The free press., 1892-02-18

! this masterpiece of heaven by st. John Is
more impressive when we take only. thirty
minutes of it at a time Now we have some
thing that we can come nearer to grasplng,
and it is quiet heaven. When we discourse
about the multitudes of heaven it must bs
| almost nervous shock to those who have
all their lives been crowded by many peo-
pie and who want quiet heaven.
For the last thirty-five years have been
| much of the time in crowds and under puonc
scrutiny and amid excitements, and have
sometimes thought for few weeks after l
reach heaven | would like to go down In
| some quiet part of the realm with few
friends and for some little while try COM
parative solitude. Then there are those
whose hearing is SO delicate that they get no
satisfaction when you describe the crash OF
the eternal orchestra, and they feel like say
ing, as good woman in Hudson, N. x,
| said, after hearing me speak OF the mighty
| chorus of heaven 'That must be a great
heaven, but what will become of my poor
head?' Yes, this half hour Of my text is a
| still experience.
"There was silence in heaven for half an
hour" You will find the inhabitants all
at home. Enter the Kings Palace and take
only a glimpse, for we have only thirty mini
utes for all heaven. rs that Jesus% YES"
just under the hair alongiHis foreheadi is the
mark of wound made by buuch OF
has on the round of His instep another mark
of wound made by spike, and scar on
the palm of the left hand. But what a
countenancel What a smile! What
grandeuri What lovelinessl What
an overwhelming look of kindness
and gracel Why, He looks as II
He had redeemed a worldl But come on.
for our time is short Do you see that row of
palaces? That is the Apostolic row. DO
you see that long reach of architectural
plories? That is Martyr row. DO you see
that immense structure? That is the big.
gest house in heaven; that is 1.-THE House OF
Many Mansions" Do you see that wallf
Shade. your eyes against ITS burning splen-
dor, for that is the wall of heaven, jasper
at the bottom and amethyst at the top:
See this river rolling through the heart OF
the great metropolis? That is the river
concerning which those who once lived on
the banks of the Hudson, or the Ala
bama, or the Rhine, or the Shannon nor.
for clarity and sheen" That is the
chief river of heaven-so bright, so wide, so
deep. But you ask, "Where are the
asyiums for the old?' answer, ''The
inhabitants are all young" Where are
the hospitals for the lame?' "They are all
agile" "Where are the infirmaries for the
.Where are the almhouses for the poor"
'They are all multmillionaires." "Where
are the inebriate asylums?' "Why, there
are no saloons" 'FWhere are the grave
yardsT' "Why, they never die" Pass
down those boulevards of gold and
interminable streets built by the Archi-
tect of the universe into homes,
over the threshold Of which sorrow
never steps, and out of whose windows faces,
once pale with earthly sickness, now look
rubicund with immortal health. "Oh, let
me go in and see them% you say. No. you
cannot go in. There are those there who
would never consent to let you come up.
You say. "Let me stay here i'll this place
where they never sin, where they never sut-
fer, where they never part" No, no! Our
time is short, our thirty minutes are almost
gone. Come onl We must get back to the
earth before this half hourOf heavenly silence
breaks up, for in your mortal state you can
not endure the pomp and splendor and reso-
nance when this half hour of silence is ended.
The day will come when you can see
heaven in full blast, but not-now. L am now
only showing you heavenat the dullest half
hour of all the eternities. Come on! There Is
something in the celestial appearance which
makes me think that the half hour of silence
will soon be over. onder are the Whl1e
horses being hitched to chariots, and yonder
are seraphs lingering harps as II about to
strike them into symphony, and yonder are
copouerors taking down from the blue halls
of heaven the trumpets,of victory.
Remember, we are mortal yet, and cannot
endure the full roll of heavenly harmonleS
and cannot endure even the silent heaven
for more than half an hour. Harkl the
clock in the tower of'heaven begins to strike
aud the half hour is ended. Descend Come
backl Come down till your work is donei
Shoulder a little longer your burdensl Fight
a little longer your battlesl Weep little
longer your grefsi And then take heaven,
not in its dullest half hour, but In ITS
mightiest pomp, and instead OF taking 1T
fo,. thirty minutes take it world without
end.
But how will you spend the first half hour
of vour heavenly citizenship after you have
gone in to stay? After your prostration be-
fore the throne in worship OF Him who
made it possible for youto get there at all,
/ think the rest of your first haf hour III
heaven will be passed in receiving your re-
ward if YOU have been faithful. l have
STRANGELY beautiful book containing the pic
tures of the medals struck by the English
in honor of great battles; these
medals pinned over the heart OF the re-
turned heroes of the army on, ,greatoccasions
the royal family present; the Crlmean
medal, the Victoria cross. tne "aoerioo
medal
In your first half hour in heaven in. some
wav You will be honored for the earthly
STRUGGLES in which you won the day. Stand
up before all the royal house OF heaven ana
receive the insignia while you are an
nounced as the victor over the droughts
and freshets of the farm field, victor over
the temptations of the Stock Exchange.
victor over professional allurements, victor
over domestic infelicitles, victor over me-
chanic's shop, victor over the storehouse,
victor over home worriments, victor over
physical distresses, victor over hereditary
deDressions, victor over sin and death and
hell. Take the badge that celebrates those
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Take it in the presence of all the galleries
sanity, angelic and divine!
Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer though they de-
They see the triumph from afar
And seize it with their eye.