News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-07-17

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 ike 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 capacity? What
did Christ mean in his conversation
with Mary and Martha when he said,
''Thy brother shall rise again?" 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.
A 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 q sleep. If we
know each other before we so to sleep
shall we not know each other after we
wake upl- Oh, yes. We will know each
other great deal better then than
now, ''for now," says the apostle, eve
see through n glass darkly, but then
face to face" 1t viii be my purified,
enthroned and glorified body gazing on
your purified, enthroned and glorified
body
Now | 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 moro keep
saying, Il hope it is 50; have an idea
it is so; guess it is So" Be able to
say, with all the concentrated energy
of body, mind and soul, Il know it
is So"
There are in addition to these Bible
arguments other reasons why l accept
this theory In the first place because
the rejection of it implies the entire
obliteration of our memory. Can it be
possible that we shall forget forever
those with whose walk, look, manner
we have been so long familiar? VIII
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
member9
You know very well that our Joy in
any circumstance is augmented by the
companionship of our friends. We can
not see a 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 l 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 the jubilate of the saved.
Heaven is not a contraction, it is an
expansion. If l know you here l will
know you better there. Here | see you
with only two eyes, but there the soul
shall have a million eyes. 1t 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, My dear, do
you think we will know each other in
heavenp' He turned to her and said,
My dear, do you think we will be big
ger fools in heaven than we are here?"
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 it? No form
of religion, for it is received under all
forms of religion. Then, 1 argue, a
sentiment, a feeling, an anticipation,
universally planted, must have been
God implanted, and if God implanted
it is rightfully implanted. Socrates
writes, 'Who would not part with a
great deal 10 purchase meeting with
Orpheus and Homer? If it be true
that this is to be the consequence of
death, 1 could even be able to die
often
Among the Danes, when a master
dies his servant sometimes Stays him.
self, that he may serve the master in
the future world Cicero, living before
Christ's coming, said, "Oh, glorious
day when 1 shall retire from this low
and sordid scene, to associate with the
divine assemblage of departed spirits
and not only with the one l have just
now mentioned, but with my dear Cato,
the best of sons and most faithful of
men. If l seemed to bear his death
with fortitude, it was by no means that
| did not most sensibly feel the loss |
had sustained. 1t was because l was
supported by the consoling reflection
that we could not long be separated
The Norwegian believes it. The In
dian believes it. The Greenlander be-
lieves it. The Swiss believe it. The
Turks believe it. Under every sky, by
every river, in every zone, the theory
is adopted, and so / say principle
universally implanted must be God i'm
planted, and hence a right belief The
argument is irresistible.
INDIVIDUALITY WILL REMAIN
Again, | adopt this theory because
there are features OF moral tempera-
ment and features of the soul that will
distinguish us forever How do we
know each other in this world? Is it |
merely by the color of the eye or the
length of the hair, or the facial pro
portions! Oh, no. 1t is by the dispo-
sition as well, by natural affinity, using
the word in the very best sense and not
in the bad sense; and if in the dust our
body should perish and lie there for
ever, and there should be no resurrec-
ton, still the soul has enough features
and the disposition has enough features
to make us distinguishable | can under
stand how in sickness a man will be-
come so delirious that he will not know
his own friends; but will we be blasted
with such insufferable idiocy that,
standing beside our best friends for all