Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-07

per. we spread abroad, we Tie, as the
fower-as the flower
Change and decay in all around I see;
o thou who changest not, abide with mel
Symbolism of Christ.
Flowers also afford mighty symbol
ism of Christ, who compared himself to
the ancient queen. the lily, and the
modern queen, the rose. when be said:
Il am the rose of Sharon and the lily
of the valley" Redolent like the one,
humble like the other. Like both ap-
prOpriate for the sad who want sympa-
thizers and for the rejoicing who want
banqueters Hovering over the mar
riage ceremony like wedding bell, or
folded like a chaplet on the pulseless
heart Of the dead Oh Christ. let the
perfume Of thy name be waited all
around the earth-lily and rose, lily
and rose-until the wilderness crimson
into a garden and the round earth
turn into one great bud of immortal
beauty laid against the warm heart Of
God, Snatch down from the worlds
banners eagle and lion and put on lily
and rose. lily and rose.
But, my friends, flowers have no
grander use that when on Easter morn
ing we celebrate the termination Of
Christ from the catacomOs. The flow
ers spell resurrection. There is not
nook or corner in all the building but
is touched with the incense. The wom-
en- carried spices TO the tomb Of Christ,
and they dropped spices all around
about the tomb, and from these spices
have grown all the flowers Of Easter
morn. The two white robed angels that
hurled the stone way from the door Of
the tomb hurled it with such violence
down the hill that it crashed in the
door Of the worlds sepulcher, and mil
lions of dead shall come forth.
However labyrinthine the mauso-
leum. however costly the sarcophagus,
however architecturally grand the ne
cropolis, however beautifully parterred
the family grounds. we want them all
broken up by the Lord Of the resurrec-
tion. The forms that we laid away
with our broken hearts must rise again.
Father and mother-they must come
out. Husbands and wiyes-they must
come out. Brothers and sisters-they
must come out Our darling children
they must come out The eyes that with
trembling fingers we closed must open
in the luster If resurrection morn. The
arms that we folded in death must join
ours in embrace Of reunion. The be-
loved voice that was hushed must be re-
tuned. The beloved form must come up
without its infrmities, without its ia
tigues-it must come MP. Oh how long
il seems for some Of you Waiting
waiting for the resurrection How long
How long I make for your broken
hearts today a cool. soft bandage Of
lilies. I Icomfcrt you this day with the
thought Of resurrection.
Resurrection.
When Lord Nelson was buried in st.
Pauls cathedral in London, the heart
Of all England was stirred. The process
sion passed on amid the sobbing Of
nation. There were 30 trumpeters sta
toned at the door Of the cathedral
with instruments Of music in hand
waiting fer the signal and when the
illustrious dead arrived at the gates Of
St. Paul's cathedral these 30 trumpet
ers gave one united blast, and then all
was silent. Yet the trumpets did not
wake the dead. He slept right on. But
| have to tell you, what 80 trumpeters
could not do for one man one trumpeter
will do for all nations The ages have
rolled on and the clock of the worlds
destiny strikes 8, 10, II, -, and time
shall be no longer Behold the arch
angel lowering He takes the trumpet,
points it this way. puts its lips t. his
lips. and then blows one long, loud.
terrific. thunderous. reverberating and
resurrectionary blast Look, look They
rise' The dead the dead Some com
ing forth from the family vault, some
from the city cemetery, some from the
country graveyard Here a spirit is
ioined to its body, and there another
spirit is joined to another body. and
millions OF departed spirits are assort-
ing the bodies, and then reclothing
themselves in forms radiant for ascen-
sion.
The earth begins to burn the bonfire
of great victory. All ready now for
the procession Of reconstructed human
ity! Upward and away Christ leads
and all the Christian dead follow. bat
TALON after battalion, nation after ma
ton. Up up! On, on! Forward, ye
ranks Of God Almighty Lift up your
heads, We everlasting gates and let the
conquerors come in Resurrection
Resurrection
And 50 | twist all the festal flowers
of the chapels and cathedrals Of all
Christendom into one great chain, and
with that chain bind the Easter morn
ing Of 1899 with the closing Easter Of
the world history-resurrectionl May
the God Of peace that brought again
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great Shepherd of the sheep through
the blood of the covenant make you
perfect in every good work to do his
will
Ronae Versus Boston.