The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-04-24

natural weather. NoaG AAoO Oh
weather will it be to-day?" said
some one to a farmer. The farmer
replied: 1T will be such weather
ls 7 like" What do you mean by
that?" asked the other. "Well," said
the farmer, at will be such weather
As pleases the Lord, and what pleases
the Lord pleases me-"
Oh. the sunshine, the sunshine Of
Christian explanation! Here is some
ono bending over the grave Of the
dead. What is going to be the consola-
ton? The flowers you strew upon the
tomb? Oh, no. The services read at
the grave? Oh, no. The chief consola-
ton on that grave is what falls from
the throne of God. Sunshine, glorious
sunshine! Resurrection sunshine!
Sometimes you wish you could make
;he tour of the whole earth, going
around as others have gone, but you
have not the means. You will make
the tour yet, during one musical pause
IN the eternal anthem. I say these
things for the comfort CT those people
who are abridged in their opPortunl-
| ties, those people to whom life is hum
drum, who toll and work and aspire
after knowledge, but have no time to
yet It, and say: "If I had the oppor-
tuuities which other people have, how
would fill my mind and soul with
grand tboughts!" Be not discouraged,
| nv friends. You are going to the UNI
versity yet. Death will only natricu-
late you into the royal college Of the
universe.
Besides that, we shall have all the
pleasures Of association. We will 60
fieht up in the front Of God without
any fright. All our sins gone, there
viii 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,
:he land of flowers, or the south Of
France, and you will not see him for
0 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 well" He says:
81 couldn't help but be well. I have
been sailing these rivers and climbing
these mountains and that's how I got
this elasticity. I never was so we'll"
Oh, nay friends, your departed loved
ones are only away for their health in
better climate, and when you meet
them they will be SO changed, and
after awhile, when you are assured
that they are your friends, your de-
parted friends, you will say: "Why,
where is that cough? W re is that
paralysis? Where is that euronia? ?
Where is that consumptio- :" And he
will say: "Oh, am entirely well.
There are no sick ones in this country.
1 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 cll-
mate"
And then I stand at the gate Of the
Celestial city to see the professions
come out, and I see a long procession
of little children, with their arms full
Of flowers, and then see procession
of kings and priests moving in Celes-
tial pageantry-a long procession, but
no black tesseled vehicle, no mourning
group, and say: Glow strange it is!
Where is your Greenwood? Where IS
your Laurel Hill? Where is your West
minister abbey?" And they shall cry:
"There are no graves here" And then
listen for the tolling Of the old belfries
Of Heaven, the old belfries Of eternity.
listen to hear them toll for the dead.
They only strike up silvery chime,
tower to tower, east gate to west gate,
as they ring out: They shall hunger
no more, neither thirst any more,
neither shall the sun light on them nor
any heat, for the Lamb which is in the
/ midst of the throne shall lead them TO
living fountains Of water, and God
shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes"
Oh, unglove your hand and give It to
me in congratulation on that scene! l
feel as if T could shout. I will shout.
Dear Lord, forgive me that ever COM
planned about anything. If all this is
before rs, who cares for anything but
God and Heaven and eternal brother
hood? Take the Grape oRthe door
bell. Your loved ones are only aWe5
for their health IN a land ambrosial.
Come, Lowell Mason; come, Isaac
Watts. Give US your best hymn about
| Joy celestial.
What is the use Of postpo1ing our
Heaven any longer? Let it begin now,
and whosoever hath harp let him
thrum It, and whosoever hath trun-
pet let him blow it, and whosoe7er
hath an organ let him give us . full
dispason. They crowd down the air,
spirits blessed, moving in cavalcade OF
triumph. Their chariot wheels wharl
in the Sabbath sunlight. They come!
Halt, armies Of God! Halt until we are
ready to join the battalion Of pleas
ures that never die!
Oh, my friends, it would take SER
mon as long as eternity to tell the joys
that are coming to as. I just set open
the sunshiny door. Come in, all ye dis
| ciples Of the world who have found the
world a mockery. Como in, all ye dis
ciples Of the dance, and see the bound
ing feet Of this Heavenly gladness.
Come in, ye disciples Of worldly amuse-
ment, and see the stage where kings
| arc the actors and burning words the
| footlights and thrones the spectacular.
Arise, ye dead in sin, for this is the
morning Of resurrection. The joys Of
Heaven subnerge our soul. ] pull out
the trumpet stop. In thy presence
there is a fullEess Of joy; at thy right
hand there are pleasures fore7ernore-
(: Blest are the saints beloved Of God;
| ! Washed are their robes in Jesus olooc'
| Brighter than angels, 10. they shine:
Their gloriea splendid and sublime!
Ny soul anticipates the day.
| : Would stretch her wings and soar away
/ To aid the song, the palm to bear,
And bow, the chief Of sinners, there.