The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-25
1T is HEAVENLY RECOGNITION
ContInued from Second Page.

bling on of the charlots of resurrection
victory.
O heaven? sweet heavenl You do not
spell heaven as you used TO spell 1t,
h-e-a-v-e-n, heaven. But now when you
want to spell that word you place side by
side the faces of the loved ones who are
gone and in that irradiation of light and
love, and beauty and Joy, You spell 1t out
as never before, in songs and hallelujahs.
Oh, We whose hearts are down under the
sod of the cemetery, cheer up at the
thought of this reunion. Oh. how much
you will have to tell them when once you
meet them.
How much you have been through since
YOU saw them last. On the shining shore
you will talk it all over. The heartaches.
The loneliness. The sieepless nights. The
weeping until you had no more power to
weep, because the heart was withered and
dried up. Story of vacant chair, and emp
~ cradle and little shoe only half worn
out, never to be worn again, just the shape
Of the foot that once pressed il. And
dreams when you thought that the de-
parted had come back again. and the room
seemed bright with their faces, and You
started up to greet them. and in the effort
the dream broke and you found yourself
standing amidroom IN the Neutrality-suspicious..
Talking il all over, and then. hand in hand,
walking up and down In the light. No sor-
row, no tears. no death. Oh heaven!
friends are. Heaven where we expect to be.
In the east they take cage OF birds and
bring II to the tomb of the dead, and then
they open the door of the cage, and the
birds flying out. sing. And / would to-
day bring "A cage of christian consultations
to the grave of your loved ones, and I
would open the door and let them fill ali
the air with the music Of their voices.
Oh, how they bound in these spirits be-
fore the throne! Some shout with glad
ness. Some break forth into uncontrolla-
bic weeping for joy. Some stand speech
less in their shock Of delight. They sing.
| They quivCr with excessive gladness. They
gaze on the temples on the palaces, on
| the waters, on each other. They weave
| they joy into garlands, they spring It into
| triumphal arches, they strike on timbreIs,
| and then all the loved ones gather in a
! great circle around the throne of Cod
! fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters sons
and daughters, lovers and friends. hand
| to hand around about the throne--the
circle. hand to hand. joy to joy. jubilee to
! jubilee victory to victory, until the day
break and the shadows flee away. Turn.
my beloved. and be like a roe or a young
hart upon the mountains of Bether"
on, how different 1t is on earth from
the way It is in heaven when a Christian
dies! We say CLOSE his eyes" In
heaven they say, give him a palm" on
earth we say, Let him down in the
ground In heaven they say, Hoist him
on throne" On earth it is Farewell,
farewell" In heaven it Is, welcome,
welcome" And so l see a Christian soul
coming down to the river of death, and
he steps into the river, and the water
comes up to the ankle. He says. Lord
Jesus, is this death?" NO" says Christ
this is not death" And he wades still
deeper down into the waters until tho
flood comes to the knee, and he says,
Lord Jesus, tell me, tell me, is this
death?" And Christ says. mo, no. this
is not DEATH" And ne wades still fur
Their down until the wave comes to the
girdle, and the soul says, Lord Jesus, is
this death?" mo" says Christ, this
is not" And deeper in wades the soul
till the billow strikes the lip and the de-
parting one cries, Lord Jesus, Is this
death?" NO" says Christ this is not"
But when Christ had lifted this soul on
a throne of glory, and all the pomp AMI
joy of heaven, came surging to its feet.
then Christ said, This, oh, Transported
soul! this is deathT'