Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-17

TINE HAMPToNs, N. Y. July 7.-Rev. I.
i De Witt Talmage, DID, preached
here on the subject: "Our House on the
Hills" His text was John xiv. 2: eIn my
Fathers house are many rooms" He said:
Here is bottle of medicine that is a cure
all. The disciples we're sad and Christ of
fered heaven as all alternative, stimulant
and tonic. He shows them that their sor-
rows are only a dark background of a
bright picture of coming felicity. He lets
them know that though now they live on
the lowlands they shall yet have house on
the uplands. Nearly all the Bible descrip-
tions of heaven may be fgura.ive.. l am
not positive that in all heaven there is a
literal crown or harp or pearly gate or
throne or chariot. They may be only used
to illustlats the glories of the place, but
how we'll they doit! The favorte symbol by
which the Bible presents celestial happiness
is by house. Paul, who never owned
house, although he hired one for two years
in Italy, speaks of heaven as "house not
made with hands" and Christ IN our text,
the translation of which is little changed
SO as to give the more accurate meaning
says: "In my Fathers house are many
rooms"
This divinely authorized comparison OF
heaven to a great homestead of large ac-
commodations propose to carry out. In
some health neighborhood man builds
vely commodious habitation. He must
have room for all his children. The rooms
come to be called after the different mem
bers of the family. That is mothers room.
That is Georges room. That is Henry's
room. That ia Mary's room. And the
house is all occupied. But time goes by
and the sons go out into the world and build
their own homes and the daughters are
married or have talents enough singly to
90 out and do good work in the world.
| After while the father and mother are al
most alone in the big house, and seated by
the evening stand, they say: 'Weli, our
family is no larger now than when we start
ed together forty years ago." But time
goes still further by and some of the chill
dron are unfortunate and return to the old
homestead to live, and the grandchildren
come with them, and perhaps great-grand-
children, and again the house is full. Many
millennia ago God built on the hills of heav-
en- great homestead for family innumer
able, vet to be. At first He lived alone in
that great house, but after while it was
occupied by a worry large family, cherubic,
seraphic, angelic. The eternities passed on
and Many of the inhabitants became way
ward and left never to return. And many
| of the apartments were vacated. | refer to
the fallen angels. Now these apartments
are filling up again. There are arrivals at
the old homestead Of Gods children every
day, and the day will come when there will
be no unoccupied room in all the house.
AS you and expect to enter it and make
there eternal residence, thought you would
like to get some more particulars about that
many-roomed homestead. SIN my Father 8
house are many rooms" You see the place
is to be apportioned off into apartments.
We shall love all who are in heaven, but
there are some very good people whom we
would not want to live with in the same
room. They may be better than we are,
but they are of divergent temperament
We would like to meet with them on the
golden streets, and worship with them in
the temple, and walk with them on the
river banks, but am glad to say that we
shall live in different apartments. I'm my
Fathers house are many rooms" You see