Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-01-13
Adams orchard and stop before you put
out for that one thing more.

out for that one thing more.
But I turn from Adams orchard to Solo
mons orchard. With his own hand he
writes: II made me gardens and orchards"
Not depending on the natural fall OF rain,
he irrigated those orchards. Pieces OF the
aqueduct that watered those gardens have
seen, and the reservoirs are as perfect as
when thousands Of years ago, the masons
trowel smoothed the mortar over their gray
surface. No orchard Of olden or modern
time, probably, ever had It's thirst so we'll
siaked. The largest of these reservoirs is
5S2 feet long, 207 feet wide, and fifty feet
deep. These reservoirs Solomon refers to
when he says: II made me pools Of water,
to water Herewith the wood that bringeth
forth trees" Solomon used to ride out to
that orchard before breakfast. 1t gave
him an appetite and something to think
about all the day. Josephus, the historian,
represents him as going out "eariy In the
morning from Jerusalem, to the famed
rocks Of Etam, q fertile region, delighted
with paradises and running springs.
Thither the King, in robes Of white rode in
his chariot, escorted by troop ofmounted
archers chosen for their youth and stature,
and clad in Tyrian purple, whoselong hair,
powdered with gold dust, sparkled In the
sum-" After Solomon had taken his morn
ing ride in these luxuriant orchards, he
would sit down and write those wonderful
things in the Bible, drawing his tllustra-
tions from the fruits he had that very
morning plucked or ridden under.
What mean Solomons orchards and Sol
onions gardens? for they seem to mingle
the two into one, flowers underfoot, and
pomegranates overhead. To me they sug-
gest that religion is n luxury. They mean
that our religion is the luscious, the aro-
matte, the pungent, the aborescent, the
effiorescent, the foliaged, the outrageous.
They mean what Edward Payson meant
when he declared: eff my happiness con-
inn 70 in nt or ,orfJ ,o1
longer" l. means what Bapa Padmanji,
Hindoo convert, meant when he said: II
long for my bed, not that I may sleep-I
lie awake often and long-but to hold COM
munion with my God"
You think religion is n good thing for
funeral. Oh, yes. But Solomon's orchard
means more. Religion is good thing
now, when you are in health and prosper,
ity and the appetite is good for citrons,
and apples, and apricots, and promegran-
ates. Religion for the funeral. Oh yes;
but religion for the wedding breakfast: re-
ligion for the brightest spring morning
and autumn's most gorgeous sunset. Re-
ligion for the day when the stocks are up
just as much as when stocks are down.
Religion when inspiration Is easy, as well
as for the last gasp; when the temperature
is normal, as well as when it reaches 104.
1t may be a bold thing to say, but risk
it, that IL all the people, without respect to
belief or character, at death passed into
everlasting happiness, religion for this
world is such luxury that no man or
woman could afford to do without It. The
dear old book opened with Adams orchard
and closes with st. Johns orchard. st.
John went into the orchard through a
stone gate, the black basalt Of the Isle of
Patmos, to which he had been eXiled.
That orchard which he saw was and is
in heaven. One person will err in speak
ing of heaven as all material, and another
nnr ..rth thn, h yoll Asv,, tt.,S.
and spiritual, and both are wrong. Heaven
is both material and spiritual, as we are
both material and spiritual. While much
of the Bible account of heaven is to be
taken figuratively and spiritually, it is plain
to me that heaven has also material exist
ence.
How much was literal and how much was
flgurative, cannot say, but st. John saw
two rows of trees on each side of river,
and it differed from other orchards in the
fact that the trees bore twelve manner OF
fruits. The learned translaters Of our COM
mon Bible say it means twelve different
kinds of fruits in one year. Albert Barnes
kind of fruit in one year. Not able to de-
eide which is the more accurate transla-
tion adopt both. II it mean twelve diff
ferent kinds Of fruit, it declares variety in
heavenly Joy. II it means twelve crops of
the same kind of fruit, 1t declares abun-
dance in heavenly joy, and they are both
true. Variety? Oh, yes Not an eternity
with nothing but music-that Oratorio
would be too protracted. Not an eternity
of procession on white horses-that would
be too long in the stirrups. Not an eternity
of watching the river-that would be too
much of the picturesque. Not an eternity
of plucking fruits from the tree of life
that would be too much OF the heavenly
orchard. But all manner of varieties, and
l will tell you of at least twelve of those
l..,:, 1.
the victories of the Lamb who was slain;
joy over the repentant sinners; joy Of re-
counting our own rescue; joy of embracing
old friends; Joy at recognition of patriarchs,
apostles, evangelists and martyrs; joy Of
ringing harmonies; joy of reknitting broken
friendship; joy at the explanation of Provi-
Dental mysteries; JOY at walking the boule-
wards Of eold joy atlooking at walls green
with emerald and blue with sapphire, and
crimson with jasper, and aflash with ame-
thyst, entered through swinging gates
their posts, the hinges and their panels of
richest pearl; Joy that there is to be no sub
sidence, no reaction, no terminus to the
felicity.
While there is enough of the pomp OF the
city about heaven for those who like the
city best, thank God there is enough in
the Bible about country scenery in heaven
to please those of us who were born in the
country and never got over it. Now, you
may nave tne streets OF gold In heaven,
give me the orchards, with twelve manner
Of fruits, and yielding their fruit every
month; and the leaves of the trees are for
"the healing of the nations; and there
shall be no more curse, but the throne of
God and the Lamb shall be in it; and His
servants shall serve Him; and they shall
see His face, and His name shall be in
their foreheads; and there shall be no
night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun, for the Lord
God giveth them light; and they shall
reign for ever and ever" But just think Of
place so brilliant that the MONDAY sun
shall be removed from the mantle of the
sky because it is toofeeble ataper! Yet most
OF all am l impressed with the fact that I
am not yet fit for that place, nor you
either. By the reconstructing and sane
tifying grace Of Christ we need to be
made all over. And let US be getting our
passports ready if we want to get into
that country. An earthly passport is a
personal matter, telling our height, our
girth, the color of our hair, our features,
our complexion, and our age. I cannot
get into foreign port on your passport.
nor can you get in on mine. Each one of
us for himself needs divine signature,