Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-08-14

stand the selling % your library OF the Nov
ins Into palmer house. Tn misT0riuu--
OF life have accumulated. You wonder what
makes the sky 50 dark. Il is toward even
ihg.
Trouble Is an Apothecary that mixes a
great many drafts b tier aud sour aud
nauseOus. and YOU must drink some one %
them. Trouble puts up a great many packs,
aud YOU must carry some one Of them.
There Is no sandal So thick AMI we'll adj
TASTED but some thorn will str Ike through H..
There Is no sound so sweet hut the under
takers screwdr,ver CRATES through il. Iuthis
swift shuttle OF the human heart some Of the
threads must break. The journey from
Jerusalem 10 Emmaus will soon be ended
Our Bible, our common sense, our 0bserya-
ton, reiteratc in tones that we cannot mis-
take and ought not 10 disregard. Il is to-
ward evening
Oh, then. for Jesus 10 abide with u.s. lie
sweetens the cup. He extracts the thorn. He
wipes the tear. lie bushes the tempest. He
soothes the soulthat flies to Him for shelter.
Let the night swoOp and the enrociydon
cross the sea. Let the thunder roar. Soon
all will be well. Christ In the ship 10 soothe
His friends. Christ ON the sea to stop its
tumult Christ in the grave to scatter the
darkness. Christ in the heavens to lead the
way. Blessed all such. His arms will en-
close them, His grace comfort them, His
light cheer them. His sacrifice free them, His
glory enchaut them. II earthly estate takes
wings, He will be an inrOruptible treasure.
II friends die. He will be their resurrection.
Standing with u in the morning of our jOy
and in the monday Of our prosperity, He
will not forsake US when the luster has faded
and II is toward evening.
Listen 10 Paufs battle shout with misfor.
tune. Hark TO mounting Latimer's fire song.
Look ut the glory that has reft the dungeon
and filled the earth aud heavens with the
crash OF the falling manacies Of despotism.
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 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 10 us
all, from the fact that we are nearing the
evening Of death. l 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 cannot
always be thinking Of DEATH for we have
duties In life that demand our attention.
When man is selling goods. it is his bust.
ness to think of the bargain he is making.
When a man Is pleading in the courts, It is
his duty to think of the interests o. his
clients. When clerk is adding up his ac-
counts, II is his duty to keep his mind uron
the column Of figures. He who Ills up his
life with thoughts Of death is far from being
the highest style OF Christian. | knew
man who used TO often say at night, II wish
/ might die before morning" Hebecame an
infidel
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 and eternity begins. We must 90
through that one pass. There Is no round
about way, no bypath, no clrcuitous route
Die we must; and it will be TO us a shameful
occurrence or 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
retaners 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 arr,
but what does death care for pictures2 You
may fill the house with the waihugs OF
widowhood and orphanage; does death mind
weeping?
/ This ought not to be a depressing theme.
/ Who wants to live here forever? The world
/ has always treated me well, and every day
/ feel less and less like scolding an complains.
( ing. But yet would not want 10 make this
/ my eternal residence. | love 10 watch the
( clouds and battle my soul In the blue sea Of
r6sd aw wy is scro Tp Is see ngw r.
/ grander, higher and more glorious. You
/ ought to be willing to exchange your body
/ that has headaches and sideaches 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 b|inks not be-
fore the jasper gates and the great white
throne. But between that,and this there is an
! hour about which no man should be reckless
I or foolhardy. l doubt not your courage. but
l tell you that you will want something bet
| ter than a strong arm, a good aim and a
trusty 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.
circumstances do not make so much diff
ference 1t may be bright day when you
push off the planet or it may be Il dark
night and while the owl is hoOting from the
forest. 1t may be spring. and your soul may
J EO Oul dllOuR ltlb UlOSSOilSt hpplt OECidEUS
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 on lire
by the retreating year--dead nature laid out
in state. 1t may be with your wifes hand in
your hand, or you may be in a strange hotel
with a servant faithful to the last. 1t may be
in the rail train, shot off the switch and
tumblng in long reverberation down
the embankment-erash, crash! | know
40 ina -
the days of our life are being subtracIed
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-tive minutes, four min
utes. 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 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 I'M
disheVeled by any human hands The mus
cles still. The nerves still. The lungs still.
The tongue still. All still. You might put
the stethoscope to the breast and hear no
sound. You might put speaking trumpet
to the ear, but you could not wake the deaf
ness. No motion, no throb, no life. Still,
still!
A. 60 death comes to the disciple What If
the sun OF lie is ABOUT 10 seIf Jesus is me
day spring from on hi h, theperpetual morn
ing OF every ransomed spirit. What if the
darkness comes2 Jesus is the light of the
world'and of heaven. What though this
earthly house does crumbIe2 Jesus has pre-
pared house Of many mansions Jesus is
the anchor that always holds. Jesus is the
light that is never eclipsed. 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
! Won no more by evil namns Ynmr good dnads