Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-04

you are III prepared, you are lost in
deed, even though in this world you
had all the wealth Of n Rothschild. n
Vanderbilt, Rockefeller or an Astor,
even though you once on earth lived
in MS magnificent mansion MS did
Dives Of old, at whose gate tho dogs
were licking the sores of dying beg
gar. Shrouds have no pockets, and a
Skeletons bony fingers can hold no
gold. and all your worldly riches will
then be but dross, which you cannot
carry with you on that last journey.
But IL you have the letter Of credit of
divine grace and the passport stamped
with the crimson seal OF calvary. then
the long journey will he accomplished
safely, and the gates Of the New 10
rusalem will be opened unto you. no
matter how financially poor you may
have been ON earth, because you are
pleading there for admittance In
Christs name
Henry Clews tells us that when old
Cornelius Vanderbilt, the richest man
of his day, lay dying, turning his back
upon his S9OOO0,0O0 as though he had
been the poorest outcast i'm the street.
he had to ask his Christian wife to-
pray for him and sing one Of tho old
Christian hymns which she had learned
| in her fathers house. May We, one
/ and all, never make the mistake the
aged millionaire made in trying to fix
up our divine passport at the last mo-
ment. May we, long before our earthly
demise, apply at the Bank of Grace
for letter of credit which will sue
cessfully carry us through the dark
days when we are dying and be sufi-
cicyt for us until we realize the bright
and triumphant advent of a heavenly
welcome.
The Long, Long Journey.
The smile of death as Il long jour
loy away from the family tircsidc is
very striking. When man takes
long earthly journey. he is very apt to
gather his family about him and say.
IF | should take this journey. in all
probability l will return home Mt such
and such a time" or if the father Is
going into new country to establish
another home he says to his children:
After | am settled there and find ev-
erything all right you can sell the
goods and pack up and come TO me. I
VIII be in such and such place at
such and such time" Or perhaps the
man who is about TO take long jour
ney will do as my father and myself
did when we started Oh our journey
around the world. We were to set
sail from San Francisco and 20 by the
way of the Sandwich Islands. Samoa.
Australia and India. 1t was long.
hard journey, and mother was phys
ically unable to undertake. it, So ia
Their said: Mother, you take the two
girls and go to Europe and meet
Frank and myself as we come around
the world. Meet us either at Brindisi
or in Paris or London" SO mother
set sail from New York and went ca st
Father and myself set sail from san
Francisco. going west. We were all
to meet by preconcerted plan at the
| French capital.
/ My brother, rs you must take this
/ long journey through the valley of the
shadow of death with the divine pass
port in your hands. how can you ever
expect to rejoin your loved ones unless
you make previous arrangements with
them where to meet? Having a letter
Of credit at the Bank Of Grace, you
say you expect To journey to the Celes-
tial City. Have you ever told your
loved ones about that city? Have you
ever told them how to get to that cen
ter of the universe? Have You ever
told them there is only one way to
reach your destination. and that is for
them TO obtain forgiveness of their sins
by the blood of the Lamb, so that their
heavenly advent shall be made pos
sible? If it Is important for you to
make spiritual preparations for the
! journey Of death by being washed in
/ the Saviour's blood is it not just as
| important for your loved ones 10 be
! CleanSed by the same blood? You
| should tell your loved ones how they
/ can be cloansed from sin as surely as
the guide, many years ago, told the
traveller how his body could he cleansed
as he became covered over with a
| swarm of lecches when he was ford
/ ing a shallow river in Burma. In hor-
/ ror the foreigner began to pull them
/ off. for the vampires were draining
away his LIES strength. But the guide
/ babe him cease or he would destroy
/ himself. Then the guide prepared a
/ bath in which he diluted some herbs
the juices of which We're fatal to the
life Of the leech. Then he directed the
traveller to lie down in the prepared
waters, and Immediately his body was
| freed from the vile aquatic worms.
| Have you ever told your loved ones
mat the only way they can meet You
IN heaven is by bathing themselves in
| the blood Of the Lamb, so that the ia
/ tai worm of sin which is sucking at
their hnnrts shal! fall-C%.?gd dIe.
would plead with you, men and
women. who are trying to set your
house ia order. TO look after the spir-
| itual welfare OF your loved ones as
we'll as your own, because | do not IN
| derstnnd how heaven can ever be a
truly and entirely happy place for any
man who has neglected tn look after
the spiritual interests Of those who on
/ earth were near and dear TO him. |
| know that the Bible distinctly declares
| that heaven is to be bright and n
happy place: but. for one, think that
| even celestial happiness would be mar
red IT, when we axe safely there, we
were conscious that our loved ones