The Brookhaven leader., 1890-07-24

cred to his people. Jacob died
and was gathered to his people.
Moses died and was gathered to
his people. What people9 Why, their
friends, their comrades, their old COM
panions. OF course 1t means that II
can not moan any thing else. So in the
beginning Of the Bible four times that
is taken for granted. The whole New
Testament is an arbor over which this
doctrine creeps like a luxuriant vine
full of the purple clusters Of consola-
ton. James, John and Peter followed
Christ to the mountain. a light falls
from Heaven on that mountain, and lifts
it into the glories OF the celestial.
Christs garments glow and His face
shines like the sun. The door OF
Heaven swings open. Two spirits como
down and alight on that mountain.
The disciples look at them and rocog-
nize them as Moses and Elias. Now,
if those disciples standing on the earth
could recognize these two spirits who
had been for years in Heaven, do you
tell me that we, with our heavenly
eyesight, will not be able to recognize
those who have gone out from among
us only five, ten, twenty, thirty years
ago?
The Bible indicates, over and over
again, that the angels know each other;
and then the Bible says that we are to
be higher than the angels, and il the
angels have the power of recognition,
shall not we, who are to be higher than
in, hn ooa1
eyesight and as good capacity? What
did Christ mean, in His conversation
with Mary and Martha, when He said:
"Thy brother shall rise again?" 1t
was as much as to say: Don't cry.
Don't wear yourselves out with this
trouble. You will see him again. Thy
brother shall rise again" Tho Bible
describes Heaven as great home cir
Gle. Well, now, that would be
the members did not know
each other. The Bible describes
death as q sleep. If we know each 9TH
err before we go TO sleep, shall we not
know each other after we get up? Oh,
yes. We will know each other great
deal better than now. For now" says
the apostle, I'VE see through glass
darkly, but then face to face" 1t will
be my purified, enthroned and glorified
body gazing on your purified, enthroned
and glorifed body.
Now, demand, if you belive the BIZ
BILE, that you take this theory of future
recognition out of the realm of specula-
tion and surmise into the region of posi-
tive certainty, and no more keep say
ing: Il hope it is 50; l have an idea
it is so; / guess it is So BE able to
say, with all the concentrated energy
of body, mind and soul: Il know it is
So"
There are, in addition to these Bible
arguments, other reasons why l accept
this theory. In the first place, because
the rejection of it implies the entire
obliteration of our memory. Can it be
possible that we shall forget for
ever those with whose walk, look,
manner we have been so long
familiar? viii death come, and with
sharp, keen blade hew away this faculty
of memory? Abraham said to Dives:
''Son, remember" If the exiled and
lost remember, will not tho enthroned
remember? You know very we'll that
our Joy in any circumstance is aug
mented by the championship Of our
friends. We can not see picture with
less than four eyes, or hear song with
less than four ears. We want some one
beside US with whom to exchange
chances and sympathies; and l suppose
the JOY of Heaven is to be augmented
by the fact that we are to have our
friends with US when there rise before
us the thrones of the blessed, and when
there surges up in our ears the jubilate
of the saved. Heaven is not contrac-
ton, it is an expansion. If l know
you here l will know you bet
ter there. Here see you with
only two eyes, but there the
soul shall have a million eyes. 1t will
be immor tality gazing on Immortality
ransomed spirit in colloquy with ran
somed spirit - victor beside victor.
When John Evans, the Scotch minister,
was seated in his study, his wife came
in and said to him: my dear, do you
think we will know each other in
Heaven" lie turned to her and said
MY dear, do you think we will be big
ger fools in Heaven than we are here?"
Again, l accept this doctrine Of future
recognition because the worlds ex-
pectancy affirms it In all lands and
ages this theory is received. What form
of religion planted it? No form of re-
ligion, for it is received under all forms
of religion. Then, argue, a sentiment,
a feeling, an anticipation. universally
planted, must have been God-implanted,
and if God-implanted it is rightfully i'm
planted. Socrates writes: 'Who would
a meeting with Orpheus and Homer?
If it be true that this is to be
the consequence of death, l could
even be able to die often" Among the
Danes, when master dies his servant
sometimes stabs himself that he NAV
erve his master in the future world.
Cicero, living before Christ's coming,
said: 20 glorious day, when l shall re-
tire from this low and sordid scene, to
associate with the Divine assemblage OF
departed spirits, and not only with the
one l have just now mentioned, but
with my dear Cato, the best Of sons and
most faithful of men. If l seemed
to bear his death with forth
tude, it was by no means that
did not most sensibly feel the loss l
had sustained. 1t was because l was
supported by the consoling reflection
that we could not long be separated"