The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-02-15
AT THE TABERNACLE.
REV. rR. TAlMAaE breaches ON A
VISION OF HEAVEN.

sions of Heaven-what Ae Saw In a
Dream-A Glowing Desoription-The
Lesson and tho Exhortation.
BROOKLYN, Feb. 4.-In the Brook.
lyn Tabernacle this forenoon the
hymns, tho Scripture lesson and the
prayers, as we'll as the sermon, were
about the future world more than about
this world. Rev. DR.. Talmage took for
bis subject "a Vision of Heaven,D the
text being Ezekiel i, /, "Now it came tt
pass as was among the captives by thu
river Of Chebar that the heavens were
opened, and saw visions of God"
Expatriated and in far exile On tn,
banks OF the river Chebnr, an affluent o
the Euphrates, sat Ezskiel. 1t wa
there he had an immortal dream, and i
is gwen to us in tho Holy Scriptures
He dreamed Of Tyre and Egypt. II,
dreamed Of Christ and the coming heaven
This exile seated by that river Chebar
had q more wonderful dream than you
or I ever have had or ever will have
seated on the banks If the Hudson or
Alabama or Oregon or Thames or Tiber
or Danube.
But we all have had memorable dreams
some Of them when we were half asleep
and half awake, 30 that we did not know
whether they werc born Of shadow Or
sunlight; whether thoy were thoughts
let loose and dlsarrapged as in slumber
or the imagination Of faculties awake.
Such dream l had this morningI It.
was halt past S, and the day was break
Ing. 1t was dream Of Coda dream
of heaven. Ezekiel had his dream on
the baks OF the Chebar. had my dream
not far from the banks Of the Hudson.
The most of the stories of heaven were
written many centuries ago and thev
tell us how the place looked then or
how it will look centuries ahead. Would
you not like to know how it looks now?
That is what am gong to tell you.
was there this morning. have just
got back. How got into that city OF
the sun l know not.
Which Of the IL gates 1 entered is IL
me uncertain. ButmY tirstremembrnnce
OF the scene is that stood on ono Of the
m in avenues, looking this way and that,
lost IN raptures, and the air 80 full of
mualc and redOleDce aud laughter and
light that l knew not which street to
take. when an angel of God accosted me
and offered to show me tho objects Of
greatest Interest, and to conduct me from
street to street, and from mausion to
manslon, and from tcmpio to temple,
aud form wall to wall. l said TO the
angel, How long hast thou been in
heavenP" and the answer came, "Thir-
ty two years, according to tho earthly
calendar"
There was @ aecrct about this ongel's
name that was not given me, but from
the tenderness and sweetness and atlec
ton and interest taken in my walk
through heaven, and more than all in the
fact OF 80 years. residence-tbe number
Of years since she asccnded-I think il
was my mother. Old age and decrepl.
tude and the tired look were all gone,
but l think it was she. You SEQ, | was
only on visit to the city and had not
yet taken up residence, and could
know only in part.
looked in for few moments at tho
great temple. Our brilliant and lovely
Scotch essaYist, Mr.. Drummond, SAYS
there is no church in heaven, but he did
not look Tor it on the right street. St..
John was right when In his Patmosic
vision, recorded in the third chapter OF
he speaks of "the temple OF
my God" l saw it this morning-the
largest church l ever saw, as big as all
the churches and cathedrals of the Garth
put ttogether-andi ii was thronged. On,
what a'mulLitude! l had never seen 80
many people together. All tue audiences
OF oil the churches ofall the earth put to.
gether would make poor attendance
with that assemblage.
There was fashion in attire and
headdress that Immediately took my at.
tention. TEa fashion was white. ALI
n white save one. And the headdress
was q garland OF rose and lily and mig
lonette, mingled with green leaves culled
from the royal gardens and bound TO.
gether with binds Of gold.
And l saw some young mon with q
ring on finger of the right hand and said
to my accompanying angel, "Why those
rings on the fingers Of the right hauds?n
and was told that those who were them
were prodle al sons and once fed swine in
The wilderness and lived on husks, but
they came home, and the rejoicing father
said, Put rlng on his hand"
But said there was one exception to
this fashion OF white pervading all the
auditorium and clear up through all the
galleries. 1t was the attire of the one
who presided in that immense temple
The chic fest, the mlghtest the lowell.
eat person in all tho place. HIS
cheeks seemed to be flushed
With infinite beauty. and hls lips
were eloquence omnlpotent. But his
attire was OF deep colores. They sug.
geeted the carnage through which he
had passed, and said to my attending
angle, "What is that crimson robe that
that he wears2" and l was told, "They
are dyed garm ents form Bozrah,n and
"He trod the wine press q lone.'
Soon after I entered this temple thew
began to chant the celestial litany. II
was unlike anything I had ever heard
ior sweetness or power and l have heard
Inc most OF the great organs and the
most OF the great oratorios. I SAID to
my accompanying angel, who Is that
standing yon6A' with the harp?" and
the answer was, David" And 1 said
VINO ls that sounding that trumpe,pn
and the answer was, Gabriel" And I
sad, WHO is that at the organP'' and
Inc answer was, "uandle.' And The