The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-03-31
TALDlAGE'S SERMON.
A Trip to Dreamland With Visions
of Heaven


. 80 ~~~~
subject of recent sermon In the
Brooklyn. tabernacle: "a Vision OF
Heaven" basing it on the text:
Now it came to pass as was among the
captives by the river Of Chebar that the Heav-
ems were. opened and saw visions OF God
Ezekiel l.. l.
Expatriatcd and far in exile on the
banks of the River Chebar. an afiluent
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 ever have had, or
ever will have, seated on the banks OF
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, 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 imagina-
tion of faculties awake.
Such dream had this morning. 1t
was about half past five, and the day
was breaking. 1t was dream of God;
a dream of Heaven. Ezekiel had his
dream on the banks of the Chebar;
ha 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 now2 That is
what am going to tell you. was
there this morning. have just got
back. How got into the city Of the
sun I know not. Which of the twelve
gates entered is to me me uncertain.
But my first remembrance of the scene
is that / stood on one of the main
avenues, looking this way and that,
lost in raptures, and the air SO full of
music and redolencc. and laughter and
light, that knew not which street to
take and when anangel of God accosted
me 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: slow long hast thou
been in Heaven?" and the answer
came: "Thirty-two years according to
the earthly calendar" There was a
secret about this angels name that was
not given me, but from the tenderness,
and sweetness, and affection, and in
terest taken in my walk through
| Hea ven, 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 think it was she. You see.
! was only on visit to the city, and
had not yet taken up residence. and !
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
Aid not look for it on the right street
st. John, when in his Patmosic vision
recorded in the third chapter of Reve
lations he speaks of 1.-THE temple of my
God" saw it this morning; the largest
church 1 ever saw; as big as all the
churches and cathedrals of the earth
put together. and it was thronged
Oh, what multitude! l had never
seen so many people together. All the
audiences of all the churches of all the
earth put together would make pool
attendance compared with that as
semblage There was fashion in at
tire and head-dress that Immediately
took my attention. The fashion wa'
white. All in white, save one. And
the head-dress was garland of rose
and lily. and mignouette, minglet
with green leaves culled from tn,
royal gardens, and bound togethe
with bands of gold.
And i saw some young men with ;
ring on the finger of the right hand
and said to my accompanying angel
"Why those rings on the fingers of tn,
right hands?" and was told that thos
who wore them were prodigal sons
; and once fed swine IN the wilderness
and lived on husks, but they cam
, home, and the rejoicing father said
''Put ring on his hand"
But / said there was one exception
to this fashion of white pervading al
the auditorium and clear up throug
all the galleries 1t was the attire G
the One who presided in that immens
temple. The chiefest, the mightiesi
the loveliest person in all the place
, | His cheeks seemed to be flushed wit
infinite beauty, and His forehead was
. morning sky, and His lips were elt
quence omnipotent. They suggeste
the carnage through which He ha
passed, and / said to my attendin
angel, what is that crimson robe tina
He wears?n and was told, They al
dyed garments from Bozrah," an
.sHe trod the wine-press alone"
Soon after entered this temple the
began to chant the celestial Titan.
1t was unlike anything had eve
| heard for sweetness or power, and
have heard the most of the great o
gans and the most of the great or
torios. I said to my Accompanying
angel: "Who is that standing yond,
with the harp?' and the answer w;
ssDavidl" And I said: who is tn;
sounding that trumpet" and the al
swer was "Gabriel!' And / sal
"who is that at the organ?" and Il
answer was Handel!'' And the mus
rolled on till it came to a doxology e