is denied; when the incarnation of the Son of God is considered a fable,
having its counterpart in nearly all religions; when a belief in a
literal hell and a literal heaven is becoming obsolete; when the
atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, making it possible to escape the one
and gain the other, is held as a relic of superstition; when the verbal
inspiration of the Bible is ridiculed; and when character-building is
rapidly superseding the belief in the necessity of the new birth.
"Perhaps I have not been sufficiently determined myself to know nothing
among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and have spoken too often
upon popular themes. Today I shall not speak upon the subject announced,
'Applied Christianity the Remedy for Social Evils,' but," and he looked
down upon Rosa to be sure that she understood, "'Heaven, or the Way to
the Beautiful Land.' Preparatory to what I may say, I shall read the
last two chapters of Revelation."
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out
of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His
people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
"And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And
He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water
of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving,
and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come
hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven
from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone
most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and a wall
great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels,
and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the children of Israel: on the east three gates; on the north three
gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
"And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
"And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and
the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare,
and the length is as large as the breadth * * * *
"And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure
gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city
were garnished with all manner of precious stones * * * * And the
twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl;
and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
"And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are
the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the
moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
is the light thereof.
"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:
and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And
the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no
night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations
into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but
they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
"In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was
there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded
her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations.
"And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the
Lamb shall be in it: and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall
see His face; and His names shall be in their foreheads. And there shall
be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun;
for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and
ever * * * *
"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
This incomparable description of the New Jerusalem, read in a finely
modulated voice, had a marked effect upon the audience, though the
reader was conscious of the presence of but three, Rosa, grandpa, and
the Lord Jesus Himself.
Dr. Dale was more disgusted than ever, or at least tried to be.
"What unreasonable fanaticism!" he thought. "When men leave their homes
and business to attend church, they want something practical, something
acting as a stimulus in daily life. Being surrounded as we are on every
hand by social evils, strife between capital and labor, and with
anarchical tendencies becoming constantly more prevalent, we need
something bearing directly upon these problems. There'll be time enough
for these other things. Of course I believe in heaven, for Margaret is
there, and when I die I want to go to her.
"I wish Dr. Fairfax had left these vagrants where they belong. The
child's face haunts me. Her eyes are almost as starry and full of
expression as Margaret's. That's the queerest little old man I ever saw.
I can't see how they happen to be here."
And so his mind wandered restlessly on during the preliminary services.
"Let all the people," announced the speaker, "join in singing that old
hymn which some of us have not heard in years, 'The Home of the Soul.'"
The great organ filled the vast auditorium with the strains of the
melody, followed by a volume of sweetest song. Many were carried back to
the scenes of their childhood, where, gathered around the family altar,
were the dear ones long since singing in paradise.
The strangers across the aisle again attracted Dr. Dale's attention. The
old man was leaning forward with both hands resting upon his cane, his
eyes were closed, and the tears were slowly trickling down the wrinkled
face, while with a plaintive, quavery voice he was joining in the
singing of his well-beloved song.
At last it was time for the sermon, but the preacher, who by his
eloquence and magnetic personality could sway thousands, felt as
helpless as a little child to perform the duty before him.
He announced his text: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way" (John 14:6).
The audience wondered why at that particular point he stopped apparently
to offer a word of silent prayer. But then they could not see the
expression of hope flash across the face of the child, nor the old man
lean still a little farther forward that he might catch every word.
"Rosa," whispered grandpa, "didn't I tell you if we'd go to a meetin'
house with the steeple a-p'intin' straight up, we'd find the way? Yes,
yes, that's it, it surely is, Rosa, and it's all a-beginnin' to come
back. Jesus is the way, Jesus is the way! I wonder I ain't thought of it
before."
The sermon which followed, simple in every detail, began by calling
attention to the marvelously beautiful description of the heavenly land
as contained in the Scripture previously read.
"There are representatives here today of many classes and conditions of
society," said the speaker, "the high and the low, the rich and the
poor, the learned and the ignorant; but there is no eye that has not
shed bitter tears, no life unacquainted with death, sorrow, crying, or
pain. Thank God for that glad coming day when He will wipe away all
tears, when there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
nor pain; for these things shall have passed away!"
He spoke of the glimpse the Scripture gives of the city itself, the New
Jerusalem, with its walls and gates. "There is no language of earth by
which its glories can be fully described," he continued; "where our idea
of beauty leaves off, there heaven begins! Even its foundations are made
of the rarest jewels we know.
"But heaven's happiness consists not in mere outward things. God is
there, and the Lamb! In God's presence is fulness of joy, and at His
right hand are to be found the truest pleasures for evermore. There the
redeemed out of every nation shall serve Him, and they shall see His
face with no veil of time or sense between.
"This holy city will never be marred by the entering in of anything that
defileth, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
life shall behold and enjoy its splendor and happiness.
"I think I hear some poor soul say: 'Then there is no hope for me!'
"Yes, there is hope!
"'But I have sinned!'
"That is true. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
There is none righteous, no, not one. We are by nature and practice
strangers to God, even the new-born babe having wrapped up within its
tiny bosom a sinful heritage and bias. And the soul that sinneth shall
die. But sin can be put away, and its dreadful penalty escaped. Shall I
not tell you how?
"It is by the love and grace of our heavenly Father that we can be
justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God
loved us in our sin and rebellion, and sent His only-begotten Son to
bring earth's inhabitants back to Himself, that they might share the
joys of the heavenly home. Ere He came to earth, an angel of the Lord
appeared and said His name should be called Jesus, for He should save
His people from their sins. When at length He was born, the angel
appeared to the wondering shepherds on the hillside near Bethlehem, and
said: 'Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people: for unto you is born this day a Saviour.' He came to seek
and save the lost. For thirty years He lived a secluded but holy life at
Nazareth. Then for three years He went about doing good, working
marvelous miracles and saying wonderful words. At length they took Him,
and crucified Him on Calvary! 'Behold,' John had said, 'the Lamb of God
that taketh away the sin of the world!' Do you not see how it is? Christ
died--not for His own sins, for He was holy, harmless, undefiled, but
for your sins and mine. He bore our sins in His body on the cross.
Believe on Him, and you are saved!
"Yes, childlike trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour gives
your soul peace with God and makes your entrance into the house of many
mansions sure! He went back to prepare a place for us who believe on
Him, and promised to come again and receive us unto Himself, that where
He is, there we may be also. Jesus Himself is the way home!"
So clearly did he explain the plan of salvation that Rosa began to grasp
the truth. All the pent-up love of her ardent nature she began to bestow
upon Jesus, and in the joy of this new experience forgot her crushing
sorrow.
The sermon closed by another extended reference to heaven, with special
emphasis upon the fact of its being real, and not simply a state of
blissful being, as many profess to believe, and with an appeal to the
skeptical to take Jesus at His word.
"He said, 'I go to prepare a _place_ for you.' Is it not His positive
statement sufficient? Has He ever proved untrue to His promises
concerning this life? Has He ever turned a deaf ear to the penitent
sinner's prayer? Has He ever refused to speak the word of comfort to the
heart breaking beneath its load? Has He ever called one to some
particular service in His vineyard without supplying the needed
strength? Has He ever forgotten to pour forth His abundant and
sustaining grace upon the trusting soul about the pass through the dark,
mysterious valley of death? And would He say that He was going to
prepare a _place_ for us, that where He is there we may be also, meaning
only that He was going to prepare a state of glorified--_nothingness_?
Impossible! It is an insult to our Lord.
"He who left the glory-circled throne for thirty-three years of
wandering in this world, for rejection by those whom He came to save,
for Gethsemane and for Calvary, will hold up no false hope to lure
onward those who love Him.
"He who created this beautiful world, inhabited by fallen sinful beings,
will not forget to provide a home for His own who have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
"Yes, heaven is a place, where the power of infinity itself is exhausted
in the beautifying thereof! No sin, no sickness, no sorrow will ever
pass through those gates of pearl. The saints of all ages are there, our
loved ones whom we have lost a while are there, and above all our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ!
"Ah, if Satan has deluded you into a state of unbelief now, the time is
coming when you will believe! Some day with unwilling feet you must part
from your Lord forever to spend eternity in hell; or with hosannas and
shouts of victory upon your lips, you will pass into the presence of Him
who sits upon the throne, to praise Him and serve Him forever and ever!"
At the conclusion of the service, Dr. and Mrs. Dale left without waiting
to speak to the pastor.
Mrs. Dale, however, stopped ostensibly to greet Esther, but in reality
to look more closely at the child who had attracted her quite as much as
her husband.
The doctor's perturbed state did not admit of his speaking to any one.
He longed for Margaret, and both loved and hated the little waif who
unconsciously had so remarkably altered the affairs of the whole
morning. He had endeavored not to listen to the sermon, "fit only for
children, and not for men possessed of a logical turn of mind," he said
to himself; but the more he tried, with the greater persistency did the
ringing sentences surge through his aching brain.
"Well!" he exclaimed to his wife as soon as they were seated in their
carriage, "Dr. Fairfax is a narrow-minded extremist, a fanatic. What
right had he to bring those street wanderers into the church this
morning? The place for them is down at the mission. Do I not give
liberally toward its support? To be sure, such as they need the Gospel,
but I want them to stay where they belong to get it."
"But, my dear," placidly remonstrated his wife, "there may be
qualifying circumstances connected with all this which we do not
understand."
"Possibly, but scarcely probable anything to warrant such an unheard-of
innovation! The place for them is down at the mission, I say.
"And that sermon, if such it may be called! I thought I was at a
funeral. There were hundreds of men there, who like myself went for
something helpful and practical. Who cares to discuss the heavenly city
when our city down here is in the throes of a strike, threatening to
paralyze business for weeks and months to come, and meaning the loss of
millions of dollars, both directly and indirectly?"
"I know, dear, but the Father's omnipotent hand of love will bring
everything out right some day. He has promised, and His promises never
fail. Is it not restful, and does it not make one more brave for the
conflict, to know that there is an abiding city, at whose portals we
leave earth's sorrows and perplexities?"
"Yes, wife, I know, but we are living now upon this mundane sphere, and
naturally our interests center here. A belief in heaven does not
straighten out affairs on earth, nor make the burdens any the lighter to
bear."
"I do not know about that, since Margaret has gone. If I did not believe
what Dr. Fairfax said this morning, my burden, at least, would be much
heavier and harder to bear. It does help to know that she is safe, and
that I shall join her myself some day."
"Oh, well, yes, of course, but then it's different when it comes to
Margaret!"
For several minutes they rode in silence, when the doctor said:
"Wife, did you see that child's eyes?"
"Yes, I saw them."
"I wish--well, we are home now! Let me assist you from the carriage."
In the meantime, grandpa and Rosa were having an experience very novel
to them.
Upon discovering grandpa's weak condition, a carriage had been ordered,
the first one in which they had ever ridden. Esther was quietly
explaining to Rosa more of Jesus and His love for the children, while
her receptive little soul was eagerly taking it all in.
"Then," she said, "I can't go to the beautiful land till He sends for
me! I do wish He would send soon."
"No, but He surely will send some day, Rosa, and perhaps He wants you to
teach others how to get there."
"If He does, then I'm willing to stay, 'cause so many don't know."
In her broken childish way, Rosa told of the many and varied
experiences befalling her and grandpa since mother moved.
Esther and her father were greatly touched by the pathos of the
narrative, but what left the deepest impression was that in her eager
quest she could find no one for so long to help her.
There in the privacy of their carriage they gave themselves anew to the
work of the Lord, pledging never again to let a known opportunity to
speak to a needy soul pass by.
Grandpa, like a tired child, was resting his head upon the shoulder of
his new friend during the drive, and it was evident that he was very
ill. The fever was returning, the mind partially wandering, but the soul
rejoicing in the light of that land which he so soon was to enter.
"Ah, Rosa," he murmured over and over, "I told you so. Jesus is the way,
Jesus is the way! I'm mighty glad it's all come back, but Tom he said
'twould, and I think he' a-comin' now to git me."
Upon their arrival home, with tender hands the weary old man was put to
bed, while Esther took charge of Rosa, clothing her in more suitable
garments, and talking simply of the Shepherd who seeks the wandering
lambs.
[Illustration]
VII.
VICTORY!
The deserted rooms on Burton street suddenly became the scene of great
activity early Monday afternoon.
Mrs. Gray's supersensitive conscience would not admit of her neglecting
her charges, so in consequence her visit was made a few hours shorter
than first planned.
The fire was out, and no trace could she find of Rosa and grandpa. She
"hollered till her throat was sore," looked in every reasonable--and
unreasonable--corner, searched up and down the hall, inquired of her
neighbors, visited the corner grocery, but all to no avail.
"Land sakes!" over and over she repeated to a group of interested
spectators, "I might a-know'd better'n to have gone off and left them.
This is jest my luck, anyhow. The first time I've been away in five
years, then have this happen. I'm jest real provoked, and I don't think
a body could blame me, either. But it all comes of me bein' so obligin'.
If it wuzn't fer my tender heart, I'd never kep' Tom's father, nor took
Mis' Browning's young one, then I could come and go as I pleased and not
be pestered this way. There ain't many that'd do fer others what I do,
and I never git no thanks fer it, neither. If I hadn't had father to
board all these years, I might have somethin' laid up fer a rainy day,
and there ain't nobody but what'll say I'm industrious and savin'.
"But I can't think where they'd go, nor what I can do. It seems like
somebody'd seen them. I'll fix them when they git back, so as they'll
never do it ag'in. It looks like they'd been gone fer some time, and I
do b'lieve they've been into the tea and stove blackin'. I never thought
about blackin', who would? but I told them not to touch that tea, fer I
couldn't afford it. They'll be sorry, they will, when I git hold of
them.
"Here you, Billy Bruce!" she vociferously called, catching sight of that
youth running down the stairs three steps at a time; "come right back
here at fast as you can, and tell me what you know about Rosa and
grandpa. You're always under foot a-knowin' what's a-goin' on, so I
'spose if anybody seen them you did."
Billy feared Mrs. Gray more than he did the judge or policeman--that
is, at close range; but when occupying the vantage-ground, as at the
present, he delighted in revolt.
"I didn't either see them," he shouted back, "and don't know nothin'
about them, only I'd run off, too, if I wuz them."
At this the greatly abused and misunderstood woman picked up a piece of
coal to hurl at the rapidly retreating young rebel, when, to her
astonishment, she saw coming up the steps the transformed Rosa with
Esther!
"You'd better look out, Rosa," confidently explained Billy, "she's awful
mad, and you may git that lickin' yet, you said she'd been a-promisin'."
Rosa shrank in terror, her face growing pale and twitching nervously,
while an inclination to run away with her barbarous but devoted champion
took possession of her.
"Never mind, dear," whispered Esther reassuringly, "she will do you no
harm while I am with you. You need not be at all afraid."
Upon looking into the fearless blue eyes of Esther, Mrs. Gray suddenly
determined to change her plan of attack.
"Land sakes, Rosa! I've been that worried about you and father, the dear
old soul,--where is he? and where have you been, and where did you git
them pretty clothes? Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go on a visit,
and what made you stay so long? Of course it wuz awful lonesome here
without me, so I won't blame you much, but children'd ought to tell."
Not giving the child an opportunity to answer, a volley of
interrogations and information was turned upon Esther.
"What's your name? Esther Fairfax, is it? well, now that's a real pretty
name, but do come right in and set down. Things is in a muss, fer I've
been gone, and children don't amount to much fer work, 'specially when
they ain't been raised right. I ain't had her long, you know, or she'd
be different. Her ma wuz awful queer and silly about her. But where did
you find her? You wuz real thoughtful to bring her back to me, so as I
wouldn't worry any longer'n necessary. I 'spose you found her clothes in
bad shape. Her ma's been dead now a while, and didn't keep things up as
well as she might anyhow, I thought, fer some time. She wuz one of them
women that gives up easy, but that's somethin' I never do. I've been
a-layin' out to show Rosa how to sew. She's plenty old enough, and I
ain't got no time to do it myself. But then I never did b'lieve in
bringin' them up lazy. There's a lot in gittin' them started right.
"And where on earth's the old man? I can't think how you found them.
Seems like a month since I seen him, but then I have more attachment and
affection than most folks, or I wouldn't a been so flustered. I hope
he's acted with some sense, so as I won't have to be mortified."
Endeavoring to impress her guest favorably, Mrs. Gray, while talking,
was energetically moving about the room, making some pretense toward
bringing order out of confusion.
"That grease spot down there on the floor by the stove does really worry
me a heap, and I'd really ought to--"
At this Rosa cast a glance at the whip still reposing above the door,
and tightened her clasp upon Esther's hand.
"Father's awful childish, and I have to treat him jest like a child,
too, or I couldn't git on with him no how. I've kep' him now, well, let
me see: it's a-goin' on six years since Tom got killed, and I've been
a-supportin' him ever since, and no tellin' how much longer he'll live.
If it wuzn't fer my kind heart, I'd tell him he'd have to leave. I've
thought of it some lately, but then s'pose I never will. Then when Mis'
Browning died, of course she wanted me to raise Rosa. It's a good thing
she did die fer now Rosa'll learn to do somethin' more'n jest to be
kissed and cried over. I used to git that provoked at her ma fer actin'
so silly. I didn't say she could stay here only till spring. Of course
she come in real handy like when father didn't mind and I twisted my
ankle, but then it's sech a bother to raise a child. When she ain't no
more use to me, I don't know how it'll be then."