"Now the soft peace-march beats, home, brothers, home."
This is the joy of the saint. He has fought a good fight, he has finished the course, he has kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for him the crown of righteousness. His battle is over, and then for him there are rest and home. Home ! Yes, home. And what a home for us to return to and abide in forever ! A home prepared before the foundation of the world, a home in the many mansions, a home
178 THE ETERNAL RESULTS,
in the innermost circle of creation, nearest the throne and heart of God, a home whose peace shall never be broken by the sound of war or tempest, whose brightness shall never be over- cast by the remotest shadow of a cloud. How solacing to the weary spirit to think of a rest- ing-place so near, and that resting-place our father's house, where we shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, where the sun shall not light on us, nor any heat, where the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall feed us, and lead us to living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes.
The time is at hand. The church's con- flicts are almost over. Its struggles and sor rows are nearly done. A few more years, and we shall either be laid quietly to rest, or caught up into the clouds to meet our coming Lord. A few more broken bonds, and then we shall be knit together in eternal brotherhood with all the scattered members of the family. A few more suns shall rise and set, and then shall ascend in its strength, the one unsetting sun. A few more days shall dawn and darken ; and then shall shine forth the one unending day. A few more clouds shall gather over us, and then the firmament shall be cleared for- ever. A few more sabbaths shall come round, filling up the sum of our privileges and com- pleting our allotment of time ; and then the everlasting sabbath shall begin. But a few
THE ETERNAL RESULTS. 179
brief years, and we shall " enter in through the gates into the city," sitting down beneath the shadow of the tree of life, feeding upon the hidden manna, and drinking of the pure river clear as crystal, which proceedeth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. But a few years and we shall see his face, and his name shall be upon our foreheads.
These are some of the eternal results ; results which are mightily heightened and en- hanced by our tribulation here. For affliction not only profits us much just now, but it will serve us much in eternity. Then we shall discover how much we owe to it. All that it is doing for us, we know not now, but we shall know hereafter. It is preparing for us a " more abundant entrance," a weightier crown, a whiter robe, a sweeter rest, a home made doubly precious by a long exile and many sufferings here below.
Of these results we have only the foretaste now. The full brightness is in reserve, and we know that all that is possible or conceiva- ble of what is good and fair and blessed shall one day be real and visible. Out of all evil there comes the good ; out of sin comes holi- ness ; out of darkness, light ; out of death, life eternal ; out of weakness, strength ; out of the fading, the blooming ; out of a quenched planet, a sun for the universe ; out of rottenness and ruin, comeliness and ma-
180 THE ETERNAL RESULTS.
jesty ; out of the curse, the blessing ; and RESURRECTION shall prove the wondrous truth, that if. is the gravs, — the place of bones and dust, — that is the womb of the incor- ruptible, the immortal, the glorious, the un- defiled.
Our present portion, however, is but the earnest, not the inheritance. That is re- served for the appearing of the Lord. Here \ve see but through a glass darkly. It doth not yet appear what we shall be. We are but as wayfaring men, wandering in the lonely night, who see dimly upon the distant mountain-peak the reflection of a sun that never rises here, but which shall never set in the " new heavens" hereafter.
And this is enough. It comforts and cheers us on our dark and rugged way. It would not be enough hereafter; but it is enough just now. The wilderness will do for us till we cross into Canaan. The tent will do till the " city of habitation" comes. The joy of believing is enough, till we enter on the joy of seeing. We are content with the ': moun- tain of my/rh and ths hill of frankincense," until the day break and the shadows flee away."*
* Song of Solomon, iv, 6, 7. THE END.
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