Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-17
HEAVEN IS AT HAND.
A Common Notion Of Rest in the
Grave Combatted by DR.. Abbott.
TIE TRANSPORTATION LESSON.
Christisn EndeavOr Societies Trying to
Assist the Pastors.
GLELNINGs FROM CHURCH FIELDS

The topic for Sunday school study, May
Is, is the TRANSPORTATION. Here are some OF
the thoughts presented by Lyman Abbott In
his study Of the lesson:
"As read the Now Testament, there is to the
believer no break in the continuity Of lifei no
'long and dreary sleeD,' no waiting for future
and far.off resurrection, no "happv land, far
far away no further use for this lame. blind
deal ailinF sick body after u IL laid away In
ths grave! no conceivable use in preserving II
by embAlming, or stone sArCephagus or iron
cAskeL or closed tomb II the soldiers tent
bis campaign ~ over he IL at homei and the
sooner u IL made over into some new and valu'
able thing the better, II IL tho emigfanrs
wAgohl he has reached his destinations
ia journeys have come % an
shdI knock II 10 pieces and turn ts
material 90 good account, OF the resurrection
Of this body, corrupt, dsaayiRg, sVAResoeBt, the
Bible gives no hint on the contrary, Tepudiates
% IN strongest terms. When the death angel
appears 20 the disciples, saying, Follow me, the
chains fall of from the long-fettered souiI he
carries not a link Of them away 10 anoumbeT bis
future freedom, Whether bwsdenbOTR'G fancy
of spiritual body be true know not Having
no faith In him a. prophet, his revelations
keem 10 be but the imaginingS Of hne and
poetic soul. hut, true or false, the reaurrec,
tlOn 10 accomplished when life II ended, and
the soul and The breath leave she body forever
At the same moment. Thank God II Ia 30.
Thank God my mind IN not 90 be forever fet-
tered by the conditions imposed upon IL by an
easily wsarled brain, nor my heart checked IN
ia aspirations by body gross and sensual and
earthly
HEAVEN Is NEAR
"AA little authority 10 there for the notion Of
ham Ian o. Tho uihlA
never so represents IL. The heavenly Jerusa-
lem Ii holy city let down TO the earth.
Heaven IL at hand. II II has geographical
limits Of any sort earth IL not beyond them.
What powers of soul flight 10 the other and
far-on worlds the soul may possess, who can
tell2 What explorations IL may make into the
secrets OF the universe into which telescope and
apectroscope pry In vain, who dare guess1 Tue
stars may be other continents whittier the
emancipated wander, rs here we travel through
toregn countries, carving our bodies IKE
heavy and cumberson baggage. But whatever
other lands may be opened 10 the winged
spirits, the earth il not closed to them. What
ever other eompanlonship may be theirs, the
They are all ministering spirits; we live and
walk in the midst of them. If our ears were
adjusted TO such delicate music, we might
hear their songs; If our eyes were not SO gross
and sensuous, we might perceive their now
invisible forms.
when the prophet touched the eyes
he saw the horizon full of the horses and
charlots of the Lord encamped around Elisha;
they were not then summoned from far-Off
land for his protection. When Elisha recalled
the wandering spirit of the boy to the dead
body, 1t had not far to travel to return to its
earthly tent. When Christ called in a loud
within hearing and could obey. When Christ
hung on the cross, with the dying thief beside
him, he was able to say, This day shalt thou
be with me in paradise" No long interval of
weary centuries was to be first wasted in useless
sleep. When Paul, imprisoned at Rome. looked
forward with longing to the hour OF his libera.
where the wicked cease from troubling and the
weary are at rest, but that be might depart and
be with Christ, which is far better"
HELPING THE MINISTER.
The topic to be considered by the Societies
OF Christian Endeavor next Sunday is "How
Can We Help Our Minister?r II there is any
class that demands sympathy and support it is
certainly the class which has the religious over
sight Of a church. To those disposed to heap
burdens on the pastor the following extract |
from one of the great novels of the aay Is com. |
mended: The strongest heart will faint some |
times under the feeling that enemies are bitter |
aud that friends only know half it's sorrows. |
lhe most resolute soul will now and then cast |
back yearning look in treading the rough |
mountain path, away from the greensward and |
laughing voices OF the valley
w hile we are coldly discussing mans |
threer, snecring at hIs mistakes blaming his |
Ihbuucst anu laDcllnE MS OpinlOnB-'Evaugeli- |
cal and narrow or Iatitudlnarian and |
pantheistc.' or Anglican and superclious'- |
that man IN his solitude is perhaps shedding |
hot Tears because his sacrifice Is a hard one be, |
cause strength and patience are failing him TO |
speak the difficult word and do the difficult |
deed"
EAST END PREsBYTERIANs.
There Is no place In the Presbyterian fold
where the church growth has been greater In
recent years than the East End Of Plttsburp
IL IL SAID there are not less than dozen strong
churches on the ground occupied by Itpv. pr,
Mellvaine, oldstme pastor of the East Liberty
Church.
Among the most vigorous uf tho late niTs
shoots OF that church is that nj Point lfeeEs,
the hfst pastor Of which, HeT, lie Wit tleh'
liam, this month celebrated tile fret sb6is
NsfsAfY ef his rhstptates The fepaft Of ths
phufeh ~ The fittshhfg ifHsbytpfi, which mst
~ sWlssfHlh recently, showed that ihs beHeFes
lsht contributions we're larger Bef member than
ffHi" any other congregation "a the tffasbYtsFY,
lhsf we're hs fuiiGWsI 10 hdma missions, ki 66bi
foreign missions, sd,ODD various other boards af
ihe eluiat and iGT congregational purposes,
tiuWh making Total IT sih47b as the GaHiTis
buttons fGr ihe year past Ihe additions 20 the
ohhiHh TOT lh6 year NaTe 7a, baptisms "a, aud |
the SUNDAY school snroimsntis Eb