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o f all stre n g th e n in g relig io u s lite ra tu re w e m ail them , fo r th is p erso n al in te rest is w h a t c o u n ts so stro n g ly w h en m en a re inclined to g ro w d isco u rag ed an d d ep ressed , an d th e re a re m an y w e ary h e a rts to c h erish as th e d ay s a re g o in g by. T w o y o u n g m en w e re b ro u g h t to u s re cently, both in th e slo u g h o f d espond —'i o u t o f w o rk an d stra n g ers—n o th in g to eat fo r sev eral days. W e to o k b o th th em an d th e ir tro u b le s to H im w ho k n ow s a n d loves a n d cares. T h e w o rk cam e th e sam e day an d b o th a re now sta n d in g fo r H im an d g row in g . A n o th e r o ld m an a fte r listen in g to a ta lk on rig h te o u sn e ss an d tem p eran ce an d ju d g m e n t to com e, trem b led , a n d a t the close o f th e service,^ in resp o n se to h is T_T O W O F T E N , C h ristia n re ad e r, yo u h av e sto o d by som e new ly -m ad e g rav e an d h e a rd th o se fam ilia r w o rd s : “I am th e R e su rrec tio n an d th e L ife. E a rth to earth , ash es to ashes, d u st to d u st. W e com m it th is b o d y to e a rth in th e hope o f a g lo rio u s re su rre c tio n .” A n d th e w o rd s w ere like th e su n b u rstin g th ro u g h a rift in th e clouds on a d a rk day, sh ed d in g lig h t and g lo ry on a d a rk en e d w o rld . “I am th e R e su rre c tio n a n d t h e , L if e !” G lo rio u s tr u th ! N o w o n d er P a u l could sh o u t at th e close o f th a t g lo rio u s re s u r rectio n c h ap ter, “D e ath is sw allow ed up in ' v ic to ry !” Y o u h av e h u g g ed to y o u r h e a rt th e hope o f seein g y o u r lo v ed o n es again, a n d y o u h av e rejo iced in hope o f th e g lo ry of. G od, fo r th em . B u t w h a t ab o u t th e “o th ers w h o h av e n o h o p e ? ” W h a t ab o u t o u r d e a r L o rd ’s b re th re n , th ro u g h w hom th e lig h t fro m th e o th e r w o rld h a s com e to u s ?. H a v e you ev er g o n e w ith a com p an y o f Je w s to lay aw ay th e ir d e ad ? O h, th e gloom , th e w ailing, th e hopelessness,
po o r, old, trem b lin g ra ised han d , w e m ade o u r w ay to his side. H e said, w ith th e te a rs ro llin g d ow n h is w rin k led face, “It w asn ’t an y th in g you said w hich b ro k e me up, b u t w h en th a t g al san g th e so n g o f th e h a n d w hich w as n ailed to th e C ro ss fo r m e, I ju s t sim ply co u ld n ’t sta n d o u t ag ain st th a t.” A lth o u g h th e clear lig h t m ay still be to th is b lin d m an as tree s w alk in g (M a rk 8 :2 4 ), w e k n o w o u r G od w ill n o t be in re st u n til H e h as finished, fo r love alw ays w ins. R em em b er us, as d o o rs a re o p ening to e n te r in to th e h o u ses o f o u r m en. S om e tim es it tak es d e ath ere th e o p ening w edge is m ade, b u t w h atev er th e m eans, in H is grace, H e m ak es u se of, m ay w e n o t all red eem th e tim e, fo r th e tim e j s indeed sh o rt. on e sees a t a Je w ish fu n eral. T h e ir ideas o f th e fu tu re sta te a re v ery h azy an d dim . I m et a rab b i on e day w ho h a d recen tly lo st h is b elo y ed w ife, an d I w as deeply m o v ed a t th e u tte r h o p elessn ess o f his faith . H e said to m e, w ith b ro k e n voice, “I n ev er ex p ect to see h e r ag ain .” T a lk in g w ith a v e ry sw eet Je w ish w om an ab o u t th e th in g s o f G od o n e day, sh e said in b ro k en E n g lish , “ Som e people say th a t th e people w ho die a re g o in g to com e up again. W h a t do yo u th in k ? ” “ O, yes,” I said, “W e are g o in g to rise ag ain w hen Je su s com es.” A n d th en I to ld h e r about th e re su rrec tio n . H e r h u sb an d w h o ,w a s th e re said, “B u t h ow can it b e ; w h a t k in d o f a b o d y w ill th e re be ?” I to ld th em w h at P a u l said ab o u t th e w h eat, an d spoke, too, o f tlie ch ry salis, how th e w o rm is changed in to a b u tte rfly ; a n d w as sp eak in g about th e ch an g e th ere w ill be in o u r bodies, w hen sh e in te rru p te d m e, saying, “ O h, no, I d o n ’t w a n t to believe th a t w ay. I d o n ’t w an t to com e up again. I h a v e h ad en o u g h tro u b le
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Mrs. L. Manson, Sup’t.
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