Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-02-22

eagle g, they are initiating the eagle VINO
would sit in his nest of sticks lined with
grass on the rock, mourning about, the
woes of the archaeological world, the lone
vulture. the croak of the raven, the reck-
less of the albatross. Would that improve
things? No. 1t would be a melting pro-
cess for that eagle which would never
close, and it would only get thinner and
more gloomy and less able to gain food for
its young and less abe to enjoy land
scape as it appears under a twenty-milc
flight on summer morning under the
blue heavens
| do not advise you to be Indifferent to
these great questions that pertain to
church and state and nations. but not to
fret about them. Realize that it is not an
anarchy that has charge of affairs in this
world, but divine government. AT the
head of this universe is a King whose eve
is omniscence and whose heart is infinite
love. His government is not going to be
failure. He cannot be defeated. Better
trust Him in the management of this
world and of all worlds. All you and /
have to do is tC ACCOMPLISH the work that
is nut in our hands. That is all we have
to be responsible for. In well managed
orchestra the PAYERS upon stringed and
wind instruments do not watch each other.
The cornetist does not lool, to see how
the vioinist is drawino the bow over the
strings, nor does the flute PLAYER s"rutin-
ize the drum. They all watch the baton
of the leader. And we are all carrying
our Dart, however insignificant it may be,
in the great harmony.
My text suggests that heaven is an eter-
nal youth A cycle of years will not leave
any mark upon the immortal nature.
xt-tn NOT hn in
heaven any change unless it be more ra-
dance and more wisdom aud more rap
tire. A rolling on from glory to glory!
IN anticipation OF that some OF the hap
piest peon'e on earth are aged Christians.
The mightiest testimonies have been given
by the veterans in the gospel army While
solre OF the aged have allowed themselves
to become morose and cynical and impa-
ticnt with youth and pessimstic about the
world end have become possessed with
the spirit OF scold and fault finding, and
are fearful of being crowded out of their
sphere manv of the aged have been glad
10 ssep aside that Others NAV have
chance and are hopeful about the world,
eyUscting its redemption instead of its
demolition. and they are inspiration and
comfort and hepfulness 10 the household
and 10 the neighhorhood and to the
church. The children hail the good old
man as he comes down the road His
smile. his words, his manner, his whole
lie. make the word think better Of reli-
giol.
What good thing it is, all ye aged
Christians, that you can soon get rid OF
dllled ear and sight that requires strong
eyeglasses and inGrmities which make you
hod on TO the banister, leaving you pant
ing at the head of the stairs, and enter
land Of eternal health, where the most ru-
bcund check of robust life on earth
would be emaciation compared with the
vigor OF the immortals. What u good
thing to get beyond being misunderstood
and blamed for what you could not help,
and picked at by hard world, and then
pass into heavenly society where all
think well Of each other, and friendships
are eternal, depreciation and SANDER and
backbiting unknown, for the gate OF heav-
ment, without are dogs" What good
thing to have satisfying and glorious ex
PLANTATION OF things that puzzled you
twenty or forty or eighty years, to have
the interrogation point abolished and all
mystery solved and Gods government vim
dicated, and you will see why He allowed
sin and sorrow to come into the world,
and why the bad were permitted to live
so long and the good were cut off in the
time of their greatest usefulness, and why
so many of the consecrated find life a
struggle, while many of the infamous ride
prosperously, princes afoot and beggars
a-horseback, and the last honest question
shall have been answered.
Gibbon in his history says that Moham.
med had dream in which he thought
that, mounted on the horse Borak, lie as.
cended the seven heavens and approached
within two bow shots of the throne and
felt a cold that pierced him to the heart
when his shoulder was touched by the
hand of God That might do for Moham-
med's heaven, but not for Christian
heaven. No cold hand put upon your
shoulder there, no cold hand OF repulse or
doubt, but the warm hand of welcome, the
warm hand of sanity communion, the y
warm hand of God.
| congratulate all Christians who are in
the eventide. Good cheer to all of you.
Your best days are yet to come. You are
yet to hear the best songs, see the grand
est sights, take the most delightful jour
neys, form the most elevating friendships,
and after 10000 years OF transport you
will be no nearer the last rapture than
when You were thrilled with the first.
In heaven you will have what most
pleases you. Archbishop Leighton's de:
sire for heaven was desire for Christ and
purity and love, and he has found there
what he wanted John Foster rejoiced at
the thought OF heaven, because there he
could study the secrets of the universe
without restraint, and he has been regal
ing himself in that search. Southey
thought of heaven as q place where he
would meet with the learned and the
great-Cbaucer and Dante and Shakes
peare. He no doubt has found that style
of communion. That great and good DR.:
Dick was fond of mathematics, and he said
he thought much of the time in heaven
would be given to that study, and l have
no doubt that since ascension he has made
advancement in that science. The twelve
manner of fruits" spoken of in Revela-
ton means all kinds of enjoyment in heav-
en-, for twelve manner of fruits includes
all the chief fruits that are grown on
trees I suppose there will be as many
kinds of enjoyment as there will be In
habitants.
You will have in heaven just what you
want. Are you tired? Then heaven will
be rest Are you passionately fond of
sweet sounds? Then it will be music. Are
you stirred by pictures? There will be all
the colors ON the new heavens, on the jas
per sea, and the walls imbedded with what
splendorsl Are you fond of great archi-
lecture? There you will find the temple
of God and the Lamb and the uplifted
thrones. Are you longing to get back to
your loved ones who have assembled! Then
It will be reunion. Are you home body?
Then it will be home. Here and there in
this world you will find some one who now
lives where he was born, and three or
four generations may have dwelt in the