Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-11-10
Another room in our Fathers house

s
will be the family room. Ii may CORE
spond somewhat with the family room
on earth. At morning and evening. got,
know. that is the place we now meet
Though every member of the household
have a separate room. in the family
room they ali gather. and joys and sor
rows and experiences of all styles are
there rehearsed. Sacred room in all
our dwellings. whether it be luxurious
with ottomans and divans ard books in
Russian lids standing in ma hogany case
or there be only few plain chairs and
a cradle. So the family room on high
viii be the place where the kinsfolk
assemble and talk over the family ex-
periences of earth. the weddings. the
births, the buriais. the festai days of
Christmas and Thanksgiving reunion.
viii the children departed remain chill
dren there? Will the aged remain aged
there? Oh, no! Everything is perfect
there. The child will go ahead 10
giorified maturity, and the aged will
go back to glorified maturity. The ris-
ing sun OF the one will rise TO meridian,
and the descending sun of the other will
return to meridian. However much we
love our children on earth, we would
consider it a domestic disaster if they
staid children. and SO we rejoice at their
growth here. And when we meet in
the family room of our Fathers house
we will be glad that they have grandly
and gloriously matured. while our par.
ents. who were aged and intirm here. we
shall be glad to find restored to the
most agile and vigorous immortality
there. If 40 or As or so years be the
apex of physical and mental life on
earth, then the Heavenly childhood will
advance to that, and the Heavenly old
age will retreat to that. When we join
them in that family room we shall have
much to tell them. We shall want to
know of them. right away. such things
as these: Did you see US in this or that
or the other struggle? Did you know
when we lost our property and sympa-
thize with us? Did you know we had
that awful sickness? Were you hover
ing anywhere around US when we
plunged into that memorial BILE accident?
Did you know of our backsliding? Did
you know of that moral victory? We're
you pleased when we started for
Heaven? Did you celebrate the hour
of our conversion? And then. whether
they know it or not, we will tell them
all. But they will have more to tell US
than we to tell them.
Ten years on earth may be very event
full, but what must be the biography of
ten years in Heaven? They will have to
tell us the story of coronations. story
of news from all immensely, story of
conquerors and hierarchs, story of
wrecked or ransomed planets, story of
angelic victory over diabolic revolts, of
extinguished suns. of obliterated con-
stellations, of new gaiaxies kindled and
swung, of stranded comets, of worlds
on fire and story of Jehovah's maj JEST:
reign. If in that family room of our
Fathers house we have SO much to tell
them of what we have passed through
since we parted. how much more thrill
ing and arousing that which they have
to tell US of what they have passed
through since we parted Surely that
family room will be one of the most ia
vored rooms in all our Fathers house.
What long lingering there. for we shall
never again be in hurryt LET me
open a window" said a humble Chris
tan servant to Lady Raffles. who, be-
cause of the death of her child. had shut
herself up in dark room and refused
to see anyone. "You have been many
days in this dark room. Are you not
ashamed to grieve in this manner. when
you ought to be thanking God for hav-
ing given you the most beautiful child
that ever was seen, and, instead of leav-
ing him In this world till he should be
worn With trouble. has not God taken
him to Heaven in all his beauty? Leave
-
dow" So to-day l am trying to open
upon the darkness of earthly separa-
ton the windows and doors and rooms
of the Heavenly homestead. in my Fa-
theirs house are many rooms"
How would it do for my sermon to
leave you in that family room to-day?
I am sure there is no room in which
you would rather stay than in the en-
raptured circle of your assembled and
glorified kinsfolk. We might visit other
rooms in our Fathers house. There
may be picture galleries penciled not
with earthly art, but by some process
unknown in this world, preserving for
the next world the brightest and most
stupendous scenes Of human history.
and there may be lines and forms of
earthly beauty preserved whittier and
ehaster and richer than Venetian sculp-
ture ever wrought - rooms beside
rooms, rooms over rooms, large rooms.
majestic rooms, opalescent rooms,
amethystine rooms. I'm my Fathers
house are many rooms"
hope none of US will be disappointed
about getting there. There is a room
for US if we will go and take it. but in
order to reach it it is absolutely neces-
sary that we make the right way. and
Christ is the way. and we must enter
It the right door. and Christ is the door.
and we must start in time, and the only
hour you are sure of is the hour the
clock now strikes. and the only second