The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-05-30
what shall SIC n, 81. Heaven :

i clergyman OF this city, 5laqueat
and veIt beloved. recently dise0uEsei
on soIne Of the probable occupations
of the soul after death
1t may be regarded rs Il sign Of the
times that no subjects excite Il wider
popular interest than those = hich
refer to what may possibly happen
| to US after the cemetery gate is
closed There has hardly been an
| age IN the history Of the race when
| q rational faith i'll the verit,es of
religion has had stronger hold
| than now, or y hen tine yeara;u- aztec
| some know ledge Of thu future was
more eager or more anxious
| 1t sometimes : ems as though the
world had Just walked Up II the fact
| that the circumference OF another
| life touches he circumference III this
| life. and ihaG those who te14ya IL
| with q " hiSpeEesi .-G ;od night sill
soon greet lis with Il jnyfnt 'fiaoi
morning as V. meet ON the other
shore
| WHAT, then, was our surpria. = hen
| this eloquent pre.ich,F was taken 10
task for his uttecausss on TIE ground
! that our occupations IN the ke.Co.3d
are u matter of Il, le speculation
| for which there Is 80 bass of kuo ~
edge. Then followed the curious
assertion, Nobody has ever cuG.a
| back from the other world to tell lie
story of his experieLces there
Let Us look at tI.is subject very
| broadly for a few minutes
Idle speculation for which there
is mo basis of knowledge" Ia tie
contrary. speculation OF this Kind
seems to us 10 be spiritually profit
able, and the basis of knowledge i
both wide and ample. We say this
| not in the spirit OF controversy, but
with the desire to afford comfort to
the bereaved. God has taken our
dear ones. For a time we are sep
arated from them, but our love Re
mains undininislIed, while eur hope
of reunion, like tile camille on the
altar OF certain churches, i. kept
atiaine by day and night. Is it o.
sib!e that the Lord has denied us the
privilege Of imagining their eiyirOG-
ment after assuring US that eye hath
not seen nor heart conceived the
| happiness by which He has sur
rounded them? Do We contFayene
any one OF His iniunctions when with
fearful memory We recall tie past,
and then in glorious anticipation,
based on His promise, dream sweet
dreams OF that Home not made with
hands, eternal and in the heavens -?
If He has endowed us with imaginQ-
ton, shall it halt when it reaches the
threshold of pearl, and shall we be
driven back to Ii grief unIilumined
by a single glimpse Of the cloudless
sky which bends above the departed?
Nay, is it not Il prerogative which
makes Us calm and resigned to think,
aud think what they are doing be
yond the stars, and wonder whether
they s.hold Us III iul! survey until
wonder becomes faith, and faith
chases our sigts away and brigntens
our pathway dis with Il vision OF
! glory?
"NobOiy has ever come back from
the other world to tell the story OF
his experience S there 4 hen close
your Bible and clasp it with n clasp,
for it has strangely misled us. Never
look at il more nor trust it again
for its pages are a snare and deceit
1t opens with the declaration that
God held vocal communication with
man, and it ends with a description
OF the Celestial City which makes the
nerves tingle with gratitude, while
bereavement and sorrow cry out
with joy. The imagination il stimu
lated by the vision which john saw
DIS he sat on the cold rocks OF Pat
mos, aud it It pursues its unwearieL
fl ght to this heaven OF Revelation
will the Lord irown in disapproval.
Nobody has ever come back? vii
the Christian say that? Dare h
thus throw doubts over the recort
and impugn the authority of the
record writer's? If any one peculiar
ity OF the bible stands conspicuous
it is the constant reiteration of The
nearness of heaven to earth and the
repeated assertion that angels hav,
literally visited the habitations O
men. Will you throw down the lad
der Of Jacob, by means Of which
heavenly beings ascendtd and dc
seconded? Did Jacob feel that he was
engaged in idle speculation" an,
what would have been his reply tC
the assertion that nobody has ever
come back from the other world? ?"
Moreover, did not Christ solemnly
pledge Himself to return for the com
fort of His followers? Did He in
duIge in rhetorical license in thai
hour of upheaval and utter weari
ness? Did He encourage the disci
pies by a mere figure of speech, ol
did He speak with the gravity o
knowledge and with the conscious
ness that He could keep that pledge.
In our Judgment, there is no voice
which can SO effectuaily whisper
Peace, be stilll' to the trouble,
heart as the voice of the imagination
! which pictures our loved ont 5 n:
looking earthward while We lool
heavenward. Let the picture be Il:
vivid as you can make it; if possible
think OF the other home as NOR,
real than this one; forever bear Ii
mind the glorious truth that this liz,
is the portico Of the Temple and Tx
other life the Temple itself; shad,
your eyes that perchance you ma.
catch a glimpse OF the white robet
multitude beyond the threshold cur
tanned by death; listen that mayfair
you may hear their voices us they
sing OF the goodness of the Lord
Your own, from whom you -hav,
parted, are in that throDg, and il
will Tighten your pathway, bring th'
ruddy color back to your cheek, The
old smile to your lips, and enable
you to say, ''Thy will be DONE" i
with reverent speculation your
thoughts wander from the portico il
which you stand to the Temple il
: which they dwell.