Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-08-30

cough, no sharp pleurlsies, no consum-
ing feyers, no exhausting pains, no hos
pitals of wounded men. Health swing
ing in the air Health flowing in all the
streams. Health blooming on the banks.
No headaches, no sideaches, no back
aches. That child that died in the
agonies Of Group, hear her voice now
ringing in the anthem That old man
that went bowed down with the infrm-
ities Of age, see him walk now with
the step Of an immortal athlete-forever
young again That night when the nee
dlewoman tainted away in the garret, a
wave of the heavenly air resuscitated
her forever For everlasting years, to
have neither ache nor pain nor weakness
nor fatigue. Eye hath not see it, ear
hath not heard it. ."
Splendors OF Heaven.
l remark further that we can in this
world get no just idea Of the splendor
Of heaven. st. John tries to describe it.
He says, "The IL gates are II pearls,
and that "the foundations Of the wall
are garnished with all manner Of pre-
cious stones. " AS we stand looking
through the telescope Of st. John we see
q blaze Of amethyst and pearl and emer-
aid and sardonyx and chrysoprasus and
sapphire, q mountain Of light, cataract
Of color, a sea Of glass and city like
the sun.
St. John bids US look again. and we
see thrones-thrones Of the prophets,
thrones of the patriarchs, thrones Of the
angels, thrones Of the apostles, thrones
Of the martyrs, throne of Jesus, throne
Of God And we turn round to see the
glory, and it is-thronesl Thrones! !
Thrones
st. John bids us look again, and we
see the great procession Of the redeemed
passing. Jesus, on a white horse, leads
the march, and all the armies Of saliva
tion following on white horses. Infinite
cavalcade passing, passing; empires
pressing into line, ages following ages.
Dispensation tramping on after dispen-
satiOn. Glory in the track Of glory. Eu-
rope, Asia, Africa and North and South
America pressing into lines. Islands OF
the sea shoulder to shoulder. Genera
tions before the food following genera
tions after the food, and as Jesus rises
at the head Of that great host and waves
his sword in signal Of victory all crowns
are lifted, and all ensigns flung out,
and all chimes rung, and all halleluiahs
chanted, and some cry, "Glory to God
most highl" and some, "Hosanna to
the Son Of David" and some, Worthy
is the Lamb that was slainv' till all the
exclamations Of endearment and hom-
age in the vocabulary Of heaven are ex-
hausted, and there come up surge after
surge Of amen Amen Amen! !"
Eye hath not seen it; ear hath not
heard it. Skim from the summer wa
ters the brightest sparkles, and you will
get no idea Of the sheen Of the eyerlast-
ing sea. Pile up the splendors Of earth
" cities, and they would not make a
stepping stone by which you might
mount to the city Of God. Every house
is a palace. Every step a triumph. Ev-
cry covering of the head coronation.
Every meal is a banquet Every stroke
from the tower is wedding bell Every
day is a jubilee, every hour rapture
and every moment an ecstasy. Eye
hath not seen it, ear hath not heard 1t.
Reunions In Heaven.
Iremark further we can get no idea
on earth Of the reunions Of heaven. II
YOU have ever been across the sea and
met friend, OF even an acquaintance,
in some strange city, you remember how
your blood thrilled and how glad you
were to see him. What, then, will be
our 10Y. after we have passed the seas OF
death. to meet in the bright city Of the
sun those from whom we have long
been separated After we have been
away from our friends 10 or 10 years,
and we come upon them, we see how
differently they look. The hair has
turned. and wrinkles have come in their
faces, and we say, How you have
changed" But, oh, when we stand be-
fore the throne, all cares gone from the
face. all marks Of sorrow disappeared
and feeling the joy Of that blessed land,
methinks we will say to each other,
with an exultation we cannot now I'M
agine. "How you have changedP' In
this world we only meet to part. 1t Is
goodby, goodby. Farwel!s floating IN
the air. We hear it at the rail car WIN
dow and at the steamboat wharf. Good
bvl Children lisp it, and old age an
swers it. Sometimes we say it in light
way. "Goodby /" and sometimes with
anguish in which the soul breaks down.
Goodby! Ah, that is the word that
ends the thanksgiving banquet; that IS
the word that comes In to close the
Christmas chant. Goodby GOOdby
But not SO in heaven. Welcomes in
the air, welcomes at the gates, well
comes at the house Of many mansions
but no goodby. That group is constantly
being augmented. They are going up
from our circles OF earth to join tilt
tie voices to join the anthem, little
hands 10 take hold Of it in the great
home circle, little feet to dance in the
eternal glee, little crowns to be cast
down before the feet Of Jesus. Our
friends are in two groups-a group this
side of the river and group ON the
other side Of the river. Now there goes
one from this to that, and another from
this TO that, and soon we will all be
gone over. How many Of your loved
ones have already entered upon that
blessed place If l should take paper
and pencil, do you think | could put
them all down7 All. my friends, the
waves of Jordan roar SO hoarsely we
cannot hear the JOY on the other side
where their group is augmented 1t is
graves here and coffins and hearses here
when = Soul Arrives.
A little child's mother had died, ana
lbey comforted her. They said: Your
rother has gone to heaven. Don't cry
81 the next day they went to the grave
ard. and they laid the body OF the
mother down into ground, and the lit
tie girl came up to the verge Of the
grave, and looking down at the body OF
her mother said, SIS this heavenT Oh
we have no idea what heaven is. 1t Il
0 the grave here. 1t is darkness here, bu'
0 there is merry making yonder Methinki
AL