Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-01-13

of an immortal athlete-forever youn
again. That night when the needle woma
tainted away in the garnet, a wave of tn
heavenly air resuscitated her forever. 70
everlasting years to have neither ache, no
pain, nor weakness, nor fatigue. "Ey
hath not seen it, ear hath not heard it,"
remark, further, that we can. in thi
world, get no Just idea of the splendors o
Heaven. John tries to describe them. III
says the twelve gates are twelve pearls,
and that 'the foundations of the wall ar
garnished with all manner of precious
stones" AS we stand looking through tn,
telescope of st. John. we see blaze O.
amethyst, and pearl and emerald and sar.
donyX and chrysoprasus and sapphire,
mountain of light, cataract of color, SCI
of glass, and city like the sun.
! John bids us look again and we see
thrones; thrones of the prophets. thrones
of the patriarchs, thrones of the angels,
thrones of the apostles, thrones of the
martyrs, throne of Jesus--throne of God
And We turn round to see the glory and il
is thrones. thrones! thrones.
| John bids US look again, and we see the
great procession of the redeemed passing;
Jesus, on white horse, leads the march,
and all the armies of Heaven following on
white horses. Infinite cavalcade passing,
following ages. Dispensation tramping on
after dispensation. Glory in the track of
glory. Europe, Asia, Africa, North and
South America pressing into line. Islands
of the sea, shoulder to shoulder Genera
tions before the food following generations
after the flood, and as Jesus rises ut the
head of that great host and waves his sword
in signal of victory, all crowns are lifted,
and all ensigns slnng out. and all chimes
rung, and all hallelujahs chanted, and
some cry: "Glory to God most high" and
some, "Hosanna to the son of David" and
some, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain"
till all eNclamations of endearment and
homage in the vocabulary of Heaven are
exhausted, and there comes up surge after
surge of amen! amen! and amen!" Eye
hath not seen it, ear hath not heard it,
Skim from the summer waters the
brightest sparkles and you will get no idea
OF the sheen of the everlasting sea. Pile
up the splender Of earthly cities and they
would not make stepping stone by which
you might mount to the city Of God.
Every house is a palace. Every step
triumph. Every covering of the head
coronation. Every meal is banquet.
Every stroke from the tower is q wedding
bell. livery day is a jubilee, every hour
rapture, and every moment an ecstasy.
"Eye hathnot seen it, ear hath not heard it. !"
] remark further, we can get no idea on
earth of the reunions of Heaven. IF you
have ever been across the seas and met
friend, or even an acquaintance, in some
strange city, you remember how YOUR
blood thrilled, and how glad you were to
see him. What will be our JOY, after we
have passed the seas OF death, to meet in
the bright city of the sun those from
whom we have long been separated After
we have been away from our friends ten
or fifteen years, and we come upon them,
we see how differently they look. The
hair has turned, and wrinkles have come in
their faces, and we say, "How you have
changed" But oh, when we stand before
the throne. all cares gone from the face.
all marks OF sorrow disappeared, and feel |
ing the Joy of that blessed land, methinks
We will say to each other, with an exulta-
lion We cannot now imagine, "How You
have changed" In this world we only
meet to part. 1t is good-by: good by.
Farewells floating in the air. We hear il
1t the rail car window, and ut the steam-
ooat wharf-good- Children lisp it,
md old age answers it. Some
lines we saw it in light way
and sometimes with anguish
IN which the soul breaks down. Good
BY! All, that is the word that ends the
banquet; that is the word
hat comes in to close the Christmas chant.
Good-by: good-by. But not SO in Heaven.
Welcomes in the air, welcomes at the
gates, welcomes at the house of many man
'ions-but, no good-by. That group is
being augmented. They are go
ng up from our circles OF earth to Join it
little voices to Join the anthem-little
hands to take hold in the great
home circle-little feet to dance in the
eternal glee, little crowns to be cast down
It the feet of Jesus. Our friends are in
wo groups-a group this side of the river,
md group the other side of the river.
Vow there goes one from this to that, and
mother from this to that, and soon we
will all be gone over. How many of your
owed ones have already entered upon that
blessed place. If should take paper and
,encil, do you think could put them all
lown? All, my friends, the waves of Jor-
Ian roar so hoarsely, we cannot hear the
oy on the other side when that group is
augmented. 1t is graves here, and
otiins and hearses here. A little childs
mother had died, and they comforted her.
they said "lour mother has gone to
ieaven-dont cry" and the next day they
vent to the graveyard and they laid the
'ody OF the mother down into the ground;
nd tie little girl came up to the verge of
he grave, and, looking down at the BODY
4 her mother. said: SIS this Heaven?"
Oh, we have no idea what Heaven is. It
8 the grave here-it is darkness here-but
here is merrymaking yonder. Methinks
Fhen a soul arrives some angel
axes it around to show it the wonders of
hat blessed place. The usher angel says
o the newly arrived "Ihese are the
martyrs that persisted at Piedmont; these
we're torn to pieces at the Inquisition; this ]
the throne of the great Jehovah; this is
esus. 81 am going to see Jesus" said
lying boy; 81 am going to see Jesus" The
said, "You are sure you will
ee Him." cob. yes; that's what 1 want to
o to Heaven for" But" said the mis-
ionary, Suppose Jesus should 90 away
rom Heaven-what them" "Ishould fol-
ow Him, said the dying boy. "But if ,
esNs went down to hell-what them"
Phe dying boy thought for moment and
hen said, "Where Jesus is there can be no j
ELL" Oh! to stand in his presence! {
hat will be Heaven. Oh! to put our hand ,
n that hand which was wounded for us on
be cross-to go around amid the groups
t the redeemed, and shake hands with the
rophets. and apostles, and martyrs, and
nth our own dear beloved ones! That
I'LL be the great reunion; we cannot i'm
CINE it now, our loved ones seem so far
way. When We are in trouble and lone
ONE, they don't seem to come to US. We
o on the banks of the Jordan and call ,
cross to them, hut they don't seem to hear