Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-02-03

ment of soul. look far down and look fal
I'm and to force upon you the conclusion
that il all our climbing has only SHOWN US
the foundations Of this wall, what must tne
wall itself be; and if this is the outslde o!
heaven, what must the inside be; and Il all
this is figuratiye, what must the reality be;
On. this niled ND magnificence of the heav-
enly WALT Oh, this eternity OF decora-
tionI Oh, this opalescent, fioreScent,
prismatic miracle Of architecture! What
enthronement of all colors A mingling OF
the blue Of skies, and the surf OF seas, and
the green Of meadows, and the upholstery Oh
autumnal forests and the fire OF August
sunsets. ALI the splendors OF earth ana
heaven dashed into those twelve rows OF
foundation wall All that. mark you, only
typical of the spiritual glories that roll over
heaven like the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
swing in one billow.
Do you not see that it was Impossible
| that you understand hundredth part OF the
suggestiveness of that twenty-arst chapter
of Revelation without going into some OF
the particulars of the wall of heaven and
dipping up some of its dripping colors. and
running your eye along some OF its won
drous crystallisations and examining soma
of the frozen light in its turquoise, and
feeling with your own finger the hardness
Of its sapphire and shielding your eyes
against the shinmering hrilliance IN It's
beryl, and studying the 1900 miles Oh emer'
aid without faw2 Yet all this only the
outside of heaven, ani ths poorest part OF
| the outside not the wall itself, but only the
| foot OF the wall, for my text says, The
| foundations of the wall of the city were gar.
nished with all manner of precious stones"
Oh, get down your harp if you can play
one Get down palm branch II you can can
reach one Why, it makes us all feel like
crying out with Jane; Montgomery;
When shall these eyes thy heaven built walls
And pearly gates behold?
Oh, my sou'I If my text shows us only
the outside, what must theinside b.P While
riding last summer through the emperor's
park near ST. Petersburg, I was captivate1
with graves. transplanted from all zones,
and the flower beds--niles this way aud
miles that way--incarnadined with beauty,
and the fountains bounding In such revel
with the sunlight as nowhere elss is seen,
said, "This is beautiful. never saw any
thing like this bsfore."
But when entered the palace and saw
the pictured walls, and the long lins or sCat-
uary, and aquariums aaoat with all brlgho
scales. and aviaries a.chant.with bird VOICES,
and the inner doors Of the palaces were
swung back by the chamberlain, ana saw
the emperor and empress and princes anu
princesses, and they greeted me VITA cor,
diality OF old acquaintaucesl1p, lorgeU az
the groves and floral bewitchment NAG
seen outside before entrance. And now
ask, if the outside of heaven attracts our
souls today, how much more will be the up
lifting when we get inside and see the h'ng
in His beauty and all the princes ana
prime ssses of the palaces of amethysts
Are YOU not glad that we did not stop IN
our ascent tais morning until we got to the
ton round of the foundation wal OF heaven,
the twelfth row, the amethyst Perhaps tne
ancient Hebrews were not, after all 30 Tar
out of the way when they thou yhe tnat tne
touch OF the amethyst gave pleasant Dreams
for the touch of it this hour gives me very
n, ,easant dream. Standing on this amethyst
/ dream dream. c.ose my eyes and see
it all. We are there. This is hsavenl MOI
the outside, hut the inside of heaven.
With what warmth OF weicone our long
ngo departed loved ones have kissed us. MY
How they have c1auge1 in looksl Iney
were so sick when they went away, and now
they are SO WELL Look Yonder is the
placs of our Lord the King. Not kept
moment outside we are usherei into the
throneroom. Stretching out bis SCARED
hand He saws. ''l have loved thee with an
everlasting lONc, ahV WO tSSRN~Nf
have / in heaven but Theep'
But. looki Yonder is the playground OF
the children. Children do you want throne.
A throne would not At child. There they
are on the Fairgrounds Of heaven-the chill
dren Out of the sick cradle OF earth they
came into this romping mirth OF the eternal
nIsvprounds. [ clap my hands to cheer
them in the glea. Yonder are the palaces oil
the martyrs and before their doorway the
flowers. crimson as the bloody martyrdoms
through which they waded up into glory.
Yonder is Apostolic row, and the nlgnest
turrets is over the home OF Paul. here IS
Evangelist place Yonder are the concert
halls in which the musicians OF eartn ana
heaven are taking part-Handel with organ,
ami David with harp, and Gabriel with
trumpet. and four and twenty elders with
voices. .,,x-,
And an angel OF God says: Where shall
r take you9 On what street of heaven
would you like to live9 What celestial
habitation would you like to occupy% And
| answer: "Now that have got inside the
wall made up Of all manner OF precious
stones I do not care where you put me. just
show me where my departed loved ones are.
| have seen the Lord, and next want TO
see them. r-.:.,
tbe kjnpdom of God on earth. They are
from fro nv old parishes at Belleyille and Syra,,
cuse and Philadelphia and Brooklyn, AMI
rom many places on both sides the sea
where have been permitted to work with
them and 1or them. Give them the best
nj cog Won can find. / will help steady
them as they mount the thrones. l will help
YOU burnisa their coronets.
Take these my old friends, to as good
rooms as you can get for them in the house
of many mansions, and with windows look
ing out upon the palace OF the great. King;
AS for myself, anywhere in heaven is good
enough for me- Aalleluiah to the Lamb
that vss stain" But awake. In the ecstasy
of the momont my foot slipped from the
layer of amethyst, that so called producer
of dreams, and in the effort to eaten nysell