Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-08-12
NO. 80

happened. The best friend you had proved
traitor to your interest. A sudden crash OF
National miSfortunes prostrateI your credit.
You may to-day be going on in business. but
YOU feel anxious about where you are stand
Ing and fear that the next turning of the
wheel will bring you PROSTATE. You foresee
what you consider certain defalcation. You
think of the anguish of telling your friends
you are not worth dollar. You know not
how you will ever bring your children home
from school. You wonder how you will
stand the selling of your library or the NOV
ing INTO palmer house. The misfortunes
of life have accumulated. You wonder what
makes the sky SO dark. L is toward even-
ng.
Listen to Paul's battle shout with misfor-
une. Hark to mounting I.atimer's fire song.
Look at the glory that has reft the dungeon
and filled the earth and heavens with the
crash of the falling manac.es of Gcspotism.
And then look at those who have tried to
cure themselves by human prescriptions, at
tempting to heal gangrene with patch of
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 cnarlots OF salvation
that fill all the mountains. but the voice and
command of Him who stopped one night at
Emmaus.
all, from the fact that we are nearing the
evening of death. have heard 1t 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 cannot
always be thinking of death, for We have
duties in life that demand our attention.
When "a man is selling goods, it is his busi-
ness to think of the bargain he is making.
When "A man is pleading in the courts, 1t is
II. l..
clients. When clerk is adding up his ac-
counts, it is his 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
inndel
But there are times when we can and ought
to give ourselves to the contemplation of
that solemn moment when 10 the soul time
ends and eternity begins. We must so
through that one pass There i no round
about way, no bypath, no circuitous route.
Die we must; and it will be to US a shameful
occurrence or a time OF admirable behavior.
Our friends may stretch out their hands to
keep us back. but no imploration on their
part can hinder us. They might offer large
retainers, but death would not take the fee.
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 curtains? You may
hang the room with the finest works of art,
but what does death care for pictures? You
may fill the house with the wailIngs of
widowhood and orphanage; does death mind
weeping?
This ought not to be depressing theme.
Who wants TO live here forever? The world
| las always treated me well, and every day l
| feel less and less like scolding and complain
ing. But yet would not want to make this
my eternal residence. L love TO watch tho
| clouds and bathe my soul in the blue sea of
1 heaven, but expect when the tirmament Is
| rolled away Ii scroll TO a new heaven,
grander, higher and more glorious. You
/ ought to be willing to exchange your body
/ that has headaches and sideachss and weak
ness innumerable that limps with the stone
bruise or testers with the thorn or flames
on the funeral pyre OF fevers for an incor-
ruptible body and an eye that blinks not be-
| fore tho jasper gates and the great white
/ throne. But between that.and this there is an
| hour abOG. which no man should be reckless
| or foolhardy. 1 doubt not your courage, but
/ tell you that you will want something bet
/ ter than a strong arm, a good aim and
trusty sword when you come to your last
battle. You will need better robe than any
you have in your wardrobe TO Keep Sou
warm in that place.
Circumstances do not make 80 much clf-
| ference. II may be a bright day when ycg
! push of the planet, or 1t may be a ds.:
night and while .he owl is hooting from the
forest. 1t may be spring, and your soul may
| 20 out among the blossoms, apple orchards
/ swinging their cenSerS in the way. 1t may
! be winter and the earth in a snow shroud.
/ 1t may be autumn and the forests set fire
/ by the retreating year-dead nature laid out
| in state. 1t may be with your wife's hand in
/ your hand. or you may ne il q strange hotel
with q servant faithful 10 the last. 1t may be
in the rail train, shot off the switch and
| lumbling in long reverberatiOn down
] fh.. hn y l-pn
not the time, l know not the mode, but
| the days of our life ara being subtracted
away and we shall come down to the
time when we have but ten days left,
then nine days, then eight days, then
| seven days, six days, five days. four days,
! three days, two days, one day. Then hours
three hours, two hours. one hour. Then
/ only minutes left-fve minutes. four min
! utes three minutes two minutes, one minute.
Then only seconds left-four seconds, three
seconds. two seconds, one second. Gonei
| The chapter of life ended. The book closed
| The pulses at rest. The feet through with
the journey. The hands closed from all
worK. No word on the lips. No breath in
the nostrils. Hair combed back to lie un-
! disheveled by any human hands. The mus
cles still. The nerves still. The lungs still.
/ The tongue still. ALI still. You might put
/ the stethoscope to the breast and hear no
sound. You might put a speaking trumpet
to the ear, but you could not wake the deaf
I uess. NJ uotiou, Ho uO Bit. Slllf
| still!
! So death comes to the disciple! what If
! the sun of life is about to sci? JDsu- is the
/ day spring from on high. the perpetual morn
! Ing Of every ransomed spirit. What II the
| darkness comes? Jesus Is the lignt OF the
world and of heaven. What though this
earthly house does crumble2 Jesus has pre-
pared house of many mansions. Jesus is
| the anchor that always holds. Jesus is the
! light that Is never eciipsed. Jesus is the
/ fountain that is never exhausted. Jesus is
the evening star, hung up amid the gloom of
| the gathering night.
You are almost through with the abase
and backbiting OF enemies. They will call
! you no mere by evil names. Your good deeds
| will no longer be misinterpreted nor your
| honor f1lohed. The troubles Of earth will
end in the felicties. Toward evening. The
| bereavements of earth will soon be lifted.
You yill not much longer stand pouring
| your grief In the tomb, like Rachel weeping
| for her children or David mourning
! for Absalom. Broken hearts bound
up. Wounds healed. Tears wiped away.
! Sorrows terminated. No more sound
/ Ing of the dead march. Toward
evening! Death will come, sweet as slumber
to the eyelids Of the babe, as full rations TO a
starving soldier, as evening hour to the ex-
hausted workman. The sky will take on its
sunset glow, every cloud fire psalm. every
lake a CLASSY mirror tho forests transiigurei,
delicate mists climbing the air. Your friends
will announce it, your pulses will beat it Z;
your joys will ring it: your lips will whisper
ii, Toward EVENING""