The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-06-06
Some Gllmpses OF Heaven.
BY THEODORE L. cUYLER, D. D.

been revealed to us in the Bible about
Heaven. Gods Book devotes q great
many pages to the rules for right liv-
ing in this world, even though our
sojourn here is short. It's aim is to
show US the way to Heaven; but only
few sentences are devoted to the
| description of the eternal home of
Gods people. The Bible says enough
to pique our curiosity, to excite spec
ulation, to sharpen spiritual appe-
tite, but not enough to lift the sub
lime mystery which overhangs it. A
few things are made quite clear to us.
In the first place, it is not merely a
condition it is locality. 1t is dis
tinctly bounded, or else such words as
"walls" and "gates'' would be fan
tasy. Having no need Of sun or
moon or stars, the Lamb is the lamp
therof." There is something beauti-
fully suggestive in the many-sided-
ness Of Heaven, with gates of entrance
from every point Of the compass.
This emphasizes the catholicity Of the
"many mansions into which all the
redeemed shall enter, from all regions
of the globe, and from every denomi.
nation of Christendom. All shall
come in through Jesus Christ, yet by
many gateways. The variety Of
"fruits'S on the trees of life would
seem to point toward the idea Of sat
isfying every taste and aspiration Of
Christ's innumerable household.
Having no gross bodies that require
food, we shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more. The aspirations
shall be for: larger knowledge-to be-
come greater, wiser, nobler; to be-
come filled more and more with Cod
forever reaching forth unto the
things that are before. "
Heaven assuredly is to be home,
and it's occupants one vast household
of love. No one will be lonesome, or
complain of the lack of congenial So
ciety. Shall we know each other
there ? Most assuredly we shall for
Gods Word never hints that our iden-
tity shall be destroyed by the process
called death. We shall be the same
persons, even if the external condi-
ttions become different, when the nat
ural body becomes a spiritual body.
In the parable Of the rich man and
Lazarus the wretched sufferer is de-
scribed as recognizing Abraham in the
abode Of the blessed. Would our
Lord have given His sanction to an
utter fiction ? If Abraham so pre-.
served his identity as to berecognized
and to be addressed by name, why not
every other inhabitant Of our Fathers
house Paul expected to depart and
to be with Christ, and still to be Paul
after he arrived there. With what
delight he expects also to greet his
spiritual children in glory The vet
eran soul-winner exclaims F.: "What is
our Joy or crown of rejoicing +? Are
not even ye in the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ at His coming p
This would be solemn nonsense if
Paul did not hope to recognize his
Thessalonian converts in Heaven, The
early Church all held to this doctrine
of future recognition. Martin Lu-
ther, in one of his Table Talks, said:
"We shall know father and mother
and each other, on sight, better than
Adam knew Eve" That sturdy old
New England theologian, DR.. Ma
thanel Emmons, was never given to
imaginative flights and during his
last sickness he said: II want to 60
to Heaven. I want to see Isaiah and
Elijah and the Apostles !; but l want
to see Paul more than any man l can
think Of" There are many others Of
us who may want to ask many ques-
tions of the author of the Epistle to
the Romans. What family reunions
there will be there also II do not
expect" said an eminent minister to
me once, "that l shall be SO absorbed
in looking at my Saviour that | shall
forget my dear old mother; | shall
look for her as soon as I get within the
gates"
When Cyneas, the ambassador Of
Pyrrhus, returned from his visit to
Rome in the days Of her glory, he re.
ported to his sovereign that he had
seen a commonwealth Of kings"
So will it be in Heaven, where every
heir of redeeming grace will be as a
king and priest unto God; and Di-
vine adoption shall make every one a
member of the royal family. What a
comfort that we will never be obliged
to pull up our tent-poles in quest of 2
pleasanter residence. Heaven will
have no moving day." No humble
child of toll will be tortured any lon
ger about the scanty means to pay
rent, or tremble at the sight Of an ex-
acting landlord. When you and l
have packed up at the tap of death g
signal bell, and set out on our last
journey, there will be a delightful
permanence in those words, :Jorcuer
with the Lord" No longer shall we
dread to be torn away from associa-
tions and kindred whom we love, and
10 De SeHG Ou luGo sGiduSC Pi"SSo VI
among uncongenial faces.
One of the best evidences of the en-
tirely sanctiied condition Of Chris,
tians in that world will be that God
can trust US there with complete hap
piness and unalloyed prosperity. l
| never met with a Christian in this
world who could be; even Paul need
ed a thorn in the flesh to prick his
pride and keep him humble. There is
not one Of US whose religion might not
soon decay if exposed to the constant
sunshine. We require continual chas-
tisements and scttings-down and set.
tings back, and frequent trials of
head-winds and storm. Nothing
would ruin us sooner than to be allow
ed always to have our own way. But
in Heaven it seems likely that we can
bear to be perpetually healthy, per-
petually prosperous, perpetually hap
py, without the need Of watchfulness
or the fear of falling. How hard it will
be to recognize ourselves E! We shall
require no rods Of correction, and
| +boro mill bn M houso-room for crOss-