The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-04

nc lNCN. JaHleS tluShNS' VI ''N'''
ton, late of South Africa, conducted the
special evangelistiC service last night
in the Wayne Avenue Baptist church
and preached on the subject of Man
assehs possessions on both sides of the
river Jordan. After fclicitous intro
duction Mr.. Hughes said that of every
Christian IL might be said he has pos
sessions on either side of the river.
Their ne continued: "The church of
Cod is on both sides of the river
"One family We dw~ll in Him
one church above beneath
Though now divided by the stream
The narrow stream Of DEATH
."Our friends are on both sides OF the
river. Some people talk as IL there
was no such thing as true friendship in
| the world. They declare positively
| that the term is q msnomer Some
| have said that the church yard would
not hold their relations, but that there
would be room for more than all their
! true friends in the pulpit. This is not
| generally true.
"There is much genuine friendship
| among all classes of the community.
| This sweetens life. and gives a healthy
! tonic to the nobler elements Of human
! character Some people are SO Consti-
| tuted that they could not exist scarce
! ly unless they felt that they had some
| true friends in the world. IT is very
| pleasant to hear the huntsman blow
| his horn which awakens the slumbering
| echoes of the hills. but how much more
| pleasing to know that there are hearts
| that beat in sympathy with our own
and that every throb Of sorrow and
every note of Joy awaken echoes in the
breast of our friends
| OF all the gifts which heaven bestows
! There's one above all measure,
, And that's a friend midst all our woes
A friend is found treasure
Eyes. there is much true friendship
and many true friends In the world but
many of us have a greater number
who have crossed the river. Has death
changed them? Do they still feel the
attachment of friendship? Jesus Christ
died ard still He seemed to possess the
same noble feelings of love after He
| had been raised from the dead for we
read of Him saying Go tell my dis
| ciples and Peter
"RefOre He>Was crucified He appears
to have shown much tender solicitude
! for Peter, and almost the first thing
! lie did after His resurrection was to
exercise the same loving regard for the
! man who had proved a defaulter in His
| fidelity to the Master. Have the feel
| ings Of our friends changed? Can they
see us? DO they influence us? When
| the fathers and sons of Ancient Ven
iCo went forth into the darkness to
| fish, the mothers and daughters went
| out on the beach and there in the dark
stiffness Of the night they would sing
| two lines Of a hymn and then the hus-
| bands and sons who could not he seen,
| wrapped in the sable Earb of night
| would take up the strain and sing the
other two lines of the same hymn, AMI
who knows that but for this dull,
| Opaque, unetherial nature Of ours we
might hear the singing on the other
side of the river.
However that may be we thank God
that friendship does exist and that it
often proves aleniative to sorrow and
| healing balm to bleeding heart.
Friends we have in this world. but
many of us have a majority on the
other side the stream, The home of
the Christian is on both sides of the
river. The nativity of his spiritual life
is heaven, the nativity of his physical
| life is earth.
"Cf the body II is said dust to dust
that is, let it return to the place from
whence it came, let it go back to the
place of its nativity. but of the soul
ii is said that it returns to God who
gave it, He is born from above, so
Heaven is his home. While body and
soul are united it might be said that
his home is on both sides.
"Whle here his nobler his heaven
born nature, often siGhs for deliver
ance and now and again we may hear
him saying i would not live always
Why? Because he is living in an enc
my's country while here: moreover his
place of abode is so far away from the
great metrOpolis, and more than that
the cid tenement is so frequently out
of repair, that a self-impOsed tax has
10 be made so frequently in order to
keep 1t anything like tenantable. When
it shall foil and be desolved then the
real name returns to that building of
God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens"
THE work of the Christian is on
both sides of the river. Heaven is a
place of glorious service, they serve
Him day and night. We are now serv-
ing our apprenticeship. We are en-
gagged at present in the workshop
where the harps are made but in
! heaven they will be played.