Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-12-12


Mont Blanc scaled without alpenstuek. F
the coral depths OF the ocean explored
without "a diving he'll. the mountains
unharrcd and opened without Sir Hum
phrcy Davy safety lamp
What are our departed friends who
found their chief joy in study doing nowg
Studying vet, but, instead of II few thou
sand volumes on few shelves all the
volumes Of the universe open before them
geologic, ornithologic, conchologic bo-
tanic, asironomic, philosnphic. No moro
need of leydcn jars or vultaic piles or
electric batteries, standing rs they do face
Ia fare with the facts Of the universe
What are the historians doing now:
studying history vet, but not the history
Of few centuries Of our planet only. hut
the history If the eternitieS- whole millen- !
NUNS. before Nenophon or Hcrodotus or
Moses or Adam was born. History Of ono
world. history of all worlds What are
our departed astronomers doing: study
ing astronomy yet but not through tho
dull lens of earthly observatory but with
one stroke Of wing going right ont To .Iupi-
Ter and Mars and Mercury and Saturn
and Orion and the PlciadcS. ovcrtaking
and passing the swfteSt comet in their
flight. lIerschel died II Christian Have
you any doubt about what Hersrhcl is do
ing: Isaac Newton died "a Christian Have
You any doubt about what Isaac Newton
i doing? Joseph Henry died Il Christian
Have You any doubt about VIVA; Joseph
Henry is doing: They were in discussion.
all these astronomers Of earth. about what
the aurora horealiS WAS. and none Of them
could guess They know now: they have
been out there To see for themselves
Divine Chemistry.
What are our departed Christian chem
lists doing: Following out their own
science following out and following out
for ever. Since they died they have solved
l0.000 questions which puzzled the earthly
laboratory They stand on the other side
of the thin wall of olcctricity-the thin
wall that seems to divide the physical from
the spiritual world; the thin wall OF cleo
tricity. 50 thin the wall that ever and anon
il seems II he almost broken through
broken through from one side lly tclephanc
and Telegram HE apparatus, broke N through
from tie otter side 10y strange influences
which men ~ their ignorance call spirit
ualistic Manifestations All that matter
cleared up ILey laughing NJ rs rs older
brothers Vii ilughat inexperienced broth
ers a. they see us with contracted brow
experimenting and experimenting. only
wishing tncy could show us the way tn
open al the mysteries Agassiz standing
amid his student explorers dawn in Brazil,
coming across some great novelty in the
rocks. takiug of his hat and saying:
'Gcntlomcn let rs Fray. We must have
divine illumination. We want wisdom
from the Creator To study these rocks He
madc them. Let Us pray. Agassiz going
right on with his studies forever and for
ever
But what ARE the men Of the law. who
in this world found their chief joy in the
legal pr fcsson-what are they doing
now Studying Law in a universe where
everything IS controlled by law from tho
flight of hu,rlrine bird 10 flight OF world
law not dry and hard and drudging,
bat righteous and magnificent law. before
which man and chcrub and e.e-aph and
archanecl and God himself bow; the
chain Of law long enough to wind around
the immensiteS ard inlinity and eternity.
Chain Of law. What rlacc 10 study law,
where all tho links Of the chain are in the
hand
What are our departed Christian friends
who in this wofld had their joy in the
henling art doing now. Busy at their old
business. M sickness in heaven. but
plenty Of sickness On earth. plenty Of
wounds in tile different parts of God : do
minion Ia be healed and t. hc metlicatcd;
those glorified souls coming down not in
lazy doctors gig, bur with lightning loco
motion. Iau cannot understand why that
patient got well after AL the skillful doc
tors had said he must die. Perhaps Aher
cromhic tuuched nina hercrnmhie, who,
after many years dortoring the bodies and
the souls # people III scotland. went mp
To God in lSii Perhaps Abercrombie
touched him | should not wonder If my
old friend Pr John Brown. who died in
Edinburgh Brown, til. author of
"Rah and Ills Friends. John Brown,
who was rs humble Christian ~ he was
skillful physician ana world renowned
author su4la not wonder IL he had
been 81 * again and again to see some OF
his old patients. Those who had their JOY
IN healing the sickness and the wocs OF
earth. gone mp to heaven, are come forth
again for ueuignant Incdicamcnt
But what are our friends who found
their chief joy III conversation and in So
rality doing now: In brighter conversation
/ there ana III grander socialiiy What
place to visit in where your next door
ncighhurs are kings and queens. you
yourselves kingly and queenlyl II they
want 70 know more particularly about the
| first paradise, they have only To 20 over
and ask Adam. II they want To know how
the sun and the moon halted, they have
only To 20 over and ask Joshua. If they
want to know how the storm pelted sod
ON, they have only Ia 70 over and ask
4 Lot. II they want To know more about
| the arrogance of Hannah they have only
! to 70 over and ask Murdecai II they want
4 TO know how the Red sea boiled when il
was cloven. they have only L. 70 over and
ask Moses. II they want to know the
particulars about the Bethlehem advent
! they have only 10 90 over and ask the
seronading angels who stood that Christ
mas night in the balconies of crystal IL
they want to know more of the particulars
Of the cruciiixion. they have only to go
over and ask those who were personal
spectators while the mountains crouchcd
and the heavens got black in tho face ut
the spectacle. II they want to know more
about the sufTcrings OF the Scotch Cove
nanters, they have only To go over and ask
Andrew Melville II they want 70 know
more about the old time REVEALS they
have only to 20 over to ask Whitefeld. and
. Wesley and Livingston, ard Fletcher, and
Nettlcton, ard liinuey
Going Right ON With Work.
On, what u place To visit I'M III eternity
were one minute shorter it would not bc
long enough for such sociality. Think OF
oUr friends who IN this world were pas
sionately fond Of flowers turned into para
disc. Think OF our friends who were very
fond Of raising superb fruit turned into
the orchard where each tree has Il kinds
of fruit at once, and bearing the fruit all
the year round, What are our departed
Christian friends doing in heaven, those
who on earth found their chief joy in the
gospel ministry: They are visiting their
old congregations. Most Of those old min
listers have got their people around them
already. When | get to hcayen-as by tho
grace of God am destined tn go to that
place. will come and see you all. Yes.
! will come Ia all the people To- whom
have administered in the gospel and tn the
millions Of souls To whom, through the
kindness of the printing press | am per
mitted To preach every week in this land
and in the uttermost parts Of tho earth. |
will visit them all give them fair no
ticc our departed friends Of the ministry
are now engaged in that delectabc enter
tainmcn; and undertaking.
But what are nur departed Christian
friends who i'll all departments of useful
ness Were busy finding their chief joy in
doing good-what are they doing now?
Going right on with the work John
Howard visiting dungeons: the dead wom-