The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-09-20

Sightseeing nad crawlcu into Dec
thoroughly tired ont and almost In
stantly had fallen into one OF those
dee. sleeps which come 10 health,
boys and girls after long days
tramp. Suddenly awoke IN the early
hours OF the morning Like Paul In
his vision, | knew not az first whether
| was IN the flesh or out Of the flesh
From everywhere and yet from no
where there seemed 90 roll into my
room great tidal waves of harmony
The volume was 40 great and yet the
time so perfect that the voices sound
ed like the chorus OF many waters.
Louder and louder swelled the song
| lcaped out Of bed 10 see what was
the mnttcr. Then | heard the tramp.
tramp. tramp OF "A long line OF soldier
marching As these soldiers marched
they sang with their deep. powerful
Tcutonic voices. As they sang they
kept step 70 the music So I'm Iavid's
Journey Of life the laws of God were
the songs by which he kept step after
he had left the old homestead
In the first place. there was that
overwhelming bugle call by which Da
vid was set aside when yet mere lad
as the future king Of Israel Oh. could
David ever cease 10 praise the law Of
God for thnt tremendous day in his
history when Samuel came into the
home Of his father Jesse and poured
the amounting oil upon his headf POI
days and weeks and months DO You
not believe he pondered over his com
ing glory3 When he was nm aged
king. with his hair white IA the al
mond tree In blossom, do you not Doe.
lieve he still gloried In the fact that
God had set him aside M one To ill
a throne? And yet has there no.
amounting come 10 u.s. Has not each
one Of MS been set apart 10 do some
special work which cannot be- done bf
any one else? We have not been called
10 nll a throne, but we have been cnil
ed. as David was. 20 serve our genera
ton and 10 testify 10 others That II Is
good 10 obey the statutes Of God.
But there is one word in reference
10 lay text TO which want 10 draw
your attention. II Is the last word
Thy statutes have been my SONG in
the house Of my pilgrimage. Now
what il the pilgrimage on yon
answer, "a pilgrimage Is n journey IL
is long tramp, II is a long. weari-
some. tiresOme trip" Is that your
definition Of pilgrimagef Then, my
friend. it is a wrong definition. for you
have only told me half the truth 'Iis
true a pilgrimage H. journey. But 30 !
is distinctively Journey 60 shrine |
Now what was the sacred place 10 |
ward which the pilgrimage of David |
was headingY Why. there is only one |
rational answer: IL is the sacred place |
OF heaven. II was toward the sacred |
place where Christ and all Dsvid's |
dear ones were TO greet him. 1t was
not pilgrimage which began at the
cradle and ended nc the grave, but IL /
was pilgrimage which began at the
cradle and ended nj the great white
throne Of God. Oh, was it not a glori.
Gus destiny toward which the ancient
psalmist was heading? II WIS 10 cn
ter the presence Of the God whose stat
utes had become songs 10 him. That is
the man who will enjoy heaven Not
the man 70 whom the laws ~ God are
and painful hut he whose
delight il Is 10 obey and serve God
10 him. even in this world, there come
echoes Of the songs of heaven. His
,ars acquire miraculous power Why
as hc listens ne can hear all the re-
deemed Of heaven singing their songs
# triumph Yes, the statutes Of the
aw have been his song so long that
~ can catch the songs OF the heavenly
ands.