The Washington herald., 1909-11-13
When Religion Means Joy.

Terse comments upon the Christian EndeaPor TOPIC
!or November Il. Pilgrims Progress Series H.
Belah Land" Isa-. XII IS
Some persons seem TO live on the very
borderland OF heaven. The perplexities
and struggles Of other Charistians seem
not to disturb them. Their religion is
altogether peace and JOY. The very light
of the celestial city shines from their
faces. These are the happy ones whose
Efe Bunyan pictures IN HIS allegory as
dwelling IN Beulah Land. There is a
point in the experience of many Chris
tians where the sweet serenity OF faith
seems normal The worst OF the dangers
and trials Of the pilgrim way passed,
they experience the corn and wine Of
this promised land.
After warfare. peace; after doubt. faith;
after trial. rest. God does not save all
His good things for heaven.
The nearer pilgrims draw 10 their heav-
emily goal the fairer It appears. The old
prophecy is that at eventide It shall
be light" Heaven seems 70 reflect its
radiance upon the lives Of all who have
JUL uegt0 LAltllAcAt III ClANU VI NehbAr lANc-
cision, opposition. and fears.
Bunyan's own words concerning Beulah
Land are worth quoting: NOW saw in
my dreams that by this time the pilgrims
were got over the Enchanted Ground, and
entering into tho country Of Beuleh,
whose air was very sweet and pleasant,
tho way lying directly through It. they
solaced themselves for a season. Yea,
here they heard continually the singing
Of birds. and saw every day the flowers
appear IN the earth, and heard the voice
Of the turtle in the land In this country
the Sun shineth night and day; wherefore
this was beyond the valley OF the Shadow
OF Death. and also out Of the reach Of the
Giant Despair; neither could they from
this place so much as sec Doubling Cas-
tie. Here they were within sight Of the
city they were going to; also here met
them some OF the inhabitants thereof;
for in this land the shining ones common
~ walked because IL was upon tho Dor
Cers OF heaven In this land also the con-
tract between tho bride and the bride
groom was renewed. Here they had no
want Of corn and wine; for I'm this place
they met abundance Of what they had
sought for IN all their pilgrimage"
The springs Of Joy are in God. and the
nearer the heart gets 70 Him the more
Joy It knows.
Beulah Land IS not a geographical iooa-
ton. but a spiritual experience.
Every hardship triumphanty endured
sweetens the succeeding bliss. Port seems
safest to the sailors who have come
through the hardest storms.
over and over It needs to be said that
Christianity IS a religion of fcasting as
well as Of fasting. The good times are
not all IN the DEVILS pastures; the best
times are not there at all. There IS more
solid pleasure IN the Christian life than
in any other walk. The pilgrim Toasted
I'm Beulah Land. and the provision for
this had been expressly made by the king
Of the country. The person who is not
getting happiness out Of his faith Is not
getting from It all that God puts into il.
The disciple Of Jesus who goes through
the world with a sour visage ISLANDERS his
Lord.
Or. Henry Van Dyke tells the story OF
once finding n guide at the top Of a noun
tain at sunset. evidently enrapt in spirit
ual contemplation. Some remark was
made about his presence there, and the
unIettered woodsman replied that he
liked to 20 up occasionally. because It
sort Of gives me a feeling Of heaven-up-
histedness" The expressive cOlloQuial
ism reveals the depths OF human spirit
and It's heights. Man needs TO feel the
touch OF the big and the beautiful and
the divine upon his Life The principle Of
times OF special exaltation is sound.
Every life requires It's Beulah Lands.
There are plenty OF valleys OF humilia-
ton. It is a tonic 70 get where the dove
Of peace sings IN the heart and tho fow-
ers OF JOY blossom about ones feet
There IS more beyond Beulah Land. II
IS only one transporting experience on
the way 70 the celestial city. Gods bests
are always beyond. eye hath not seen
nor ear heard; neither hath entered into
the heart OF man. the things which God
hatb prepared for them that love Him"
Whoever has walked through tho dark
by lantern knows that the light shines
only q short distance before ones feet
But there is always light ahead. Dark
ness disappears as the pedestrian pro-
crosses. In the Christians spiritual Jour
ney tho light "shineth more and more.
Buryan's Pilgrim found that his way
grew brighter as he advanced. Perfect
day awaited in the city that hath no need
Of the sun.
The newspapers reported q few days
ago that fifty exiles on the leper island
OF 1Tolol1ai have been pronounced free
from faint What a thrilling, deurious
moment It must have been for these out
casts. who had thought themselves
doomed to this living death OF leprosy. A
sentence in the dispatch added that 9TH
ers Of the 500 occupants OF the island are
agitated by the hope that some OF them
may also be pronounced untainted. and
therefore free. Such was Pilgrims 10y
when no reached Beulah Land He was
literally overcome Sy the happiness Ct
the great love that had spared him and
delivered him and brought him in sight
Of the promised land. To know ones self
free from sims power and encircled by
TIE guiding and protecting love Of the
King OF glory is bliss W TO the limit Of
mortar capacity.
SEVEN SENTENCE SERMONS.