Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-11-23

= Hindoo convert, meant when he said:
Il long for my bed, not that | may
sleep-I lie awake often AID long
but to hold communion with my Cod
1t means what the old colored man
said, when he was accosted by the col
porteur, Uncle Jack, how are YOU?
Il is very painful in my knee, but.
thank my heavenly Master. I'm cause
to be thankful. Ny good Master just
glib me nuf TO make me humble" "And
! do you enjoy religion as much now.
Uncle Jack. as when you could go to
church and class-meetings?" "Yes,
Joys him more. Den l truss to de
people, to de meetings. TO de sarment:
and when l hear de hymn sing, and
dc pray | feels glad. But all dis amt
like de good Lord in de heart, Gods
love here" II means sunrise instead
OF shutdown. 1t means the Memnon
statue made to sing at the stroke OF
the morning light 1t means Christ
at the wedding in Cana. 1t means the
time of the singing of birds is come
/ 1t means Jeremiah's 'well-watered
garden" 1t means David's oil OF glad
ness" It means Isaiah's bride and
| bridegroom" 1t means Luke's bad boy
come home to a fathers house. World
! ly Joy killed Leo X. when he heard
! that Milan was captured. Talva died of
| Joy when the Roman senate honored
him. Diagora died of Joy because his
| three sons were crowned at the Olym-
plan games. Sophocies died of joy
| over his literary successes. And reli-
gious joy has been too much for many
a Christian, and his soul has sped
away on the wing of hosannas.
An old and poor musician played so
well one night before his king that the
next morning when the musician
awoke he found his table covered with
golden cups and plates, and princely
robe lying across the back Of chair.
and richly capasisoned horses were
paving at the doorway to take him
! through the street in imposing equip
age. 1t was only a touch of what
comes to every man who makes the
Lord his portion, for he has waiting
for him, direct from his King, robes,
banquets, chariots. mansions, tri-
umphs, and it is only question or
time when he shall wear them, drink
them, ride in them, live in them, and
celebrate them.
You think religion is a good thing
for funeral. o, yes. But SolomonS
orchard means more. Religion is a
|
health and prosperity, and the appetite
is good for citrons, and apples, and APP
ricots, and pomegranates. Come in
without wasting any time in talking
about them and take the luxuries OF
religion. Happy yourself, then you can
make others happy. Make just one
! person happy every day, and in TWEEN
ty years you will have made seven
thousand three hundred people hap
by. like what Wellington said after
the battle of Waterloo, and when he
was in pursuit OF the French with his
advance guard, and Colonel Harvey
said to him: General, you had bet
! ter not go any farther. for you may he
shot at by some straggler from the
! bushes" And Wellington replied:
LET them fire away. The battle is won
and my life is of no value now
! While there is enough Of the pomp
| of the city about heaven for those who
like the city best, l thank God there
! is enough in the Bible about country
scenery in heaven to please those of
us who were born in the country and
never got over it. Now you may have
streets of gold in heaven; give me the
| orchards, with twelve manner OF
fruits and yielding their fruit every
month; and the leaves Of the trees are
for 1.-The healing of the nations; and
there shall be no more curse, but the
throne of God and of the Lamb shall
be in IT, and his servants shall serve
| him; and they shall see his face. and
his name shall be in their foreheads;
and there shall be no night there, and
they need no candle, neither light OF
the sun. for the Lord God g!veth them
light; and they shall reign for ever
and ever" But just think of place so
brilliant that the monday sun shall
be removed from the mantle OF the sky
because il is too feeble a taper! Yet,
most of all, am | impressed with the
fact that am not yet fit for that place,
nor you, either. By the reconstruct
ing and sanctifying grace of Christ VIC
need to be made all over. And let
us be getting our passports ready II
we want to get into that country. An
earthly passport is a personal matter.
telling our height, our girth, the color
of our hair, our features, our complex
ion. and our age. l cannot get into a
foreign port on your passport, nor can
YOU get in on mine. Each one of us
for himself needs a divine signature,
written by the wounded hand of the
Son OF God, to get into the heavenly
orchard, under the laden branches of
which. in Gods good time, we may
meet the Adam of the first orchard and
the Solomon of the second orchard and
the st. John Of the last orchard, to sit
down under the tree of which the
church in the Book Of Canticles speaks
vbop ~ saws: "As the annie tree