The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-10-30

would have the comfort of father
on meeting his child il heaven, what
ever might be the nature of the
spiritual body in the resurrection,
he would have received the an
nouncement Of the death of his child
as az ordinary eyent. And il, on
meeting his child in heaven, he did
not have the comfort of a father,
then he misinterpreted his social ma
ture--a fallibility utterly inconsis-
tant with inspiration. David, there.
fore, retains the consciousness of
his identity as father which implies
the idea of sex. And so of the moth
er, when she meets her sainted child.
And so of the sister. as in the case of
Martha, when she meets her sainted
brother. And SO of the a0ite. when
she meets her sainted husband. And
SO around the entire circle of social
relations. The idea of sex is con-
tanned in the indestructible nature
of the human spirit. II is not only
perfectly natural, then, but in ac-
cordance with inspiration, to antici-
pate future recognition upon the
spiritual basis of our social relations
and affections. Blissful, too, in the
highest and richest form, must be
the spiritual areciprocities of mans
social nature in heaven. There,
while there "is neither marrying nor
giving in marriage" the former spir-
itual ties of our social nature, sancti-e
fed to the utmost intensity, unite
the saints of the family circle in the
tenderest and most intimate com
munion. That which was perish
able, or had the least tirge of sense,
has been dropped forever; the pure
and spiritual substance, with its cor
relative affections, remains and is
perpetual. --.-r. aa
Every social affection has its own
peculiar object. We hope to meet
our parents az parents, and parents
hope to meet their children as chill
dren, and so on. Certainly our par
ents will be known as oar parents,
and we expect to meet them as
such; and we shall be known as
their children, and they expect to
meet US as such. We expect to meet
our parents and children substantial
ly the same in social nature as they
were when we lost them. In all
this, peculiar love is formed upon
our social nature. Deny the exis-
tence of this peculiar love, and you
strike out one of the richest sources
of our happiness in heaven. You
divert bereavement of a sweetest
cordial, life Of an incentive to duty
and resignation inferior only to the
command of God, and heaven of an
attraction surpassed only by the
presence of Christ. The gospel be-
comes a system of stoicism. and
man a stole. Indeed, if we shall
not meet our relations as such in
heaven, then there is no reason
why we should grieve for them any
more at death than we do for 9th
ers no longer should we cherish
any peculiar love for them, feel any
peculiar grief at their death, or in
dulge any peculiar hope of meeting
them again. This is a revolution of
human nature, and earth becomes
desert, a boundless waste, bleak
and barren, stripped Of every green
thing that now adorns our homes,
and death itself will be relief.
God has made a mothers love a
type of his own. Can mother for
get her child? Isaiah xix rs. Shall
the type have no relation to the
heavenly state? Oh, never, we be-
lieve, can mother express how
much she loves her child, till she
meets him in heaven Then ouly
will the appropriateness of the type
be fully known. Do parents ''know
how to give good gifts to their
children on earth, and shall they not
rejoice more than any other saints
in heaven when they greet them be- |
fore the throne |? Are children com.
manded to "honor their father and |
mother on earth, and shall they not
cherish a peculiar regard for them
in heaven? Do they not feel the
deepest solicitude, and rejoice the
most in the happiness.of their chill |
dren on earth, and will not their de.
light be enhanced when they meet
them in heaven? Who have done
so much for US as our parents? and
for whom in heaven, except God
can we feel such regard
as for them? What can compensate
them for al their toll and sorrow
and sacrifice through the life, aud
their pangs and anguish of soul at
5he death of their children, but the
,aPture Of the heavenly meeting, on
which angels might pause and gaze
n wonder? If angels--an indepen-
lent order of intelligences-rejoice
,ver the repentance of those for
whom parents feel the deepest con.