Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-12-15

have carried their art into larger liber-
ties and into wider circumference.
They are at their old business yet, but
without the fatigues, without the lin
itations, without the hindrances Of the
terrestrial studio. Raphael could i'm
prove upon his masterpiece OF Mich
ael the Archangel," now that he has
seen him, and could improve upon his
masterpiece of the Holy Trinity" now
that he has visited them. Michael
Angelo could better present the Last
Judgment" after he had seen Its flash
and heard the rumbling battering-rams
OF its thunder. Exquisite colors here.
graceful lines here, powerful chiaros-
euro here, but / am persuaded that the
grander studies and the brighter gal
leries are higher up. by the winding
marble stairs of the sepulchre, and
that Turner and Holman Hunt, and
Rembrandt, and Titan, and Pasl YER
onese, If they exercised saving faith in
the Christ whom they portrayed upon
the canvas, are painting yet, but their
strength of faculty multiplied ten thou
sandfold. Their hand has forgotten it's
cunning, but the spirit has faculties
as far superior to four fingers and
thumb as the supernatural Is superior
to the human. The reason that God
took away their eye and their hand and
their brain was that he might give
them something more timber, more
wieldly, more skilfhl more multipliant.
Do not, therefore, be melancholy
among the tapestries, and the bric-a-
brac, and the embroideries, and the
water colors, and the works of art
which your departed friends used to
admire. Do not say, II am so sorry
they had to leave all these things"
Rather say, Il am glad they have gone
up to higher artistic opportunity and
appreciation" Our friends who found
so much Joy in the fine arts on earth
are now luxuriating in Louvres and
Luxembourgs celestial.
Again, / remark that those of our de-
parted Christian friends, who in this
world had very strong military spirit,
are now in armies celestial and out in
bloodless battle. There are hundreds
of people born soldiers. They cannot
help it. They belong to regiments in
time of peace. They cannot hear a
drum or fife without trying to keep
step to the music. They are Chris
tian, and, when they fight, they fight
on the right side. Now, when these,
our Christian friends who had natural
and powerful military spirit. entered
heaven, they entered the celestial
army. The door Of heaven scarcely
opens but you hear military demon
stratiJn. David cried out, THE char
lots of God are twenty thousand"
Elisha saw the mountains filled with
celestial cavalry. st. John said, "The
armies which are in heaven followed
him on white horses" Now. when
those who had the military spirit on
earth sanctified entered glory, l sup
pose they right away enlisted in some
heavenly campaign; they volunteered
right away. There must needs be in
heaven soldiers with soldierly spirit.
There are grand parade days when the
King reviews the troops. There must
be armed escort sent out to bring up
from earth to heaven those who were
more than conquerors. There must be
crusades ever being fitted out for some
part of Gods dominion-battles, blood
less, groanless, painless. Angels Of
evil to be fought down and fought out.
Other rebellious worlds to be con-
quered. Worlds to be put to the torch.
Worlds to be saved. Worlds to be de-
molished Worlds to be sunk. Worlds
to be hoisted. Beside that in our own
world there are battles for the right
and against the wrong where We must
have the heavenly military. That is
what keeps us Christian reformers so
buoyant. So few good men against so
many bad men, so few churches against
so many grogshops. SO many pure
printing presses against so many pol
luted printing presses, and yet We are
buoyant and courageous, because while
we know that the armies of evil In the
world are larger in numbers than the
army of truth, there are celestial CO.
horts in the air fighting on our side.
I. have not so much faith in the army
on the ground as l have in the army
in the air. o God, open our eyes that
We may see them; the military spirits
that went up from earth to join the mil
itary spirits before the throne-Joshua
and Caleb, and Gideon, and David, and
Samson, and the hundreds Of Chris
tian warriors who on earth fought
with fleshy arm. and now having gone
up on high are coming down the hills
of heaven ready to fight among the in
visibles. Our departed Christian
friends, who had the military spirit in
them sanctified. are in the celestial
army. Whether belonging to the ar
tillery or the cavalry or the infantry,
know not. only know that they have
started out for fleet service, and cour-
ageous service, and everlasting SER
vice. Perhaps they may come this way
to fight on our side, and drive sin, and
meanness, and Satan from all our
hearts. Yonder they are coming, COM
ing. Did you hear them as they swept
by?
What are our departed Christian
friends who are explorers doing now?
Exploring yet, but with lightning loco
motion, with vision microscopic and