The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-06-23

clothes lle and many a backwoodsman
has dismounted from the saddlebags.
ana n his linen buster preached a SER
mon mon that shook earth and heaven with
us christian eloquence. No new Cos
pei, only the old Gospel in a way suit
ed TO the. time. No new church, but a
cnurch to be the asylum, the inspira-
lion, the practical sympathy, and the
eternal help Of the people.
But while half of the doors of the
church are to be set open toward this
world, the other half of the doors of
the church must be set open toward the
next. You and tarry here only brief
space. We want somebody to teach us
now to get out of this life at the right
Time and in the right way Some fall
out OF life, some go stumbling out of
lie, some go groaning out of life, some
go curslng out of life We want to go
singing, rising, rejoicing, triumphing.
we want half the doors of the church
set IN that direction. We want half the
prayers that way, half the sermons that
way. we want to know how to get
ashore from the tumult of this world
lnto the land of everlasting peace. We
40 not want to stand doubling and
snlVerlng when we go away from this
world; we want our anticipations
aroused to the highest pitch. We want
TO nave the exhilaration of a dying
child in England, the father telling me
the story. When he said to her, els
the path narrow" she answered, "The
pain is narrow; it is so narrow that I
cannot walk arm in arm with Christ,
SO Jesus goes ahead, and he says,
Mary, follow" Through the church
| gates set heavenward how many of
your friends and mine have gone? The
last time they were out of the house
they came to church. The earthly pill
| srlmage ended at the pillar of public
| worship, and then they marched out to
| bigger and brighter assemblage.
Some of them were so old they could
not walk without cane or two
crutches; now they have eternal juve-
nescence. Or they were so young they
could not walk except as the materanl
hand guided them; now they bound
with the hilarities celestial. The last
time we saw them they were wasted
with malarial or pulmonic disorder;
but now they have no fatigue, and no
difficulty of respiration in the pure air
of heaven. How wonder when you
and l will cross over! Some Of you
have had about enough of the thump
ing and failing of this life. A draught
from the fountains of heaven would do
you good. Complete release you could
stand very we'll. If you got on the 9TH
er side, and had permission to come
back, you would not come. Though
you were invited to come back, and
join your friends on earth, you would
say, mo, let me tarry here until they
come; I shall not risk going back; if
a man reaches heaven he had better
stay here"
Oh, join hands with you in that
uplifted splendor.
when the shore is won at last.
! Who will count the pillows past?''
In Freybourg, Switzerland there is
the trunk Of a tree four hundred years
old. That tree WAS planted to COM
memorate an event. About ten miles
from the city the Swiss conquered the
Burgundians, and a young man wanted
to take the tidings to the city. He
took tree branch and ran with such
speed the ten miles that when he reach
ed the city waving the tree branch he
had only strength to- cry, '<Victory!''
and dropped dead: The tree branch
that he carried was planted, and it
grew to- be a great tree twenty feet in
circumference, and the remains of it
are there, to this day: My hearer, when
you have fought your last battle with
sin and death: and hell, and they have
been routed in the conflict, it will be
joy worthy Of celebrations. You will f1y
to the city and cry, 'Wictory!'" and drop
at the feet of the: great King. Then
the palm, branch Of the earthly race
will be planted to, become the out
branching tree Of everlasting rejoicing
when shall these eyes, thy heaven
built wallis,
And pearly gates behold.
Thy, bulwarksS with, salvation strong,
And streets Of shining gold?'"