The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-04

the 10 cetepTatc. Inc GEduu. 1
est churches are yet 10 be built The !
mightiest anthems are yet 10 be hoist
ed. The greatest victories are yet to
be gained. The most beautiful Ma
donnas are yet to be painted The
most triumphant professions are yet TO
march oh. what a world this will be
when IL rota'es in its orbit a redeemed
planet, girdled with spontaneous bar
vests and enriched by orchards whose
fruits are speckless and redundant. and
the last pain will have been banished
and the last tea wept and the last
groan uttered. and there shall be moth |
ing to hurt or destroy in all Gods holy
mountain All that and more will come
to pass. for the mouth OF the Lord
hath spoken it."
So far l have mentioned nine of the
ten strings Of the instrument OF graft
tude. | now come to the tenth and the
last. / mention il last that it may be
the more memorable-hea venly antici-
patton. By the grace Of God we are
going to o into a place so much
better than this hat on arriving we
will wonder that we were for so many
sShi 81 iOaNh u luC 03S
After we have seen Christ face to face
and rejoiced over our departed kindred
there are some mighty spirits we will
want to meet soon after we pass
through the gates. We want to see and
will see David, a mightier king in
heaven than he ever was on earth. and
we will talk with him about psalmody
and get from him exactly what he
meant when he talked about the instru-
ment Of ten strings. We will confront
Moses, who will tell Of the law giving
on rocking Sinai and Of his mysterious
burial, with no one but God present
We will see Joshua. and he will tell us
Of the coming down of the walls of
Jericho at the blast Of the rams horn
and explain to US that m~iracle-how
the sun and moon could stand still
without demolition of the planetary
system. We will see Ruth and have
her tell Of the harvest field of Boaz. in
which she CLEANED for afflicted Naomi.
We will see Vashti and heal from her
own lips the story Of her Punishment
from the Persian palace by Infamous
Ahasuerus.
Delights Of the Future.
We will see and talk with Daniel.
and he will tell us how he saw Bel
shaZzar's banqueting hall turned into Il
slaughter house and how the ions
greeted him with loving fawn instead
of stroke of cruel paw. We will see
and talk with Solomon. whose palaces
are gone. but whose inspired epigrams
stand out stronger and stronger as the
centuries pass. We will see Paul and
hear from him how Felix trembled be
fore him and the audience of skeptics
on Mars hill were COMPOUNDED by his
sermon on the brotherhood Of man,
what he saw at Ephesus and Syracus-
and Philippi and Rome and how darA.
was the Mamertine dungeon and how
sharp the ak that beheaded him on the
road to Ostia. Yea, we will see all the
martyrs, the victims Of ak Inc sword
and fire and billow. What a thrill of
excitement for US when we gaze upon
the heroes and heroines who gave their
lives for the truth. We will see the
gospel proclaimers Chrysostom and
Bourdaloue and Whitefield and the
Wesleys and John Knox. We will see
the great Christian poets Milton and
Dante and Watts and Mrs. Hemans
and Frances Havergal. Yea, all the
departed Christian men and women of
whatever age or nation.
But there will be n focus toward
which all eyes will be directed. His
infancy having slept on pillow Of
straw; all the hates Of the Herodic
government planning for his assassi-
nation; in after time whipped as
though he were a criminal; asleep on
| the cold mountains because no one Of
fered him a lodging; though the great
I est being who ever touched our earth.
derisively called this fellow" his last
hours writing on spikes Of infinite
torture; his lacerated form put in sep
ulcher. then terminated and assembled
| to be the center of all heavenly admi-
ration-upon that greatest martyr and
mightiest hero Of all the centuries we
will be permitted to look. Put that
among your heavenly anticipations
Now take down your harp Of ten
strings and sweep all the chords, max
ing all Of them tremble with a great
gladness. I have mentioned just ten
delightsome food, eyesight. hearing. !
healthful sleep. power Of physical To-
comotion. illumined nights. mental fac
ulties in equipoise, friendships of life.
gospel advantages and heavenly antici.
p%ations. Let US make less complaint
and offer more thanks, render less
dirge and more cantata. Take paper
and pen and write down in long col
umns your blessings. l have recited
only ten. To express all the mercies
God has bestowed you would have to
use at least three. and / think five. nu-
merals. for surely they would run up
into the hundreds and the thousands.
"Oh, give thanks unto the Lord. for he
is good, for his mercy endureth forev
err" Get into the habit Of rehearsal Of
the ~brightnesses of life.
Notice how many more fair days