St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-01-21
IN -1dGreSS
To his Friends at Paddock's Village.
BY REV. JOHN $. c. ABBOTT.
published by request1
IN lddreSS

which our Heavenly Father invites Us
all. And now in a sick chamber, though
chamber of cOnvalescence, | feel con-
strained TO write you these few parting
words. 1t is not probable that we shal!
ever meet again on earth, but it is my
prayer, that by these words you may be
influenced SO TO live that we may meet
III the home of the blest.
Heaven is my theme What is Heav-
en- Where is Heaven? How may we
gam admission there ?
1t Is the great object of regal ambition
to make the capital of realm as i'm
posing as possible. London, Paris, Vi
emma, are rivals in majesty of architec-
ture; in the accumulation of libraries ::
IN the display of galleries of paintings
and Statuary, and III all contrivances to
invest the capital with attractions.
London is the heart of the British en-
plre. From its pulsatons flows the life
which clrculates through all the arteries
OF the realm, giving energy to distant
cities and provinces. From its parlia-
mcntary halls 90 forth those influences
which control Canadian emigrantS, and
wanderers upon the Gan.es, and along
the streams of China, and upon the
wastes of Australia.
Every realm has its capital city-it>
metropolitan palace; its chair or throne.
>ymbolical Of legislative or executive
powers.
The empire of God, the monarch ot
all worlds, has lis capital, and its throne.
What Paris is TO France; what London
i to the British empire, such Is Heaven
to the realms of God. 1t is the capital
city, where all the metropolitan splcn-
dorS which omniputence can rear, attract
the admiration OF all thc subjects ot the
divine realm. And the Lords Throne.
the symbol of his grandeur and his pow
er, l. in Heaven.
Turn your thouLhtS for moment t
the great empire ot God not TO Heaven
the metropolis, but + the whole bound
les realm. |; Is Il majestic empire, with
ITS diverse provinces; liz more au,. les
favored sections; it. different r.nks Of
iniciII@crccs; With lis capital. where th,,
monarch peculiarly dwclls, and lis penal
colony, where rebels are confined. There
i a wide i ference between Gods entire
empire, and Heaven, the capital oE that
empire.
Gods realms spread out without limit
throughout intinity. This world. this
sad, rcbelliouS world. Is part of Gods
empire. Look up into tie starry skv.
and you see portions OF that empire. sub
lImctv reaching ont in all directions.
worlds beyond wor,d., in number, which
cannot hr counted
The sun, the moon, the stars, fadin.
away in their melsureless distances. are
all parts of Gods domains The pris-
"ns Of despair, are a. much 4 part of
q pds kingdom, As is England'> penal
colony a part of Great Britain, or 81
IBERIA part Of Russia.
This divine empire is 80 vast, that no
finite mind can compass il. The unai lei
eye can explore It's realms through Dis
tan"rs which geometry cannot measure,
or arithmetic compute. Then comes the
telescope; and the eye by lis aid, picrccs
myr'ads OF leagues beyond the limits OF
unailed vision. and yet perhaps. ap-
proacles no nearer than the frontiers OF
this kingdom. which hath no bound-.
The empire of God has every possible
variety of structure and of Cine. 1t
has worlds of all sizes, from the >mall,s.
astcroid to the orb which is 50 Grand
that the archangels, VIM through ages
which cannot bc numbered, can scarce
circumnavi=,ate il.
1t has worlds of all cplorS, of every
degree of density. of every variety of or
gtnization. 1t has worlds of solid struc-
turr, more compact than lead; and
worlds OF vaporous ditfuscncs-, Il thous-
and fold more tenuou5 than our most
lmpalpabic gases
Planets. comets, suns. nebulr, rcvulv-
ing or double suns, congregatcd trma-
mcnts or unlverseS, rs HcrSchel calls
them, of countless suns and systems. are
revolving IN their majestic orbits through
space, at the rate of thous lnds OF miles
a minute. All these, an we know not
what more, reachin. out through infin-
ity, are combined in the universe of
God.
This great realm, thus surprising all
possible powers Of conception, is inhabi-
ted by beings Of all possible gradaticns
OF rank. There are thrones, dominiunS,
principalities and powers. 1t Is, if l
may use the expression, free govern
ment; that l., all the subjects of this
realm are free agents. Men, angels, lost
spirits, all are free; without compulsion
left to do wrong or right, yielding to
motives.
Voluntary obedience brings happiness.
There Is no sin, but voluntary sin-and
that brings misery. The languag. OF
God is the same to all, .'Choo,e yc
whom yc will serve" Milton has very
forcibly expressed this thought .ilud-
ing 10 the fall of man, he represents rod
as sayiLg,
"I made him just and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such created all the ETHEREAL powers,
And sprits, both them who and them who failed
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have given sincere
of true allegiance, constant faith or love,
Where only what they need must do appeared,
Not what they woulds What praise could they receive
What pleasure l, from such obedience paii"
Such is Gods kingdom. The capital
of this kingdom is Heaven.
In reply to the question, ,-Where is
Heaven-it may be remarked that Heav-
en- is probably the central point in Gods
empire. God has no need to be embar-
rassed in the selection of his capital, by
the consideration of harbors, and rivers
and mountain ranges. Heaven may be