The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-07

your loved ones unless you make previ- ous arrangements with them where to meet? Having a letter of credit at the Bank of Grace, you say you expect to journey to the Celestial City. Have you ever told your loved ones about that city? Have you ever told them how to get to that center 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 possible If 1t is important for you to make spirit ual preparations for the journey of death by being washed in the Savior's blood, is it not just as important for your loved ones to be cleansed " the same blood? You should tell your loved ones how they can be cleansed from sin as surely as the guide, many years ago, told the trav- eler how his body could be cleansed as he became covered over with a swarm of leeches when he was fording a shallow river in Burma In horror the foreigner began to pull them off, for the vampires were draining away his lifes strength But the guide bade him cease or he would destroy himself Then the guide pre- pared a bath in which he diluted some herbs, the juices of which were fatal to the life of the leech. Then he directed the traveller to Ii down in the prepared watrs, and immediately his body was freed from the vile aquatic worms. Have you ever told your loved ones that the only way they can meet you in heaven Is by bathing themselves in the blood of the Lamb. so that the fatal worm of sin which is sucking at their hearts shall fall off and die?
 I would plead with you. men and wo- men, who are trying to set your house in order, to look after the spiritual well fare of your loved ones as well as your own. because do not understand how heaven can dver be truly and entirely happy place for any man who hs neglect ed to look after the spiritual interests of those who on earth were near and dear to him. I know that the Bible distinct ly declares that heaven is to se a bright . and a happy place., but, for one, I think that even celestial happiness would be marred If, when we are safely there, we were conscious that our loved ones had missed their opportunity of coming In through our own neglect to tell them the way to the great white throne. well remember in our journey around the world how the heart ached when in far off Australia father and I received a cablegram that mother was sick and had to return to America and could not meet i us in Paris. well remember how anx- iously we two, 12,000 miles from home looked at each other. Then we began to worry about the illness which some months later ended my mothers earthly life. And. oh, if we were disappointed bv not meeting my mother in the French ' capital how much moFe disappointed will some of us be- when we reach heaven if we should feel that our brothers and sisters and husbands and wives, fathers and mothers and children, should have been in any way prevented joining us In heaven and especially if the obstacle has been one of our makingl Fer my own part, I can sympathize great deal with the prayer a weeping wife once made by the bedside of her husband, whom she supposed to be asleep With tears rain ing down her cheeks she said: 70 God, save my husband Save my dear. dear husband! And If by any means my own sinful life has made him turn back upon thee, then blot out my name from the book of life, if thou wilt Only save himP My brother and sister, preparing Tor the great and eternal journey beyond the grave, I beg of you at this critical time to look after the spiritual interests or your loved ones and those who are near to you.
 uBt there is one overwhelming thought about my text upon which I love to oweil. IT we go to the throne of grace in the right spirit of prayer. God will let every one or us live as long as necessary to do the work he wants us to do in his name. When the prophet Isaiah entered the royal palace of Jerusalem and said to the sick Hezelxiah. Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order, for thou