Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-02-26

Watts and Mrs. Sigourney. II heaven
had had no music before they went up.
they would have started the singing. And
there the band of missionaries-David
Abeel, talking OF China redeemed; aud
John Scudder, OF India saved: and David
Brainerd, of the aborigines evangelical;
and Mrs. Adoniram Judson, whose pray
ers for Burma took heaven by violence!
All these Christians are looking into the
arena. Our struggle is nothing to theirs
Do We in Christ's cause suffer from the
cold? They walked Greenlands icy
mountains. Do we suffer from the neat?
They sweltered in tropics. Do we get
fatigued? They tainted. with none TO
care for them but cannibais. Are We per-
secuted? They were mathematical.
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
faces! They sat at our tables, and we
walked to the house of God in company.
Have they forgotten us? Those fathers
and mothers started us on the road OF
life. Are they careless as TO what be-
comes OF us? And those children,-do
they look with stolid Indifference as TO
whether we win " lose this battle of life?
They remember the day they left us.
They remember the agony of the last
farewell. Though years in 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 be
fore US their recognition and encourage
ment. That gallery is not full. They
are keeping places for us. After we have
slain the lion they expect the King TO
call us, saying, Come up higheri' Be
tween the hot struggles in the arena /
wipe the sweat from my brow and stand
on tiptoe, reaching up my right hand 10
clasp theirs in rapturous handshaking
while their voices come ringing down
from the gallery, crying. BE thou faith
full unto death, and you shall have a
crOwnw
The Gaze of the Universe.
But here l pause. overwhelmed with
tho majesty and the JOY of the scene.
Gallery of the King! Gallery of angels,
Gallery of prophets and apostles Gal
lery of martyrs! Gallery of saints! Gal
lery of friends and kindred! 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! Myriads of hearts
beating in sympathy for us! How shall
we ever dare to sin again? How shall we
ever become discouraged again? How
shall we ever feel lonely again? With
God for us and angels for US and proph-
cts and apostles for us and the great
souls of the ages for us and our glori-
fed kindred for us-shall we give up
the fight and die? No, Son of God, who
didst die to save US. No, ye angels,
whose wings are spread forth to shelter
u.s. No, We prophets and apostles, whose
warnings startle us! No, ye loved ones,
whose arms are outstretched to receive
us. No; we will never surrender!
My hearers, shall We die in the arena
or rise to join our friends in the gal
lery? Through Christ wa, may come off
more than conquerors. A Soldier dying
in the hospital rose up in bed the last
moment and cried. Here, herew His at
tendants put him back on his pillow and
asked him why he shouted "Herep' ooh,
| heard the roll call If heaven, and was
only answering to my namew l Won
der whether after this battle of this life
is over our names will be called in the
muster roll of the pardoned and glorife;
and, with the joy of heaven breaking up
on our souls, shall cry, Here, herew