The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-12

eign lands. He comes home. He does
not begin by arguing with You to prove
that there are such places as London
and Stockholm and Paris and Dresden
and Berlin, but his conversation inn
plies it. And so this Bible does not so
positively state this theory as, all up
and down, its chapters take it for
granted.
THE BIBLE TAKES IT FOR GRANTED.
What does my text i1nply2 IT shall
90 to him" What consolation would
it be to David to go to his child If he
would not know him9 Would David
have been allowed to record this an
tcipation for the inspection of all ages
it it were a groundless anticipation
We read in the first book of the Bible.
Abraham died and was gathered to his
people. Jacob died and was gathered
to his people. Moses died and was
gathered to his people. What peoplea
Why, their friends, their comrades,
their old companions. Of course it
means that. It cannot mean anything
else. SO in the very 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 consolation. James.
John and Peter followed Christ into
the mountain. A light falls from heaven
on that mountain and lifts it into the
glories of the celestial. Christ's gar
ments glow and his face shines like the
sun. The door of heaven swings open.
Two spirits come down and alight on
that mountain. The disciples look at
them and recognize them as Moses and
Elias. Now if those disciples standing
on the earth could recognize these two
spirits who had been for years in heav-
en- 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 if the
angels have the power of recognition
shall not we, who are to be higher than
they in the next realm, have as good
eyesight and as good capacity2 What
did Christ mean in his conversation
with Mary and Martha when he said,
'Thy brother shall rise again2" 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"
GREAT HOME CIRCLE.
The Bible describes heaven as great
home circle. Well, now, that would be
very queer home circle where the
members did not know each other. The
Bible describes death as sleep. If we
know each other before we go to sleep
shall we not know each other after we
wake upa Oh, yes We will know each
other a great deal better then than
now, ''for now" says the apostle, 1--WE
see through a glass darkly, but then
face to face" It will be my purified,
enthroned and glorified body gazing on
your purified, enthroned and glorified
body.
Now I demand, if you believe the
Bible, that you take this theory of fut-
ure recognition out of the realm of
speculation and surmise into the region
of positive certainty, and no more keep
saying, 81 hope it is SO; have an idea
it is SO; guess it 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
arguments other reasons why I accept
this theory. In the first place because
the rejection of it implies the entire
obEteration of our memory. Can it be
possible that we shall forget forever
those with whose walk, look, manner
we have been so long familiar2 Will
death come, and with a sharp, keen
blade hew away this faculty of mem
ory2 Abraham said to Dives, 'Son,
remember" If the exiled and the lost
remember, will not the enthroned re-
member2
You know very well that our joy in
any circumstance is augmented by the
companionship 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 glances and sympa-
thies; and 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 tie jubilate of the saved.
Heaven is not contraction, it is an
expansion. If I know you here will
know you better there. Here see you
with only two eyes, but there the soul
ahan have million eyes. It will be
Immortality gazing on Immortality
ransomed spirit in colloquy with ran
somed spirit = victor beside victor.
When John Evans, the Scotch minis
ter, was seated in his study his wife
came in and said to him, s'My dear, do
you think we will know each other in
heavenw He turned to her and said,
my dear, do you think we will be big
ger fools in heaven than we are herew
THE WORLDS EXPECTANCY AFFIRMs IT.
Again, / accept this doctrine of fut
ure recognition because the worlds ex-
pectancy affirms it. In all lands and
ages this theory is received. What
form Of religion planted it9 No form
Of RELIGION for Il ia received under all