The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-11-08

gu % VlOIfUce! All CneSe OnflSJIdnS are
looking into the arena. Our struggle
is nothing to theirs. Do we, in
Christ's cause, suffer from the
cold? They walked Greenland's
icy MOUNTAINS, DO we stffef from the
heatf fheS SHELTERED in the tropics.
Do we get fatigued? They tainted,
with none to care for them but canni-
balls. Are we prosecuted? They were
mathematical. And as they look from
their gallery and see us falter in this
preseHee of the lions, / seeii to hear
Isaac Watts Addressing us in his old
hyrnn; only d little changed:
Must you be carried to the skies
On f1owery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
Or sailed through bloody seas?
Toplady shouts in his old hymn;
Your herrs; VI 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 favorite words, q
little varied:
a chafge to keep you Have;
A God to glorify;
never-dying soul To save,
And fit 1t for the sky!
look again, and / see the gallery Of
our departed. Many of those in the
other galleries we have heard of; but
these we knew. Obi h6W familiar
their faces! They sat at our tables,
and we walked to the house of God in
company. Have they forgotten us?
Those fathers and mothers Starte.3
us on the road of life Are
they careless as to what be-
comes of us? And those children:
do they look on with stUlid indifference
rs to whether we win or lose this bat
tie for eternity? Nay; see that child
running his hand over your brow and
sayings Father, do not fret" ''MUth-
err, do not worry" They remember
the day they left US. They remember
the agony of the last farewell
Though years In Heaven, they know ou1
faces. They remember our sorrows.
They watch this fight for Heaven.
Nay; see them rise up and lean over,
and wave before us their recognition
and encouragement. 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 up higher!" Be-
tween the hot struggles in the arena 1
wipe the sweat from my brow, and
stand on tiptoe, reaching up my right
hand to clasp theirs in rapturous hand
shaking, while their voices come ring
ing down from the gallery, crying:
$ BE thou faithful unto death, and you
shall have a CROWN
But here / pause, overwhelmed with
the majesty and the Joy of the scene!
Gallery of the King! Gallery of
angels! Gallery of prophets and apos-
ties! Gallery of martyrsi Gallery of
saints! Gallery of friends and kim
dredI Oh, majestic circles of light and
love! Throngs! Throngsl Throngs!
How shall we stand the gaze of
the universe? Myriads of eyes beam
ing on US! Myriads of hearts beat
ing in sympathy for usl How
shall we ever dare to sin again? How
shall we ever become discouraged
again? How shall we ever feel lonely
again? With God for us, and the an
gels for us, and prophets and apostles
for us, and the great souls of the ages
for us, and our glorified kindred for
us-shall we give up the fight and
die? No! Son of Co, who didst die
to save u.s. No! We angels, whose wings
are pread forth to shelter US. No, ye
prophets and apostles, whose warnings
startle us. No! &C loved ones, whose
arms are outstrntched to receive us.
No! we will never px~render!
Sure I must fight = = Rsuld reign
Be faithful to my 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 1t with their eye.
When that illustrious day shall riss
And all thine armies SHINE
In robes of victory through the skier,
The glory shall be thine
NY hearers! shall we die in the arena
or rise to join our friends in the gal.
lery? Through Christ we may come
off more than conquerors. A soldier,
dying in the hospital, rose up in bed
in the last moment and cried: Here!
here!" His attendants put him back
on his pillow and asked him why
he shouted "Herey' ''Oh; l heard
the roll-call of Heaven, and I
was only answering to my
name!" l wonder whether, after
this battle of life is ove4 our
names win be called in the muster
rou of the pardoned and glOrifed.
and with the Joy of Heaven breaking
npon our souls, we shall eFy' "H@9l
heFsr'