Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-05-18

long been separated. Alter we nave reen
away from our friends ten or fifteen years
and we come upon them we see how dlf-
ferently they look Their hair has turned,
and wrinkles have come In their faces.
and we say, Chow you have changed!'
But, oh, when we stand before the throne,
all cares gone from the face, Gil marks OF
sorrow disappeared. and, feeling the joy
OF that blessed land methinks we Will say
to each other, with an exultation we cam
not now imagine, chow you have
changedl'
A little child's mother had died, and
they comforted her. They said; Your
mother has gone to heaven. Don't cry"
And the next day they went to the grave
yard, and they laid the body OF the mother
down into the ground, and the little girl
came up to the verge OF the grave ana,
looking down, said: SIS this heaven" We
have no idea what heaven is. 1t Is the
grave here, 1t Is darkness here, but there ls
merrymaking yonder. Methinks when
soul arrives some angel takes 1t around TO
show 1t the wonders OF that blessed place.
The usher angel says 70 the newly arrived:
"These are the martyrs that persisted at
Piedmont; these we're torn to pieces at the
lnouIsition; this is the throne OF the great
Jehovah; this is Jesus" IL am going t.
see Jesus" said a dying boy; IL am goinG
TO see Jesus" The missionary said: "You
are sure you will see Him." ooh, yes;
that's what l want to 60 to heaven for"
"But," said the missionary, suppose jesus
should 20 away from heaven-what then?"
81 should follow him" said the dying boy.
'But IL Jesus went down to hell-what
them" The dying boy thought for mo-
ment and then said, "Where Jesus Is there
san be 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, to go around amid tue
groups OF the redeemed and shake hands
with the prophets and apostles aud mar.
Iyrs and with our own dear beloved ones-
That will be thetgreat reunion. We cannot
imagine it 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. sis It we'll with the child, Is 1t
we'll with the loved ones?" and we listen to
hear IL any voice comes back over the
watersl None, none! Unbelief 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
we shall Join them on the other side OF the
river. Oh, glorious reunion, we cannot
grasp it nowl "Eye hath not seen, nor eai
heard, neither have entered into the hearl
Of man, the things which God hath pre-
pared for them that love Him."
What place OF explanation it will bel
see every day profound mysteries OF proyi-
dence. There Is no question we ask often
err than why? There are hundreds oil
graves In Greenwood and Laurel HUI that
need to be explained. Hospitals for the
blind and lame, asylums for the idiotic anc
insane, amshouses for the destitute and
world OF pain and misfortune that demand
more than human solution. God vii.
clear it all up. In the light that pour;
from the throne no dark mystery can live
Things now utterly inscrutable will be
llumined as plainly as though the an
swer were written on the jasper wall
or sounded In the temple anthem. Bar
timeus will thank God that he waf
blind and Joseph that he was cast int o the
pit and Daniel that he denned with tue
lions and Paul that he was hump-backec
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 that she had suct
hard work to earn bread for her children
X
weeping eyes and aching heads and ex'
hausted hands and scourged backs ant
martyred agonies. But we can get nc
idea OF that anthem here. We appreciate
the power of secular music, but do We ap
preciate the power of sacred song? There
is nothing more inspiring to me than
whole congregation lifted on the wave OF
holy melody. When we sing some OF those
dear old psalms and tunes, they rouse nil
the memories of the past. Why, somo OF
them were cradle songs In our fathers
house. They are all sparkling with the
morning dew of thousand Christian Sab
baths. They we're sung by brothers ano
sisters gone now, by voices that were agec
and broken In the music, voices none the
less sweet because they did tremble ant
break.
When hear these old songs sung, il
seems rs II all the old country meeting
houses Joined In the chorus and city church
and sailors bethel and western cabins un-
iii the whole continent lifts the Doxology
and the scepters OF eternity beat time 10
the music. Away then with your starvel.
Ing tunes that chill the dovotions 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, huZZaY and when Jesus passes
along In the conquest OF the earth shall
we not have for Him ono loud, ringing
cheerl
All hail the power OF Jesus's name!
Let angels PROSTATE fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord OF all.
But, my friends, II music on earth Is Sc
sweet what will 1t 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. Morning stars clapping theii
cymbals. Harpers with their harps. Great
anthems OF God roll on, roll on, other en-
pires joining the harmony till the thrones
are all full and tho nations all saved
Anthem shall touch anthem, chorus join
chorus, and all the sweet sounds OF earth
and heaven BIZ poured into the ear OF Christ.
David OF the harp will be there. Gabriel OF
the trumpet will be there. Germany, re-
deemed. will pour its deep, bass voice into
the song, and Africa will add to the music
with her matchless voices. l wish we could
anticipate that song. 1 wish in our
closing hymn to-day we might catch an