The Helena independent., 1889-06-16
CONCERNING HEAVEN.


The following sermon was delivered by
Rev. z. T. Webb, rector Of St PrteI
Episcopal church. few weeks ago, and J:
published by request Of number oi ms
parishiOners:
Il ssw hesvsn opened Rev NIX IT,
Few words in our language are less den
mite ard yet suggest more han The WORD
heaven. A notion OF heaven Is every one
mind: a Distinct idea OF u rarely ever
framed That theTe j. heaven The Scrip
lures positively state. The way 10 Gel
there they point uut most Enthusiastically.
But the nature Of heaven, its employments
and pleasures, revelation either leaves IN
obseurity or wells under imagery that
touches the Imagination but does not an
swer all the questiOnings of intellect OF
heart Why these disclosures have been
so imperfect, 1t Is easy TO satisfy ourselve
The conditions under which life Will be
passed, after the resurrection, must be alto
gether different from those which environ
existence here How is II possible for US
u comprehend spiritual realm which has
no Bnalogies in this sphere where all our
thoughts are but trains of material images
"lf | tell you Of earthly things and ye be-
lieye not how shall ye believe II / tell OF
heavenly things ~ The world has
h4N dIs Dtfn AtQ On Ol ubpE-
And the faith that God has IN
store for it some better things than its
unsatisfactory experience has Yet entered
upon lies in its future like dream 10 be
fulfilled Not definite enough 70 take on
the keen edge from our interest, natural
and necessary, in the occupations of this
life, In the auties that adOrn the earth
and the SKY, the momentary glimpses al
lowed US through the veil are sufficient to
inspire hope, are sufficient in view of the
-. ~
ton 10 render the seeming inequalities IN
the distribution of the awards of life endur-
able, are sufficient TO impress US with a
sense of its beng worth while TO live sob
erly, righteOusly. gOdly in this present
world. Just enough TO incite and not
enough to incapacitate us for the duties
that beSet US here, is disclosed.
But is there nothing definite that we can
hold In our minds concerning the nature of
heaven? Let us believe, in the first place,
that the glory 10 be revealed shall exceed
and not disappoint any expectations we
may FORM Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the
heart Of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love Him. F"
Though applied primarily by the apostle to
the satisfaction which christian experience
finds in the increasing disclosures of the
divine character, all the more true is the
statement OF that grand revelation which
should suddenly entrance the liberated soul
city Assured that for Christ's sake one
should gain an entrance there he may
await with eager expectancy, even with a
degree OF curiosity which may avert much
perlence, the strange satisfying sights of
the new world upon which the disenthralled
vision shall open.
"And they laid the the pilgrim In an up
per chamber whose window looked towards
the east: and the name of the chamber was
h. h rFr rAas-
then he agoke and sang. Such is the in
scrlptl0n, Rken tTom the Pilgrims Progress,
upon the tomb OF Judge Samuel HOar, at
Concord, Mass.
When you have grown tired for a time #
the eternal strife Of sense and spirit within
your own frame and of the clashing Of IN
terests that ought Ia BE- accOrdant and of
the battle of tongues around you, the
dream of repose ike this must certainly
have come 70 you. with It's suggestion and
prophecy OF peace. The fuliliment of
your dream will not fall short of its prom
Use; only the fulhllment will have TO be
awaited
You are longing again for rest, not of the
body. for that is easily secured, but for the
restless SpiTlt, with its disc lntent, with is
with its fears and even
with its aspirations always tran
its strength As a rule per
haps you keep your mind moving
above the disturbances that weary
less buOysnt natures. Fancying that you
are not understood or that you are doing
some unselfish labor without appreciation
or notice, though YOu know lt is childish TO
even in your own heart, yet there
are moods IN which all your secret COM
plAiningS and your self dlssstisfactiOns and
your plans for hOller living that have
failed. your disgust for your weakness
and longing for concord between your
and your conduct, between
your reason and your life, mass themselves
upon your troubled soul Have you never
81 such times lOnged for rest What you
then ardently desire heaven Will prove it.
self 10 be. In a church Of Florence over
The tomb of a soldier whose life was one
Of unusual activity there is written for an
epitaph the words: Johannes Divultius,
who never rested, rests. Hush" And the
response which the very word rest aHak
ans proves how deep seated Is the hope of
II in the breast of the mulutudes who toll
with hand or brain.
And Ihs re are other dreams we cherish.
Now and then a picture u tShes before the
mind of tae still waters and the green pas
lures. Tne invalid THINKS OF the promise.
81 There shall be no more pain" and fore
sees the hour when the WeaTIness which
hangs upon him like leaden weights shall
drop away and his rejuvenated spirit shall
mount up with wings as an eagle; when
be shall run and not be weary: and she'll
of The sundered ties that
shall be knit again. In the affeC-
tons which God implsnts we are most akin
10 Him Tnry share the Immortality of
hat attribute 1n account Of which the name
lf God Is love. Made because OF sin and
separation the cause 0f the deepest griefs
hat men can feel. they shall certainly be-
.ome the source OF our most enduring Joys
Who Is there born so lonely into the world
hat he does not look on 70 an everlasting
eunion Or whose experience is so excep-
lonal that his heart does not Outstrip the
ace OF his soul 10 its destiny and set his
affections upon some treasure there? Thus
,ach different mood, the hour OF disap-
Dointment as well as the day of succesS
md happiness, has its own need, and for
zach need heaven holds In reserve its own
special satisfaction
Il saw heaven opened writes 81. John.
Sy means of magnificent imagery he then |
,oes on TO describe the way il appeared.
The figures he uses being all material, We /
must consider them but an inadequate me- |
iium TO convey ideas toe vast for our grasp.
But in all she gorgeous picture the char /
,cteristic that fIrst impreSses you is the Pc /
,uliAr pervadiDg light. And the city had ]
40 need of tie sun. neither OF the moon 10 l
'hine in II, for the glory OF & ID cid tighten /
{ and thu lamb Is the light thereof rhis I
hen we may understand definitely 10 b. 4
me of its features: light, not In the mere
physical meaning Of the word. but in that
sense IN which Jesus de-
,lares himself u be the light OF the world.
More light was the dying cry of the
-raaf f.f-.rhe. Concerning the uuruOSa nf