The Yale expositor., 1896-12-11

Studying history yet, but not the his
tory of a few centuries of our planet
only, but the history of the eternities
whole millenniums before Xenophon,
or Herodotus. oS Moses. or Adam was
born. History of one world. History
of all worlds. What are our depart
ed astronomers doing? Studying as
tronomy yet, but not through the dull
lens of earthly observatory, but with
one stroke Of wing going right out to
Jupiter and Mars, and Mercury, and
Saturn, and Orion, and the Pleiades-
overtaking and passing the swiftest
comet in their flight. Herschel died
Christian. Have you any doubt about
what Herschel is doing? Isaac Newton
died Christian. Have you any doubt
about what Isaac Newton Is doing?
Joseph Henry died a Christian. Have
you any doubt about what Joseph
Henry is doing? They were in discus
sion, all these astronomers of earth,
about what the aurora borealis was,
and none Of them could guess. They
know now; they have been out there
to see for themselves.
But what are the men of the law,
who in this world found their chief
Joy in the legal professionalism are
they doing now? Studying law in
universe where everything is controlled
by law from the flight of hummingbird
20 flight of world-law, not dry and
hard and drudging, but righteous and
magnificent law, before which man and
cherub. and seraph, and archangel, and
GOO himself bow. The chain of law
long enough to wind around the i'm
mensities, and infinity, and eternity,
Chain of law. What a place to study
law, where all the links of the chain
are in the hand!
What are our departed Christian
friends who in this world had their Joy
in the healing art doing now? Busy at
their old business. No sickness in
heaven, but plenty of sickness on
earth, plenty of wounds in the different
parts of Gods dominion to be healed
and to be medicated. Those glorious
souls coming down, not in lazy doctors
gig, but with lightning locomotion. You
canot understand why that patient got
well after all the skillful doctors had
said he must die. Perhaps Abercrom-
bic touched him-Abercrombie, who,
after many years doctoring the bodies
and the souls of people in Scotland,
went up to God in 1874. Perhaps Aber-
crombie touched him. l should not
wonder If my old friend DR.. John
Brown, who died in Edinburgh-John
Brown, the author of "Rab and His
Friends"-John Brown, who was as
humble Christian as he was a skilful
physician and world-renowned author;
l should not wonder If he had been
back again TO see some of his old
patients. Those who had their Joy in
healing the sickness and the woes of
earth, gone up to heaven, are come
forth again for benignant medicament.
But what are our departed Christian
friends who in all departments of use
fulness were busy. finding their chief
JOY in doing good-what are they do
ing now? Going right on with the
work. John Howard visiting dungeons:
the dead women Of Northern and
Southern battlefields still abroad look
ing for the wounded; George Peabody
still watching the poor; Thomas Clark
son still looking after the enslaved-
all of those who did good on earth
buster since death than before. The
tombstone not the terminus but the
starting-post. What are our departed
Christian friends who found their chief
Joy in studying God, doing now
tion now, for unblanched they are face
to face. Now they can handle the om-
nipctent thunderbolts, just as child
handles the sword OF a father come
back from victorious battle. They have
nc sin; no fear, consequently. Study
ing Christ. not through a revelation
save the revelation of the scars-that
deep lettering which brings it all up
quick enough. Studying the Christ OF
the Bethlehem caravansary; the Christ
of the awful massacre with its hemorr-
hage of head, and hand, and foot, and
side; the Christ of the shattered maui
soleum; Christ the Sacrifice, the Star
aHe DOHs the Mai, the bOu, tue 1Ou-
man, the man-God. But bark! the
bell of the cathedral rings-the cathe-
dral bell of heaven. What is the mat
ter now? There is going to be a great
meeting in the temple. Worshippers
, all coming through the aisles. Make
room for the Conqueror. Christ stand
ing in tho temple. All heaven gather
ing around him. Those who loved the
beautiful come to look at the Rose oi
Sharon Those who loved music, come
to listen to his voice. Those who were
mathematicians, come to count the
years of his reign. Those who were
explorers, come to discover the height
and the depth and the length and the
breadth of his love. Those who had the
military spirit on earth sanctified, ant
the military spirit in heaven, come Il
look at the Captain of their salvation
| The astronomers come to look at tn,
Morning Star. The men of the Law
come to look at him who is the judg'
of quick and dead. The men wh'
healed the sick come to look at hin
who was wounded for our transgres
sions. All different and different for
| ever in many respects vet all alike II