Democratic messenger., 1894-02-10

across which no pneumonils or palsics
or dropsies or typhoids ever sweep. The
aroma blows over from orchards with
trees bearing ~ manner of fruits. and
gardens compared with which Chats
worth is a desert. The climate is a
mingling of an earthly June and Octo-
bcr the balm of the one and tho tonic
of the other. The social life in that
realm where they are Is superb and per-
feet. No controversies or lcalnusics or
hates. hut love. universal love. ever
lasting love. And they told me to tell
You not Ia weep for them, for their hap
piness knows no bound. and it is only a
question of time when you shall reign
with them in the same palace AMI Join
with them in the same exploration of
planets and the same tour of worlds.
But yonder in this assembly is an up
turned face that seems to ask how about
the ages Of those in heaven. do my
departed children remain children. or
have they lost their childish vivacity?
Do my departed parents remain aged.
or have they lost the venerable out of
their nature:" Well. from what | saw
| think childhood has advanced 10 full
maturity of faculty. retaining all the
residence of childhood, and that tho
aged had retreated to midlife. freed
from all decadcncc. but still retaining
the charm of the venerable. In other
words. il was fully developed and com
plete life of all souls. whether young or
old.
CHANGED CONDITIONS.
Somn one saws. will Won tell us
what most impressed you in heaven:"
will. was most impressed with the re-
versal of earthly conditions. knew, of
course. that there would be- differences
Of attire and residence in heaven. for
Paul had declared long ago that souls
would then differ las one star differed
from another. as Mars from Mercury,
as Saturn from Jupiter. But at every
step i'll my dream in heaven was amazed
To- see that some who We're expected To- be
high in heaven We're low down. and
some who were expected to he low down
were high mp. You Thought. for in
stance. that those born of pious parent
age. and of naturally good disposition.
and Of brilliant faculties. and of all
STYLES Of attractivehess will move in the
highest range of celestial splendor and
pomp. Ne. no. found the highest
thrones the brightest coronets. the rich
est mansions. were occupied by those
who had rcprohatc father oi had mother.
and who inherited the twisted natures of
10 generations of miscIeants. and who
had compressed i'll their body all de-
PRAYED appetItes and all evil pro-
pensitics, but they laid hold of God $
arm. they cried for especial mercy. they
conquered seven devils within and sew
enty devils without and were washed in
the blood of the Lamb. and by So much
as their contest WIS terrific and awful
and prolix their victory was cunsum-
mate and respondent. and they have
taken places immeaSurahly higher than
these of good parentagc, who could hard
~ help being good. because they had ~
generations uf preceding piety to aid
them. The steps by which many have
mounted To the highest places in heaven
Were made out of the cradles Of cor
rupt parcntagc. When | saw that,
said To- my attending angel That is
fair; that is right. The harder the
struggle the more glorious the reward. =
Then pointed to one of the most col
onnadcd and grandly domed residences
in all the city and said. Who lives
there" and the answer was. The widow
who gave two mites" And who lives
there and the answer was, The peni
tent thief Ia whom Christ said. This day
shalt thou bc with me i'll paradise
And who lives there" SAID. and the
answer was. The blind bcggar who
prayed. Lord. that my eyes may be
opened.
NAMES NOT ~ THE DIRECTORY.
Some of those professors of religion
who We're famous on earth asked about,
but no one could tell me anything con-
cerninG them. Their names We're not
even III the city directory Of the New
Jerusalem. The fact is that | suspected
some Of them had not got there at all.
Many who had ten talents were living
ON the back streets of heaven. while
many with one talent had residences
fronting on the Kings park. and IA back
lawn sloping to the river clear rs crys-
tai. and the highest nobility Of heaven
were guests at their table, and often the
white horse Of him who hath the moon
under his feet" champed lis bit at their
doorway. Infinite capsize of earthly
conditions All social life in heaven
graded according to earthly struggle and
usefulness as proportioned to talents
given.
As walked through those streets APP
preciated for the first time what Paul
said To Timothy. IF we suffer, we shall
also reign with him." IL surprised me
beyond description that all the great of
heaven We're great sufferers. Not all:'
Yes. all. Moses. him of the Red sea. a
great sufferer. David. him Of Absalom' :
unfilial behavior. and Ahi,hophel'S be
travail. and "A nations dethronemcnt, a
great sufferer Ezekiel, him of the cap
tiviiy. who had the dream on the banks
Of the Chcbar. great sufferer. Paul.
him of the diseased eyes. and the Medi-
terranean shipwreck. and the Mars Hill
derision. and the Manertine endungeon-
ment. and the whipped back. and the
hcadman's ax on the road To Ostia, u
great sufferer.
Yea. all the apostles after lives If suf-
fering died by violence. beaten IL death
with fuller's club. or dragged To death 10y
mobs. or from the thrust IF Il sword. or
10y exposure ON u barren island. or 10y
drcapiiaiion. All the high upin heaven
great sufferers. aud women mere than
men. FelicIiaS and 81 Cecilia and ST.
Agnes and ~. Agatha aud 81. Lucia and
women never heard of outside their own
neighhoThood, qI"'nS of the needle. and
the broom. and the scrubbing brush. and
the washtub. and the dairy. rewarded ac
cording Ia how we'll they did their work.
whether Ia set tea table or govern u
nation, whether empress or milsiiald.
| could mot get over il. "a IN my
dream saw all this. and that some of
the Elost unknown of earth We're the
most famous in heaven and that many