Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-01-29
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enough features to make US distinguish
able. can understand how in sickness
a man will become so delirious that he
will not know bis own friends, but will
we be blasted with such insufferable
idiocy that, standing beside our best
friends for all eternity, we will never
guess who they are?
One Reason For Belief
Again, | think that one reason why
we ought to accept this doctrine is be-
cause we never in this world have an
opportunity to give thanks to those to
whom we are spiritually indebted. The
ioy Of heaven, we are told, is TO be in
augurated by a review Of life's work
These Christian men and women who
have been toiling for Christ, have they
seen the full result Of their work? Oh,
mol
In the church at Somerville, n. j.,
John Vredenburgh preached for a great
many years. He felt that his ministry
was a failure, although he was a faith
full minister preaching the gospel all
the time. He died, and died amid dis
couragements, and went home to God,
for no one ever doubted that John Vre-
denburgh was a good Christian minister.
A little while after his death there came
q great awakening in Someryille, and
one Sabbath 200 souls stood up at the
Christian altar espOusing the cause OF
Christ, among them my own father and
mother. And what was peculiar IN re-
gard 10 nsezly all Of those 200 souls was
that they dated their religious impress
sions from the ministry Of John Vre-
denburRh. viii that good Christian
man before the throne Of God never
meet these souls brought to Christ
through his instrumentality? Oh, OF
course he will know theml | remember
one Sabbath afternoon, borne down with
the sense Of my sins and knowing not
God, l took up Doddridge's Rise and
Progress" " Oh, what a dark afternoon
it was, and I read the chapters, and
read the prayers, and tried to make
the prayers my own. Oh, 1 must see
Philip Doddridge! A glorious old book
he wrote! 1t is out Of fashion now.
There is a mother before the throne
Of God. You say her JOY is full Is 1t!
You say there can be no augmentation
Of it. Cannot there be? Her son was a
wanderer and a vagabond on the earth
when that good mother died He broke
her old heart. She died, leaving him in
the wilderness of sin. She is before the
throne Of God now. Years pass, and
that son repents of his crimes and gives
his heart to God and becomes a useful
Christian and dies and enters the gates
of heaven. You tell me that that moth
er's Joy cannot be augmented. Let them
confront each other, the son and the
mother. "Oh, she says TO the angels OF
God. "reioice with me! The dead Is alive
again, and the lost is found Hallelu-
iah, never expected to see this lost one
come back" The Bible says nations are
10 be born in day. When China comes
to God, will it not know DR.. Abeel9
When India comes, will it not know Dr.
John Scudder? When the Indians come
to God, will they not know David
Brainerd?
I see a soul entering heaven at last
with covered face at the idea that 1t has
done so little for Christ and feeling
borne down with unworthiness, and II
says to itself, Il have no right to be
here" A voice from a throne says:
"Oh. you forget that Sunday school
class you invited to Christi was one
Of them" And another voice says:
"You forget that poor man to whom
YOU gave a loaf Of bread and told of the
heavenly bread. Twas that man. And
another says: "You forget that sick one
to whom you gave medicine for the body
and the soul. | was that one. " And
then Christ, from o throne Oyertopping
all the rest will say, "lnasmuch as ye
did it TO one Of the least Of these, you
did il to me-" And then the seraphs
will take their harps from the side OF
the throne and cry, What song shall
it be?" And Christ, bending over the
harpers. shall say, 1t shall be the
Harvest Home.
Theory Confirmed by the Dying.
One more reason why am disposed
to accept this doctrine Of future recogni-
ton is that so many in their last hour
on earth have confirmed this theory. l
| speak not Of persons who have been de-
lirious in their last moment and knew
not what they were about, but of per-
sons who died in calmness and placidity,
ana who were not naturally supersti-
tious. Often the glories Of heaven have
struck the dying pillow, and the depart
ing man has said he saw and heard
those who had gone away from HIM
How often it is in the dying moments
parents see their departed children and
children see their departed parents! l
came down to the banks Of the Mohawk
river. 1t was evening, and | wanted TO
90 over the river, and 50 | waved my
hat and shouted, and after awhile saw
some one waving on the opposite bank,
and | heard him shout, and the boat
came across, and got in and was trans
ported. And so / suppose 1t viii be IN
the evening of our life. We will come
down to the river Of death and give
signal 10 our friends on the other shore'
and they will give a signal back to US,
and the boat comes, and our departed
kindred are the oarsmen. the fires OF the
setting day tingeing the tops of the pad
dies
Oh. have you never sat by such
deathbedY In that hour You hear the de-
parting soul cry: "Harkl LookV' fou
| hearkened, and you looked A little
child pining away because of the death
Of its mother, getting weaker and weak
or every day, was taken into the room
where hung the picture of her mother;
She seemed to enjoy looking at 1t, ana
then she was taken away and after
awhile died. In the last moment that
wan and wasted little one lifted her
| hands. while her face lighted up Win
the glory of the next world and cried
ont. "Mother' Do yon tell me she did
not see her mother? She did. SO IN my
, first settlement at Belleville plain man
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