Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-04-13

the vinegar.
There were years that passed. along be-
death, hat tie moment the charmed circle
was broken everything seemed to dissolve.
Hardly have you put the black appalei IN
the wardrobe before you have again 20
take Il oJt. Great and rapid changes In
vour family record. You got the hOuas
and reioiced IN Il. but the charm was gone
a. soon as the Grape hung on the cooroeil.
TIE ore UPON whom you most dspenaei
wastaken away from YOU. 4 cold marble
sab lies on your teart to-day. once, as
the children ronpei through the house
yen put your hand over your aching head
AMI SAID. .Oh, Il l could only have II
s.uI.' Oh. Il is too still now. You lost
vo.r patience when the tops and the
.trincs and the shells were left amid floor;
hat. oh. you would be willing 70 have the
trinket- scattered ali over the floor again
nthev were scattered by the same hands.
with what q ruthless plowsbare bereare-
ncat rips Up the heart, But Jesus knows
all about that. You cannot tell Him any
tAing now in regard 10 bereavement. no
had only a few friends. and when He lost
one il brought tears to His eyes. Lazarus
lad often entertained Him at his house:
Now Lazarus IS dead and buried, and
Chrst breaks down with emotion. the con-
yu.sion 81 GRIEF ~shud1ering through alithe
ages Of bereave nent. Christ knows what
X Is to go through the house missing a
IaEIi!!dE iltI4Sl -. 3iIEASL INV HAoL IL =
70 sea an unuccQpie1 place az the table.
We're there not four o them-harE and
Martha and Christ and Lazarus Four OF
them. But where's Is lazarus Lone.v and
afflicted Christ, His great loving eyesiille1
with tears, Oh. yea, yes! He knows all
! about the loneliness and the heartbreak.
He took tho vinegar.
Then there is the sourness OK the death
hour. Whatever else we may escape, that
acid sponge will be pressed TO our lips. |
sometimes have a curiosity to know how
[ will behave when come to die. Whether
/ will be calm or excited, whether | will be
filled with "reminiscences or with antictpa-
tiou. | cannot say. But como TO the
point | must and YOU must. An officer
from the future world will knock at the
door Of our hearts and serve on US tho
writ ~ eiect,nent, and we will have to sur
render. And We vii! wake up after these
uutumnal and wintry and vernal and sum-
mnrv giCrie3 have vanished from oar
vision. We will wake up into a realm
which has only one season, and that the
season Of everlasting love.
Eut sou say: II don van 20 breaI out
from my present associations, 1t IS 50
cttiliv and so damp to 20 down the stairs
Of that vault. / don't wait anything
drtw4 50 tightly over my eyes. II there
were only some way OF breaking through
ythe partition between worlds without tear
Ing this body all 70 shreds, wonder If
. A4sG stti H'Obo tIti ~ y ~ -
pound a mixture by which this body and
soul can al the time be kept together. Is
there 10 escape from this separation:'
None, absolutely none. A great many men
tumble through the gates OF the future, as
it were, and we DO not know where they
have gone. and they only add gloom
and mystery to the passage, but Jesus
Christ 50 nightly stOrmed the gates OF
that future world that they have never
since been closely shut. Christ knows
what it is to leave this world, Of the
beauty of which He was more apprecia-
tive than we ever could be. He knows
the exqlisiteness Of the nhosphorescence
OF the sea: He trod it. He knows the
glories OF the midnight heavens. for they
were the ~span2ied canopy OF His wilder
ness pillow. He knows about the lilies; He
twisted them into His sermon. He knows
about he fowls of the air; they whirred
they way through His discourse. He knows
about the sorrows OF leaving this beautiful
world. Not 4 taper was Sindled in the
darkness. He died physiciaDless. He died
in cold sweat and dizziness and hem
mortgage and agony, that have put Him i'll
sympathy with all the dying. He goes
through ChristendOm and gathers up the
stings out Of ali the death pillows, and He
puts them under His own neck and head.
To all those to whom life has been. an
a"orbity-a dose thew could not swallow,
4 draft that set their teeth on edge and a.
rasping-I preach the omnipotent sympa-
thy OF Jesus Christ. The sister OF Her
schell, the astronomer used to spend much
Of her time polishing the telescopes
through which he brought the distant
worlds nigh, and it is my ambition now
. this hour'to clear the lens OF your spiritual
vI-lo1NEo that, looking through the dark
might 81 your earthly troubles YOU
may behold. the glorious coustella-
ton Of 4 saviour's mercy and
F., a Saviour's love. Oh. my friends. 60 not
- { ny. fn - q y r- "a IL -o1tr liz nlny4f n ,,n+ ,"&
your poor shoulder under the Apennines
!. when the Almighty Christ is ready t. lift
NJ al You burdens. When YOU have a
tiouble Of any kind, you rush tits way and
: tlat way, and you wonder what This man
!, will say about it and what that MAJ will say
! about II, and You try this prescription and
;, that prescription and the other rrescrip.
!. tion. On. why do you not 81 straight t.
the heart OF Christ, knowing that for oul
/, own SHINING and suffering race He took The
/, vinegar?
i There was a vessel that had been tossej
: on tle seas for a great mauy weeks aus
!. been disabled. ana the supply Of waite,
> gave out, ami the crew we're diving o
= t1lrst. Alter many days they SAW Il sal
4 against the say. They signaleI it. Whe!
Il the vessel came nearer. the people on til.
suffering ship cried TO the captain Of til,
. other vessel: send US some water, W,
h are dying for lack OF water" Aud tn.
~&& tioN was IL. iE
f spIndei: Dip your buckets where YOU arr
lou are IN the mouth Of the Amazon. az,
there are scores Of miles Of fresh waite
: all around about you and hunIrel /, o
II t"et deep, And then they dropped thei
n buckets over the side .. the vessel an,
Ia brought up the clear. bright. fresh va q
ahi put out the tire Of their thirst. So
1 nail You to-day, after q long aud perIlou
/. voyage, thir-ting as You are for pardon
AMI thirstins for comfort. and thirstin,
a Tor eternal life. and | ask yoa what is tn
Il use u your going III that rleath-struc,
l. state. while all around you i the dee:
Gear. wide. sparkling food or Gods SYM
4 pathetic mercy, Oh. dip your bucket
le and drink and live forever. .Vhosoevc
- Will. let him come and take OF the water c
- lie freely.
e let there are people who refuse Til
- tlvIHe sysaPathv. ana they try - act
II iheir own battles. and drink their "
e vinegar and carry their own burdens. An
th-ir lie, instead of being a triun4h.
\. .narel tr2m victory % victor. viii .a
aohttlnc on from iefeat t dcte4t IN.