The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-02-09

e8rtl anu tney are SET up III SlSnt Oh
these infinite multitudes, and, more
than all, in the sight of Christ, and He
cannot forget them. and they are be-
fore Him world without end"
Then we came out, and as the Temple
is always open, and some worship at
one hour and others at other hours, we
passed down the street amid the
throngs coming to and going from the
Great Temple. And we passed along
through street called Martyr place,
and we met there, or saw sitting at the
windows, the souls of those who on
earth went through fire and flood, and
under sword and rack. They had on
them many scars but their scars were
illumed, and they had on their faces
look of especial triumph. Then we
passed along Song row, and we met
some of the old gospel singers. THAT
is Isaac Watts" said my attendant As
we came up to him he asked me if the
churches on earth were still singing
the hymns he composed at the house of
Lord and Lady Abney, to whom he paid
a visit of thirty-six years, and L told
him that many of the churches opened
their Sabbath morning with his old
hymy, "Welcome, Sweet Day of Rest"
and celebrate their gospel triumphs
with his hymn, salvation, o the JOY
full Sound" and often reused their de-
votions by his hymn, "Come We That
Love the Lord"
While we were talking he introduced
80 .ff ha nd
said: This is Charles Wesley, who
belonged on earth to different church
from mine, but we are all now MEM
bers of the same church, the Temple
of God and the Lamb" And while we
were talking on that street called Song
row, Kirk White, the -consumptive col
lege student, now everlastingly well,
came up, and we talked over his old
Christmas hymn, when Marshaled on
the Nightly Plain" And William
Cowper came up, now entirely recov-
cred from his religious melancholy, and
not looking as if he had ever in demen-
tia attempted suicide, and we talked
over the wide earthly celebrity and
heavenly power of his old hymns,
"When l Can Read My Title Clear"
and There Is a Fountain Filled with
Blood
But" say some of my hearers, ''did
you see anything of our friends in
Heaven?" Oh, yes, / did. did you
see my children there?' says some one,
'and are there any marks of their last
sickness still upon them?" l did see
them, but there was no pallor, no
cough, no fever. no languor about
them. They are all well. and ruddy,
and songful, and bounding with eter-
nal mirth.
But" say other voices, "did you see
our glorified friends?" Yes, l saw
them, and they are well in the land
across which no pneumonias or palsies
or dropsies or typhoids ever sweep.
The aroma blows over from orchards
with trees bearing twelve manner
of fruits, and gardens, compared
with which Chatsworth is desert.
The climate is a mingling of an earthly
June and October, the balm of the one
and the tonic of the other. The social
life in that realm where they are is
superb and perfect. No controversies
or jealousies or hates, but love, uni
versal love. everlasting love.
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 chill
dren, or have they lost their childish
vivacity? Do my departed parents re-
main aged, or have they lost the ven
cradle out of their nature?' Well,
from what | saw think childhood had
advanced to full maturity of faculty,
retaining all the residence of child
hood, and that the age had retreated
to mid-life, freed from all the deca-
dence, but still retaining the charm of
the venerable. In other words, it was
fully developed and complete life of all
sou s, whether young or old.
Some one says: will you tell us
what most impressed you in Heaven"
l will l was most impressed with the
reversal of earthly conditions KNEW,
of course, that there would be differ
ences of attire and residence in Heaven,
for Paul had declared long ago that
souls would then differ ''as one star
differeth from another" But at every
step in my dream in Heaven l was
amazed to see that some who were ex-
pected 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 fac
ulties, 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 mother, and who inherit
ed the twisted natures of ten genera
tions of miscreants, and who had COM
pressed in their body all depraved ap-
p .tites and .all evil prope nsities; but
they laid hold 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 pro-
Xix, their victory was consummate and
Respondent, and they have taken
places immeasureably higher than
those of good parentage, who could
hardly help being good, because they
had ten generations of preceding piety
to aid them.
Then l pointed to one of the most
colonnaded and grandly domed resi-
dences in all the city and said: "Who
lives here?" and the answer was: THE
widow who gave two mites" And
who lives there?" and the answer was:
''The penitent thief to whom Christ
said: This. day shalt thou be with Me
in Paradise" '.And who lives there?"