Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-02-22

countenance and apparel hadto shade
my eyes with both hands. because
could not endure the luster. and said
Angel, do tell me who they are?" and
the answer was: These are they who
came out of great tribulation and had
| their robes washed and made white m
the blood of the Lamb"
My walk through the city explained
thousand things on earth that had
been to me inexplicable. When i saw
up there the superior delight and the
superior Heaven of many who had on
earth had it hard with cancers, and
bankruptcies, and prosecutions. and
trials of all sorts, | said: God has
equalized it all at last; excess of en-
chantment in Heaven has more than
made upfor deficits on earth. I"
But" l said to my angelic escort.
Il must go now. 1t is Sabbath morn
ing on EARTH and must preach to-day
and be in my pulpit by half past ten
o clock. Good-by,'' | said to my attend
ing angel Thanks for what you have
shown me. | know have seen only in
part, but l hope to return again.
through the atoning mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Good-by.''
Then passed on amid chariots of
salvation, and along by conquerors'
thrones, and amid pillared majesties,
and by windows of agate, and under
arches that had been hoisted for re-
turned victors. And as | came toward
the walls with the gates, the walls
flashed upon me with emeralds and
sapphires and chrysoprases and anne
thysts until trembled under the
glory, and then heard a bolt shove
and a latch lift, and gate swing, and
they were all of pearl, and ] passed out
loaded with raptures, and down by
worlds lower and lower. and lower
still, until ! came within sight of the
city of my earthly residence, and until
through the window of my earthly
home the sun poured so strong upon my
pillow that my eyelids felt it, and in
bewilderment as to where was, nnd
what | had seen, | awoke.
Reflection the first: The superiority
of our Heaven over all other heavens
The Scandinavian heaven; The de-
parted are in everlasting battle. ex-
cept as restored after being cut to
pieces, they drink wine out of the
skulls of their enemies. The Moslem
heaven as described by the Koran:
There shall be Hours with large
black eyes like pearls hidden in their
Shells The Slav's heaven: After
death the soul hovers six weeks about
the body. and then climbs ste,
mountain, on the top of which is Para
disc. The Tasmanian's heaven: A
spear is placed by the head, that they
may have something to fight with, and
after while they go into long chas,
for game of all sorts The Tahitian's
heaven: The departed are eaten up OF
the gods. The native African heavens;
A land of shadows, and speaking of
the departed they say, all is done for
ever. The American aborigine' S heavens:
Happy hunting grounds, to which
the soul goes on bridge of snake.
The philosopher heaven: Made out
of thick fog, or an infinite don't
know. But hearkenl and behold our
Heaven, which, though mostly de-
scribed by figures of speech in the
Bible and by parable of a dream in this
discourse, has for its chief characters
tics separation from all that is vile;
absence of all that can discomfort;
presence of all that can graduate, No
mountains to climb; no chasms to
bridge; no night to illuminate; no tears
to wipe Scandinavian heaven, Slav's
heaven. Tasmanian heaven, Tahitian
heaven, African heaven. Aborigine's
heaven, scattered into tameness and
disgust by glimpse of St Johns
Heaven, of Paurs Heaven, of Christ's
Heaven. of your Heaven, of my Heavenl
Reflection the second: You had bet
ter take patiently and cheerfully all
pangs, affronts, hardships, persecu-
tions, and trials of earth since, if right
ly borne, they insure heavenly pay
ments of ecstacy.
Every twinge of physical distress,
every lie told about You. every earthly |
subtraction. if meekly borne, will be
addition. If you want to
amount to anything in Heaven, and TO
move in its best society, you must be
perfected through suffering" The
only earthly currency worth anything
1t the gate of Heaven is the silver of
tears. At the top of all Heaven sits
the greatest sufferer, Christ, of the
caravansary and of Pilates
over and terminer. and of the Calva-
-ean assassination.
What he endured, oh, who can tellY
To save our souls from death and hell
}, We of the broken heart, and the dis
appointed ambition: and the shattered
'ortune, and the blighted life, take
comfort from what / saw in my Sab
path morning dream
Reflection the third and last: How
that we all get there. Start
his moment with prayer and penitence
md faith in Christ. who came from
Ieaven to earth to take us from earth
o Heaven. Last summer, year ago,
preached one Sabbath afternoon in