The Radiant City : $b An AllegoryGarratt, Evelyn R.
Religion
The Radiant City : $b An Allegory
Garratt, Evelyn R.
Allegories; Christian fiction; Christian life; Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Fiction
"O happy band of pilgrims,
Look upward to the skies,
Where such a light affliction
Shall win you such a prize."
And as their voices ceased another chimed in,
"My merry heart is springing,
And knows not how to pine,
'Tis full of joy and singing
And radiancy divine."
The words were new to Iddo, but the voice she recognized at once as
that of Chisleu.
"Oh, how glad I am to see you," she cried, making her way towards him.
Chisleu turned upon her a face full of calm joy. There was such a
change in it that had it not been for the voice she would hardly have
recognized it. It was a gentle, chastened, yet radiant face.
"I did not know you sang," said Iddo.
"I have only lately learnt," he said, "I met these good people, and
when I said I could not join them in their songs, they pointed out to
me that as there was to be so much singing in the Radiant City it was
as well to learn on the journey. And it is astonishing how it helps the
journey, it seems another thing to me. And moreover I find it does not
only make things easier, but in the Guide Book we are commanded to sing
and be joyful. I never realized that before."
"Does the King then so much like us to sing that he has written about
it in the Guide Book?" said Iddo.
"Yes, I find He has. I had no idea that it was my duty to be happy as
well as my pleasure. But I find it written there,"
"'Rejoice evermore.' 'The joy of the Lord is your strength.' 'Is any
merry? let him sing psalms.' I only wish I had known this before."
"Why?" asked Iddo.
"For two reasons. One reason being, that, as I say, it makes all the
difference in the journey, as the enemy does not like to hear it and it
keeps him away. There is nothing that baffles him more I believe than
to hear the soldiers singing one of the songs of the Radiant City. And
when I have an idea he is near and wants me to listen to him, I cry,
'May Jesus Christ be praised,' and he slinks away. He finds the gloomy
soldier by far the easier prey, I fancy, than those who sing. Why it
has been so all along."
"How do you know that?" said Iddo.
"In the Guide Book we read about one of the armies of the Lord going to
meet a strong enemy. And it says when the Lord's soldiers began to sing
the enemy was smitten."
"And what is your other reason?"
"My other reason is that I feel I have done so much harm by my
gloominess. A lot of young people whom I might have helped have run
away when they have seen me coming, just because I felt it my duty to
pick holes in them and to be stern, and to judge them. Now if they had
found me singing, who knows but they might have been helped on their
journey. Every young thing likes music and merriment. And then there is
a third reason which I forgot and which is more important even than the
others."
"What is that?" asked Iddo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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