The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-27

will not nave anything TO do with his
paper Suppose those people Who were
once elegantly entertained At his table
get SO shortsighted that they cannot rec
ognize MIN upon the street How then?
Is it SO easy to be cheerful? 1t Is easy
I to be cheerful in the home after the
/ days work is done, and the gas is turn
| ed on, and the house IS full Of rorping
little ones. But suppose the piano is
| shut because the fingers that played on Il
| will no more touch the keys. and the
| childish voice that asked so many ques-
| tons Will ask no more. Ihen Il IL so
| easy? When a man wakes Up and finds
that his resources are all gone, he be
| gins to rebel. and he says: God is hard;
TO do this TO me-" Ny friends. those OF
| US who have been through trouble know
| what a sinful and rebelliouS heart We
| have and how much God has TO put III
with and how much we need pardon. Il
| is only in the light Of a flaming furnace
| that we can learn our own and
| out own lack Of moral resource.
| FAMILY MEETINGS.
There is also a great deal of comfort
in the fact that there will be a family
reconstruction in a better place. From
Scotland or England or relan a child
emigrates to America 1t is very hard
| parting, but he comes, after awhile writ
ing home as to what a good land il is.
Another brother comes, a sister comes,
| and another, and after awhile the mother
| comes, and after awhile the father comes
and Row thg- are ali here, and they
have a time of great congratulation and
| a very pleasant reunion. Well, it is just
| so with our families. They are emigrat-
| ing toward a better land. Now one goes
out. Oh, how hard it is to part with
him. Another goes. Oh, how hard it is
| to part with her. And another and an
other, and we ourselves will after awhile
| go over. and ther~we will be together.
Oh, what a reunion! Do you believe that?
Yes" you say. Oh, you do not. You do
l NOT ha1iaya III &c Won hnlioxo ut har thinoc
| If you do, and with the same emphasis,
why it would take nine-tenths Of your
trouble off your heart. The fact is heav-
en- to many of US Is a great fog. 1t is
| certain and indefinite population. That
is the kind of heaven that many of Us
dream about. but it is the most tremen-
dous fact in all this universe-this
heaven of the gospel. Our departed
friends are not af1oat. The resi-
dence in which you live is not so real as
the residence in which they stay. You
are afoat-you who do not know in the
morning what will happen before night.
They are housed and safe forever. Do
R Who th hsce died pity in S g6qr dep Tney d fTien naf
need any Of your pity. You might as
well send a letter of coincidence to Queen
Victoria on her Obscurity or to the Roths-
childs on their poverty as to pity those
who have won the palm. Do not say of
those who are Departed: Poor child
Poor father" Poor mother" They are
not poor. You are poor-you whose homes
have been shattered, not they. You do not
dwell much with your families in this
world. All day long you are off to bust
ness. VIII it not be pleasant when you
can be together all the while? If you
have had tour children and one is gone,
and anybody asks how many children
you have, do not be so infidel as to say
+. three. Say four-one in heaven. Do not
| think that the grave is unfriendly. You
go into your room and dress for some
grand entertainment, and you come forth
beautifully appareled, and the grave is
only the place where we go to dress for
the glorious resurrection, and we will
come out radiant, mortality having be-
come immortality. Oh, how much con-
dolence there is in this thought. 1 ex-
| pect to see my kindred in heaven. I ex-
pect to see them just as certainly as 1
expect to go home today. Aye, I shall
more certainly see them. Eight or ten
of somerville, and one Will come from
the mountains back of Annoy, China,
and another will come up from the sea
off Hatteras, and thirty will come up
from Greenwood, and I shall know them
better than I ever knew theme here.
| MORNING OF THE RESURRECTION.
And your friends-they may be across
the sea, but the trumpet that sounds
here will sound there. You will come
you have oversight yourself and you
open your eyes and see that the sun is
high in the heavens and you say, Il have
oversight and L must be up and away So
you will open your eyes on the morning
of the resurrection. in the full blaze of
Gods light. and you will say, Il must
be up and away" Oh, yes, you will
CONS up, and there will be a reunion, a
what Halliburton q think it was)-good
old Mr.. Haliburton-said in his last mo-
and that I have a father in heaven and
a mother in heaven and brothers in
heaven and sisters in heaven, and 1 am
now going up to see Them
I remark once more, our trOubleS in
this world are preparative for glory.
What a transition it was for Paul-from
the slippery deck of a laundering ship
to the calm presence of Jesus! What a
transition it was for Latimer-from the
stake to a throne! What a transition it
was for Robert Hall-from insanity to
glory! What a transition it was for Rich
ard BaXter-from the drOpsy to the
Saints Everlasting Rest!' And what a
transition it will be for you-from a world
of sorrow to a world of joy! John Hol-
land, when he was dying. said: What
means this brightness in the room? Have
you lighted the candles?' No" they re-
Then said he, welcome, heaven!" the
light already beaming upon his pillow.
Oh, We who are prosecuted in this world,
your enemies will get off the track after
among the thrones! Ho, We who are sick
now! No medicines to take there. One
breath of the eternal hills will thrill
you with immortal vigor. And We who
are lonesome now. there will be a million
spirits to welcome you into their COM
partnership! Oh, We bereft souls, there
will be no gravedigger's spade that will
cleave the side of that hill. and there
will be no dirge wailing from that tenn
| pie, The river of God, deep as the joy
| of heaven, will roll on between banks
, GLORIOUS with balm and over depths bright
with Jewels and under skies roseate with
| gladness. argosies of light going down
| the stream to the stroke of glittering oar
and the song of angels. Not one sigh in
the wind; not one tear mingling with the
| waters.