Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-02-23

| soul. and make two or three expert
mcnts. Experiment the first: When
you 20 out OF this world. II does not
make any difference whether you have
been good or bad or whether you be-
lieved truth or error. You will 20
straight TO glory. Impossible" YOU
/ say. MY common sense as well as my
religion teacheAthat the had and the
| good cannot live together forever. You
give me no comfort In that expert
ment." Experiment the second: When
you leave this world. you will go into
an intermediate state, where you can
get converted and prepared for heaven.
impossible" you say. "As the tree
falleth so IL must lie, and | cannot
postpone TO an intermediate state that
reformation which ought 70 have been
effected in this state" Experiment
the third: There is no future world.
When man dies that is the last of
him. DO not worry about what you
are TO do in another state of being. you
will not do anything. "ImposSible,'
you say. There is something that
tells me that death Is not the appendix.
but the preface. There is something
that tells me that on this side of the
grave | only get started and that |
shall go on forever. My power to
think says forever my affections say
forever my capacity to enjoy or suf-
fer forever
Wei, you defeat me In my three ex-
periments. have only one more to
make, and If you defeat me in that
am exhausted. A mighty one on n
knoll back of Jerusalem one day, the
skies filled with forked lishtnings and
the earth filed with volcanic disturb
ances, turned his pale and agonized
face toward the heavens and enid: at
take the sins and sorrows OF the ages
into my own heart. | am the expia-
ton. Witness earth and heaven and
hell, l am the expiation." And the
hammer struck him and the spears
punctured him. and heaven Numbered.
'The wages of sin is deathr 1.-THE
soul that sinneth II shall der "I will
by no means clear the guilty." Then
there was silence for half an hour. and
the lightnings were drawn back into
the scabbard of the sky and the earth
ceased to CULVER and all the colors of
the sky began to shift themselves into
a rainbow woven out of the falling
tears OF Jesus, and there was red as
of the bloodshedding and there was
blue as OF the bruising and there was
green as OF the heavenly foliage and
there was orange as of the day dawn.
And along the line of the blue | saw
the words, IL was bruised for their in
EQUITIES" And along the line of the
red saw the words, ''The blood of
Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin"
And along the line OF the green I saw
the words, THE leaves of the tree of
life for the healing of the nations"
And along the line of the orange | saw
the words, THE day spring from on
high hath visited u.s.
Quit worryinE.
And then | saw the storm was over
aud the rainbow rose higher and high
err until 1t seemed retreating TO an
other heaven and planting one column
Of its colors on one side the eternal hill
and planting the other column Of it's
colors on tue other side the eternal hill.
1t rose upward and upward. and, be-
hold, there was rainbow about the
throne.
Accept that sacrifice and quit worry
Ing. Take the tonic. the inspiration.
the longevity of this truth. Religion is
sunshine; that is health. Religion Is
fresh air and pure water; they are
healthy. Religion is warmth; that Is
healthy. Ask all the doctors, and they
VIII tell you that n quiet conscience
and pleasant anticipations are hygicn-
&c. L offer you perfect peace now and
hereafter.
What do you want In the future
worldy Tell me, and you shall have IL.
Orchards? There are the trees with IL
manner OF fruits. yielding fruit every
month Water scenery? There is the
river of life. from under the throne of
God, clear as crystal and the sea of
glass mingled with fire. Do you want
music? There is the ratorio of the
Creation led on by Adam. and the ora
torio of the Red sea led on by Moses.
and the oratorio of the Messiah led on
by st. Paul, while the archangel. with
swinging baton, controls the one hun
dred and forty-four thousand wlro
make up the orchestra.
Do you want reunlon2 There are
your dead children waiting TO kiss YOU.
waiting 10 embrace you, waiting TO
twist garlands in your hair. You have
been accustomed to open the door on
this side the sepulcher. open the door
on the other side tie sepulcher. You
have been accustomed TO walk I'm the
wet grass on the top OF the grave. l
show you the underside OF the grave.
The bottom has fallen out. and the long
ropes with which the pallbearers let
down your dead let them clear through
Into heaven. Glory be TO God for this
robust, healthy religloni 1t will have
a tendency TO make you live long in
this world. and In the world to come
you will have eternal life. with long
life will l satisfy him."