Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-03-11
SHENANDOAH tfERkLD
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thousand times ten thousand, and the
hundred and forty and four thousand
that shall stand around the throne.
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 nigh scaffoldings or
slipped from the mast or were washed
off into the sea. They came up from
Corinth, from Laodicea, from the Red
sea bank and Genesareth's S wave, from
Egyptian brickyards and Gideon's
thrashing floor. Those, thousands Of
years ago, slept the last sleep, and these
are this moment having their eyes clos
ed and their limbs stretched our for the
sepulcher
A general expecting an attack from
the enemy stands on hill and looks
through a fieldglass and sees in the
great distance multitudes approaching,
but has 10 idea Of their numbers. He
says: Il cannot tell anything about
them. | merely know that there are a
great number" 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, a fiowery path
with a serpent Kissing across 1t, a 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 a
river. We stand Oh 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 ezhalations spring mp
from it. and we fail to get an 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 that But
it had this draw back-all were not
there. That brother went OF to sea and
never 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
+al. rfsfn fsfF u
day. Not 20 with heaven 5 reunions. IL
will be an uninterrupted gladness.
Many Christian parent will look
around and find all his children there.
"Ah, - he says, "can it be possible that
we are all here-lifes perils over! The
Jordan passed and not one wanting?
Why, even the prodigal is here. l al
most gave him up. How long be de-
spised my counselsl But grace hath tri'
umphed. All here, all herel 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 or beartstrlngs,
but face 70 face. The orphans that were
left poor and in a merciless world,
kicked and cufled Of many hardships,
shall join their parents over whose
graves they So long wept, and gaze into
their glorified cOuntenances forever, face
to 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 affluent 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
| ly. Now revelation hath come. Your
| time will also come. God will not
leave you foundering in the darkness.
You stand wonder struck and amazed.
You feel as if all the loyeliness Of life
were dashed out. You stand gazing into
the open chasm of the grave. Wait a
/ 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 te
able to say, like the Christian not long
ago departing, Though a pilgrim,
walking through the valley, the noun
tain tops are cleaning from peak to
peak" or, like my dear friend and
brother, Alfred Cookman, who took bis
fight to the throne Of God, saying in
his last moment that which has already
gone into Christian classics, Il am
sweeping through the pearly gate.
washed in the blood of the Lamb. "