The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-05-19

10 come 10 us, we go on TO the Oanhi
of the Jordan and call across TO them
but they do not seem TO hear. We say:
rs II well with the child? Is IL well
with the loved ones?" and we listen tc
hear If any voice come back over the
waters. None, nonel
Unbelief says: "They are dead, and
they are annihilated," but blessed be
God, we have a Bible that tells us differ
emit! We open it, and we find they are
neither dead nor annihilated-that
they never were so much alive as now
that they are only waiting for our
coming and that we shall join them on
the other side of the river. Oh, glori-
Gus reunion, we cannot grasp it now!
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 II will
be! see every day profound mysteries
of Providence. There is no question we
ask oftener than Why? There are
hundreds of graves in Greenwood and
Laurel Hill that need to be explained.
Hospitals for the blind and lame,
asylums for the idiotic and insane.
almshouses for the destitute and a
world of pain and misfortune that de-
mand more than human solution. God
will clear 1t all up. In the light that
pours from the throne no dark mys-
terry can live. Things now utterly in
scrutable will be illumined as plainly
as though the answer was written on
the jasper wall or sounded in the tenn
pie anthem. Bartimeus will thank
God that he was blind, and Joseph that
he was cast into the pit, and Daniel
that he denned with the lions, and Paul
that he was humpbacked, and David
that he was driven from Jerusalem.
and that invalid, that for 20 years he
could not lift his head from the pillow,
and that widow, that she had such hard
work to earn bread for her children.
The song will be all the grander for
earth's weeping eyes and aching heads
and exhausted hands and scourged
backs and martyred agonies. But we
We appreciate the power of secular
music, but do we appreciate the power
of sacred song? There is nothing more
inspiring 10 me than a whole congrega-
ton lifted on the wave of holy melody.
When we sing some of those dear old
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
Sabbaths. They were sung by BROTH
ers and sisters gone now. by voices that
were aged and broken in the music,
voices none the less sweet because they
did tremble and break.
When l hear these old songs sung. it
seems as if all the old country meeting
houses joined in the chorus and city
church and sailors bethel and western
cabins until the whole continent lifts
the doXology and the scepters of eter-
nifty beat time in the music. Away,
then, with your starveling tunes that
chill the devotions of the sanctuary
and make 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?" And when Jesus
passes along in the conquest of the
earth, shah we not have for Him one
loud, ringing cheer?
All hail the power of Jesus namel
Let angels PROSTATE fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
But, my friends, if music on earth is
so sweet what will it be in Heaven!
They all know the tune there. All the
best singers of all the ages will join it |
-choirs of white-robed children, choirs
of patriarchs, choirs of apostles. Morn
ing stars clapping their cymbals.
Harpers with their harps Great an
thems of God roll on! roll n!-other |
empires joining the harmony till the
thrones are all full and the nations
all saved. Anthem shall touch anthem.
chorus join chorus, and all the sweet |
sounds of earth and Heaven be poured |
into the ear of Christ. David of the
harp will be there. Ga briel of the trum-
pet will be there. Germany, redeemed,
will pour its rich bass voice into the
song, and Africa will add to the music
with her matchless voices. | wish in
our closing hymn to-day we might
latch an echo that slips from the gates.
Who knows but that when the heaven
y door opens to-day to let some soul
through there may come forth the
strain of the jubilant voices until we
latch it? Oh, that as the song drops
lown from Heaven it might meet half
way song coming up from earth.
They rise for the doXology, all the
multitude of the blest! Let us arise
With them, and so at this hour the joys
If the church on earth and the joys of
he church in Heaven will mingle their
halices, and the dark apparel of our
Mourning will seem to whiten into the
potless raiment of the skies. God
rant that through the mercy of our
lord Jesus we may all get there!