Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-02-16

reversal Ut earthly conditions. iknew,
OF course, that there would be differ
enees OF attire and residence in
Heaven, for Paul had declared long
ago that souls would then differ las
one star differs from another" as Mars
| from Mercury, as Saturn from Jupiter
But at every step in my dream in
Heaven ] was amazed to see
that some who were expected
to be high in Heaven were low
down, and some who were expected
to be low down were high up. You
thought, for instance. that those born
OF pious parentage, and of naturally
good disposition, and of brilliant
faculties, and of all styles of attractive
ness, will move in the highest range Of
celestial splendor and pomp. No, no.
l found the highest thrones. the
brightest coronets, the richest
mansions. were occupied by those
who had reprobate father. or bad moth
er, and who inherited the twisted
natures of ten generations of mis-
creants, and who had compressed in
their body all depraved appetites and
OF Gods arm, they cried for especial
mercy, they conquered seven devils
within and seventy devils without and
were washed in the blood Of the Lamb,
and by SO much as their contest was
terrific, and awful, and prolix. their
victory was consummate and re-
splendent, and they have taken places
UNNECESSARILY higher than those of
good parentage, who could hardly help
being good, because they had ten gen.
eratons Of preceding piety to aid them.
The steps by which many have mount
ed to the highest places in Heaven
were made out of the cradles of COR
rupt parentage. When | saw that, I
said to my attending angel That is
fair; that is right. The harder the
struggle the more glorious the re-
ward"
AS walked through those streets 1
appreciated for the first time what
Paul said to Timothy: 'If we suffer-
we shall also reign with Him 1t sur
priscd me beyond description that all
the great OF Heaven were great suffer
crs. Not all?'' Yes, all Moses, him
OF the Red sea, great sufferer. Da-
vid, him Of Absolom's unfilial behavior
and Ahithophef> betrayal and ma
tons dethronemcnt, a great sufferer
Ezekiel, him Of the captivity. who had
the dream on the banks of the Che bar.
great sufferer. Paul, him of
the diseased eyes, and the Meditera-
mean shpwrecl, and the Mars Hill
derision, and the Mamertne en-
dungeonment, and the whipped back
and the hcadsman AK on the road to
Ostia, a great sufferer. Yea, all the
apostles, after lcves OF suffering.
died by violence beaten to death
with fuller's club, or dragged to
death by mobs, or from the
thrust of sword, or by exposure on
barren island, or by dccapitation All
the high up in Heaven great sufferers.
and women more than men, Felicitas
and st. Cecilia, and st. Agnes, and st.
Agatha, and st. Lucia, and women
never heard of outside their own neigh
borhood, queens OF the needle, and the
broom, and the Scrubbing brush, and
the wash tub, and the dairy, rewarded
according to how we'll they did
their work whether to set "a
tea table or govern Il nation.
whether empress or milkmaid. l
could not get over it, as in my dream
I saw all this, and that some of the
most unknown Of earth were the most
famous in Heaven, and that many who
seemed the greatest failures of earth
were the greatest successes of
Heaven. And as we passed along
one Of the grandcHt boulevardS
Of Heaven, there approached us d
group Of persons so radiant in coun-
tenancc aud apparel had to shade my
eyes with both hands because could
not endure the lustcr, and said: An
gel, do tell me who they arc?" and the
answer was: "These are they who came
ont Of great tribulation and had their
robes washed and made white in the
blood OF the Lamb!'
Then ! passed on amid chariots of
salvation, and along by conquerors
thrones, and amid pillared maieSties
and by windows Of agate, and under
arches that had been hoisted for re-
turned victors. And as | came toward
the walls with gates, the walls flashed
upon me with emeraldS, and sapphires
and chrvsoprascs and amethysts, I'M
til i trcln Died under the glory,
and then ] heard a bolt shove. and
latch lift, and IL gate swing, and
they were all Of pearl, and passed
out loaded with raptnres, and down by
worlds lower and lover, and lower
still, until | came within sight of the
city of my earthly residence and ur-
til 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 and
what / had seen. awol<e