The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-19
WHEN WE GET THERE.

WHEN WE GET THERE
For now We see through a glass, darkly.-
l. Cor. Kill, T.
We shall lave y great many curious
experiences when We reach "the house
not made with hands, for once safely
out Of the body and beyond its limita-
lions We shall BE- able to look back and
solve some Of the puzzles OF this present
life.
When a man has lived in a narrow val
ley for many years his mind becomes as
narrow as the valley. and he almost
necessarily takes a narrow view OF
things. Lift him. by some magic, to
the summit OF the mountain. let him
look down upon the little place in which
he passed his summers n winters, and
then u on the boundless landscape that
stretches beyond the reach OF his vision.
and he at once becomes larger and
broader. He understands on the instant
a great many things which have hereto
fore been hidden from him. When he
lived in the valley he wondered about a
thousand matters. but only had his labor
for his pains, because his wonder asked
questions which his reason could not an
swer. From the vantage ground OF the
summit. however. he simply looks abroad,
and many OF these questions answer
themselves.
Or. again. II a man lives in the dark.
ne can find out a great deal by cropping.
and as far as he is able to 30 his in
formation may be quite correct. From
the little he knows he may fashion a
theory OF the many things he does not
know. but that theory will be always
open to doubts and subject to change.
because he is dealing with matters be-
yond his vision. Suppose you were able
to draw up the hidden curtain OF some
hidden window, and let the blazing glory
Of the sunlight into the in which
he has lived. He would be at first en-
~barrassed. II not positively frightened.
and ii would require time for him TO be-
come accustomed to the new state OF
affairs: but how much he would learn,
and in how short a time he would learn
preconceived notions would fan like
withered leaves; another glance, and the
actual truth concerning things would
gradually dawn on his startled but de-
lighted mind.
Something Of that kind must needs hap
pen when we open the door on the thither
side Of the tomb and step from the dark
ness OF death into the bright light OF
ment has passed. we shall look back with
a kind OF regret that It was possible for
US TO so misunderstood the beneficent
purpose OF God in the experiences which
which were allotted TO rs.
We sha see that this life is really very
beautiful, for earth is only a suburb OF
heaven, and II rightly used wOuId be full
Of happiness. 1t is hard to believe hat
it was Gods intention that we should
suffer as in a great many instances we
do suffer. Unless we declare that God
moral, and, for that matter, His physical
laws also, were bound to be broken, we
must insist that much Of the sorrow hat
burdens the heart is the result Of our
own misdoing rather han Of Gods doing.
Tha discipline is necessary we will not
doubt, but why add TO the discipline Of a
wise and kindly Providence what ought
to be classified as the penalty Of broken
laws? When God hurts VA we can bear
it, but how shall we bear the hurts we
inhict on ourselves by the wilfulness and
w~antonness which He has distinctly for
hidden US TO indulge. and which He must
punish in order TO teach US the terrible
lesson Of obedience?
All this is very puzzling to US just now.
and in the silent watches Of the night
the eyes Of the body have been kept wide
open because the inquiring eyes of the
mind could not see the solution Of the
mystery. But when we are free, when
we stand on higher ground and look
down on all we have lone and left I'M
done, we shall discover that at the hrst
God filled this lower life with all possible
happiness, and that our perverse and per-
haps ignorant attitude toward Him has
%ccnjured up evils which are PRINTED by
Him but not approved.
II we could only come back from
heaven, and bring our newly acquired
knowledge with US, how little our second
earthly life would resemble the first! In
other words, the Christ spirit alone
makes life beautiful, and If We have not
that, then there are awful experiences in
our months and years, just as in the
landscape there are dishguring chasms
and precipices and lava beds and long
stretches Of arid ana unproductive terri
tory.
The lips Of the body may laugh at
trivial things, but when the soul laughs
and is merry it is because God is not far