The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-09-13

renlnueu me OF wedding day when
the bride by sister and maid was hav-
ing garlands twisted for her hair and
jewels strung for her neck Just before
she puts her betrothed hand into the
hand of her affianced: Il, John. saw
the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of Heaven prepared
as bride adorned for her husband
Toward that bridal Jerusalem are our
windows opened?
We would do well to think more Of
Heaven. 1t is not a mere annex Of
earth. It is not desolate outpost. As
Jerusalem was the capital of Judea.
and Babylon the capital of the Baby
Ionian monarchy. and London is the
capital of Great Britain, and Washina-
ton is the capital of our own re-
public, the New Jerusalem is ths
capital of the universe. The King
lives there, and the royal family
of the redeemed have their palaces
there, and there is a congress OF many
nations and the parliament of all the
world. Yea, as Daniel had kindred
in Jerusalem, of whom he often
thought, though he left home when a
very young man, perhaps father, and
mother and brothers and sisters still
living, and they belonged to the high
circles of royalty, Daniel himself hav--
ing royal blood in his veins, so we have
in the New Jerusalem a great many
kindred, and we are sometimes home
sick to see them, and they are all
princes and princesses. in them the
blood imperial and we do we'll to keep
our windowsopen toward their eternal
residence.
It is 4 Joy for US to believe that
while we are interested in them they
are interested in US. Much thought of
Heaven makes one heavenly. The airs
that blow through that open window
are charged with life, and sweep to us
aromas from gardens that never with
err, under skies that never cloud, in a.
springtide that never terminates. Com
pared with it all other heavens ara
dead failures.
Homer's heaven was an, elysium
which he describes as plain at the
end of the earth or beneath, with no
snow or rainfall, and the sun never
goes down, and Rhadamanthus. the
justest of men, rules. Hesiod's heaven
is what he calls the islands of the
blessed. in the midst of the. ocean,
three times a year blooming with most
exquisite flowers. and the air is tinted
with purple, while games and music
and horse races occupy the time: The
Scandinavian's heaven was the hall OF
Walhalla, where the god Odin g we IN.
ending wine suppers+ to earthly heroes |
and heroines. The Mohamniedan'g |
heaven passes its disciples in, over the
hair and sharper than a sword, and |
then they are let loose into riot OF
everlasting sensuality.
The American aborigines lock for
ward TO heaven of illimitable hunt.
ing ground. partridge, and deer, and /
wild duck more than plentiful, aud the
hounds never off the scent, and the guns
never missing fire. But the geographer
has followed the earth round. and
found no Homer's elysium- Woyagers
have traversed the deep. in all direc.
tions. and found no HeSiod's islands of
the blessed The Mohammedan's ce-
lestial debauchery and the Indians
eternal hunting ground for vast null
titudes have no charm But here rolls
in the Bible Heaven. No more sea
that is, no wide separation.
No more night that is, no
No more tears-that is no
nissal of lancet and bitter draught
and miasma, and Punishment of neu-
ralgias, and catalepsies, and eonsump-
tons. All colors in the wall except
gloomy black; all the music in the ma
ior kew. because eelebrative and lubi-
ant. River crystalline, gate crystalline
md skies crystalline, because every
thing is clear and without doIbt
White robes, and that means siniess-
ness. Walls full of odors, and that means
pure regalement of the senses. Rain
bow, and that means the storm is oVer.
Marriage supper, and that means glad
lest festivity. Twelve manner of I
fruits. and that means luscious and
amending variety. Harp, trumpet. {
grand march, anthem. amen and halle !
utah, in the same orchestra. Choral !
meeting solo. and overture meeting ,
lntiphon, and strophe joining dithy- {
-amb. as they roll into the ocean OF
loxologies. And you and l all have ,
hat, and have it forever through {
'hrist. if we will let Him with the
blood of one wounded hand rub out
,ur sin, and with the other wounded I
land swing open the shining portals
Day and night keep your window
open toward that Jerusalem. Sing
bout it. PRAY about it. Think about {
I. Talk about it. Dream about it.
Do not be inconsolable about your
friends who-have gone into it. Do not
worry if something in your heart indi-
,ates that you are not far off from its
,cstacies. DO not think that when q
Christian dies he stops, for he goes on.
An ingenious man has taken the
furlongs as mentioned in
and has calculated that
here will be in Heaven one hundred
'ooms sixteen feet square for each
ascending soul, though this world
hould lose hundred millions yearly.
But all the rooms in Heaven will
De ours, for they are family rooms;
ind as no room in your house is
90 good for your children, so all
he rooms of all the palaces of the
Jerusalem will be free to
iod's children and even the throne
DOM will not be denied. and you may
un up the steps of the throne and put
our hand on the side of the throne,
nd sit down beside the King. accord.
ng to the promise: ITO him that over. !
ometh will grant to sit with Ne in Z