The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1909-05-14
come. ne shall suffer as thun hast

receive the tl1ng tldL / say. ttN this
is the life whereof Moses spaks uutc
the people. while he lived, saying:
Choose thee life, that thou nnayest
live Nevertheless they believed not
Moses, nor yet the prophets after him,
nor me which have spoken unto them,
that there should not be such heavi
ness in their destruction, as shall be
joy over them that are persuaded to
salvation
81 know, Lord, that the Most High
is called mnrciful, in that he hath
mercy upon Them which are not yet
come into the world, and upon those
also that turn tn his law; and that he
is bountiful, for he Is ready to give
where it is needed; and hat he is OF
| great mercy, for he m%ultiplieth more
and more mercies to them that are
present, and that r past, and also
to them which are to come. For If he
shall not multiply his mercies, the
world would not continue with them
that inherit therein. And he pardon.
eth; for if he~did not so of his good
ness, that they which have committed
iniQuitieS might be eased of them, the
ten thousandth part of men should not
remain living. And being Judge, il
he should not forgive them that are
cured with his word, and put out the
multitude of contentious. there should
be very few left peradventure in an in
Vulnerable multitude" answered
Esdras, a sigh escaping him as he con-
templated the wonder and the mystery
or it all.
yes" exclaimed the angel, come
with me I will show you"
Esdras arose at the bidding and fol-
lowed the angel on and on and OF
until it seemed as though they had
left the earth and were looking back
upon it as it lay beneath them. Then
spake the angel, as he pointed before
them:
'The sea is set in a wide place, that
it might be deep and great. But note
the entrance that it is narrow, like a
river. Who, then, could go into the
sea to look upon it and to rule it, If
he went not through the narrow en-
t%rance?"
Look, Also" continued the angel,
after a pause, and pointing in another
direction, for a city is builded, and
set upon a broad field, and is full of
all good things. The entrance thereof
is narrow, and is set in a dangerous
place to fall, like as if there were fire
on the right hand, and on the left a
deep water. And one only path be-
tween them both, even between the
fire and the water, so small that there
could but n man go there at once"
With b%reathIess interest Esdras
watched the scene before him, while
the angel talked, and the angel con-
tinued:
IF this city now were given to a
man for an inheritance, If he never
shall pass the danger set before it,
how shall he receive this inheri-
tance?"
Surely, 1t is so, Lord" responded
Esdras, as the angel ceased speaking.
yea, and even SO is Israel's por-
Because for their sakes I made
the world. And when Adam trans
crossed my statute, then was decreed
that which now is done. Then were
the entrances to the world made mar
row, full of sorrow and travail. They
are but few and evil, full of perils and
painful. For the entrances of the
elder world were wide and sure, and
brought immortal fruit. If then they
that live labor not to enter this
straight way, they can never receive
those things which are laid up for
ESdras, who had followed the words
of the angel without taking his eyes
off the scene before him. now turned
and was about to speak, when the
angel continued, almost reproachfully:
Nov, therefore, Esdras, why dis
qufetest thou thyself, seeing thou art
but a ~corruptible man? And why art
thou moved concerning these myster-
les, seeing thou art but a mortal man.?
Why hast thou not considered in thy
mind this thing that is come, rather
than that which is PRESENT."
", Lulu, cACldIllSu ESQTdS, lllJl1S
eyes now and speaking as though
the God whose angel was
before him, thou who dearest rule,
thou hast ordained in thy law that the
righteous should inherit these things, |
and that the ungodly should perish.
Nevertheless, it does seem that the
righteous shall suffer and be straight
ened and yet hope for the wide. They |
have lone wickedly have suffered
the straight things and yet shall not
see the wide"
Listen" interrupted the angel, "for
[ must now leave thee. Remember,
there is no judge above God, and
none that hath understanding above
the Highest. For this reason there be
many that perish because they de-
spise the Lord and his law"