The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-05-30

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thrilled and how glad you we're to sea him:
What will be our JOY, utter We have passed
! the seas OF death, to meet In the bright
| city OF the Lord those from whom we have
long been separated. After We have been
away from our friends ten or fifteen years
and we come upon them we see how dlt-
ferently they look. Their hair has turned,
and wrinkles have come In their faces.
and We say, Chow you have changedr
oil cares gone from the face, all marks OF
sorrow disappeared, and, feeling the Joy
OF that blessed land, methinks we will say
to each other, with an exultatlon We can
not now imagine, "How you have
| ehanged!"
In this world we only meet to part. It
Is goodby, goodby; tarewells floating In the
air. We hear 1t at the rail car window and
at the steamboat wharf-goodby. Chill
times We say 1t In light way-"goodby"
aud sometimes with anguish in which the
soul breaks down. Goodbyl Alb, that Is
the word that ends the thanksgiving ban.
quetsl That Is the word that comes In to
close the Christmas chant. Goodby, good
byl But not 80 In heaven. Welcomes IN
the air, welcomes at the gates, welcomes
at the house OF many mansions, but no
goodby. That group is constantly. be.
our circles OF earth to join Tilt.
tie voices to join the anthem, little
hands to take hold In the great home
circle, little feet to dance In the eternal
glee, little crowns to be cast down before
the fee. Of Jesus. Our friends are In two
groups-a group this side OF the river ana
group on the other side OF the river. Now
there goes one from this to that and an.
other from this to that. and soon we will
all be gone over. How many OF your loved
ones have already entered upon that
pencil, do you think I could put them all
down? All, my friends, the waves OF Jor-
dan roar 80 hoarsely We cannot hear the
Joy on the other side when that group Is
augmented
A little child's mother had died, and
they oomforsed her. They said: "Your
mother has gone to heaven. Don't cry."N
Aud tue next day they went to the grave
yard, and they laid the body OF the mothei
down into the ground, and the little girl
came up to the verge Of the grave and,
looking down, said: sis this heavenp" We
have no idea whnt heaven Is. It Is the
grave here, 1t Is darkn ess here, but there is
merrynnaktng yonder. Methlnks when
soul arrives some angel takes 1t around to
show 1t the wonders OF that blessed place.
The usher angel snys to the newly arrived:
"These ore the martyrs that perlshed at
Piedmont; these we're torn to pieces at the
Jehovah; this is Jesus" 81 am going to
see Jesus" said q. dying boy; 'I am going
to see Jesus" The missionary said: "You
nre sure you will see HiuP" sob, yes;
that's what I want to 70 to heaven for"
"But," said the missionary, suppose Jesus
should 90 away from heaven-what then?"
81 should follow him." said the dying boy.
"But II Jesus went down to hell-what
then?" The dying boz thought for mo-
can be no helll'' Oh, to stand In his pres.
ence! That will be heaven! Oh, to put our
hand into that hand which was wounded
for US on the cross, to 60 around amid the
groups OF the redeemed and shake hands
with the prophets aud apostles md mar
tyrs and with our own dear beloved onesl
That will be the great reunion. We cannot
imagine 1t now. Our loved ones seem so far
away. When We are In trouble and lone
some, they don't seem to come to US. Wegc
on to the banks Of the Jordan and call across
to them, but they do not seem to hear.
We say, els 1t we'll with the child, Is It
we'll with the loved onos2" aud We listen to
hear IL any voice comes back over the
watersi None, nonel Unbellet says, "They
are dead, and they are annihilated," but,
blessed be God we have Bible that tells
US different. We open 1t, and we find they
are neither dead nor annihilated, that they
were never so much alive as now, that they
are only waiting .or our coming and that
we shall join then on the other side OF the
river. Oh, glorious reunion, we cannot
grasp 1t nowl. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered, into the heart
of man, the things which God hath pre-
pared for them that love Him."
What place OF explanation It will el I
see every day profou nd mysteries OF provl-
dence. There Is no question we ask otten-
er than why2 There are hundreds OF
graves IN Greenwood ana Laurel Hill that
need to be explained. Hospitals Tor the
blind and lame, asylums for the idlottc and
insane, almshouses for tie destitute and
world OF pain and misfortune that demand
more than human solution. God will
clear 1t all up. In the light that pourS
from the throne no dark mystery can live.
Things now utterly inscrutable will be
illumined as plainly as though the an.
swer were written on the jasper wall
or sounded In the temple anthem. Bar.
blind and Joseph that he was cast into the
pit and Daniel that he denned with the
lions and Paul that he was hump-backed
and David that he was driven from Jeru-
salem and that. invalid that for twenty
years he could not lift hfs head from the
pillow. and that widow that she had suck
hard work TO earn bread for her children.
The song will be all the grander for earth's
weeping eyes and aching heads and ex.
hausted hands and scorrged backs and
martyred agonies. But we can get nc
idea OF that anthem here. We appreciate
the power OF secular music, but do We ap.
preclate the power OF sacred song2 There
Is nothing more inspiring to me than q
whole congregation lifted on the wave OF
holy melody. When we sing some OF those
dear old psalms and tunes, they rouse oil
the memories OF the past. Why, some Of
them were cradle songs in our fathers
morning dew OF thousand Christian Sab
baths. They were sung BY brothers and
sisters gone now, by voices that were aged
and broken In the music, voices mono the
less sweet because they did tremble and
break.
When I hear these old songs sung, 1t
seems rs II all the old country meeting
houses joined IN the chorus and city church
and sailors bethel and western cabins I'M
til tue whole continent lifts the Doxology
and the scepters Of eternity beat time In
the music. Away then with your staryel-
ing tunes that chill the devotions OF the
sanctuary and mako the people sit silent
when Jesus is marching on to victory.
When generals come back from victorious
wars, do we not cheer them and shout,
"Huzza, huzza?" aud when Jesus passes
along In the conquest OF the earth shall
we not have for Him one loud, ringing
cheer?
All hail the power OF Jesus's name!
Let angels PROSTATE fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem
Aud crown Him Lord OF all.
But, my friends, If music on earth Is GO
sweet what will 1t be in heaven2 They all
know the tune there. All the best singers
OF aiI the ages. will join It, choirs OF white
robed children, cholrs OF patrlarchs, choirs
OF apostles. Morning stars ciapptns their