Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-02-04
BRIGHT SIDE or DEATH.


body of their friend With tears and
weeping to the graye- The sadness
Qf the occasion is increased as you
look up a. that gloomy picture; but
when you have passed under the arch,
If you look back, you will see a pic
ture as bright as the other was gloomy
it is resurrection scene. The loved
ones are there to receive from the
grave the one who has died, and thus
we have the gloomy side and the
bright side of death. In the externals
of dissolution and decay it is gloomy.
face and gaze at the same time on the
promises of God there is brightness
about death.
i, for one, dc not desire death.
would rather be here when the Lord
comes back in glory; l would rather
be among those caught up to meet
Him in the air. l am, therefore, not
looking for death. 1t is Gerry probable
shall die, but If death comes it will
find me not looking for it. l will be
looking up in the sky for the return OF
the Lord. If death comes l viii take
it as a dose, and u dose is usually good
Tor you.
When l was over in England, went
down to Liverpool and bought ticket,
paying $50 for it. knowing that /
would be seasick six solid days, and
l paid $50 for the privilege. | took
that ocean voyage as a dose, because
| knew that on this side there were
wife and children and church and the
best country in Gods world. | vas
willing to be seasick for six days just
to get back, and if death comes in
Gods providence, l am willing 70 go
through it. though l am not attracted
to it, for what is beyond. / know so
many over there who are waiting to
greet me that | think l should be glad
to go In the meantime, l am looking
for the appearing of the Lord of life.
l don't like to live with people who
are looking for death; they are the
most disagreeable people on earth. II
they are always wishing to die, think
would die 1t is the most morbid con-
dition in the world. The blessed hope
of the return of Jesus never makes
man morbid, but happy; there is a
wide difference between looking for
the coming of the King and looking
down for hole to fall into. You may
fall into the hole while you are look
ing up, as DR.. Gordon did, but you
lave good time while you live.
Notice three things in these words:
First, Paul is comforted hat his life
work is finished: second. that it is well
finished, and third, that his finished
and well finished life will end in the
beginning of a larger life.
Il am now ready to be offered" AL
ready on the altar 1t viii not take me
by surprise; the work that God gave
me 10 do has been done. Horace Bush
nell's sermon. and l think the best
one he ever preached. Every Mans
Life a Plan of God" must have been
in substance before Paul. God has
planned His child's life, and though it
seems to be cut Off suddenly, neverthe-
less l believe that in Gods view it Is
complete. 1t is a bright side of death
to realize that you have done the work
that God gave you to do with the
faithfulness of an honest heart.
But better than that is the convic
ton that this finished work is well
finished. Il have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course, have kept
the faith Paul was a fighter. He
believed in conflict. Every Christian
ought to seek peace and pursue it, but
the next best thing to peace is fight
and a man ought not to seek peace at
compromise of truth, virtue or
righteousness. There is q kind of
peace that comes as a result of vic
tory There is another kind that
comes as result of surrender.
That is the worlds peace. Jesus
never gave the peace that Gen
eral Lee got ut Appomattox. the peace
that Napoleon got at Wafrloo-the
Christian can have the peace that
Grant got at Appomattox and yelling
ton got at Waterloo, and that is the
peace of victory. Through Jesus Christ
we have peace with God, but we can
have the peace of God as well, and
much of the peace of God is the result
of victory. ITO him that Overcometh,
''The peace Of God that passeth all
understanding shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus" You
don't have to keep the peace. When
you have to keep the peace, you have
not any worth keeping. Did you ever
know a family that had to keep the
peace: Keep the peace between the
husband and Wife and between the
children? If they have to keep the
peace, there is no peace there, and
when nation has to keep the peace
by marshaling out its army. there is
no peace to keep. 1t is when peace
keeps the family that things are in a
happy condition.
ITO be absent from the body is to
be present with the Lord" Not sleep
ing in the grave Some dear brethren
seem 20 get comfort from that most
awfully gloomy doctrine that soul
will sleep in the grave eT0 depart
and be with Christ. which is far bet
ter" Stephen said when he was be
ing martyred lord. receive my spir-
II, and he fell asleep. His body fell
asleep. Death to the Christian is the
waking up Of the soul rather than
sleeping. You greatly puzzle me when
you tell me about soul sleeping In