New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-22
HEAVENLY RECOGNITION.
u sermon Preached mt Anes' Chapel. Sum
day Morning. january Is. 1871, by
the Kew. J. {. nnrtZell. Pastor of the

| the Rev. J. T.. HnrtZell. Pastor of III.
| Church.
Matt. Il. 3: land behold there ap,nare,)
! unto them Moses and Ella. ta!k!D: wit,
| Him
| We are this mornn. to consider .i,e sinh
| jcct OF heavenly recognition. PERHAPS there
is NO one question that interests :h.. heart
more than this" shall we know each other
IN heaven: Our hearts linger with fond.
! ness around the graves OF the departed
| WITH them we buried many hopes: giving
them up we tore a>under many near and
| dear ties: losing them it may be was ,ob-
bihS Us OF all that made life joyous or its
haruehips toleriblc. When we think oi
them our hearts long after them, and We
nave earnest desires :" know Of :hcir v.,-
tarc. Ky and by We shall 20 and lie down
beside them, and in The morning OF tl,e
resurrection We shall come forth tor.tI,.r
together We shall be summoned before Tn.
bar OF justice, and if our lives have been
pure together we shall enter through the
PeaIiy gates into the New Jerusalem. Shall
we KNOW each otllc!, or axe We to wander
through eternity ignorant Of each others
joys. nor blest with each others love.
1 shall present some consideration, which
70 mr mind are suiiicicn: 10 prove tina, we
shall know each other beyond the rrav..-
ana that wncn We enter into tia, beautiful!
city. We shall 80 joined hand liz hand with
those We have loved on earth: 70 dwell toy
ever in the bonds of perfected union.
1 he text l, taken from the description OF
thI!>t> TRANSPORTATION "u Noun: Tabor.
Peter. James and JOHN rere with Him.
They had assembled the mountain. and
Then Jesus - face did shine as the sun. and
his raiment was white a. tie hight" there
came to them from the Upp.! world the two
noted Individuals natned in the text. Tin.
circumstances OF thi, incident clearly midi
cate the truth OF heavenly recognition.
Moses and Elias had never seen each other
on earth. They fouyishcd in different ares
with SIX hundred years Intervening between
mem. yet they came together talking with
Christ. They must have become acquainted
IN heaven. The three Apostles. who were
IN the flesh, learned to know who they were,
hence there was Il mutual recc.nition This
one passage would be enough On which to
rest our faith in this doctrine Blu; this is
only sample text OF others that Will be
quoted before am done.
The doctrine Of heavenly recognition
rests upon three facts: Eirst-It is !, mar
ter of universal faith Second-Thc infer
enceS 10 be drawn from reason sustain if.
Ihird-lt is directly taught in divine
revelation. Our thought, will be clustered
about these three points.
!. That we shall know zach other beyond
The grave Is a matter of universal taiti and
use the term universal in its broadcast
sense. 1t is not to be limited by the word |
Christian. This faith is not confined to |
Christian lands. 1t is one which is a. broad |
In Its acctptation as the domain Of hui |
lnanitr. The world believes il. mankind |
desires it: and planted within the universal
breast is the hope of its realization
Ancient philosophers and poets wrote
under the inspiration of thi. theme. AL
though they lived in the early twilight of
time, yet they have left on record noble
sentiments respecting the comprehension of
he future life. They waited not the lirht
II written revelations, but boldly asserted
ncir flrm belief IN reunion and fellowship
,f kindred spirits in the land of souls.
The pure-hcarted and noble Socrates being
condemned to death by poison through the
blinded madness OF his enemies, reioced in
iis last address at the prospect of meeting
md assoclating with the good and mobile who
lad gone before him. The great Roman
orator Cicero. when speaking on this point,
gave evidence that his deep spiritual nature
vas stirred with the sub!imest hopes
speaking OF his departed friends he saws:
~ glorious day! when shall retire from
his low and sordid scene 70 associate with
he divine assembly OF departed spirits"
iomer, who wrote eight hundred wears be-
ore Christ and Virgil, who wrote fifty wears
'eiore Christ turned their poetic Iy,es upon
ms most glorious theme. They wrote in
ull expectation Of the realization of their
oIc. These who are among the p,rcst
linds OF their age represent the noble and
oOd sentiments of their time, and from
hem we learn to live IN hope OF rcuninn
With friends in heaven.
The hcathcns had beautiful tradition |
hat from the spirit land came a MESSENGER
rd to convey tokens Of love 20 the l;yin.r
lrs. Hemans, in her beautiful poem of tbs
Messenger Bird" thus alludcs to it:
But tell mt thou bird of solemn strain
DO those Who have loved forget ;
i" = know. We know that their land is bri.b.
But ITO they love, do they love Us YET ,
This doctrine is recognized in the te,cb-
lSs rites, and faith of all systenls of heather
sliglons. Who has not heard of the vale :
Tempe, the Hesperian garden, the Ely- t
an flelds and the Island of the Blesr. These S
u show that the heather, in his supersti- d
on and error, anticipated lcunion and re- q
ignition beyond the tomb. iStorv nf tho !
lie of little wolt-Clark, page 326.,
The Jews. long before the con,iro of q
nrlst, reJoiccd in this faith. The care aud |,
lection with which they disposed of their r
'ad speak OF their hope Of future meetirc. II
implicitly did this view prevail. that "
any desired to be buried Will, their 4
lad friends. The thought of a reunion :,
'reaftcr comtorted them in af,iction v
avid, when his boy was sick, clothed him. I,
Ii IN sachcloth and ashes; but when the c,
y died. arose, took food and gave utter n
zee TO thesewords: ''He will not come to h
z, but | shall go to him." The later "
ophets, hundreds Of years after David. Il
hearsed in beautiful and eloquent terms al
the social joys OF heaven. Time will not u
sMt quotations from, Or even the men, Il