The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-25
WILL KNOW EACH OTHER
Or, KERR PREb CHES A SERMON ON
REA VENLY RECOGNITION,
He Says That In Heaven We VIII Know
and Converse with Those Whom We
Loved aud Knew on This Earth.

emily Recognition. Ills text was Il shall
80 TO him. but he shall not return 10 me-"
III. Samuel. twelfth chapter. twonty-third
verse. pr. Kerr spoke as follows:
II this life is all there is to MS. and
death closes the story Of the existence.
a may be questionable whetacr II were
not better never to have been born. But
this life 10 not all: It is but an infn-
ltcSsima part. II IS the brief preface
q on endless history. IL IS tho short twi-
n8ht which precedCs an everlasting day.
our SoffCNs here are the gems 81 glory
hereafter and by divine revelation We
know that they work out for us. tn com
PariSon with their own gravity, "a far
more exceeding and oternal weight OF
glory"
Nevertheless. trouble IS the most salient
feature OF earthly experience. aud The
Hfe 90 every one OF us Is marked Dh,
punctuWcd. and Photographed oy s0ffVws
We date nearly everything from inc
events that wound our hearts. The nisio-
n OF the individual rs classified into what
heppened before and after the deaths OF
loved ones. 50 also Is That OF every ianl-
IL Is most pathetic 70 know how often
We ministers are asked 90 preach on
death, heaven, and the question -Sholl we
know cach oincr in the Heavenly world.
No one. perhaps. denies tuat we snaN
know each other there. but now ana
again. as some dear one leaves us. We
asK afrtsh the ola tfucsti0n. and wish 10
DE told in terms which cannot be douLi
oil. that, I'm Heaven. We shall look again
into dear eyes now faded. hear voices Sc
lcnt forever on earth. and clasp 30 our
hearts forms thar have vanished from ne
home circle and gone 90 the better land.
QUESTION: ASKED.
Lei us. FIRST OF an. ask tho question
Would IL be possible 20 prove mat we
shall not recognize our friends ~ heaN-
en- can a. DE demonstrated from reason
experience. or Scripture. that though hus--
Rand anu VITO. parent and child, siail
dwell En- tnt same house Of many mih-
siOrs on high they shall be strangers
20 ono another. and have to form new
ties and new friendships. as If they han
never known each other bciofe1 Such an
idea is in itself absurd c0n'radlcls every
principle OF experience. every instinct or
tie s0Ii. and finds absolutely no warrant
in Gods word We defy amy and all enc
mics Of our happiness 10 prove snch "a
tl.uE. and even Satan, iu an ms int'-
NOUS devices TO mako men n'sefable'
ms not 50 far ass we know, hy the IN
spired record. ever suggested such a dls-
NAL thourht. lie knew &c would be OF
no use. and that the learning h'alt
would reject 81 with scorn.
Aside from an The direct teachings OF
the Bible indicating that We shall Know
each either in Heaven. the whole Scrip
ture revelation fakes 10 for granted, and
every vision OF cine bhssful future Is
largely based on the idea that as Heaven
IS condition IN which the wrongs OF
earth are 90 be 4ighted SIS sofTows as
suagcG. one of the main clements OF us
ioy must bee tine reunion of sundered
hearts Heaven is Paradise regained.
Paradise Lost was the place OF hottest.
most perfect. most Intimate personal at
tachment. 80 husband and WIFE we're
ever moro tenderly knit together inan
our first parents. Now. If Heaven is 10
be another. better Paradise, shall this in
fimary Doe annin1idfedt
80. an divine revelation, an that IS
beet in man. say no. no, u shall not DC,
IL cannot he. W. shall not De strangers
10 oas1 other iu Heaven. 80 when loved
one dies we take up tho words OF hihs
David. and say. 81 shall 90 TO him, put
BE shall not return 10 me-
REASONED OUT BY ANALOGY.
Iet MS argue It from reason ana eN-
The higher the grade Of being in this
world the more intimate the frlentshlis.
The y orms OF tho dust have mates the
insects that dwell ln their little villages,
the ants IN their hills, compose niue so
cictcs But rising higher we see ul-
birds making their nests in pairs, we near
the cry OF grief OF the btfcdVtd iHate
when his partner dies. ana one or inc
most pathetic scenes In all nature rs
when "A mother bird defends her young IN
their nest. ana cries OUT win MAJ "@ e
love and sohc.wde al the approach OF
dog loves his friends ana his mas
ter and las been known % die of grief
ON mis- masters grave The bear Will cN-
nose her shaggy breast to the nuntsmail $
deadly shaft 10 save the -Fes Oh "oi
young. ,....,,
life Gods crowuing creation in ms
world We find that personal attachments
are far stronger than among lhe hiuteS'
and that the nobier thc soul. tne slront,
er the ties OF love. SO we are Marraiteu
In saving that So far as We know clta-
tlon the rDbler the order or beng Iie
greater the family and friendly Ne.
Who can measure the influence OF per-
soral love in the life of the world 1t IS
The animating force of art, war asil-
culture mining. and commerce ASK in'
uaintor at his easel the soldier with ms
inusket the farmer I'm the field. the miner
IT, the bowels OF the earth, the SAILOR oi'
t.lc sea. why he tolls 90, what nerves ms
hand. and inspires his weary soul. re
Will toll YOU &c rs personal rave. IN IT'S
heart thcre are dear faces. faces or ioVcd
ones he lives for, tolls fof ana pei
haps will die for. II is these loves th3t
have led TO Oh fields Of victory. All
achievements Of art. literature, and COM
mcr-e. 30 rs these that have written ON
the pagcs Of the worlds history tha'
which ia uOhlcst and best. These fufhish
he themes Of all great epics and they
have built nearly every monument 'hat
lifts It's silent finger towards heaven ~
forbid forgetfulncss Of the dead.
We do not cNaggcratc when We say per
eonal attachments give the world us
momentum. and religion Is only hightf
phase OF the same thing. for It's essence
Is love TO God aud one another. ,
Now can any man believe that If All
'1iv Is true Of our present state, there
win Ice "A reversal in the better lfc OF
Heaven and that all Of the nohlest PAT
az mans lifc. eXceYt bis love 10 Pod
shall be blottcd ont forever II Is TOO
contradictory of an common sense, scrip
turc. and hope. 20 be accepted and be-
Meved under any fair reasoning
COMMUNION IL HEAvsN
Let ns look al a few Scripture proofs;
We are told of the redeemed tnat "theN
shall come from the East and irom the
West and shall sit down With Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob IN the Kingdom oi
God" TO sit down with persons whose
names are given necessarily implies thai
We shall know them. and converse wiz
fhom for the prophecy Is OF ielst,
glorious banquet and was II ever heard
that bauQuttfcrs did not hold converse
with one another? And II wc shoi kno"
these VINO died thousands or years ne
fore Nc were born. shall we not know our
avn loved ones sitting at the same table.
on the Mount OF TRANSPORTATION we
see standing by our Lord. az his face
and garments blaze with glory, Moses
and Elijah. conVersing on an earthly top
~ the decease of Christ which he should
accomplish at Jerusalem. This Is an
oftaal scene IN the life OF the redeemed
,rho have gone into the other world; Tor
am instant the veil Is iif.ed. and what
,ye believed and hoped becomes mat
Ter OF sight and experience. Peter,
lanes. and John saw them and heard
the,r voices and understood the subject
~ their conversation. This demonstrates
mat the saved in Heaven know each
ofhcr and more that that they take
an interest in whal transpires in this