Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-08-14
Int van cors,aar cer,aln defalcatIon.

Ing INTO palmer mousse. l. IL A - a
Of life have accumulated. You wonder wnat
makes the sky so dark 1t is toward even
| ing.
Trouble is an apothecary that mixes
great many drafts bitter and sour anu
nauseous. and you must drink some one OF
them. Trouble puts up great many PACKS
| and YOU must carry some one OF tnen'
There is no sandal so thick and we'll al
iusted but some thorn will strike through IL
| There is no sound so sweet but the unoer-
takers screwdriver CRATES through 1t. In TINS
swift shuttle of the human heart some OF 'he
threads must break. The journey from
Jerusalem to Emmaus will soon be endeu'
| Our Bible, our common sense, our OBSERVE
ton, reiterate in tones that we cannot mis-
take and ought not TO disregard. 1t is TO-
ward evening.
Oh, then, for Jesusto abide with us! he
sweetens the cup. He extracts the thorn ne
wipes the tear. He bushes the tempest. he
soothes the soul that flies to Him for sneiter.
Let the night swoop and the enrociydon
cross the soa. Let the thunder roar. soon
all will be WELL Christ in the ship to sootne
His friends. Christ on the sea to stop us
tumult. Christ in the grave to scatter Tue
darkness Christ in the heavens to lead tue
Way Blessed all such. His arms Will en-
close them, His grace comfort them, HIS
glory enchant them. II earthly estate takes
wings. He will be an incorruptible treasure.
| II friends die, He will be their resurrection.
Standing with us in the morning OF our JOY
and in the monday OF our prosperity, he
will not forsake us when the luster has FADED
and it is toward evening
Listen to Pauls battle shout with misfor-
tune. bark to mounting Latimer's fire song.
Look at the glory that has reft the dungeon
and filed the earth and heavens with the
crash of the falling manacles OF despotlsm.
And then look at those who have tried 10
cure themselves by human prescriptions. at
tempting to heal gangrene with patch oil
court plaster and to stop the plague OF dying
empires with the quackery OF earthly wis
dom. Nothing can speak peace to the soul,
nothing can unstrap our crushing burdens,
nothing can overcome our spiritual foes,
nothing can open our eyes to see the sur
rounding horses and charlots OF salvation
that fill all the mountains, but the voice and
command OF Him who stopped one night at
Emmaus
The words Of the text are pertinent to us
all. from the fact that we are nearing the
evening of death. have heard it said that
we ought 20 live as though each moment
were to be our last. do not believe that
theory. AS far as preparation is concerned,
we ought always to be ready; but we cannon
always be thinking of death, for we have
duties in life that demand our attention.
When man is selling goods, it is his busl-
ness to think of the bargain he is MAKING
When a man is pleading in the courts, It IS
bis duty to think of the interests OF DIS
clients. When clerk is adding up his ac'
counts, it is bis duty to keep his mind upon
the column OF figures. He who fills up his
life with thoughts of death is far from being
the highest style OF Christian. l knew
man who used TO often say at night, II Wish
might die before morning." He became an
infdel
But there are times when we can and ought
to give ourselves to the contemplation OF
that solemn moment when to the soul time
ends ard eternity begins. We must 90
through that one pass. There is no round
about way, no bypath, no circuitous route;
Die we must; and it will be to US shameful
occurrence or a time of admirable behavior.
Our friends may stretch out their handS 10
keep us back, but no imploration on their
part can hinder us. They might offer large
retainers. but death would not take the Zee.
The breath will fail. and the eyes will close,
and the heart will stop. You may hang the
couch with gorgeous tapestry, but what does
death care for beautiful curtainsP You may
hang the room with the finest works OF arr,
but what does death care for picturesH You
NAV fill the house with the wailIngs OF
widowhood and orphanage; does death nina
weeping?
This ought not to be a depressing theme:
Who wants to live here forever! Inc worid
has always treated me well, and every day
feel less and less like scolding and complain
ing. But yet would not want to make this
nv eternal residence. l love TO watch the
clouds and battle my soul in the blue sea Oh
heaven. but expect when the armament Is
rolled away as scroll to see new heaven,
grander, higher and more glorious. 10u
ought to be willing to exchange your Dooy
that has headaches and sideaches and weak
ness innumerable, that limps with the stone
bruise or testers with the thorn or names
on the funeral pyre OF feVers Tor an moor
ruptible body and au eye that olnKs not ps-
fore the Jasper gates and the great WnIte
throne. But between that and this there Is an
hour about which no man should be reckless
or foolbardy. doubt not your courage, Dut
7 tell YOU that you will want something bet
fer than strong arm, good aln anu
trustv sword when you come to your last
battle. You will need better robe than any
YOU have in your wardrobe to keep you
warm in that place. ,,s
Circumstances do not make so mucn ull-
ference. IT may be bright day when you
nush off tho planet, or it may be dark
night and while The owl is hooting from the
forest 1t may be spring, and your soul may
90 ont among the blossoms, apple orcDaros
SWINGING their censers in the way. 1t may
be winter and the earth in snow snrouo.
If NAV be autumn and the forests set on 1re
bv the retreating year--dead nature laid OUT
in state. 1t may be with your wIfe's hand IN
YOUR hand, or you may be in strange notel
with a servant faithful 10 the last. 1t may De
in the rail train shot OFF the switch and
tumbling in long reverDsratlon doWn
the embankment-crash, crash! l know
not the time, know not the mode, puI
the DAYS of our life are being suotracted
away and we shall come down 10 tne
time when we have but ten days iei1
then nine days, then eight days, then
seven days, six days, five days, four Gays,
three days, two days, one day. linen nourS
three hours, two hours, one hour. Ihen
only minutes left-flve minutes, Tour MIN
utee three minutes, two minutes, one minute.
Then only seconds left-four seconds. three
seconds. two seconds, one second. Gone
The chapter of life ended. The book closeo
The nnlses at rest. The feet through with
the Journey. The hands closed from al
worS. No word on the lips. No breath in
the nostris. Hair combed back to lie IN
disheveled by any human hands. Inc mus
cles still. The nerves still. The lungs sun
The tongue still. All still. You mlgnt pu
tine stethoscope to the breast and hear ne
sound. You might put speaking trumPe
10 the ear but you could not wake tne oea i,,
ness No motion, no throb no life. Still
still! w.t. +;
So death comes to the disciple! What 1
tho sun of life is about 10 setP Jesus Is III
day spring from on high, heperpelua morn m
: =. - ,ror,, r,noonad enirit What ii III