muster roll Of the par
ioned ano llorl1ed, and with the joy of 1
heaven breaking upon our souls we shall
TTnrof ~