The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-10-25


once replied: "yerlly / say unto thee,
today shalt thou be with me In Para
disc" These words of Christ are well
worthy our attention.
, The promised blessing was for to-
day" The thief thought of the king
dom, probably, as something afar or.
Jesus says, In effect, that he need not
wait so long, but that lie would enter
that very day into bliss.
"Thou shalt be with me-" SO says
the Lord. On the expression, with
me-" a noted Greek scholar says, mot
merely in my company, but sharing
with me. The promise implies con-
sciousness after DEATH" He had asked
only to be remembered, as IL afar or
from the King. OF course, even this
would mean for him resurrection aud
great blessing, but his spirit was very
different from that of the men who
wanted to sit at the Kings right hand
and left. How startled must the rob
Der have been when assured that that
very day he should be, not only remem-
bered, but with" the King In closest
fellowship
Moreover, the Lord tells him exact
ly where he shall enjoy this blessing,
viz, "in Paradise"
Bishop Moule on PARADISE"
We are moved at this point to give
somewhat extended quotation from
Bishop Moule of the Church of Eng
land. He says: paradise is an ORR
entail word meaning royal pleasure
ground, royal park or garden. 1t calls
up ideas accordingly Of all that Is rich
and fair in the way Of cultured nature.
II suggests to us the lovellness Of
woods, and lawn and flowers, and wa
ters and also of the company which
possesses and enjoys the charming
scene, the friends, the guests, the fam
lily of the king. They are there for
delightful rest, or for delightful exer-
else. They have come from the battle
field, or the council, or the journey to
walk, to recline, to converse to listen,
where all is beautiful with large,
ordered, stately beauty. And all this
IS taken up by the Lord Jesus, in his
use of the word Paradise, to set forth
one side Of the believers unseen life
after death. After the manner In
which spirits enjoy and spirits see, the
departed Christian walks by sight (Cf.
ii Cor. SO, y, In scene of glorious
and restful beauty-in the garden OF
his King"
Into the Kings gardens the robber
would enter that very day. This would
mean, beside, that he would not be
forgotten when the King should come
I'm his Kingdom, but meanwhile the de-
lights of Paradise and, especially, of
fellowship with the King should be
hisl
Words Full Of Comfort.
How full of comfort are the words
of the text to all believers who, like
the thief, shall be saved by grace We,
too, enter into the Kings gardens, and
better still, the Kings presence, on
the very day Of our death. ITO de-
part is ito be with Christ" (Phil.
1:23). AS one has put 1t, only line,
not a space, seposates between us and
him. To be "absent from the body
Is to be "at home with the Lord" (ll
Cor. s IS II. w.
Moreover, Paul says that to be with
Christ Is far better (Phil. :23)
How conclusivcly this shows that he
did not expect TO enter upon state
of unconsciousness at death. For him
TO live was Christ, and he was happy
In the Lords service. How blessed
must be that life upon which he ex
pected to enter at DEATH when he could
speak of 1t as gain" and as "far bet
ter"
Then, notice again that expression
"at home with the Lord All th'
love, and comfort, and ease implied II
being "at home" will be fulfilled ant
even transcended in the Fathers house
We need not fear to trust ourselves Of
our departed to him.
We believe the location of Paradls,
has changed since the Old Testamen
times. The saints Of that day spoi,
of going down to Sheol, the under
world of the dead, Of which Paradls
was part. But Paul speaks Of beini
"caught up" to the third heaven, t.
Paradise II Cor. 1879, 4). 1t is likel
that when Christ ascended he emptie'
Sheol Of the saints there, the prison
srs of hope" Epheslans IS (margln
tells us that when he ascended up o.
high he led captive multitude of caI
tiyes. SO the saint today enters int
an even brighter Paradise on higl
than that which the thief inherited.
How we should comfort ourselve
with these words A minister tell
how he grieved for his dead child an
would not be comforted. He woul
visit the grave and thrust his walking
stick into the sandy soil until
touched the little casket, but his heal
grew more and more sad. One day
began saying to himself: "Wlth Chrl!
In Paradise" with Christ In Pari
disc" He soon came to see he coul
ask for nothing more blessed for b
darling. and so he found peace.
My knowledge OF that life is small.
The eye OF faith is dim;
But this know. that Christ knows a
Xud I 1hnll ho With Him