Hark! hearest thou not soft, heavenly voices, whispering sweetly of
a life beyond the dark river, where Death can never come; of
glorious mansions where is peace and joy for ever more, and of
another freed spirit welcomed to the blissful home? Dost thou not
feel upon thy tear-moistened cheek, gentle wavings of angel wings
perfumed with the breath of heavenly flowers?
Even now, may the happy glorified spirit of thy loved one be
hovering around; think you it would return again to that perishing
body of clay?
The sweet star of faith is already rising over thy grief; the
clouds, all bright and shining with hues caught from heavenly skies,
are no longer dark and rayless; and now, even with thy lonely
bleeding heart, canst thou humbly receive the chastisement from Him
who doeth all things well.
Henceforth will earth seem less dear, heaven nearer, and more to be
desired; thy own cherished companion is there, and who can know but
that her pure spirit may sometimes look down upon thee, still to
encourage thy endeavours to battle manfully with life and its
trials, still to cheer and console in thy hours of distress; but
now, with heart and affections all purified from the dross of earth,
will not the influence be more blessed than when she walked with
bodily presence at thy side?
Yes, thanks to our merciful Father, every cloud _has_ a silver
lining, however dark the side presented to our view, ladened heavy
though it be with sorrows and woes, which almost crush the life from
our hearts as it presses upon us; yet there away, hidden from our
short mortal vision, gleams the soft silvery lining, ever gently
shining, perhaps never to be revealed in this world, reserved for us
to discover after we too have been called from this to our heavenly
home, and look back upon our earthly pilgrimage with rejoicings that
we have been so safely borne through every trial and temptation.
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