Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-10-12

evening.
Trouble is an apothecary that mixes
a great many drafts, bitter and sour
and nauseous. and you must drink
some one OF them Trouble puts up
great many packs. and you must car
ry some one OF them. There is no
sandal so thick and we'll adjusted but
some thorn will strike through 1t.
There is no sound so sweet but the I'M
dertaker's screwdriver CRATES through
it. In this swift shuttle OF the heart
some of the threads must break. The
journey from Jerusalem TO Emmaus
will soon be ended. Our Bible. our
common sense, our observation, reiter-
ate in tones that we cannot mistake
and ought not to disregard, 1t Is to-
ward evening
Fighting Against Misfortune.
Listen to Paul's battle shout with
misfortune Hark TO the mounting
Latimers fire song. Look at the glory
that hath reft the dungeon and filled
the earth and heavens with the crash
of the falling manac!es of despotism.
And then look at those who have tried
to cure themselves by human pre-
scriptions. attempting TO heal gangrene
with patch of court plaster and to stop
the plague of dying empires with the
quackery OF earthly wisdom. Nothing
can speak peace to the soul. nothing
can unstrap our crushing burdens,
nothing can overcome our spiritual
foes, nothing can open our eyes to
see the surrounding horses and chart
OTIS of salvation that fill all the noun
tains. but the voice and command OF
him who stopped one night at EN-
mauS.
The words of the text are pertinent
to us all from the fact that We are
nearing the evening of death. | have
heard 1t said that We ought to live as
though each moment were to be our
last l do not believe that theory. AS
far as preparation is concerned. we
ought always TO be ready But We
cannot always be thinking of death,
for We have duties in life that demand
our attention. When man is selling
goods, it is his business to think OF
the bargain he is making. When a
man is pleading in the courts it is his
duty to think OF the interests Of his
clients. When a clerk is adding up
accounts, it is his duty to keep his
mind upon the column of figures. He
who fills up his life with thoughts OF
death is far from being the highest
style of Christian. | knew a man who
used often to say at night. II wish
might die before morning." He is
now an infidel But there are times
when we can and ought to give our
selves to the contemplation of that
solemn moment when the soul time
ends and eternity begins. We must go
through that one pass. There Is
no rounda about way, no bypath, no cir
cuitOus route. Die we must, and 1t
will be to us a shameful occurrence
or a time of admirable behavior Our
friends may stretch out their hands to
keep us back, but no imploratiou on
their part can hinder us. They might
offer large retainers, but death would
not take the fee. The breath will fail.
and the eyes will close. and the heart
will stop You may hang the couch
with gorgeous tapestry but what does
death care fer bed curtains?
The Eternal Resting Place.
This ought not to be depressing
theme. Who wants to live here for
ever? The world has always treated
me well, and every day feel less and
less like scolding and complaining
but yet | would not want to make this
my eternal residence | love to watch
the clouds and battle my soul in the
blue sea Of heaven, out | expect when
the armament is rolled away as a
scroll to see a new heaven, grander.
higher and more glorious You ought
to be willing to exchange your body
that has headaches and sideaches and
weaknesses innumerable, that limps
with the stone bruise or testers with
the thorn or flames on the funeral
pyre of fevers, for an incorruptibe
body and an eye that blinks not be-
fore the jasper gates and the great
white throne. But between that and
this there is an hour about which no
man should be reckless or foolhardy. I
doubt not your courage, but / tell you
that you will want something better
than strong arm, a good aim and a
trusty sword when you come to your
last battle You will need better
robe than any you have in your ward
robe to keep you warm in that place.
Circumstances do not make 80
much difference. 1t may be bright day
when you push of from the planet
or II may be dark night, and while
the owl is hOOting from the forest. 1t
may be spring. and your soul may go
out among the blossoms, apple Or
chards, swinging their censers in the
way. 1t may be winter and the earth
in a snow shroud 1t may be autumn
and the forests set on fire by the re-
treating year; dead nature laid out in
state. 1t may be with your wife's
hand in your hand or you may be In
strange hotel with a servant faithful
to the last. II may be in the rail train.
| shot on the switch and tumbling In
long reverberation down the embank-
ment-crash! crash! l know not the
| time; / know not the mode. but the
days OF our life are being subtracted
away. and we shall come down to the
time when we have but ten days left,
then nine days. then eight days, then
seven days, six days, five days, four