The Penn's Grove record., 1896-10-16

heard him tell the story OF his life. He had
for many years been troubled with insomnia,
aud was a very poor sleeper, and he always
had the window curtain of his room up so ~
to see the first intimation of sunrise. When
he was breathing his last In the morning
hour, 10 his home In the Massachusetts VII
lage, the nurse thought that the light at the
rising sun was too strong for him, aud go
pulled the window curtain down. II last
thing the great Quaker poet did WAS to wave
his hsnd to have the curtain up. He wanted
to depart in the full Rush OF the mCrDing.
And I thought 1t might be helpful and in
spring to all Christian souls to have more
light about the future, so pull up the eur
tain In the glorious sunrise OF my text and
say, "Reloice that your names ars written In
heaven" Bring on your doxologies! Wave
YOU palms! Shout your Victories. Pul up
all the curtains OF bright expectations Yes!
hoist the window itself and let the perfume
of the "morning glories'' of this Kings gar
den come in, and the music OF barps ali
a-tremble with symphonies, and the sound
Of the surf Of seas dashing to the foot OF the
throne of God and the Lamb.
But there Is only one worl on all this sub
ject Of Divine chirography In heaven that
c~oniuses me, and that ts the small adverb
which 81. John adds when he quotes the text
In Revelation and speaks OF some "whosa
names are not written In the Book of Iifso OF
the Lamb slain" Oh. that awful edverb
mot" By full submission to Christ the
Lord, have the way all cleared between you
and the sublime registration OF your name
this moment. Why not look up to see that
they are all ready to put your name among
the blissful immortals2 There Is the mighty
volume: It Is, wide open. There Is the pen:
1t Is from the wing of the "Angel OF the
New Covenant" There IA the ink: 1t is red
from the Calvareau sacrifice. And there Is
the Divine Scribe: the glorious Lord who
wrote your fathers name, and your moth.
sr's name there, and your childs name
there, and who Is ready to write your name
there. viii you consent that He do itp Be-
fore I say "hmen" to this service, ask Him
20 do 1t. 1 wait a moment for the tremen-
dous action of your will. for II Is only an
action OF your will. Here some one says,
"Lord Jesus, with pen plucked from angelic
wing, and dipped in the red ink Of Golgotha,
write there either that which Is now my
earthly name or that which shall be my
heavenly name" l pause a second longer
that all may consent. The pen of the Divine
Scribe Is in the fingers and is lifted and Il
lowered, and 1t touches the shining page,
and the word is tracei, In trembling and
bold and ~unmistakable letters. He has put
It down In the right place.
And II there be In all this assembly ahope-
less case, so-called hopeless by yourself and
others, l take the responsibility OF saying
that there Is a place in that Book where your
name would exactly fit in, n look beauti-
ful, and you san, quicker than l can clap my
hands together, have 1t there. A religious
meeting was thrown open, n all those who
could testify Of the converting grace Of God
were asked to speak. Silence reignei a mo.
ment, n then q man covered with the
marks of dissipation arose and fsaidi "You
can see from my looks what / have been, but
[ am now a saved man. When / left homes
thousand miles from here / had SO di5graced
my fathers name that he said, As you are
going away / have only two things to ask OF
you, first, that you will never CONT home
again, and next, you will change your name
I promised. / have not heard my real name
for years. I went the whole round of sin,
until there was no lower depth to fathom.
But I am by the grace of God a changed
man. wrote home asking forgiveness fot
my waywardness, and here are two letters,
one from my father and another from my
sister. My mother died Of a broken heart.
But these two letters ask me to come home,
and boys, ] start tomorrow morning" The
fact was that his name was written 10
heaven, where l pray God all of our names
ma be written though SO unworthy are ths
best Of Us, and all OF US. II you nave ever
been in the thick woods and heard the sound
of village bells you know the sound is hin,
dered and mutled by the foliage, though
somewhat sweet, but as you com to the
edge OF the woods the sounds become clearer
and more charming and when you step GU
from the deep shadows into the sunlight yot
hear the full, round, melliduous ringing o
the bells. Obi We, down in the thick shadow
Of unbelief and who hear only the faini
notes of this Gospel bell, come out into the
clear sunlight Of pardon and peace, and heal
the full chime of eternal harmonies from al
the towers OF heaven. Obi Come out Of thi
WoodsI