Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-11-17
educated FOR glory or pefdition.

educated for glory or pefGiuon:
Some have wondered why graduation
day in college is called commencement
day" when it is the last day OF college
exercises. but graduation days are
properly called commencement day. To
all the graduated II is the commence
ment Of active life. and our graduation
day from earth will be to us com
meneement Of our chief life. our larger
life. our more tremendous life, our
eternal life. But what day commence
ment day on earth Is! The student new
er sees any day like il. At any rate. ]
never did. Old Niblo's theater In New
York comes back TO me, the gowned
and tassel hated professors behind US.
and our kindred and friends before us
and above us, and the air redolent with
garlands to be thrown to us. What a
commencement day II was for all Of US
about to graduate. But mightier day
will it be when we graduate from this
world. VIII II be Kisses Of condemna-
ton or handclapping OF approval? VIII
there be flung to us nettles or wreaths
VIII 1t be a resounding Gomez or a
reverberating "DepartT
In the real college, before graduation
and commencement, comes examina-
ton day, and before our graduation
and commencement will come examina-
ton. II will be asked what we have
been doing. what we have learned un-
der the tutelage of years OF Joy and
sorrow, and under the teaching OF the
Holy Ghost are we educated for heay-
en-. Have we done our best with the
curriculum OF study put before every
mortal and immortal? Oh, this world
is not the terminus Of a journey. II
is not a theater on whose stage we are
enacting the tragic or comic. II is a
schoolhouse for splendid or disgraceful
gradual ation, and death Is commence
ment. All that is settled in heaven.
Gods Cause.
Another thing decided in the high
places of the universe Is that this
world, with or without US, will be
made over into scene OF arbores.
cence and purity. Do not think that
such a consummation depends upon
our personal fidelity. Ii will be done
anyhow. Gods cause does not g
a-begging. II all the soldiers Of Jesus
Christ now living should become de
serters and 60 over to the enemy, that
would not defeat the cause. A large
part Of the Bible IS taken up with tell
ing us what the world will be. There
is n large army, human and angelic.
now In the field, but Gods reserve
forces are more numerous and more
mighty than those now at the front.
and II he could in Gideon's time rou'
the Midianites with a crash OF crock
cry. and II he could in Shamgars time
overcome a host with an OK goad, and
if in Samsons time be could defeat an
army with a bleached jawbone, and If
the walls Of Jericho went down under
a blast Of perforated rams horn, and
IL in Chrlst's day blind eyes were
cured by ointment Of splttle, then Goo
can do anything ho says he will do. A.
yet he has taken only one sword out
Of a whole armOry Of weapons. Do
not get nervous. as II the Lord were
going TO be defeated The redemption
Of these hemispheres was settled In
heaven, and Isaiah and Ezekiel anc
Habakkuk and Malachi and st. John
only reported what the Lord God Al
mighty had decided upon. Ny only
fear is that our regiment will not get
into the fight to do something worthy
Of the Christ who redeemed US and VT
be left in lazy encampment at Tampa
when we ought to have been at San
tiago.
Oh. that coming day Of the worlds
perfection, The earth will be so chang
ed that the sermonology will be chang
ed. There will be no more calls to re
pentance, for all will have repented
no more gathering OF aims for the
poor. for the poor will have been en-
riched; no hospital Sunday, for dis
iointed bones will have been set and
the wounds all healed. and the incura
BILE diseases Of other times will have
been overcome by materla medlca and
pharmacy and a dentistry and q
therapeutics that have conquered
everything that afflicted nerve or lung
or tooth or eye or limb-healthology
complete and universal. The poultict
and the ointment and the panacea and
the catholicon and the surgeons knife
and the dentists forceps and the sci
entists X ray will have fulfilled theiI
mission.
Gospel Influences.
The social life OF the world will bt
perfected. In that millennial age
imagine ourselves standing In front ol
house lighted for levee. We enter
among groups filed with gladness and
talking good sense and rallying each
other in pleasantrles and In every pos
sible way forwarding good neighbor
hood no looking askance. no whis
pered backbiting. no strut Of preten
sion, no oblivion Of some ones pres
ence because you do not want to know
him; each one happy. determined OIL
making some one else happy; words o.
honest appreciation instead OF hollow
6attery; suavities and genialities In
stead Of inAatlons and pomposities'
equipage and upholstery and sculpture