Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-02-28
Topiady shouis In bis Ola hrmn:

Toplady shouts I'm his old hymn:
Your harps. ye trembling saints.
Down from the willows take:
1-cpd TO the praise OF love divine
Bid every string awake.
While Charles Wesley. the Method
list. breaks forth in words u little va
ried:
A charge to keep you have.
A God 10 clorify.
never dying soul TO save
And fit IL for the skyi
look again. and see the gallery OF
our departed. Many OF those In the
other galleries we have heard of. but
these we knew. oh. how familiar their
facesl They sat at our tables, aud we
walked 10 the house OF God In COM
pany. Have they forgotten us? Those
fathers and mothers started us on the
road OF life. Are they careless as to
what becomes OF us? And those chill
dren-sdo they look with stolid indiffer-
ence as 10 whether we win or lose this
battle of life? They remember the day
they left us. They remember the agony
OF the last farewell. Though years I'm
heaven, they Know our faces. They
remember our sorrows. They speak
our names. They watch this fight for
heaven. Nay. | see them rise up and
lean over and wave before us their
recognition aad CncouraSement. That
gallery is not fun. they are keeping
places for US. As.er we have slain the
lion they expect the King TO call us.
saying. Gene cp hiSherr' Between
the hot struggles IN the arena | wipe
the sweat from my brow and stand on
tiptoe, reaching Up my right hand TO
clasp theirs in r1pturous handshaking,
while their voices come ringing down
from the gallery. crying. BE thou
faithful unto death, and you shall have
a CROWN
The Gnxc of the Universe.
But here ] pause. overwhelmed with
the majesty and the joy of the scenei
Gallery OF the Kingi Gallery of an
gelsl Gallery Of prophets and apostlesl
Gallery OF martyrs! Gallery of saints!
Gallery of friends and kindredl o
majestic circles of light and love!
Throngs, throngs. throngs! How shall
we stand the gaze of the universe?
Myriads OF eyes beaming on us. Myr-
3 lads Of hearts beating I'm sympathy for
How shall we ever become discouraged
Againf How shall we ever feel lonely
Again2 With God for us and angels
Tor us and prophets and apostles for
us and the great souls of the ages for
US and our glorified kindred for us
shall we give up the fight and die?
No, Son OF God, who didst die to save
us. No, We angels, whose wings are
spread forth to shelter u.s. No, We
prophets and apostles, whose warnings
startle us. No, We loved ones, whose
arms are outstretched to receive us.
No; we will never surrender.
Sure must fight IL would reign.
BE faithful TO my Lord
And bear the cross. endure the pain.
Supported by thy word.
Thy saints I'm all this glorious war
Shall conquer though they die:
They see the triumph from afar
And seize II with their eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise
And all thine armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies.
The glory shall be thine.
My hearers, shall we die in the arena
or rise TO Join our friends in the gal
lery! Through Christ we may come
off more than conquerors. A soldier
dying in the hospital rose up In bed the
last moment and cried, Here, here!'
His attendants put him back on his pill
low and asked him why he shouted
"Herep' ''Oh, l heard the roll call of
heaven, and was only answering to
my manner l wonder whether after
this battle OF this life is over our
names will be called in the muster roll
OF the pardoned and glorified and, with
the JOY OF heaven breaking upon our
souls. shall cry, Here, herer'
Copyright. 1902. Louis Kiopsch. N. VI