The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-23

WV 49,
son You ought TO thank God for what
he does instead Of grumbling for what he
does not. God oranges all the weather
In this world-the spiritual weather. the
moral weather, as well as the natural
weather. what kind OF weather viii IL
be today" said some n to a farmer.
The farmer replied. cit viii be sucl
weather as I like" what do you mea
by thatT' asked the other. well" said
the farmer, lit viii be such weather a
pleases the Lord. and what pleases the
Lord pleases me-"
Oh, the sunshine. the sunshine OF Chris
tan explanation. Here is some one
bending over the grave OF the dead
What is going 10 be the consolation? The
flowers you strew upon the tomb? oh.
no. The services read at the grave? Oh.
no. The chief consolation on that grave
is what falls from the throne OF God.
Sunshine. glorious sunshine. Resurrec-
ton sunshine,
Again, l find a great deal OF the sun
shine OF this Bible and OF our religion In
the climacteric joys that are TO come. 4
mar who gets up and goes out from a
concert right after the opening voluntary
has been played and before the prima
donna sings or befofe the orchestra he
gins has a better idea OF that co2-er:
than that man has who supposes that the
chief joys OF religion are in this world.
We here have only the first note OF the
: eternal orchestra. We shall in that world
have the joy OF discovery. We will in
five minutes catch up with the astrono-
meTs, the biologists, the scientists, the
philosophers of all ages who so far sur
passed US in this world. We can afford
to adjourn astronomy and geology and
many Of the sciences to the next world
because we shall there have better appa-
ratus and better opportunity. i must
study these sciences so far as to help me
In my work, but beyond that | must give
myself to saving my own soul and saw
Ing the souls of others. knowing that in
one fash Of eternity we will catch il all
Oh, what an observatory in which Ia
study astronomy heaven will be-not by
power Of telescope. but by supernatural
vision And if there be something doubt
full 10000. 600 miles away. by one stroke
Of the wing you are there, by ano:tc:
stroke Of the wing you are back again.
and all in less time than l tell you. catch.
ing it all in one fash of eternity.
A Place For study.
And geology! What a place that VII
be to study geology when the world j.
being picked to pieces as easily as n
schoolgirl in botanical lessons pulls tie
leaf from the ~corolla! What a place l.
study architecture. amid the thrones Al
the palaces and the cathedrals-S:.
Marks and st. Paul's rookeries in CO..
parison.
Sometimes you wish you could mas
the tour OF the whole earth. going aroE;.sl
as others have gone, but you have not
the time. you have not the means. You
mill rnoEn Tho o,~ -a< I.-n- am ma,
steal pause in the eternal anthem. | say
these things for the comfort of those
people who are abridged in their opportu-
mites. those people to whom life is hunr-
drum, who toll and work and toll AMI
work and aspire after knowledge. but
have no time to get 1t and say, IF / hal
the opportunities which other people
have, how l would fill my mind and soul
with grand thoughts" Be not discour.
aged. my friends. You are going to tie
university yet. Death will only matricl-
late you into the royal college of the uni
verse.
What a sublime thing it was that nr
Thornwell of South Carolina uttered in
his last dying momentsi AS he looked
up he said. ut opens: it expands. it ex-
pandsr" Or as Mr.. Toplady. the author
of Rock of Ages" in his last moment or
uuIlIiS III luSl uOuTS tOOheu up duu SalI.
as though he saw something s%upernatu-
raj. Light" and then as he came on
nearer the dying moment. his counte-
nance more luminous. he cried. Light"
and at the very moment OF his departure
lifted both hands. something supernatu-
raj in his countenance as he cried,
"Light! Only another name for sun
shine.
Besides that, we shall nave all the
pleasures Of association. We will go
right up in the front of God without any
fright. All our sins gone. there will be
nothing to be frightened about. There
our old Christian friends will troop
around us. Just as now one Of your
sick friends goes away to Florida. the
lam of flowers. or to the south of France.
and you do not see him for a long while,
and after awhile you meet him. and the
hollows under the eyes are all filed and
the appetite has come back and the
crutch has been thrown away. and he is
SO changed you hardly know him. You
say, why, I never saw you look SO
we'll" He says: 81 couldn't help but be
well. l hav been sailing these rivers
and climbing these mountains, and that's
how / got this elasticity. | never was SO
we'll" Oh, my friends. your departed
loved ones are only away for their health
in a better climate. and when you meet
them they will be SO changed you viii
hardly know them, they will be so very
much changed, and after awhile. when
you are assured hat they are your
friends, your departed friends. you win
say: why. where is that cough! Where
is that paralysis? Where is that pneu-
monia? Where is that consumption"
And he will say: "Oh. / am entirely well.
There are no sick ones in this country.
/ have been ranging these hills. and
hence this elasticity. ! have been here
now 20 years, and not one sick one have
I seen. We are all well in this climate"
The Celestial Profession.
And then I stand at the gate of the
celestial city to see the professions come
out, and / see a long procession Of little
children. with their arms full Of flowers,
and then | see a procession OF kings and
priests moving in celestial pageantry-a
4 1~-- 49, 80