The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-11-30

ing, compared with those who shall have
upon them the health of Heaven. For
we are to remember that we are living in
only tho beginning of the Christian dis
pensation, and that this W hole world is
to be populated redeemed, and that age
of light and love arc to flow on. If this
be so, the m~ultitudes of tho saved will
be in vast majority.
Take all the congregations that have
assembled for worship throughout Chris
tendon. Put them together, and they
would make but a small audience COM
pared with the thousa nds and tens of
thousands, and ten thousand times ten
thousand, and the hundred and forty
and four thousand that shall stand
around the throne. Those flashed up to
Heaven in martyr fires; those tossed for
many years Upon the invalid couch;
those fought in the armies of liberty,
and rose as they fell; those tumbled
from high scaffoldings, or slipped from
the mast, or were washed off into the
sea They came up from Corinth, from
Laodicea, from the Red Sea bank and
Gennesaret's wave, from Egyptian brick
yards and Gideon's threshing floor.
Those thousands of years ago slept the
last sleep, and these are this moment
having their eyes closed, and their
limbs stretched out for the sepulcher.
A General, expecting an attack from
the enemy, stands on the hill and looks
through a f~eld-glass and sees in the
great distance m~ultitudes approaching,
but has nc idea of their numbers. He
says: II can not tell any thing about
them. | merely know that there are a
great number" And so John, without
attempting to count. says: "a great
We are told hat Heaven is q
place Of happiness; but what do
we know about happiness? Happi-
ness in this world is only a half-fledged
thing; a flowery path, with a serpent
kissing across it; a broken pitcher, from
which the water was dropped before we
could drink 1t; a thrill of exhilaration,
followed by disastrous reactions. To
help understand the joy of Heaven, the
Bible takes us to a river. We stand on
the grassy bank. We see the waters
flow IN with c~easeless wave. But the
filth of the cities is emptied into it, and
the banks are torn, and unhealthy ex-
halations spring up from 1t, and we
fail to get an idea Of the River of Life
in Heaven.
We get very imperfect ideas of the re-
unions Of Heaven. We think of some
festal day on earth, when father and
mother were yet living, and the chill
dren come home. A good time, thatI
But 1t had this drawback-all were not
there. That brother went off to sea,
and never was heard from. That sister
did we not lay her away in the fresh
ness of her young life, never more In
this world to look upon her? All
there was a skeleton at the feast; and
tears mingled with our laughter on
that Christmas Day. Not so with
Heavens reunions. 1t will be an uninter-
rupted gladness. Many a Christian par
ent will look around and find all his
children there. "Ah!" he says, can 1t
be possible that we are all here-life's
perils over, the Jordan passed and not
one wanting? Why, I've the prodigal is
here. l almost gave him up. How long
he despised my counsels! But grace hath
triumphed. All here! All here! Tell
the mighty Joy through the city. Let
the bells ring, and the angels mention
it in their song. Wave it from the top
of the walls. All herel"
No more breaking of heart strings,
but face to face. The orphans that were
left poor. and in a merciless world.
kicked and cuffed Of many hardships.
join their parents over whose
they so long wept, and gaze into
their glorified ~countepance forever, face
to face. We may come up from different
parts of the world, one from the land
and another from the depths of the sea-;
from lives affiuent and prosperous. or
from scenes of ragged distress; but we
shall all meet in rapture and jubilee,
face to face
Many of our friends have entered up
IN that joy. A few days ago they sat
with US studying these Gospel themes;
but they only saw dimly-now revela-
ton hath come. Your time will also
come. God will not leave you founder.
ing in the darkness. You stand won.
derstruck n amazed. You feel as II
oil nv icNSlihVoS " INV "tTo udSutu
out. You stand gazing into the open
chasm of the grave. Wait u little.
In the presence OF your depart
ed n of Him who carries them
in His bosom, you shall soon stand face
TO face. Oh! that our last hour may
kindle up with this promised joyl May
we be able to say, like the Christian not
long ago. departing: Though a pilgrim
walking through the valley, the mount
ain tops are cleaning from peak to
or, like my lear friend and
brother, Alfred Goodman, who took his
to the throne of God, saying in
last moment hat which has already
gone into Christian classics: II am
sweeping through the pearly gate,
in the blood of the lamb"