The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-05-18
Irsmark further We can rs, no idea o,

j remark further we can get no idea OF
the reunions OF heaven. II yon have ever
been across the seas and met friend. or
even an acquaintance, In some strange
| land. you remember how your blood
thrilled and how glad You were 10 see him.
| What will be our Joy, after we have passed
| the seas OF death, 10 meet In the bright
city OF the Lord those from whom We have
long been separated. After we have heen
away from cur friends ten or ffteen years
and We come upon them We see no. dii-
| ierentiy they look. Their hair has turned,
| and wrinkles have come In their faces,
and We say, How you have changed"
But oh, when we stand before the throne
| all cares gone from the face, all marks Of
sorrow disappeared, and. feeling the Joy
| OF that blessed land. methinks We will say
20 each other, with an exultation We can
not now Imagine, How you have
| changed"
10 this world We only meet 10 part. II
IL goodby, goodby; farewells floating In the
air. We hear IL at the rail car window and
nj the steamboat whGrt-goodby. Chill
dren lisp II and old age answers II. Some
times we say II 10 light way-"goodby'
and sometimes with anguish In which the
soul breaks down. Goodbyl All that IL
the word that ends the Thanksgiving ban.
| quetsl That Il the word that comes la 10
close the Christmas chant. Goodby, good
| byl But not so In heaven. Welcomes In
| the air, welcomes az the gates, welcomes
4
| goodby That group Is constantly be.
Ing augmented. They are going up from
our circles Of earth 10 join tilt
! tie voices 20 join the anthem, little
hands TO take hold In the great home
circle, little feet 10 dance In the eternal
glee, little crowns TO be east down before
tho feet Of Jesus. Our friends are la two
| grOups-n group this side Of the river ana
"a group on the ether side OF the river. Now
there goes one from this 10 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
blessed place? II should take paper and
| pencil, do you think i could put them all
| down All, my friends. the waves OF Jor-
! dan roar so hoarsely We cannot hear the
! Joy on the other side when that group is
| augmented
little child's mother had died, and
they comforted her. They said: Your
| mother has gone to heaven. Don't cry"
| Aud the next day they went TO the grave
| yard, and they laid the body OF the mother
down into the ground, and tho little girl
! came up 10 the verge OF the grave and,
| looking down, said: "is this heaveni" We
| have no idea what heaven Il. II is the
! grave here, IL IL darkness here, but there IL
merrymakiDg yonder. Methinks when IA
| soul arrives some angel takes IL around TO
| show IL the wonders Of that blessed place
| The usher angel says 10 the newly arrived;
! "Thesc are the martyrs that perished at
| Piedmont; these were torn TO pieces at the
| inqulsition; this IA the throne OF the great
] Jehovah; this Is Jesus" 81 am going TO
see Jesus" said dying boy; IL am going
! 20 SEQ Jesus" The missionary said: "You
are sure you will see Hm?" "0h, yes;
! that's what | want 10 go TO heaven for"
| "But, ," said the missionary, suppose Jesus
should 90 away from heayen-what them"
81 should follow him, said the dying boy.
! "But IL Jesus went down to heli-what
/ Al. Ali. -.
! ment and then said Where Jesus Is there
can he no hell" Oh, TO stand In his pres
| ence That will be heavenl Oh, TO put our
hand into that hand which was wounded
! for us on the cross, 10 go arolnd amid the
| gronps OF the redeemed md shake hands
with the prophets md apostles and mar
| tyrs and with our own dear beloved onesl
! That will be the great reunion. We cannot
! imagine IL now. Our loved ones seem % far
| away. When we are In trouble and lone
some, thcy don ntseem TO come 10 us. We &C
on to the banks ofthe Jordan and call across
| to them, but they do not seem 10 hear.
We say, els II well with the child, is IL
we'll with the loved onos2" and We listen to
| hear II any voice comes back over the
watersl None, monet Unbeliet says, "They
nro dead. aud they are annihllated," bur,
| blessed be God. we have "a Bible that tells
us different. We open It, and we find they
are neither dead nor annihilated, that they
were never so much alive as now, that they
are only waiting Cor our coming and that
we shall join them on the other side OF the
river. Oh, glorious reunion, we cannot
! grasp il nowl Eye hath not seen, nor eaf
| 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 IL will b el
see every day profound mysteries OF provi-
dence. There is no question we ask often
| or than why? There are hundreds OF
q 4 IA
need TO he explained. Hospitals for the
blind and lame asylums for the idiotic and
insane, almshouses for the desttdte and
! world OF pain and misfortune that demand
more than human solution. God will
| clear IL all mp. In the light that pours
from tho throne no dark mystery can live.
Things now utterly inscrutable will be
ilumined ~ plainly rs though the an
swer were written on the jasper wall
or sounded In the temple anthem. Bar.
timeus will thank God that he wac
blind and Joseph that he was cast into the
pit aud Daniel that lie 6enned with the
lions ard Paul thar he wns hump-hacked
and David that he was driven from Jeru-
salem and that invalid that for twenty
years he could not lift his head from the
pillow and that widow TINT she had sucL
hard work to earn bread for her children.
The song will be all the grander for earths
weeping eyes and aching heads and ex-
hausted hands and scoTrCed backs and
martyred agonles. But we can get nc
idea OF that anthem here. We appreciate
the power OF secularmusc, but do we ap.
preciate tho power OF sacred song2 There
ia nothing more inspiring TO me than a
whole congregation lifted on the wave OF
holy melody. When we slug some OF those
dear old psalms and tunes, they rouse all
the memories OF the past. Why, some OF
them were cradle songs In our fathers
house. They are all sparkling with the
morning dew OF a thousand Christian Sab
baths. They were sung by brothers and
sisters gone now, by voices that were aged
aud broken in the music voices none the
less sweet because they did tremble and
break.
when / hear these old songs sung, IL
seems rs II all the old country meeting
houses Joined inthe chorus md city church
and sailors bethel and western cabins un-
I'll the whole continent lift. the DoXology
and the scepters OF eternity beat time in
the music. Away then with your staryel-
inc tunes that chill the deyotions OF the
sanctuary aud mako the people SIT silent
when Jesus is marching on 10 victory.
When generals come back from victorious
wars DO we not cheer them anl shout,
"Huzza. huzza2' 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 prostratc fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem
Aud crown Hin Lord OF all.
But. my friends. II music on earth is so
swee. what will 1t be la heavenl They all
, know the tune there. AL the best singers