Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-06-10

when Il vas looseueI fand this Is the 1aaln
iieal, T.. thNt "a few away. which way
ala D. sos Nh-n y1u l-t a bird llas- fr1m
vour grasn. which way does lt hys Ir.
VIA: ar winSs iOr' To az with. l. there
ANYTHING il tue suggestion ~ the dire
tioa tasrI ~ that hirl q Indicate which
Way We ought % 60
Rise. my soai and stretch thy wing,
Ihy better portion trace;
RE from transitorY thing,
To heaven. thy native place
W. should BE- going heayenwari. That
Is the suggestion. but I know that W.
have great many drawbacks. You had
them this morning, perhaps. You had
them yesterday, or the day before. and
although YOU want 10 be going heaven
warl, you are constantly discouraged. But
] suppose when that bird went out OF the
priests hands il went by inflections-some-
times STOPPING. A bird does not shoot III
rectly up. but this Is the motion OF a bird
So the soul scars toward God, rising up
ia love, and sometimes depressed by trial.
II does not always 60 in the direction IL
would like to 60. But the main course i
right. There il one passage In the Bible
which | quote ottener to myself than any
other: He Enoweth our frame. and He
remembereth that we are dust"
There Is a legend in Iceland which saws
that when JESUS was boy, PLAYING with
His comrades one sabbath day, He made
birds of clay: and as these birds of clay
We're standing upon the ground, an old
Sadducee came along and he was disgus.el
at the sport and dashed the birds to pieces.
but the legend says that Jesus waved His
hand above the broken birds, and they took
wings and went singing heaven ward. OF
course, that is fable among the Icelanders;
but 1t is not fable that we are dust. aud
that, the hand OF divine grace waved over
Us once, We 20 singing toward the skies
/ wish, NV friends, that we could live ia
Il higher atmosphere. II a mans whole
life object Is to make dollars he will be
running against those who are making dol
lars. If his whole object is to get applause,
he will run against those who are seeking
applause But il he rises higher than that.
he will not he interrupted in his flight
hcavenwar1. Why does that flock of birds
hOiting up against the blue sky so high
that you can hardly see them, not change
its course for spire or tower? They are
above all obstruction. SO we would not
have so often to change our Christian
course IL We lived in a higher atmOs pherc,
nearer Christ, nearer the throne of God.
Oh We who have been washed in LIKELIHOOD
of Christ-ye who have been loosed from
the hyssOp -Oranch- start heavenward. 1t
may he to some OF you long flight.
Temntations may dispute your way: storms
OF bereavement aud trouble may strike
your soul; but God will see you through.
Build not on the earth Set your affections
on things in heaven, not on things on
earth. This is Il perishing world. Its
iOwets fl ie. Its fountains dry up. its
promises cheat, set your affections upon
Christ aud heaven. | rejoice, my dear
brethren and siSters in Christ, that the
light will. after II while, be ended. Not
always beaten of the storm. Not ALWAYS
going on weary wings. There is a warm
dOYerot OF eternal dust where We shall find
place OF comfort to the everlasting Joy
OF our souls. Oh, they are going up all the
time-gOiug up from this church-going up
from all the families and from all the
churches of the lund-the weary doves
seeking rest in dOyecOt.
Oh. that in that good land we may all
meet when our trials are over! We can
not get into the glorious presence OF our
departed ones unless we have been cleansed
in the same blood tnat washed their sins
away. | know this is true Of all who have
gone in. that they were plunged in the
blood, that they were unlOOsed from the
hysSop- Then they went singing
into glory. See that va refuse not Him
that speaketh, for il they escaped not who
refused Hin that spake on earth, how
much more shall not we escape II we turn
away from Him that speaketh from heaven?