The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-02-09

toward bedtime, when she takes
up well-worn book, called the
Bible. know from the illumination
IN her face she is reading one OF the
thanksgiving Psalms, or in Revelation
the story of the twelve pearly gates.
After awhile she closes the book, and
Colds her hands, and thinks over the
past, and seems whispering the names
of her children, some Of them on earth
and some of them in Heaven. Now a
smile on her face, and now a tear, and
sometimes the smile catches the tear.
The scenes of long life come
back to her. One minute she sees all
the children smiling around her. with
their toys, and sports, and strange
questioning. Then she remembers
several of them down sick with in
fantile disorders. Then she sees a
short grave, but over it cut in marble:
Suffer Them to Come to Me-" Then
there is the wedding hour, and the
neighbors in, and the promise OF II
WILL" and the departure from the old
homestead. Then a scene OF hard
times, and scant bread and struggle.
Then she thinks of few years with
gush of sunshine, and fittings of dark
shadows and vicissitudes. Then she,
kneels down slowly. for many years
have stiffened the joints, and the ILL
nesses of a lifetime have made her less
supple. Her prayer is mixture OF
thanks for sustaining grace during all
those years; and thanks for children
good, and Christian, and kind; and ..
prayer for the wandering boy, whom
she hopes to see come home be-
fore her departures; and then
her trembling lips speak or
the land of reunion where she expects
to meet her loved ones already trans
lated; and after telling the Lord il
very simple language how much She
loves Him, and trusts Him, and hopes.
to see Him soon, hear her pronounce
the quiet amen" and she rises up-a
little more difficult effort than kneel-
ing down. And then she puts her
head on the pillow for the night, and
the angels of safety and peace stand
sentinel about that couch in the farm
house; and her face ever and anon
shows signs of dreams about the
Heaven she read of before retiring. In
the morning the days work has begun
downstairs, and seated at the table the
remark is made: Mother must have
oversight herself" And the grand
children also notice that grandmother
is absent from her usual place at the
table. One of the grandchildren goes
to the foot of the stairs and cries:
"Grandmotherr' But there is no an
swer. Fearing something is the mat
ter, they go up to see, and all seems
right. The spectacles and Bible on
the stand, and the covers on the bed
are smooth, and the face is calm,
her white hair on the white pillow
case like snow on snow already fallen.
But her soul has gone up to look upon
the things that the night before she
had been reading of in the Scriptures.
What transporting look on her dear
old wrinlSled face! She has seen tho
king in his beauty" She has been
welcomed by the Lamb who was
slain" And her two oldest sons,
having hurried upstairs, look and
whisper, Henry to George, THAT is
religion!" and George to Henry, Eyes,
that is religion!'
Why, my hearers, from all parts of
the earth, do you not sc t this bright
and beautiful, and radiant, and bliss
full, and triumphant thing for your
selves, go home telling all your neigh
bors on the Pacific, or in Nova Scotia,
or in Louisiana, or Maine, or Brazil.
or England, or Italy, or any part
of the round world that they may
have it, too; have it for the asking;
have it now Mind you, do not start
from the pessimistic standpoint that
David did, when he got mad and said
in haste: "All men are liars!" or from.
the creed of others that every man is
as bad as he can be. l rather think
from your looks that you are
doing about as well as you can in the
circumstances in which you are placed,
but l want to invite you up into the
heights of safety, and satisfaction, and
holiness, as much higher than those
which the world affords, as Everest,
the highest mountain in all the earth,
is higher than your front doorstep
Here he comes now. Who is it? I
might be alarmed and afraid IL had
not seen him before and heard his
NoiNC. ohouB ~ bC Wouiu DclOTc
got through with this sermon.
Stand back and make way for Him.
He comes with scars all around His
forehead; scars in the center of both
hands stretched out to greet you;
scars on the instep of both the feet
with which He advances; scars on the
breast under which throbs the great |
heart of sympathy which feels for
you. 1 announce Him. introduce
Him to you. Jesus, of Bethlehem, and
Olivet and Golgotha. Why contest thou
hither this winter day, thou of the
springtime and summary heavens? He !
answers: To give all this audience
pardon for guilt; coincidence for
grief; whole regiments of help for
day of battle and eternal life for the |
dead! What response shall give him?
In your behalf and in my own behalf
hail Him with the ascription: I'm
to Him who hath loved us, and washed
us from our sins in His own blood,
and hath made us kings aud priests
unto God and His father; to Him be
glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen"