Sharp County record., 1890-08-28
MEETING in HEAVEN.
Discourse by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage at Waseca, Minn.
The Array of Argumen, in support OF the
Worlds Expectancy OF the Meetings
aud MUTUAL Recognitions Be
yond the Grave.


the following sermon 10 an immense
outdoor audience at Waseca, Minn.'
taking for his text:
shall go to hlm.-lI sam. xii, q.
There is a very sick child in the
abode of David the King. Disease,
which stalks up the dark lane OF tho
poor and puts its smothering hand on
the nostril of the wan and wasted, also
mounts the palace-stairs, and bending
over the pillow blows into tho face OF
q young Prince the frosts OF pain and
death. Tears are wine to the King OF
Terrors. Alas for David the King, lie
can neither sleep no eat, and lies pros
trate On his face, weeping and wailing
until the palace rings with the outcry
OF woe. .
What are courtly attendants, or vic
torious armies, or conquered provinces
under such circumstances? What to
any parent are splendid surroundings
when his child is sick? Seven days
have passed on. Then in that great
house, two eyelds are gently closed,
two little hands folded, two lit
tle feet quiet, one heart still.
The servants come to bear the
tidings to the King, but they can
not make up their minds to tell him,
and they stand at the door whispering
about the matter, and David heard them
and he looks up and says to them: "ls
the child dead?" "Yes, he is dead.
David rouses himself up, washes him
self, puts on new apparel, and sits
down to food. What power
hushed that tempest? What one
strength was it that lifted up that
King whom grief had dethroned? Oh,
it was the thought that he would come
again into the possession of that dar-
ling child. No grave-digger's spade
could hide him. The wintry blasts Of
death could not put out the bright
light. There would be a forge some-
where that with silver hammer would
weld the broken links, In city where
the hoofs of the pale horse never
strike the pavement he would clasp his
lost treasure. He wipes away the tears
from his eyes, and he clears the chok-
ing grief from his throat and exclaims:
II shall 60 to him."
Was David right or wrong? If we
part on earth will we meet again in the
next worldP "Well," says some one,
"that seems to be an impossibility.
Heaven is so large place we never
could find our kindred 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
yaster than all earthly cities together,
and how are you going to find your
departed friend in that country?
1t is so vast realm. John went up on
ono mountain of inspiration, and he
looked off upon the multitude, and ahe
said: Thousands of thousands" Then
he came upon greater altitude OF in
spiration and looked of upon it again,
and he said. "Ten thousand times ten
thousand" And then he came on
higher mount of inspiration, and
looked of again, and he said
"a hundred and forty and four
thousand and thousands of thousands" J"
And he came on still greater height
OF inspiration, and he looked off again
and exclaimed; "a great multitude
that no man can number" Now | ask,
how are you going to find your friends
in such throng as that? Is not this
idea we have been entertaining after
all u falsity? Is this doctrine of future
recognition Of friends in Heaven guess,
myth, whim, or is it n granite
fountain upon which the soul pierced
of all ages may build glorious hope?
Intense question: Every heart in this
audience throbs right into it, There is
in every soul horo the tomb of at least
one dead
Tremendous question! 1t makes the
lip quivcr and the cheek flush, and the
entire nature thrill: Shall we know
each other there? get letters almost
every month asking mo to discuss this
subject | get letter in bold schol-
arly hand, on gilt-edged paper, asking
me to discuss this question, and | say;
"Ah! that is curious man, and he
wants curious question solved But
get another lottor 1t Is written with
a trembling hand, and on what seems
TO be torn-out leaf Of n book, and here
and there is the mark of a tear; and !!
say; "Oh, that is q broken heart and
II wants to bo oomfortod,"
Tho object of this sermon Is to tako
this theory out of the region of surmiso
and speculation into the region OF posi-
tive certainty. People say; ut would
be worry pleasant II that doctrine were
true. hope 1t may be true. Perhaps
II is true. wish n wcrc truc." But
believe that can bring an accumula-
tion of argument to bear upon this mat
ter which will prove tho doctrine of fut.
uro recognition rs plainly as that
there is any in Heaven ut all, aud that
the kiss OF reunion at tho celestial cato
will be as certain as the dying kiss at
the door of the sopulchor
Now, when you are going to build n
ship you must got tho right kind of tim
bcr You lay tho focl and mako the
f,n,noworl ~ tho worry host materials.