The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1905-02-16

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his heart was filed with ! multitude Of
emotions
"Ah, that Gods voice might speak
again." he cried, "and make His peo-
pie remember Him"
Was 1t the cry which through the
gathering gloom reached Enoch's ear,
or was it the voice Of his own heart?
ALI day his soul had been singularly
stirred with the thoughts of God and
the needs of His people. And now
there had seemed to come voice.
Instinctively he turned towards the
door, and father and son met on the
threshold.
What brings thee, my son, at this
late hour?" asked Enoch, as he well
coined him with hearty embrace.
"A sad errand, father" responded
Methuselah. after painful silence.
"Adina. drawn by the enticements OF
Nod, has fled thither, and not only is
my heart heavy over her going. but
also because on every hand there is a
forgetting of God and indifference to
His claims Lamech has gone in eff
fort to overtake her and persuade her
to return, and have fastened to you
that you might counsel as to the right
course to pursue in again turning the
people to God"
Late into the night the men sat and
talked earnestly. Enoch went over
step by step the leadings and deal
ings of God with His children from
Adam to the present time, and as they
separated for the night, he said with
rare sweetness and abiding confidence:
God liveth in the Heavens, and will
not leave His people without certain
testimony of His nearness and His
power"
: Long did Methuselah lie bordering
these words and then fell into a f1tful
slumber in which he seemed to see
whole troops Of angels passing to and
fro while glorious light shed by their
iridescent robes filled all the place.
Then strains of sweet music, the like
of which he had never heard before,
floated down, and as it ceased voices
were heard in gentle converse The
rhythm of the sound seemed to lull him
into deeper repose. and the~voices and
the light gradually faded and were
gone, when suddenly the Heavens
seemed to open and great shaft of
light shot down to earth. while a voice
said:
''Come, thou shalt walk with Me
in Heaven"
The scene was all SO real and vivid,
the voice so clear, the words so plain,
that Methuselah sat bolt upright with
q start and could not satisfy his own
mind whether he had been asleep and
dreaming or whether awake and had
seen a vision.
The eastern light was just breaking
over the earth. As though impelled BY
some unseen hand Methuselah moved
to the place where his father had
spread his mat.
1t was empty!
The garments Of skin were folded
and placed at one side, with the leath-
ern girdle resting on top. while at thf
head OF the couch stood the familiar
stan.
But Enoch was gone!
WHITTIER? Methuselah needed naughi
more than the vision of the night to
satisfy the query. Reverently he knelt
Long and silently he thus remained, and
as he rose he fervently exclaimed:
Surely, God hath spoken
The household was soon astir, ana
to Methuselah's strange story gave al |
most incredulous heed. Messengers
were quickly dispatched in every direc-
ton bearing the startling tidings.
The aged Seth listened to the story
with kindling eye ard then exclaimed:
God is near! Heaven is but step! |
Now will the people awake to the reali-
ty OF God and realize that this life does |
not end ALL"
But, as in the later days when Elijah |
rode into Heaven in Gods flaming |
chariot. the unbelieving prophets sought
Tor him and found him not; so when
Enoch was translated the people would
not receive Methuselah's testimony un-
N they had searched the country over
'or tidings or trace of the missing man.
And they found him not, for God had
AIKEN him. Even into the land of Nod
hey extended the search, some saying
hat he had gone thither in quest OF his
missing granddaughter. Adina. not
Enowing that Lamech had won the fail,
girl from her evil purpose and had
brought her back home And there the
Happy father found her next day as he
'eturned home. A new fire burned with
n his heart, new purpose ruled his
life, and firmer faith reached nm
'owards God. The translation of Enoch
lad begun mighty mission, and STAYED
he progress Of evil for a time among
he people called by the name Of the
ord. And thus does the Lord patient.
, and faithfully deal with His peonle
md exhaust all effort to bring them
ack to Him.
How to Save Yourself.
In working to save others We iio ths
most good to ourselves. An English Il
nan who was going to drown himself Il
ound two sovereigns In his pocket
nd, thinking Il was \ nifv IN ,r.vs. "a