Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-04-12
cauaT5oats that made James a. Garfield

ing others or blasting others, the hall nour
before you so to business and the hai-
hour after you return from buslness-thHt
makes the difference between the scholar
and the ignoramuS between the CHRISTIAN
and the intidel. between the saint and the
demon. between triumph and catastrophe,
between heaven and hell.
The most tremendous things OF your
life and mine were certain hall hours. The
half hour when IN the parsonage OF
Christian then and there. the half hour
when | decided to become a preacher of
the gospel, the half hour when l first re-
allied that my son was dead. the hall hour
when 1 stood on the top or my mouse IN
Oxford street and saw our church burn.
the half hour in which | entered Jerusa-
lem, the half how ~ winch | stopned on
Mount Calvary. the half hour in which
stood on Mars Hill and about ten or
fifteen other half hours are the chief times
OF my life.
You may forget the name OF the exact
years or most of the important events OF
your existence, but those half hours, like
the half hour of my text, will be immor-
tai. l do not query what you Will do with
the twentieth century, l do not query
what you will do with this year, but what
will you do with the next half hour?
Upon that hinges your destiny, and dur.
ing that some of you will receive the gospel
aud make complete surrender. and during
that others OF you will make final and IA
tal rejection of the full and free and urgent
and imprisoned offer OF life eternal.
Oh. that the next half hour might be
the most glorious thirty minutes OF your
earthly existence,
Then there are those whose hearing is
so delicate that they get no satisfaction
when you describe the crash of the eter-
nal orchestra. and they feel like saying. AZ
a good woman in Hudson. \. Y. said az
ter hearing me speak OF the mighty chorus
of heaven. That must he great heaven,
but what will become OF my poor head?'..
Yes. this half hour Of my text IS a still
experience. There was silence IN heaven
for hall an hour"
You will find the inhabitants all at
home. Enter the Kings palace and take
only 4 glimpse, Tor we have only thirty
minutes for all heaven lis that Jesus:'
Yes" just under the hair along His
forehead Is the mark of a wound made by
a bunch of twisted brambles and His foot
on the throne has on the round OF His
instep another mark of wound made by
spike, and a scar on the palm OF the
right hand and scar on the palm OF the
lett hand. But what a countenance.
What u smile What grandeur. What
u lovelinessi What an overwhelming look
OF kindness and grace, Why, He looks as
ii He had redeemed a world, But come
on, for our time is short. Do YOU see that
row. Do you see that long reach OF archi-
tectural glories; That is Martyr row. DO
you see that immense structureg That il
the biggest house in heaven; that is the
house OF many mansions" Do you see
that wall? Shade your eyes against its
burning splendor, for that il the wall of
heaven, jasper at the bottom and amethyst
at the top. See this river rolling through
the heart of the great metropolis? That is
the river concerning which those who once
lived on the banks of the Hudson or the
Alabama or the Rhine or the Shannon
say. I'VE never saw the like of this for
clarity and sheen" That is the chief river
OF heaven--so bright. so wide. SO deep.
But you ask, Where are the asylums for
the old?" l answer. The inhabitants are
all young" Where are the hospitals for
the lame:' They are all agile. Where
are the infirmaries for the blind and
deaf:' They all see and hear" Where
are the almshouses for the poor" They
are all multimillionaires Where are
the inebriate asylums:" Why. there are
no saloons" Where are the graveyards?"
Why, they never die"
''Oh, let me go in and see them" you
say. No. you cannot go in. There are
those who would never consent to let you
come out again. You say, Let me stay
here in this place where they never sin,
where they never suffer, where they never
part" No, no. Our time is short, our
We must get back to earth before this
half hour OF heavenly silence breaks up,
for in your mortal state YOU canno. en-
dure the pomp and splendor and resonance
when this half hour of silence il ended
The day Will come when you can see heav.
en- IN tull blast, but not now. | am now
only showing You heaven at the dullest
half hour OF all eternities. Come on,
There Is something in the celestial APP
pearance which makes me think that the
half hour OF silence will soon be over
Yonder are the white horses being hitched
TO chariots and yonder are seraphs finger
ing harps as if abous to strike them into
symphony, and yonder are conquerors
taking down from the blue halls OF heav-
en- the trumpets of victory. Remember
we are mortal yet and cannot endure the
full roll OF heavenly harmonies and can.
not endure even the silent heaven for more
than halt an hour.
Hark. The clock in the tower of hea-ca
begins to strike and the half hour is end
ed: Descend. Come back. Come down
till your work is done. Shoulder little
longer. your burdens Fight 4 little longer
your battles. Weep a little longer Your
griefs. And then take heaven not in its
dullest hall hour, but in its mightiest
pomp, and, instead of taking it for thirty
minutes, take it world without end
But how will you spend the first half
hour of your heavenly citizenship after
YOU nave gone III TO stay After YOUR
prostration before the throne in worship
OF Him who made 1t possible for you to
get there at all ] think the rest OF your
first half hour in heaven will be passed in
receiving your reward If you have been
faithful. l have 4 strangely beautiful book
containing the pictures of the medals
struck by the English Government in
honor of great battles. These medals are
pinned over the heart of the returned he
roes of the army on great occasions, tine
royal family present and the royal bands
playing-the Crimean medal. the medal
OF the mutiny. the Victoria cross, the
Waterloo medal. In your first half hour
IN heaven IN some way You will be honored
tor the earthly struggles in which you won
the. day. Stand up before all the royal
house OF heaven and receive the insignia
while YOU are announced as victor over
the drafts and freshets of the farm field.
victor over the temptations OF the Stock
Exchange. victor over professional allure
ments, victor over domestic infelicities,
victor over mechanics shop, victor over
the storehouse. victor over home worr;.
ments. victor over physical diStresses. vic.
over sin and death and hell. Take the
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Take it
angelic and divine; while all heaven
great .tribulation and had their robes
washed and made white in the blood of
the Lamb"
copyright. 1909. l. Kiopschl