Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-15

sent we can only surmise. 1t may
stand for the rewards and refresh
ments In general which come to the
Christian on his pilgrimage, or 1t may
represent the rest and fellowship Of
the Church, wherein the disciple holds
fellowship with kindred spirits, Is
recuperated for continuance Of his
journey and is equipped to combat the
foes that await him. All that the
Palace Beautiful was to Christian the
church may be to the servant Of the
Lord.
Not in some celestial realm, but
along the great highway stood the
Palace. Beautiful. The thought sug
gests Sam Walter Foss' familiar
lines:
LET me live In house by the side
Of the road,
Where the race Of men go by
The men that are good and the men
that are bad.
AS good and as bad as l.
l would not sit in the scorner's seat,
Nor hurl the cynic's ban.
Let me live in a house by the side
of the road,
And be a friend to man"
Although he arrived late at the gate,
Pilgrim was admitted to the Palace
Beautiful. There is no hour of day or
night when a weary, distraught trav-
eler may not find entrance to the
sheltering, refreshing grace of God.
o = 4
The past is a teacher for the future.
1t is good to recall days that are
gone, as Pilgrim did In the Palace, for
they incite to gratitude and to fresh
endeavor.
Austere Puritan though old John
Bunyan was, and writing in mis- prison
cell, he yet perceived the gracious
ness of religion and it's delights. He
thickly strewed his pages with pit
falls, lions, enemies. snares and diff
fculties; yet he put in the. Palace
Beautiful by the wayside, and he ever
kept his eye upon the Celestial City
Christianity has its hardships, of
| course-what goal worth winning has
not ?4but it is also full Of JOY and
rewards. The life on the Way is an
Astounding overlooking life. 1t has
more Of delight to offer than any other
manner of existence.
=
There is fellowship among Chris
tians. who have life's deepest treas
ures in common which cannot be
! found in any of the lodges or SOC
| ieties or brotherhoods which spell
| fraternity in large letters. The fact
OF common Lord makes disciples
one. When Pilgrim was admitted to
the Palace Beautiful, he held familiar
conversation with the maidens Discre-
ton, Prudence, Piety and Charity con-
corning his experiences and the
things which they had in common. All
their talk was Of the Lord of the
Hill They found no theme so sweet
as Him who made pilgrims princes,
and who had erected this palace for
their delight.
A feast of fat things was spread for
the tired and hungry traveller by the
| household of the palace. No anchorites
cell is the house Of God. "He hath
prepared a table" may be written OF
the Lord by all who partake OF his
4 favor. And for those who banquet
i at the Kings table there are no gray
and bitter mornings Of remorse on
the day after.
! One reward OF the pilgram Way is
the company one meets en- route.
In the Palace Beautiful Pilgrim SLEPT
! in the Chamber of Peace, with its win
dows open toward the sunrising. Wher
he awoke. 1t was with song on his
lips. There is no gainsaying the
truth that the godly man sleeps mos
sweetly, and looks out on life with {
peace and simple ioyousness which
cannot be learned in the paths o
sin.
Even in the Palace Beautiful it mus
be remembered that life's norma
sphere is out in the hurly-hurly. 81
it was there that Christian was arm
ed, from head to foot, for the con
fiicts that awaited him. The church
is more than a. restholse; it is al
armory. where the soldier of Christ II
equipped to do battle with the world
the flesh and the devil.
Barren indeed is the life which ha
no points of vision. From the Palac'
Beautiful Pilgrim caught glimpses o
the Detachable Mountains in the dis
lance. This inspiring outlook shoul
be the daily pursuit of everybody
Sometimes 1t is book, a poem,
song, a sermon, prayer, touch
oit.of-d oors-whatever the coign of &C
vantage. by no means miss giving tn
soul its daily view Of the distant an
desirable delights.
After the Palace Beautiful come
the Valley of Humiliation. But tn
pilgrim is prepared for the latter b
the former: so that 1t Is better to SAY
Before the Valley Of Humiliatio
comes the Palace Beautiful.
4 Fairfield Wants More Sewers.
Fairfield J1ily lathe city OF fall