Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-02-05
earth were the greatest successes OF

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heaven. And as we passed along one OF
the grandest boulevards of heaven there
approached us group of persons sc
radiant in countenance and apparel 1 had
to shade my eyes with both hands be-
cause I could not endure the luster, and
I said, .'Angel, do tell me who they are?'
and the answer was, '|These are they
who came out Of great tribulation and
had their robes washed and made white
in the blood of the Lambr'
EQUALIZED AT LAST
My walk through the city explained a
thousand things on earth that had been
to me inexpllcable. WhenI saw up there
the superior delight and the superior
heaven of many who had on earth had
| 1t hard with cancers and bankruptcies
and prosecutions and trials of all sorts,
l said, "God has equalized it all at last;
| excess OF enchantment in heaven has
more than made up for the deficits on
EARTH
''But," said to my angelic escort, 81
must go now. 1t is Sabbath morning on
earth, and I must preach today and be
in my pulpit by Ealf past 10 o'clock.
Goodby," said to the attending angel.
I know I have seen only in part, but I
hope to return again, through the atom
ing mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Goodby."
Then [ passed on amid chariots of sal
Walton, and along by conquerers' thrones,
and amid pillared majesties, and by win
dows of agate, and under arches that had
been hoisted for returned victors. And
as I came toward the walls with the
gates, the walls flashed upon me with
emeralds and sapphires and chrysoprases
and amethysts, until l trembled under
the glory, and then heard bolt shove,
and latch lift, and gate swing, and
they were all of pearl, and I passed out
loaded with raptures, and down by
worlds lower and lower, and lower still,
until came within sight Of the city of
my earthly residence, and until through
the window of my earthly home the sun
poured so strong upon my pillow that
my eyelids felt it, and in bewilderment
as to where | was and what had seen |
awoke.
Reflection the First-The superiority of
our heaven to all other heavens. The
Scandinavian heaven: The departed are
in everlasting battle, except as restored
after being cut topieces; they drink wine
out of the skulls of their enemies. The
Moslem heaven as described by the Ko-
ran: '"There shall be hours with large
black eyes likes pearls hidden in their
Shells" The Slav's heaven: After death
the soul hovers six weeks about the body,
and then climbs asteep mountain, on the
top of which is paradise. The Tasma-
MANS heaven: A spear is placed by the
dead, that they may have something to
fight with, and after awhile they go into
long chase for game of all sorts. The
Tahitians heaven: The departed are eat
en- up of the gods. The native African
heaven: 4 land of shadows, and in speak
ing of the departed they say all is done
forever. The American aborigines heav-
en-: Happy hunting grounds. to which
the soul goes on a bridge of snake. The
philosophers heaven; Made out of q
thick fog or an infinite don't know.
But hearken, and behold our heaven
which, though mostly described by fig
ures Of speech in the Bible and by para
bic Of a dream in this discourse, has for
its chief characteristics separation from
all that is vile; absence from all that can
discomfort; presence of all that can gratu-
late. No mountains to climb; no chasns
to bridge; no night TO illumine; no tears
to wipe. Scandinavian heaven, Slav's
heaven, Tasmanian heaven, Tahitian
heaven, African heaven, aborigines'
heaven, scattered into tameness and dis
gust by a glimpse of ST. Johns heaven, |
of Paul's heaven, of Christ's heaven, of /
your heaven, of my heaven!
THE SILVER OF TEARS.
Reflection the Second-You had better |
take patiently and cheerfully all pangs,
affronts, hardships, prosecutions and tri-
ais of earth, since, if rightly borne, they |
insure heavenly payments of ecstasy.
Every twinge of physical distress, every |
lie told about you, every earthly subtrac-
ton, if meelly borne, will be heavenly
addition. If you want to amount to any
thing in heaven and to move in its best
society, you must be perfected through
suffering" The only earthly currency
worth anything at the gate of heaven is
the silver of tears. AT the top of all
heaven sits the greatest sufferer, Christ
OF the Bethlehem caravansary and of
Pilates oyer and terminer, and of the
Calvarean assassination.
What he endured, oh, who can tell,
To save our souls from death and hell?
Oh, We of the broken heart, and the dis
ambition, and the shattered
fortune, and the blighted life, take com
fort from what saw in my Sabbath
dream!
Reflection the Third and Last-How
desirable that we all get therei Start this
with prayer and penitence and
faith in Christ, who came from heaven
to earth to take us from earth to heaven.
Last summer, year ago, preached
one Sabbath afternoon in Hyde Park,
London, to q great multitude that no man