Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-14

derstand aught of it. Faith alone
speaks clearly upon the question OF
Immortality. Even since 1 penneo
the opening sentences of this para
graph the postman has brought me
a pertinent testimony of faith IN
future life, from the window OF q
noble Christian, suddenly stricken
1--WE must be glad for him, for he is
in the presence of the Master ne SO
dearly loved and served; and l am
looking forward to the eternity we
shall spend together"
Once the gates of glory swuns
outward, to let Moses and EiJah
return to earth for a momeh.oas mons. .oos
visit. The silence of terenlty was
broken. The departed came back
recognizable in their own person
ality-what tremendous imphca-
tions in that fact!-and conferred
with the living. Three kindreo
spirits, all ministers to mankind ana
sufferers for their loyalty to Co..
separated by centuries in their NOR
tai life, foregathered on the tower,
ing slope, of Mount Hermon anu
talked of the most important theme
in the history of eternity. Moses
and Elijah winged their swift way
from celestial realms to bring COM
fort and counsel to a Comrade VINO
was greater than they, in his hour
of soulstrain.
A Message From the Mountain
Travelling through northern syria
one has the impression OF pelns
dominated by Mount Hermon' WIN
its gIistening snow-peak, rising nine
thousand feet into the clouds. From
the Lake of Galilee, from NazareIh
from Damascus, from Tyre and ST.
don, from the uplands of the Oron-
tes Valley, one sees ever the ma.
jestic peak of Hermon, the highest
mountain of the Holy Land, the CEN
ter of countless legends, the deposi-
tory of the SHOWS with which in
summer the natives of the lowlands
cool their drinks, a source of the
Jordan, a theme of countless songs
and the scene of the transfigura-
ton of Jesus.
Somewhere on the heights of this
beautiful mountain the three great
est representatives of God upon
earth-Moses, Elijah and jesus
kept a rendezvous. All three had
been homeless, harried, hunted wan
derers. At uncounted cost they had
borne their testimony to God. All
were mountaineering men; the
name of Moses being forever asso-
ciated with Sinai, that of EliJah
with Carmel, and that of Jesus with
the Mount of Olives. 1t was con-
genial trysting place at which they
met.
Standing out above all other con-
siderations in this lesson is the mes
sage that heaven has comfort for
earth. God cares for mans sorrows.
There are resources in the eternal
s.N1, 1NV NY1NF FslI
may draw. Messengers from the
presence Of the Father above are
available for ministry to mourners
below. There are not two worlds,
unbridgeably separated but only one
great universe, in all of which God
Is king. In his sight there is neither
time nor space. The route from his
throne to mans place of prayer is
always open; Mt. Hermon is not far
from the gates of glory.
Down But Looking, Up.
The background of this Transfig-
uration story was the soul-spentness
of Jesus. He had been through the
agony of his first Passion, the great
renunciation and the vision of the
cross which had fully come to him
at Caesarea Philippi. So he took his
three closest friends, Peter, John
time of solitude and prayer, on the
side of Mt. Hermon. The record
runs that "as he was praying" the
TRANSPORTATION fell. More things
are wrought by prayer than this
world knows:
'I know not by what methods rare;
But this I know, God answers
prayer.
I know that he has given his word,
Which tells me prayer is always
And will be answered soon or late;
And SO l pray, and calmly wait.
know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought.
But leave my prayers with him
blest."
Assured that he will grant my quest
Or send some answer far more
alone
What Sidney Lanier calls "the
passionate pleasure of PRAYER" was
the instructive recreation of Jesus.
Everything turned him to PRAYER,
and prayer in the lonely spaces of
the open air. On the heights. un
derneath the trees, he found the
Father. and the answer to his every
question, and fellowship beyond
anything that earth could give
Americas best interpreter of the
spiritual significance of nature. Sid
ney Lanier, has caught the meaning
of the trees for the troubled spirit:
"Ye lispers whisperers, singers in
storms,
"Ye consciences murmuting faiths
under forms,
Ye ministers meet for each passion
that grieves,
Friendly, sisterly, sweetheart leaves
Oh, rain me down from your darks
that contain me
VISIONS We winnow from winds
that pain me-
Sift down tremors of sweet wit him
sweet
That advise me of more than they
bring-repeat
Me the woods-smell that swiftly but
now brought breath
From the heaven-side bank of the
river of DEATH
Teach me the term OF silenne
preach me
The passion of patience, me.
-impeach me-
And there, or there
AS ye hang oh with your myriad
palms upturned in the air
Pray me myriad prayer.
"Oh. If thy souls at latter grasn for
space,
With trying to breathe no biaeer