The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-18

vazzf left IL; let French pulpit orator
take up the theme where Bourdeloue left
it; let the Swiss pulpit orator take up the
theme where Merle d'Aubigne left il: let
the English pulpit take il up where
George Whitefeld left it: let the Scotch
pulpit take il VI where DIR. Candlish left
il; let the Welsh pulpit take il up where
Christmas Evans left il. and let Amer
lean pulpit take IL up where Archibald
Alexander and DR.. Kirk and Matthew
Simpson left it. But the world will never
appreciate fully the love Of God until
they hear from his own lips the outburst
Of his infinite and everlasting affection.
Seeing God Face TO Face.
Only glimpses of God have we in this
world, but what an hour il will be when
we first see him, and we will have no
more fright than / feel when / now see
you. 1t will not be with mortal eye that
that We will behold him. but with the vi
sion OF a cleansed. forgiven and perfected
spirit. OF all the Guintillion ages OF
eternity to US the most thrilling hour will
be the first cur when we meet him as he
Is. This mas account for something you
have all seen and may not have under
stood. Have you not noticed how that
after death the old Christian looks young
again or the features resume the look of
20 or 80 years before? The WEAKNESS is
gone out Of the face; there is something
strikingly restful and placid: there is a
pleased look where before there was q dis
turbed look. What has wrought the
change? l think the dying Christian saw
God. At the moment the soul left the
body what the soul saw left its impress
sion on the countenance. l think that is
what rave that old Christian face after
death the radiant and triumphant look.
The bestormed spirit has reached the
harbor; the hard battle Of life is ended in
victory. The body took that look the mo-
ment heaven began, and the curtain was
completely lifted and the glories of Jeho-
vah's presence rushed upon the soul. The
departing spirit left on the old mans face
a glad goodby. and that first look gave
the pleased curve to the dying lip and
smoothed out the wrinkles and touched
all the lineaments with an indescribable
radiance. AS no one else explains that
improved and %gladdened post mortem
look, I try to explain it. saying: "He saw
God?' "She say God!'
Last summer we journeyed thousands
Of miles to see the midnight sun from
North Cape, Norway. We stood on deck
in the arctic seas. our watches In our
hands, and it was IL o'clock at night.
but light as an ordinary MONDAY. Then
it was half past IL o'clock at night, then
it was Is minutes of II, but a long, wide.
thick cloud hung over the sun. Are we
to be disappointed as thousands have
been and the journey here a failure? Ten
minutes of II. and the sun is still! hidden.
But about five minutes Of II the cloud
lifted. and the midnight sun, the most
wondrous spectacle Of all the earth. ap-
peared, pouring forth = r~efulgence that
turned the arctic sea into 20 miles of
pearls n rubies and diamonds and en-
eralds and overpowering us with q glory
that left us with body all a-tremble, and
a mind full of all ecstasy, and a soul full
of all worship. Thank God we saw it
the midnight sun. So with that depart
ing Christian soul; the voyage of life has
been long and rough and tempestuous;
chilling sorrows have again and again
showed down upon him, and it is an arctic
sea. Many clouds have filled the sky.
1t is approaching II o'clock. and the close
of life's day. Friends stand around and
count the parting moments. The clock
strikes IL, and God breaks through the
cloud and shines upon the features Of the
departing saint until they are TRANSPORTED
with the glories of the Sun Of Righteous
ness. That is what has so changed the
features Of the old man. 1t is the shin
ing Of the Midnight Sun.
copyright, 1901. Louis Klopsch, N. "