Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-03-12

Those flashed up to heaven in martyr
fires; those tossed for many years upon
the invalid couch those fought in the
armies of liberty and rose as they fell;
those tumbled from high scatfoldings or
slipped from the mast or were washed
off into the sea. They came up from
Corinth from Lnodicea, from the Red
sea bank and Genesareths wave, from
Egyptian brickyards and Gideon s
thrashing floor. Those, thousands Of
years ago, slopt the last sleep, and these
are this moment having their eyes clos
ed and their limbs stretched out for the
sepulcher.
A general expecting an attack from
the enemy stands on a hill and looks
through a feldglass and sees in the
great distance multitudes approaching,
but has no idea of their numbers. He
says: II cannot tell anything about
them. I merely know that there are
great numb Der" And so John, without
attempting to count, says, "a great
multitude that no man can number.
Joy Of Heaven.
We are told that heaven is place of
happiness but what do we know about
happiness? Happiness in this world is
only half fiedged thing, fowery path
with serpent Kissing across 1t, q bro
ken pitcher from which the water has
dropped before we could drink it, thrill
of exhilaration, followed by disastrous
reactions. To help us understand the
JOY of heaven the Bible takes US to u
river. We stand on the grassy bank.
We see the waters flow on with cease
less wave. But the filth of the cities is
emptied into it, and the banks are torn,
and unhealthy exhalations spring up
from it. and we fail to get AL idea of
the river of life in heaven.
We get very imperfect ideas of the
reunions of heaven. We think of some
festal day on earth when father and
mother were yet living and the children
came home. A good time thatl But
it had this draw buck-all were not
there. That brother went off to sea and
nevor was heard from. That sister-did
we not lay her away in the freshness of
her young life, never more in this world
to look upon her? All, there was skel-
eton at the feast, and tears mingled
with our laughter on that Christmas
day. Not so with heaven S reunions. 1t
will be an uninterrupted gladness.
Many a Christian parent will look
around and find all his children there
"Ah," he says, "can it be possible that
we are all here-life's perils over? The
Jordan passed and not one wanting?
Why, even the prodigal is here. I al
most gave him up. How long he de-
spised my counsels But grace hath tri-
umphed. All here, all here! Tell the
mighty joy through the city. Let the
bells ring and the angels mention it in
their song Wave it from the top of the
walls. All here -
Face to Face.
No more breaking of heartstrings,
but face to face The orphans that were
left poor and in merciless world,
kicked and cuffed of many hardships,
shall join their parents, over whose
graves they SO long wept. and gaze into
their glorified countenances forever. face
tn face. We may come up from differ
ent parts of the world, one from the
land and another from the depths of
the sea, from lives atfluent and prosper
Gus, or from scenes of ragged distress,
but we shall all meet in rapture and
jubilee, face to face.
Many of our friends have entered
upon that joy. A few days ago they sat
with us studying these gospel themes,
but they only saw through glass, dark
~. Now revelation hath come. Your
time will also come. God will not
leave you laundering in the darkness
You stand wonder struck and amazed.
You feel as if all the loneliness of life
were dashed out You stand gazing into
the open chasm of the grave. Wait
little In the presence of your departed
and of him who carries them in his
bosom you shall soon stand face to face.
Oh, that our last hour may kindle up
with this promised joy May we be
able to say, like the Christian not long
ago departing, Though q pilgrim,
walking through the valley, the noun
tain tops are cleaning from peak to
peak" or, like my dear friend and
brother, Alfred Goodman, who took his
firbt to the throne of God, saying in
his last moment that which has already
gone into Christian classics, II am
sweeping through the pearly gate,
washed in the blood of the Lamb. :"