Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-20
LTFE IN HEAVEN.
BYRF. TEFFT. pp.

From an essay with the above title,
printed some time since at this Office, for
the Sunday School of the First Baptist
Church, in this city, We make the follow
ing eloquent and beautiful extracts. We
know Of nothing in the entire range Of
English Literature, on the same subject,
superior 10 il:
There il a life above and beyond the
mental. IT, in our present low estate,
darkened and depressed within the walls
Of our material prison-hOuse, We find il
impossible 10 lin the spirit above the senses,
above mere intellect, ebove everything
with which the body has connection, and
look out upon the eternal forms Of truth,
and commune With everlasting principles,
and even hold direct audience With the
Almighty, how much more easily shall we
be able to ascend into the supernatural,
spiritual, and radiant world, the special
dwelling place Of the Deity, when the
heaven-aspiring soul shall inhabit spirit
ualized body, aud both shall be free from
the weights that here draw Us downward
This casting of of sense and all sense
thought which we here find possible in
prayer, il faith, in hope, in all pure wor-
ship, viii, in the future state, evidently con-
stilute our highest and hottest life. Indeed,
sense itself being spiritualized, and thought,
based on this REHABILITATION, will both
spontaneously assume this upward ten
dency and, like pair Of wings, watt the
soul 10 higher and higher regions ever.
Do talk Idly, my lord, in these opinions"
Most eIcellently; for heaven begins to
open up with more reality 10 my vision
Perhaps, my friends, because it is in
want Of this reality in the current view OF
our future life, that makes heaven 80
empty and 80 unpromising II lies like a
land Of dreams ndshsd0ws IN the distance.
II a rapt saint, or 3 bard.prophet, speaks
Of IL as q substantial world, where grass
and fruit, and flowers grow, where noun
tains rise and rivers roll, their language is
sel dawn 20 the license Of poetry, or Of de-
votion But mark me- my noble friends,
as certainly as the man Jesus is now in
heaven, as truly as other men are raised
from earth 70 follow him, 40 surely will
that he an actual, Substantial, senBe-seen
world, where such beings 90 90 dwell. Be-
Geve me, there will be q solid foothold 10
walk on a heavenly air 10 feed our in
apiration light 10 break n beauty upon
our eyelids; sounds, as soft as symphonies
20 MARBLE upon our hearing; odors, sweeter
than the scent Of roses, fruits more fragrant
than the growth Of earthly paradise, and a
universe Of tangible objects Of the fairest
forms aud qualities, to crafty and delight
ia. Grass VIII grow, flowers will bloom,
fruits will ripcn, forests will waive, rivers
and riy3,iets viii roll, high hills viii tower,
Il L. nd
beyond them sll, far rs the eye can reach,
vast blue oceans win forever heave, and
sigh, and swell where such as we shall 20
20 enjoy the faculties We carry with US
A glorious theatre for the physical life
of the future man
Indeed. but the physical, as here, will
feed Elemental life. Amid all these heaven
~ scenes, ~ we wander from vale 10 vale, or
climb the howery mountains, or wind along
an the bankh Of yeaetful riyfs, or stand
rausnr Oh the wide oceans shore, thought
viii % bnsy al tht time and such high
thoughts aswe never had before. Not only
the qualities, but the essence Of all things
Uill be plain. The close connections the
uicc dependencies, the several links in the
august chain Of beings, as well as Of causes
and even.s, will stand out revealed. Quss-
tions discussed here for ages, and without
success, will there be settled at a glance.
The riddles Of hoary speculation will amuse
bv their obviousness and simplicity.
Memory, reason, imagination, every intel
lectual faculty, will there be fully oc-
cupied; the work Of expanding these sew
eral powers, with every other suBoepti-
bility Of our nature, viii be cur ceaseless
employment; and this seiGeducation, BY
those means Of which heaven is full, will
every hour bring Us 10 behold, in creations
thousand objects, more and more Of God.
WHY. then, shall heaven obscurely toll
With books when they who made them, or
might have better made are there to tell
us Ell they know The thoughtless scholar
would vainly take his classics to the skies.
But tell me, what shall Herodotus, what
shall Livy. what shall the imperfect pages
Of any historic writer do where men, C0Cval
with every event In TINA, and eager TO pour
out their stores, shalicrogd the soil Who
viii regret his Aristotle, or the worlds
proudest reasoners, when the reasons FIRST
hour IN heaven will resolve for itself, and
by the help Of heavens living philosophers,
more than all earth's sages ever dreamed2
Nay, even OF Fsncy's fairy thrcng. who
will ever shed a tear Cor his loved poets loft
behind. his barda Of ancient or Of modern
fame. when the 6rst triRl-hight Of his new.
born imseinution there may make, bhall
higher mount and more widely soar than
any earih-olad genius, poised on most am
bitious pinien, ever hoped 20 do Besides,
the common areech Of heaven, the rustic
talk Of her obscurest sons, shall be more
beautifnl, and smrble with a softer melody,
than ihe fall and swell Of AoliR's wind
swept Tyre, or the Ionian sweetness that On
trsnced the world rom Seio's sea-girt isle.
With conversation carried On IN heavens
dialect while wandering Ct viii among the
fairest works OF God, those seeking in
formation, having made no choice Of their
instructors, viii spend their time al large.
Here, beneath some spreading trees Of
heavenly foliage, win SCI Sgroep, listening
70 the old psniarchs, the fatheEp ~ history,
While they recount the Incidents Of time
ere booze were known. There, on the
summit Of yon towering kili, theosRe Of Zion,
who make Of all taingS, withstand, point
ing ont the separate gloTies Of the vide.
spresd world from IL rocky centre 70 the
Exchanging Evey where Ia the
shaded dells, Oh tie grass green lawns
within The leafY thiekeis along The high
and airy elaiss, TIE sons sad daushtere OF
poesy and sonR--Mirams with their tim.
brtls. and Davids With their hymns and
haips-will SO drawing up visions Of their
cventfui future, OF rouse from every cavern
The sleeplsg echo. Cling the Atmosphere OF
hesVen with q melody heard only BY celos-
tial cara