The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1894-03-08
A VISION OF HEAVEN.
Rev. DR.. Talmege Takes a Trip to
Dreamland.
a Glimpse Within the Portals of Haven
The Great Temple and Its Thropg
OF Worshippers-Many Rid
dies Solved.

Dewitt Talmage was delivered in the
Brooklyn tabernacle. The subject, "A
Vision of Heaven" was based on the
text:
Now it came to pass as 1 was among the
captves by the river of Chebar that the Heav
ems were opened and l saw visions of God.
Ezekiel l.. L.
Expatriated and far in exile on the
banks of the River Chebar, an atfiuent
of the Euphrates, sat Ezekiel 1t was
there that he had an immortal dream,
and it is given to us in the Holy Scrip
lures. He dreamed of Tyre and Egypt
He dreamed of Christ and the coming
Heaven. This exile seated by that
River Chebar had a more wonderful
dream than you or l ever have had, or
ever will have, seated on the banks of
the Hudson, or Ala ALBANIA, 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, so that we
did not know whether they were born
of shadow or sunlight; whether they
were thoughts let loose and disar-
ranged as in slumber, or the magma
ton of faculties awake.
Such a dream had this morning. 1t
was about half past five, and the day
was breaking. It was dream of God;
u dream of Heaven. Ezekiel had his
dream on the banks of the Chebar; !
had my dream not far from the banks
of the Hudson. The most of the sto-
ries of Heaven were written many
centuries ago, and they 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 going to tell you. I was
there this morning. l have just got
back. How l got into the city of the
sun know not. Which Of the twelve
gates | entered is to me me uncertain.
But my first remembrance of the scene
is that l stood on one of the main
avenues, looking this way and that,
lost in raptures, and the air so full of
music and redolence. and laughter and
light, that knew not which street to
take, and when an, angel of God accosted
Inc and offered to show me the objects
of greatest interest, and to conduct me
from street to street, and from man
sion to mansion, and from temple to
temple, and from wall to wall, | said
to the angel: GLOW long hast thou
been in Heaven?" and the answer
came: "Thirty-two years according to
the earthly calendar" There was
secret about this angels name that was
not given me, but from the tenderness,
md sweetness, and affection, and in
terest taken in my walk through
Heaven, and more than all in the fact
of thirty-two years residence, the num-
Der of years since she assembled, think
it was my mother. Old age, and de-
crepitude, and the tired look were all
gone, but l think it was she. You see.
i was only on visit to the city, and
had not yet taken up residence, and I
could now only in part.
looked in for few moments at the
great temple. Our brilliant and lovely
Scotch essayist, Mr.. Hammond, SAYS
there is no church in Heaven, but he
did not look for it on the right street.
St John, when in his Patmosic vision,
recorded in the third chapter of Reve-
God" Isaw it this morning; the largest
church l ever saw; as big as all the
churches and cathedrals of the earth
put together, and it was thronged.
oh, what a multitudel / had never
seen so many people together. All the
audiences of all the churches of all the
earth put together would make poor
attendance compared with that as
semblage. There was fashion in at
tire and head-dress that Immediately
took my attention. The fashion was
white. All in white, save one. And
the head-dress was garland of rose,
and lily, and mignouette, mingled
with green leaves culled from the
royal gardens, and bound together
with bands of gold.
And | saw some young men with a
ring on the finger of the right hand,
and said to my accompanying angel:
why those rings on the fingers of the
right hands?" and | was told that those
who wore them were prodigal sons,
and once fed swine IN the wilderness,
and lived on husks, but they came
home, and the rejoicing father said:
"Put ring on his hand"
But l 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 chiefest, the mightiest,
the loveliest person in all the place.
His cheeks seemed to be flushed with
infinite beauty, and His forehead was a
morning sky, and His lips were elo-
quence omnipotent They suggested
the carnage through which He had
passed, and l said to my attending
nngel, what is that crimson robe that
]Ie wears?" and | was told, They are
dyed garments from Bozrah," and
"He trod the wine-press alone"
Soon after entered this temple thew
began to chant the celestial litanv.
1t was unlike anything | had ever
heard for sweetness or power, and /
have heard the most of the great or
Eans and the most of the great ora
torios. | said to my accompanying
angel: "Who is that standing wonder