Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-02-17

living out In the woods This peace
did not come from your companions,
though there never were finer men to
trough It" with than those who were
your associates ut that time. But
somehow you did not care TO talk that
night. So you made up your bed OF
green boughs and covered them with
the soft leaves Then you spread your
blankets and lay down. You did not
lie down to sleep. You lay down to
rest and commune with God. Before
you the sun, which had long since set,
was throwing its light up over the
western hills ana dycing the evening
clouds In pigments of gold and in
some places making them look like
great burning cadrons and lakes OF
fire Then 1t began TO grow darker
and darker. You heard an owl boot
and II hycna call Then the stars be-
gan to come out one by one
At first you tried to count them.
You said. zone. two. three. four. five,
ten. twenty nifty" Then the heavens
were lighted up with myriads of lights,
and your eyes became confused. You
began to think OF the numbers of the
stars OH the other side of the world.
Here" you said, 1--WE have the Dip
per. There Is the Southern Cross we
never see" Then you thought Of the
cyciopean eye of the telescope looking
farther and farther into space. and ev-
erywhcre ii looked there We're stars
upon stars. thousands of them, myrlads
of them. Then you looked up and
cried out, 20 God. how many stars
are thcro?" And the answer seemed
to come to you: There are rs many
stars ms the leaves OF the trees In the
forests about thee. They are greater
than any man can number" oh"
you say. iii is impossible for any man
TO count the stars" Yes. my friend,
you are right: 1t Is impossible.
But here an overwhelming thought
comes rolling over me like tidal
wave. They who have turned many
to righteousness are great multitude.
Not only in our day. but in past years
and past centuries. men have been win
ming souls for Christ and we. II we
have been laboring for him, will live
and shine among that innumerable
throng We are not going TO be Ike
great fiashlight shining In the heav-
ems above. but our stars shall shine
with other stars. All the prophets and
the apostles will be there. All the
eyaugclists and the sweet singers or
Israel will he there. All the mighty
leaders for God In the past ages VIII
he there. No earthly hall of fame
would ever he large enough to hoiu
that vast asscmblagc of gospel heroes
md heroines. Cannot you feel the
snlritual electric thrill Of such an as
semblage as that?
You know that an audience or n great
collection Of people has Its peculiar en-
ttv as well rs single human being
dear friend OF mine some years ago
was attending in London a great inter
national gathering of the representa-
tives Of the Salvation Army. For hours
he stood in the gallery watching the
convention progress. AS meeting iol-
lowed meeting" said he. "a strange
spirit of conservation seemed to take
possession of that vast nsselhblnge'
You could almost see this spirit rs wei
ms feel H. You We're swept along by
the holy enthusiasm Of the delegates
whether YOU were n Salvation Army
man or not. So powerful became this
spirit that man standing near me
who was not a Christian said: There
must he something IN Christianity
There must he something supernatural
about H. These people are in dead
earnest. cannot get away from II.
Thus In heaven. when we get there,
we shall all feel the spiritual electric
thrill of being in close touch with hun
dreds upon hundreds and millions upon
millions of soul winners. When all
these vast multltudes of soul Winners
shall lift up their voices In praise they
will lift US up. oh, my friends, do you
not rejoice that In heaven you will
spend an eternity with those who have
glorincd God on earth? There You shall
be in touch with them In numbers. az
the stars which shine forever and ever
An Ideal Heaven.
But though | like today TO think or
the multitudes OF soul winners who
shall he enrolled among the inhabitants
Of heaven, cannot think Of an ideal
heaven simply as great mass Of i'm
mortal souls, jostling each other on the
boulevards of the New Jerusalem.
would not care for Il heaven wherein
every man and woman and child Is 10
lose his individuality ana cease to have
ailinities with other immortal souls.
oh. no. would not want II heaven like
that. | believe that In heaven we shall
meet multitudes of immortals who
have been soul winners on earth. but
also believe that those soul winners
shall keep their Municipalities and that
the same loves of earth which made
husband cling 10 wife and wife to hus-
band and parents To children aud chill
dren TO parents and friends To friends
will all be there. BY the stellar glory
OF the night think we may infer II.
For they that be- wise shall shine as
the brightness OF the armament, and