The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-07

scripture lesson and the prayers. as wen
as the sermon, were about the future
world more than about this world. The
Rev. DR.. Talmage took for his subject
"A Vision Of Heaven the text being
Ezekiel l. 1, Now it came to pass as
was among the captives by the river Of
Chebar that the heavens were opened,
snd saw visions Of God"
Expatriated and in far exile on the
banks of the river Chebar. an affluent OF
the Euphrates, sat Ezekiel 1t was
there he had an immortal dream, and it
IS given to US in the holy scriptures.
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 viii
have seated on the banks of the Hud-
Nson or Alabama or Oregon or Thames or
Tiber or Danube.
a Beautiful Dream.
Such a dream I had this morning.
at was $50. and the day was breaking.
1t was a dream of Coda dream OF
bheaven. Ezekiel had his dream on the
banks of the Chebar. I had my dream
mot far from the banks of the Hudson.
written many centuries ago. and they
stell US how the place looked then or
Nhow II will look centuries ahead. Would
you not like to know how it looks now?
That is what / am going to tell you.
/ was there this morning. 1 have just
kgot back. How I got into that city OF
the sun know not.
Which OF the twelve gates / entered
as 10 me uncertain. But my first remem-
brance 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 redOlenCe and
Laughter and light that 1 knew not
which street TO take. when an angel OF
God accosted me and offered TO show
me the objects of greatest interest, and
10 conduct me from street to street, and
from mansion to mansion, ard from
temple 10 temple, and from wall TO wall
! said to the angel, How long hast
thou been in heaven" and the answer
Gane. 'Thirty-two years, according to
fhe earthly calendar"
There was secret about this anger
1lame that was not given me, but from
Hhe tenderness and sweetness and affec-
1ion and interest taken in my walk
Through heaven, and more than all in
nhe fact of thirty-Jwo years residence
Ahe number Of years since she assembled
II think it was my mother. Old age
and decrepitude and the tired look We're
<all gone but I think it was she. You
see, l was only on visit to the city
and had not yet taken up residence, and
! could know only in part.
L looked in for few moments at the
great temple. Our brilliant AMI lovely
Scotch essayist, Mr.. Drummond, says
there is no church in heaven, but he did
not look for it on the right street. St.
John was right when in his Patmosic
vision, recorded in the third chapter of
Revelation, he speaks Of the temple Of
God" I saw it this mOTning-the largest
church / ever saw, as big as all the
-churches and cathedrals of the earth put
dogether-and it was thrOnged. Oh, what
n multitude, I had never seen so many
people together. All the audiences Of
all the churches of all the earth put to-
KetheT would make a poor attendance
compared with that assemblage.
There was a fashion in attire and head
-Siress that Immediately took my atten-
ton. The fashion was white. All in
white save one. And the headdress was
a garland OF rose and lily and migno-
nette, mingled with green leaves culled
from the royal gardens and bound to-
gether with bands Of gold.
And l saw some young man 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 1 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 re-
sioicing father said Put a ring on his
hand
The Celestial story.
But said there was one exception to
this fashion Of white pervading all the
auditorium and clear up through all the
galleries. It 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 lips were eloquence omnipotent.
But his attire was of deep cOlors. They
suggested the carnage through which he
had passed, and said to my attending
angel. What is that crimson robe that
he wears?" and / was told. "They are
dyed garments from Bozrah," and "He
1rod the wine press alone"
Soon after entered this temple they
heg7n TO chant the celestial iitany. Il
was unlike anything I had ever heard
Tor sweetness or power, and I have
heard the most Of the great organs and
the most Of the great oratorios. l said
10 my accompanying angel. "Who is
that standing yOnder with the harp ?''
and the answer was, David" And I
said. Who is that sounding that trum-
petg and the answers was, Gabriel -
And said, Who is that at the organ ?''
the music rolled on till it came to a
doxoiogy extolling Christ himself when
all the worshipers lower down and high
er up, thousand galleries Of them. sud
denly dropped ON their knees and chant
ed, Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain" Under the Overpowering har-
mOny fell back. 1 said: Let us go
This is too much for mortal ears. / can
not bear the overwhelming symphony. -
But / noticed as / was about 10 turn
H.
something like the lachrymaI or tear
bottle, as | had seen il in the earthly
museums. the lachrymals. or tear bottles
snto which the orientaIs used to weep
their griefs and set them away as sacred
But this lachrymal. or tear bottle. instead
of earthenware thos the orientaIs used
was lustrous and fiery. with many splen-
dorS, and ii was towering and of great
capacity. And l said tc my ATTENDING
angel. What is that great Iachrymal
or tear bottle. standing on the step OF
the altar" and the angel said: WHY
do you not know2 That is the bottle
10 which David. the psalmist, referred
in his ffty-sixth psalm when he said
Put thou my tears into thy bottle III
IS full Of tears from earth-tears Of re-
pentance, tears Of bereavement, tears OF
Joy, tears Of many centuries" And then
j saw how sacred TO the sympathetic
God are earthly sorTows.
As i was coming out OF the temple
saw all along the pictured walls there
were shelves. and golden walls were be-
ing set up on all those shelves. And
said: why the setting up of those
Walls at this timer They seem inst nov