Milo

Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know; and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto Him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

SIGNS OF HIS COMING

As Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him saying, “Tell us, what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. Ye shall hear of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

While the disciples beheld, Jesus was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.

THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED

I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“DOES THIS RAILROAD LEAD TO HEAVEN?”

In traveling we often meet with persons of different nationalities and languages; we also meet with incidents of various character, some sorrowful, and others joyful and instinctive. One of the latter character I witnessed recently while traveling upon the cars. The train was going west, and the time was evening. At a station a little girl about eight years old came aboard, carrying a little budget under her arm. She came into the car and deliberately took a seat. She then commenced an eager scrutiny of faces, but all were strange to her. She appeared weary, and placing her budget or a pillow, she prepared to try and secure a little sleep. Soon the conductor came along collecting tickets and fare. Observing him, she asked him if she might lie there. The gentlemanly conductor replied that she might, and then kindly asked for her ticket. She informed him that she had none, when the following conversation ensued. Said the conductor:

“Where are you going?”

“l am going to heaven,” she answered.

“Who pays your fare?” he asked again.

She then said: “Mister, does this railroad lead to heaven, and does Jesus travel on it?”

“I think not,” he answered. “Why did you think so?”

“Why, sir, before my ma died she used to sing to me of a heavenly railroad, and you looked so nice and kind that I thought this was the road. My ma used to sing of Jesus on the heavenly railroad, and that He paid the fare for everybody, and that the train stopped at every station to take people on board; but my ma don’t sing to me any mere. Nobody sings to me now; and I thought I’d take the cars and go to ma. Mister, do you sing to your little girl about the railroad that goes to heaven? You have a little girl haven’t you?”

He replied, weeping: “No, my little dear, I have no little girl now. I had one once, but she died some time ago, and went to heaven.” “Did she go over this railroad, and are you going to see her now? ” she asked.

By this time every person in the coach was upon their feet, and most of them were weeping. An attempt to describe what I witnessed is almost futile. Some said: ” God bless the little girl.” Hearing some person say that she was an angel, the little girl earnestly replied: “Yes, my ma used to say that I would be an angel some time.

Addressing herself once more to the conductor, she asked him: “Do you love Jesus? I do; and if you love him, he will let you ride to heaven on His railroad. I am going there, and I wish you would go with me. I know Jesus will let me into heaven when I get there, and he will let you in too, and everybody that will ride on his railroad — yes, all these people. Wouldn’t you like to see heaven, and Jesus, and your little girl?”

These words, so pathetically and innocently uttered, brought a great gush of tears from all eyes, hut most profusely from those of the conductor. Some who were traveling on the heavenly railroad shouted aloud for joy.

She now asked the conductor: “Mister, may I lie here until we get to heaven?

“Yes, dear, yes,” he answered. “Will you wake me up then, So that I may see my ma, and your little girl, and Jesus?” she asked, “for I do so much want to see them all. “The answer came in broken accents, but in words very tenderly spoken: “Yes, dear angel, yes. God bless you.” “Amen” was sobbed by more than a score of voices. Turning her eyes again upon the conductor, she interrogated him again: “What shall I tell your little girl when I see her? Shall I tell her that I saw her pa on Jesus’ railroad? Shall I?”

This brought a fresh flood of tears from all present, and the conductor knelt by her side, and, embracing her, wept the reply he could not utter. At this juncture the brakeman called out “H——-” The conductor arose and requested him to attend to his (the conductor’s) duty at the station, for he was engaged. That was a precious place. I thank God that I was a witness to this scene, but I was sorry that at this point I was obliged to leave the train.

We learn from this incident that out of the mouths of even babes God hath ordained strength, and that we ought to be willing to represent the cause of our blessed Jesus even in a railroad coach.

THE SEQUEL
I wish to relieve my heart by writing to you, and saying that, that angel visit on the cars was a blessing to me, although I did not realize it in its fullness until some hours after. But blessed be the Redeemer, I know now that I am His, and He is mine. I no longer wonder why Christians are happy. Oh, my joy, my joy! The instrument of my salvation has gone to God. I had purposed adopting her in the place of my little daughter, who is now in heaven. With this intention I took her to C—-b and on my return trip I took her back to S—-n, where she left the cars. In consultation with my wife in regard to adopting her, she replied ” Yes, certainly, and immediately too, for there is a Divine providence in this. Oh,” said she, “I never could refuse to take under my charge the instrument of my husband’s salvation.”

I made inquiry for the child at S—-n, and learned that in three days after her return she died suddenly, without any apparent disease, and her happy soul had gone to dwell with her ma, my little girl, and the angels in heaven I was sorry to hear of her death, but my sorrow is turned to joy when I think my angel-daughter received intelligence from earth concerning her pa, and that he is on the heavenly railway. Oh sir, methinks I see her near the Redeemer. I think I hear her sing “I’m safe at home, and pa and ma are coming;” and I find myself sending back the reply: “Yes, my darling, we are coming, and will soon be there.” Oh, my dear sir, I am glad that I ever formed your acquaintance may the blessing of the great God rest upon you. Please write to me, and be assured, I would he most happy to meet you again. — J.M. Dosh, in Christian Expositor.

WILLIAM CLOWES, THE SPIRITUAL MOUNTAINEER

This man of God knew how to pray. George Lamb, in his memorial of him, says: “On a certain missionary tour he walked one day twenty-four miles, and while on the road, he said: “I fell into a profound meditation on the fall of man, his departure from original holiness, the depth of iniquity into which sin had sunk him, and the impossibility for any power but that of God to restore him. These reflections I pursued in my mind until I was brought into great sorrow, and distress of soul. I felt the travail in birth, and experienced an internal agony on account of the millions of souls on the earth, who were walking on in the way of death, whose steps take hold on hell. I wept much, and longed for some convenient place on the road, where I might give vent to my burdened soul in prayer. In a short time I arrived on the borders of a wood; and then I gave way to my feelings, poured out my soul, and cried like a woman in the pangs of childbirth. I thought the agony into which I was thrown would terminate my life.

“This was a glorious baptism for the ministry; the glory of God was revealed to me in a wonderful manner; it left an unction on my soul which continues to this day; and the sweetness which was imparted to my spirit, it is impossible for me to attempt a description of.”

Space will not allow us to follow this apostolic man as he went through the principal counties, and cities, and towns of England; nor to detail the wonderful displays of Divine power which took place under his ministry. Persecution raged against him, his name was cast out as evil, and he had to endure many and severe hardships. But wherever he went the work of God broke out in power, sinners were converted, believers sanctified, and classes organized. For years, about four or five thousand, and not unfrequently the annual increase was ten thousand souls, in great part due to William’s trusting of God.

“Mr. Clowes was very remarkable for his power in prayer. He abounded largely in ‘the grace of supplication.’ It has never fallen to my lot to experience such baptisms, as I never failed to feel, while kneeling with him before the mercy-seat. Perhaps it will be seen, in the light of eternity, that much of the success which has crowned the labors of the Connexion was graciously vouchsafed in answer to his fervent and effectual prayers.’ The results of the midnight devotions which he rendered to God, and of his wrestlings ‘until break of day,’ when; ‘as a prince, he had power with God and prevailed,’ are yet to be revealed; the witness of these holy exercises is in heaven, and their record on high.

“Streaming eyes, broken hearts, cries for mercy, and joyful deliverances, were ordinary effects produced when he drew nigh to God in public prayer. I was present at a love feast conducted by him and his friend, Mr. I. Holliday, in Mill Street chapel, at the conclusion of which about forty souls were professedly converted to God.

“Great as Mr. Clowes was in the pulpit, and mighty as he was in prayer, he was equally conspicuous for his strong and unwavering faith. ‘ I have believed, I do believe, and I will believe,’ he would say; and he soared to what he called the ‘mountains of frankincense, and the hills of myrrh,’ and regaled himself with fruits and flowers in the garden of the Lord; bathed in its crystal fountains of purity; and basked in its blissful grove of holy serenity and heavenly joy. His strong faith enabled him to make his constant abode where only a few of even good men pay an occasional visit; he lived at a great spiritual altitude, a sort of Pisgah’s mountain-life, on lofty banks of high and holy regions. If ever he pitched his tent, he shifted it higher still; he was a spiritual mountaineer. ‘His religious life appears to have been one rapid ascent from grace to grace.’ No wonder that one who the walked with God in such a spiritual climate, where peace sheds its balm, hope bends its rainbow, and the soul dwells at ease,” should be able to say, as did he, and to the honor of grace and the glory of God, be it recorded: “‘I have never had a doubt for forty years.”

“In the social circle he was serious without gloom, cheerful without levity; and perhaps no man could have passed half an hour in his fellowship without feeling-that he was breathing in an atmosphere of holiness, in contact with a spirit near of kin to just men made perfect,’ and living for the time on the verge of heaven

“John Nelson, in describing his introduction to Clowes, says : “There was a most impressive gravity in his demeanor when he received me. His eyes were devoutly lifted up to heaven, while he implored a blessing upon me. “Let us pray a minute,” said he; and the next moment he was upon his knees, pouring out the desire of his soul for me, in a manner which I cannot fully describe, nor shall lever forget. Among other things which he fervently asked, this was one-that the Spirit which used to come upon Samson at times in the camp of Dan, might, in all its energy, come upon me; and that, aided by that power, I, too, might so smite the Philistines, that they might fall before me, heaps upon heaps. While he thus pleaded, the fire of the Holy Ghost fell upon me, and I was more fully endued with a power which, to a greater extent, prepared me for the work for which I was ill-fitted, and from which I had shrunk with trembling apprehensions.”

“Mr. Clowes had several prominent characteristics; but the most prominent of all was his constancy and power in prayer. In all things through which he was called to pass, he had one never-failing resource, and that was prayer. — Shining Lights

TRANSLATION OF BISHOP HAVEN

On Saturday morning, January 3, 1880, in MaIden, Massachusetts, Bishop Gilbert Haven’s physician said that his last day had come, and that it would do him no harm to see his friends. Many were near at hand. Others were summoned by telegram and by messenger, until groups gathered around that couch, touched with the light of immortal glory, to muse over the transition from death unto life. A physician who was present said: “I never saw a person die so before.” A clergyman remarks: “To me it did not seem that I was in the presence of death. The whole atmosphere of the chamber was that of a joyous and festive hour. Only the tears of kindred and friends were suggestive of death. I felt that I was summoned to see a conquering hero crowned.”

We have preserved some of the Bishop’s utterances to different persons, as they were reported in the public prints. As Dr. Daniel Steele entered his chamber, the Bishop lifted up his hand, exclaiming, in his familiar way : “O Dan, Dan, a thousand, thousand blessings on you! The Lord has been giving you great blessings, and me little ones, and now he has given me a great one. He has called me to heaven before you. “Do you find the words of Paul true: “O death, where is thy sting?” inquired Dr. Steele. “There is no death, there is no death” interrupted the Bishop; “I have been fighting death for six weeks, and today I find there is no death.” Then he repeated again and again John viii. 51: “Shall never see death; Glory! Glory! Glory!” In life he seldom, if ever, shouted; he certainly had a right to shout in death. “You have a great Savior,” was remarked to him.

“Yes,” he answered, “that is the whole of the gospel, the whole of it” With difficulty he repeated “Happy, if with my latest breath I may but gasp His name Preach Him to all, and cry in death, Behold, behold the Lamb!”

He had an immediate opportunity to preach Christ by witnessing to his saving power, for his counseling physician from Boston had come to bid him farewell. Said the dying man, as he took the doctor’s hand: “I am satisfied with your attentions; you have done all that human skill can do to heal me. I die happy. I believe in Jesus Christ. To Dr. Lindsay he also remarked: “Good-night, doctor. When we meet again it will be good-morning.” To his old classmate, Dr. Newhall, he said: “I have got the start of you. I thought you would go first. Your mind has been clouded a little, but it is all light over there.” When Dr. Mallahieu approached him he put his aims around his neck and drew him to his face, and exclaimed: “My dear old friend, I am glad to see you. You and I would not have it so if we had our way, but God knows best. It is all right! All right! We have been living in great times, but there are greater times coming. You have been my true friend you never failed me. You must stand by the colored man when I am gone. Stand by the colored man.” Then he spoke of dying, and said: “Oh, but it is so beautiful, so pleasant, so delightful! I see no river of death. God lifts me up in His arms. There is no darkness; it is all light and brightness. I am gliding away into God, floating up into heaven.” As the hour drew near, and death preyed upon him, his faith failed not. His right hand was dead, and black from mortification; but holding up his arm, and gazing at the perishing member for a moment, he said, with triumph: “I believe in the resurrection of the body!” Thus he trampled death under his feet, and Elijah like, in a flaming chariot of glory, went shouting to his home in the skies. — Golden Dawn.

THEY WHO TRUST THE LORD SHALL NOT WANT

Mrs. Mary Grant Cramer, whose husband is a member of the Cincinnati Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who was for many years U. S. Minister to Denmark, and afterwards to Switzerland, and has also filled the chair of Systematic Theology in Boston University, has related for us, by letter, several accounts of answers to prayer, among which are the following; “When Dr. George E. Shipman and wife, of Chicago, came to see us in Copenhagen, I was much impressed with the striking and interesting incidents Mrs. S. told us, in connection with their faith-work in the Foundlings’ Home. For instance, when they had put all they had in the Home, and there was a payment of six hundred dollars to be made, and it could no longer be postponed, for the man to whom it was owed said: ‘Business is business, and I must have my money, and I will send my son for it in the morning;’ they betook themselves to prayer, hoping the postman would bring them a letter containing the required amount; but he did not. Soon after he passed, a man rang the bell, and left an envelope containing a check for six hundred dollars, as a present from the mayor of the city, who was not a religious man; but his wife, who was then in Europe, was interested in the Home, and he sent the money on her account.

Directly after it came they handed the check for the amount to the man who was expected to call for it. In a similar way, Dr. Shipman on another occasion received four hundred dollars a little while before it was needed, and often got smaller sums in answer to prayer. “Mrs. Shipman told me of Mrs. Pithey, an invalid saint she knew in Chicago, who was supported by voluntary gifts in answer to prayer.

This made the closing years of her life a marvelous proof of God’s care for His helpless children who trust Him. “I might add another incident: Recently a saintly woman, who has consecrated all she has to the Lord, and who lives by faith, giving her services gratuitously to His cause, felt that after the fatiguing labors of the summer, a change would be beneficial to her; she kept this to herself. Soon after a lady sent for her to call upon her, her object being to inform Miss M. that she felt impressed that she ought to go away from home for awhile, and gave her fifty dollars. One day a co-worker of this good sister, told me that she asked a token of the Lord in money, and the same day she found it in an envelope in the table, directed to her, from one who had never before made her a present, and who at first intended this sum for some one else.

“I am acquainted with a minister in New York city, who gave up his church and a salary of five thousand a year, to establish a church where he could reach the masses, he met with much opposition, but has met also with great success in his work. He said that on various occasions he felt it his duty to give all he had away, and before he could reach his home it would be replaced fourfold. His wife was greatly opposed to his giving up a certainty for what she thought an uncertainty, especially as they had five children; but he told me that since they depend upon the Lord for their support, his wife has less solicitude about how they will be provided for, than she had when his salary was five thousand dollars a year. “Truly they who trust the Lord shall not want.”