Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-11-22

g1On day
called cOu..-zecSment day. 40 --.-
graduates 1t is the commencement of active
life, and our graduation day from earth
will be to US commencement of our chief
life, our larger life, our more tremendous
life, our eternal life. But what a day COM
mencement day on earth isl The student
never sees any day like it. At any rate, I
never did.
When Pompey landed at Brindisi, Italy
.eturned from his Victories he disbanded
the brave men VINO had fought under him
and sent them rejoicing to their homes,
and, entering Rome, his emblazoned
chariot was followed by princes in chains
from king loms he had conquered, and
flowers such as only grew under those
Italian skies strewed the way, and he
came under arches inscribed with the
names of battlefieds on which he had
triumphed and rode by columns which
told of the 1900 cities he had destroyed
and the 100000 people he had con-
quered or slain. Then the banquet was
spread, and out OF the chalices filed to
the brim they drank to the health of the
conqueror. Belisarius, the great soldier,
returned from his military achievements
and was robed in purple, and in the pro-
cession were brought golden thrones and
pillars of precious stones and the furni-
ture of royal fe asts, and amid the splen-
dors OF kingdoms overcome he was hailed
to the hippodrome by shouts such as had
seldom rung Through the capital. Then
also came the convivialities. In the year
374 Aurelian made his entrance to Rome in
triu mphal car, in which he stood while a
winged figure of Victory held "a wreath
above his head. Zenobia, captive queen OF
Palmyra, walked behind his chariot her
person encircled with fetters of gold, un-
der the weight of which she nearly tainted
but still captive. And there were in the
procession 200 lions and tigers and beasts
of many lands and 1000 gladiators excused
from the cruel amphitheater that they
might decorate the day, and Persian and
Arabian and Ethiopian ambassadors were
In the procession and the long lines OF cap
tives, Egyptians, Syrians, Gauls, Goths and
Vandals.
1t was to such scenes that the New Tes.
lament refers when 1t spoke OF Christ
''having despoiled principaities and pow
ers, He made a show of them, openly tri-
those triumphsl The Roman triumph rep
resented arrogance, cruelty, oppression
and wrong, but Christ's triumph meant
emancipation and holiness and JOY. The
former was procession of groans accom-
panied by a clank of chains, the other a
procession of hosannas by millions set for
ever free. The only shackled ones Of
Christ's triumph will be satan aud his
cohorts tied to our Lords chariot wheel,
with all the denominations of all the earth
bound for an eternal captivity. Then will
come feast in which the chalices
will be filed "with the new wine of
the Kingdom" Under arches commemora-
tive of all the battles in which the hammered
armies OF the church militant through
thousands OF years of struggle have at last
won the day Jesus will ride. Conqueror OF
earth and hell and heaven. Those armies,
disbanded, will take palaces and thrones.
"Ani they shall come from the East and
the West and the North and the South and
sit down in the kingdom of God" And
may you and /, through the pardoning and
sanctifying grace of Christ, be guests at
i that royal banquet!