The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-04-06

uthionS WIN idDOitu uuiu youi uc-
struction and who will gloat over your
ruin and finally neverending pains in.
flicted by the omnipotent hand of an an
cry God.
But this is melancholy thought God
has other motives than fear to deter us
from sin and to inspire us with the reso'
luton to persevere in His grace. And 1T
is a pleasure to turn from the thought of
punishment to that OF reward.
The first effect of a good life that can.
not fail to impress you strongly is the
cheerfulness and JOY oorn ce the testimony
of a good conscience. Instead of the de.
pressing and overpowering sense OF guilt
produced by sin, you now experience
light heartedness and buoyancy which
tells you plainly that a terrible weight
has been lifted from your soul. The dom.
inant note of your life now is peace, that
peace which surpasseth all understand.
ing" the peace that enables you to look
the world in the face unconscious OF pub
lie offense or secret dehlement. You were
strangers to this neace while you were
aware that you were not in the friendship
Of God. Now that it is yours you will
guard it against all attacks and never
,gain forfeit it by sin. You will not allow
yourselves to be blinded by the seductive
and heetng pleasures of the moment. You
will be brave and loyal and steadfast in
temptation and remain true to your God
and grateful for His mercies. EvermorG
you will keep before your minds the prom.
ise of our Lord: "Be faithful until death
and will give thee the crown of life
And when, at lat. the struggle is about
to close and this dreary world is fading
from your sight, with the smile of God
,weetly beckoning you on, you will be able
to lay down your weary heads in peace
md resignation. You will take courage
from the declaration of Christ: ''He that
perseveres unto the. end, he shall DO
saved" Death will have no terrors fol
you because you will be able to regard it
as the gate through which all must pass
TO enter upon the rewards Cf eternal life
The inspired words of Holy Scripture:
Blessed are the dead who die in thu
Lord" will find their fulflment in yout
.ase, for you will go cheerfully with tho
zeal of faith to the sweet repose Of ever.
asting peace.
Whittier? To God and His heaven Let
as consider our reward. Let us try to
pierce the skies and catch glimpse of the
Joys awaiting us. Our mental vision
.anges over the myriads g angels nd arcn.
angels, patriarchs and prophets. ;postle4
md martyrs, confessors and virgins, who
bask in the sunshine of the presence OF
God. Our souls are transported beyond
The bounds of the material Dody when wa
think that we, too. are called to join in
The praise of God. with the nine choirs OF
angels. Our hearts expand with Joy when
We behold those now rejoicing who, like
As, have battled with ,..e enemies of theii
salvation. They have fought the good
light, they have finished their course. they
have kept the faith. Now they are enjoy,
ing the crown of justice which God, the
iust judge, has awarded them for Their
idelity. They are placed beyond the
each OF tribuation, for in heaven God
'hall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and death shall be no more, nor mourn
N,sr .lnn Ln
more, for these things have passed away"
How clearly does their happy state ex
,mplify the apostles words: The suffer-
lnuS or the present time ar" INV "tnv @,
being compared to the glory to com.
which shall be revealed to as"
And to think that the blessedness of tn,
saints is the destiny which God ha.
iocation to which God has called you
Listen to st. Paul: you are come" sayi
ne, "to the Mount of Zion, and to the city
Of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa,
Iem, and the many thousands OF angels
and the church of the first born who are
written in heaven, and God the Judge OF
All, and Jesus the Mediator of the New
Testament" Has earth any joys compared
to these? Is there anything under God
which can justify us in forfeiting this i'm
mortal happiness? Where shall we find
more loving father than God, sweetei
friend than Christ, kinder mother thar
Mary, nobler brothers and sisters than tn,
tpostles, martyrs ana virgins already re-
joicing before the throne of God? Oh
what humiliation 1T must cause us to fee
ourselves SO sin stained and unworthy
and yet to know that we are called to as
sociate with such purity and splendor
Who are we that we should aspire to the
companionship OF the blessed? What have
we done that with them we should gaz,
forever on the blssful vision of God, that
we should intone the canticles of adora
tion with the quring seraphm, that we
should kneel as children at the feet o.
the Immaculate Mary, that we should con
sort with such saints as Peter and Paul
that we should proclaim the glory of tht
Lamb of God with John the Baptist, thai
we should sing His praises with Holy
David, that we should repose in peace ane
rest with the victorious martyrs, that We
should attend i'll the train of Christ with
spotless virgins, that we should behold this
bright radiance of eternal truth and beau,
ty with st. Augustine and st. Thomas,
All this and unspeakably more is the 10;
of those who are numbered among tn,
saints. And yet it is to this that Coz
invites us, calls us and entreats US.
Let us listen to His voice and let oui
thoughts and affections dwell in heaven
and let us serve God as the saints served
Him. Strive heroically, consistently anc
faithfully the means of perseverance point
ed out to you in the holy tribunal OF pen,
ance. Keep in sight the crown of glory
laid up for you. And although your name,
may not be registered among the canon
zed, nevertheless recurrence of thi,
happy day will find you reigning in bliss
The storm will be past, the haven reached,
The inheritance secured Happiness un'
speakable for ''eye hath not seen, nor eai
heard, neither hath it entered into the
heart of man, what things God hath pre-
pared for those who love Him" NAV yor
and l and all who love God one day be
numbered among those who stand befor,
the throne when God shall wipe away al
tears from our eyes, and death shall be nc
more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sor
row. shall be any more. for those thing,
shall have passed away"
The Important Thing.