The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1894-03-08

The aroma blows over from orchards
with trees bearing twelve manner OF
fruits. And gardens, compared with
which Chatsworth is a 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 SUI
perb and perfect. No controversies or
jealousies or hates, but love, universal
love, everlasting love. And they told
me to tell you not to weep for them,
for their happiness knows no bound,
and it is only question of time when
you shall reign with them in the some
palace, and join with them in the same
exploration of planets and the same
tour of worlds.
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 children,
or have they lost their childish vivaci-
ty? Do my departed parents remain
aged, or have they lost the venerable
out of their nature?" Well, from what
saw l think childhood had advanced
all the residence of childhood, and that
the age had reiterated to mid-life, freed
from all decadence, but still retaining
the charm of the venerable. In other
words, it was fully developed and COM
plete life of all souls, 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 differs from another" as Mars
from Mercury, as Saturn from Jupiter.
But at every step in my dream in
Heaven | was amazed to see
that some who were expected
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
faculties, and of all styles of attractive
ness, will move in the highest range Of
celestial splcndor 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 moth
err, and who inherited the twisted
natures of ten generations Of mis-
creants, and who had compressed in
their body all depraved appetites and
all evil propensities; 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 prolix, their
victory was consummate and re-
splendent, and they have taken places
immeasurably higher than those of
good parentage, who could hardly help
being good, because they had ten gen.
erations of preceding piety to aid them.
The steps by which many have mount
ed to the highest places in Heaven
were made out of the cradles of cor
rupt parentage. When l saw that,
said to my attending angel: THAT is
fair; that is right. The harder the
struggle the more glorious the re-
ward
Then l pointed to one of the most
colonnaded and grandly domed resi-
dences in all the ely 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?"
| said, and the answer was, THE
blind beggar who prayed. Lord that
my eyes may be opened"
Some of those professors of religion
who were famous on earth | asked
about, but no one could tell anything
concerning them. Their names were
MT even in the city directory of the
New Jerusalem. The fact is that
| suspected some of them had not
got there at all. Many who had
ten talents were living on the
back streets of Heaven, while many
with one talent had residences fronting
on the Kings park, and a back lawn
sloping to the river clear as crystal,
and the highest nobility Of Heaven
were guests at their table, and often
the white horse of Him who "hath the
moon under His feet!" champed its bit
at their doorway. Infinite capslze of
earthly conditions! Ali social life in
Heaven graded according to earthly
struggle and usefulness as proper toned
to talents given!
My walk through the city explained
thousand things on earth that had
been to me inexplicable. When l saw
up there the superior delight and the
superior Heaven of many who had on
earth had it hard with cancers, and
bankruptcies, and prosecutions, and
trials of all sol is, l SAID: God has
equalized it all at last; excess of en-
chantment 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 morn
ing on earth and I must preach to-day,
bo IN nm NIT h,, no ~.