The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-15

and he clears tn e choking grief from
his throat and eyclaims: Il shall go to
him. y
WILL WE MEET AGAIN.
Was David right or wrong? If we
part on earth will we meet again in the
next world? We'll, says some one,
that seems to be an inpossibilfty.
Heaven is SO large place we never
could find our kin bred there" Going
into some city, without having ap-
pointed time and place for meeting,
you might wander around for weeks
and for months, and perhaps for years,
and never see each other; and heaven
is vaster than all earthly cities to-
gether. and how are you going to find
Your departed friend in that country:
1t is so vast realm. John went up
on one mountain of inspiration, and he
looked off upon the multitude and
he said, Thousands of thousands. y
Then he came upon Il greater altitude
OF inspiration, and looked off upon it
again and he said, Ten thousand
times ten thousand" And then he
came on higher mount of inspiration,
and looked off again and he said, "A
hundred and forty and four thousand
and thousands of thousands. And he
came on still greater height of inspi-
ration, and he looked off again and Elk.
claimed, "A great multitude that no
man can number"
Now | ask. how are you going TO find
your friends in such a throng us tfat?
Is not this idea we have been enter
tanning after all falsity! Is this doc
trine of future recognition of friends in
heaven a guess, amyth, wElim, oris it a
granite foundation upon Which the soul
pierced of al ages may build glorious
hope2 Intense ques ton. Every heart
in this audience throbs right into it.
There is in every soul here the tomb OF
at least one dead Tremendous ques-
ton. 1t makes the lip culver, and the
cheek flush, and the entire nature
thrill. Shall we know each other there
I get letters almost every month ask
ing me to discuss this subject. get a
letter in a bold, scholarly hand, on
gilt edged paper, asking Inc to discuss
this question, and I say, 'Ah, that is a
curious man, and he wants q curious
question solved" But l get another
letter. 1t is written with a trembling
hand, and on what seems to be tori
out leaf of book, and here and there
is the mark Of tear, and [ say, 'Oh,
that is a broken heart. and it wants to
be comforted.
IT IS TRUE.
The object of this sermon is to take
this theory out of the region of surmise
and speculation into the region of posi-
tive certainty. People say: 1T would
be very pleasant if that doctrine were
true. l hope it may be true Perhaps
it is true | wish it were true" But
believe that [ can bring an accumula-
ton of argument to bear upon this mat
ter which will Prov the doctrine OF
future recognition as plainly as that
there is any heaven at all, and that the
kiss Of reunion at the celestial gate will
be as certain as the dying kiss at the
door of the sepulcher.
Now, when you are going to build a
ship you must get The right kind OF
timber. You lay Il he keel and make
the framework of the very best mate
rails, the keelson, stanchions, plank
shear, counter timber knee, transoms
ell of solid oak. You may build a ship
Of lighter material, but when the cy,
clone comes ON it will go down. Now
we may have a great many beautiful
theories about the f utare world built
| out Of our own fancy and they may dc
very well as long as we have smooth
sailing in the world; but when the
storms of sorrow come upon us and the
hurricane of death we will be swamped
we will be foundered. We want g
theory built out of the solid oak O.
Gods eternal Word The doctrine o.
future recognition is not so often posi-
lively stated in the Word Of God a.
implied and you know, my friends, thar
that is, after all, the strongest mode O
/ affirmation. Your friend travels in for
eicn lands. lie comes home. He doe
not begin by arguing with you to prove
that there are such places as Londor
and Stockholm and Paris and Dresden
| and Berlin, but his conversation i'm
plies it. And So this Bible does not 81
positively state this theory as, all VI
and down, its chapters take it TO
granted.
4 THB BIBLE TAKES IT FOR GRANTED.
What does my text imply2 II shall