The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-22

Leonard, formerly OF Iowa university,
put In my hands a meteoric stone-a
stone thrown of from some other world
to this. How suggestive il was to me,
And l have to tell you b best repre-
sensations we have of heaven are only
aerolites flung or from that world which
rolls on, bearing the multitude OF the re-
deemed. We analyze these aerolites and
find them crystallizations of tears. No
wonder, flung of from heaveni God
shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes"
Have you any appreciation OF the good
and glorious times your friends are hav-
ing in heaven! How different il is when
they get news there of a Christians
death from whati it is here, 1t is the diff
ference between embarkation and com
ing into port. Everything depends upon
which side Of the river you stand when
you hear Of a Christians death. II you
stand on this side of the river. you mourn
that they go. If you stand on the other
side Of the river, you rejoice that they
come. Oh, the difference between a fu-
neral on earth and a jubilee in hea ven-
between requiem here and triumph there;
parting here n reunion there! Togeth-
er! Have you ever thought of it? They
are together. Not one of your departed
friends in one land and another in anoth-
er land, but together in different rooms
of the same house-the house of many
mansions. Together!
L never more appreciated that thought
than when we laid away in her last slum-
Der my sister Sarah. Standing there in
the village cemetery. l looked around
and said, There is father, there is moth
er, there is grandfather, there is grand
mother, there are whole circles of kim
dred," and thought to myself, "Togeth-
er in the grave. together in glory" | I'm
SO impressed with the thought that l do
not think it it any fanaticism when
some n is going from this world to the
next if you make him the bearer Of
dispatches to YOU friends who are gone,
saying, Give my love to my parents,
give my love to my children, give my love
to my old comrades who are in glory and
tell them l am trying to fight the good
fight Of faith, and l will join them after
awhile" l believe the message will be
delivered, and l believe it will increase
the gladness of those who are before the
throne. Together are they, all their tears
gone.
In 1751 there was a bill offered in the
English parliament proposing to change
the almanac so that the 1st of March
should come Immediately after the 18th
of February. But, oh, what a glorious
change in the calendar When all the
years of your earthly existence are swal-
lowed up in the eternal year of God!
Wipe Away the Tears.
Take his good cheer home with you.
These tears of bereavement that course
your cheek and of persecution and of
trial are not always to be there. The
motherly hand of God will wipe them all
away What is the use ON the way to
such a consummation-what is the use of
fretting about anything? Oh, what an
exhilaration it ought to be in Christian
work! See you the pinnacles against the
sky? 1t is the city Of our God, and we
are approaching it. Oh, let us be busy
in the days that remain for us!
The Saxons and the Britons went out
to battle. The Saxons were all armed.
The Britons had no weapons at all, and
yet history tells US that the Britons got
the victory. Why? They went into bat
tie shouting three times, "Halleluiah!'
and at the third shout of "Halleluiah!"
their enemies fed panic struck, and so
the Britons got the victory. And, my
friends, if we could only appreciate the
glories that are to come we would be SO
filled with enthusiasm that no power on
earth or hell could stand before us, and
at our first shout the opposing forces
would begin to tremble, and at our sec
ond shout they would begin to fall back,
and at our third shout they would be
routed forever. There is no power on
earth or in hell that could stand before
three such volleys of halleluiah.
I put this balsam on the wounds Of
your heart: Rejoice at the thought of
what your departed friends have got rid
of and that you have a prospect of so
soon making your own escape. Bear
cheerfully the ministry Of tears and eXult
at the thought that soon it is to be ended.
There we shall march up the heavenly street
And ground our arms at Jesus feet.
Do you not this moment catch a
glimpse of the towers? Do you not hear
a note of the eternal harmony? Some of
you may remember the old Crystal pal
ace in this city of New York. I came in
from my country home a verdant lad and
heard in that Crystal palace the first
great music I had ever heard. Julien
gave a concert there, and there were
5000 voices and 1900 players upon in
struments, and I was nightly impressed
with the fact that Julien controlled the
harmony with the motion of his hand
foot, beating time with the one n
emphasizing with the other. To me it
was overwhelming. But all that was
tame compared with the scene and the
sound when the ransomed shall come
from the east and the west and the north
and the south and sit down in the king
dom Of God, myriads above myriads, gal
leries above galleries, and Christ will
rise. and all heaven will rise with him.
and with his wounded hand and wounds
foot he will conduct that harmony, Like
the voice of many waters. like the voice
Of mighty thunderings, worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive riches
and honor and glory and power, world
without end"