Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-07-25

q
Now demand, IL you believe the Bible,
that you take this theory OF future recogni.
tion out OF the realm Of speculation and sur
mise into the region of positive certainty,
and no more keep saying, II hope 1t is 50, l
have an idea il is so, guess II is So" Be able
to say, with all the concentrated energy OF
body, mind and soul, II know it is So"
There are in addition TO these Bible argu-
ments other reasons why ! accept this
theory. In the first place because the rejec-
ton OF Il implies the entire obliteration OF
our memory. Can II be possible that We
shall forget forever those with whose walk,
look. manner we have been 30 long familiarf
win death come, and with a sharp, keen
blade hew away this faculty OF memoryi
Abraham said TO Dives: "Son, remember"
IL the exiled and lost remember will not the
enthroned remember.
You know very well that our Joy In any
circumstances is augmented by the compan-
ionship of our friends. Wecannot see pic
ture with less than four eyes or hear song
with less than four ears. We want some one
beside us with whom to exchange glances
and sympathies. and l suppose the JOY oil
heaven Is to be augmented by the fact that
we are 70 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 q
contraction; IL is an expansion. IL know
you here l will know you better there. Here
| ses ycu with only two eyes but there the
soul shall have million eyes. 1t will be i'm.
mortality gazing on Immortality, ransomed
spirit in colloquy with ransomed spirit victor
beside victor. When John Evans, the Scotch
minister, was seated in his study his wife
came in and said to himi my dear, do you
think we will know each other in heaveny'
He turned TO her and said: my dear, do you
think we will be bigger fools In heaven than
we are herey'
Again l accept this doctrine Of future re.
cognition because the worlds expectancy af.
firms It. In all lands and ages this theory Is
received. What form OF religion planted itf
| No form Of religion, for it Is received under
all forms of religion. Then, Iargue. a senti.
ment, feeling an anticipation, universally
planted, must have been God implanted, ami
| II God implanted it Is rightfully implanted
| Socrates writes: "Who would not part with
great deal to purchase a meeting with Or
pheus and Homeri IL it be true that this 10
! to be the consequence Of death l could even
be able TO die often
Cicero, living before Christ's coming, saidi
| "Oh, glorious day when shall retire from this
low and sordid scene to associate with the
divine assemblage OF departed spirits, and
not only with the one have just now men.
toned, but with my dear Cato, the best OF
sons and tho most faithful Of men. IL !
seemed to bear his death with fortitude Ii
was by no means that did not most sensibly
feel the loss had sustained. 1t was because
was supported by the consoling reflection
that we could not long be separated"
| The Norwegian believes it. The Indian
believes it. The Greeulander believes 1t.
The Swiss believe1it. The Turk believe. it.
Under every sky, by every river, in every
zone, the theory is adopted, and 50 | say a
principle universally implanted must be God
implanted, and hence right belief. The ar
gument Is irresistible
Again | adopt this theory because theirs
are features Of moral temperament and feat
ures OF the soul that will distinguish US for.
ever. How do we know each other in this
worldS Is it merely by the color OF the eye,
or the length Of the hair, or the facial pro
portionsi Oh, no. 1t is by the disposition
as well, by natural affinity, using the word
In the very best sense and not In the bad
sense, and IL In the dust our body should
perish, and lie there forever, and there should
be no resurrection. still the soul has enough
features and the disposition has enough feat
ures to mako us distinguishable. | can un
derstand how In sickness man will become
so delirlous that he will not know his owl
friends; but will we be blasted with such in
sufferable idiocy that standing beside oul
best friends for all eternity, we will neve'
guess who they areS
Again, think that one reason why W,
ought TO accept this doctrine is because WI
never In this world have an opportunity u
give thanks TO those to whom we are spir
ituaIly indebted. The JOY OF heaven, we ar
told, Is to be inaugurated by review o
nfes work, These Christian men and womel
who have been toiling for Christ, have they
seen the full result Of their workf Oh, no.
In the church OF Somerville, N. j., job,
Vredenburgh preached for a great mar
years. He felt that his ministry was a fail
ure, although he was G faithful minister
preaching the Gospel all the time. He died
and died amid discouragements, and wen
home to God; for no one ever doubted tina
John Vredenburgh was a good Christian
minister A little while after his deaf
there came q great awakening in Somer
vile, and one Sabbath two hundred soul
stood up at the Christian altar espousing tn
cause OF Christ among them my own fathe
and mother. And what was peculiar in re
gard to nearly all of those two hundre
souls was that they dated their religious i'm
pressions from the ministry OF John Vreden
burgh. Will that good Christian man bt
fore the throne OF God never meet thos
souls brought to Christ through his instru
mentality Oh, Of course he will know them
| remember one Sabbath afternoon, born
down with the sense of my sins, and know
Ing not God, l took up Doddridge's "Ris
and Progress" OA, what a dark afternoo
It was, and | read the chapters, and rea
the prayers, and tried TO make the prayer
my own. Oh, I mast see Philip Doddridge
A glorious old book he wrote. 1t Is out {
fashion now.
There is a mother before the throne {
God. You say her joy Is full. Is itf Yo
say there can be no augmentation OF 1t. CGi
not there bei Her son was wanderer and
yagabond on the earth when that goc
mother died. He broke her old heart. 81
died leaving him in the wilderness Of sil
She is before the throne of God now. Yea
|. pass and that son repents of his crimes an
gives his heart to God aud becomes a usefl
Christian, aud dies and enters the gates
heaven. You tell me that that mothers j.
cannot be augmented Let them confrol
each other. The son and the mother. "Oh
she says to the angles OF God, "rejoice wit
me. The dead is alive again, and the lost
found. Hallelujah! never expected to s.
this lost one come back The Bible says N
.. tons are to be born in day. When Chii
comes to God will 1t not know DR.. Abos
= When India comes will it not know DR.. Jol
: Scudderl When the Indians come to e.
,. will they not know David Brainardt
l see soul entering heaven at last, wi
little for Christ and feeling borne down Wi
: unworthineSs, and 1t says to itself, II ha
! no right to be hereo A voice from Il
, throne says: "oh, you forget that Sunda
! school class you invited to Christ. l was o
: Of them" And another voice says: "Yt
! forget that poor man TO whom you gave
: : loaf of bread and told Of the heavenly brea
= was that man." And another says: "YC
!, forget that sick one to whom you gave mex
y cine for the body and the soul. was tn
!, one." And then Christ, from throne owe
" toppinp all the rest will saw: HInasmuch
+ We did It to one of the least OF these, you
!, 1t to Me-" And then the seraphs will Ia
!, ! their harps from the side Of the throne Al
y cry; What song shall IL bey' And Chri'
= bending over the harpers shall say:
T shall be the Harvest Home'n