The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-06-14
WHAT SHALL WE DO IN
HEAVEN I?

New York Herald.
Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of
God ascending and descending upon the Son
of Mun.-John ], 81.
A clergyman Of this city, eloquent
and well beloved, recently discoursed
on some Of the probable occupations
of the soul after death.
1t may be regarded as a sign of the
times that no subjects excite wider
popular interest than those which
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 rational
faith in the veriIies of religion has
had a stronger hold than now, or when
the yearning after some knowledge of
the future was more eager or more
anxious.
1t sometimes seems as though the
world had just walked up to the fact
that the circumference of another life
touches the circumference Of this life,
and that those who leave us with Il
whispered Good night will soon
greet us with Joyful Good morning"
as we meet on the other shore.
What, then, was our surprise when
this eloquent preacher was taken to
task for his differences on the ground
that our occupations in the Beyond
are matter CT idle speculation" for
which there is "nO basis of knowledge "
Then followed the curious assertion.
Nobody has ever come back from the
other world to tell the story of his cx-
periences there.'
Let us look at this subject very
broadly for a few minutes.
idle speculation" for which there
is "no basis of knowledge" On the
contrary, speculation of this kind
seems to us to be spiritually profita-
BILE, and the basis of knowledge is
both wide and ample. We say this
not in the spirit of controversy, but
with the desire to afford comfort to
the bcreaved. God has taken our dear
ones. For time we are separated
from them, but our love remains un.
diminished, while our hope of reunion,
like the candle on the altar of certain
churches, is kept ailame by day and
night. Is it possible that the Lord has
denied US the privilege of imagining
their environment after assuring us
that eye hath not seen nor heart con
ceived the happiness by which He has
surrounded them? Do we contraven(
any one of His injunctiOns when with
fearful memory we recall the past
and then in glorious anticipation
based on His promise, dream sweet
dreams of that Home not made will
hands, eternal and In the heavens? l
lie has endowed us with imagination
shall it halt when it reaches TIN
1 thcshold of pearl, and shall we b,
+, driven back to grief unillumincd b.
a single glimse of the cloudless SIX.
b which bends above the departed
Nay, Is it not prerogative whicl
makes us calm and resigned to think
and think what they are doing beyont
the stars, and wonder whether the!
''hold us in full survey" until wonde
becomes faith, and faith chascs ou
sighs away and brigltcns our pathwa,
as with vision of glory?
0 Nobody has ever come back from
/ the other world to tell the story 0
! his experiences there" Then clos
i your Bible and claspit with a clasI
y for it has strangely misled us. Neve
y look at 1t more nor trust IT again, TO
Its pages are snare and a deceit. ]
d opens with the declaration that Go
d held vocal communication with mar
and it ends with description OF tn
Celestial City which makes the nerve
tingle with gratitude, while bereavt
ment and sorrow cry out with Joy
y :. The imagination is stimulated by tn
= vision whiCb4zpkh saw as he sat o
It the cold rocke 0r Patmos, and II
pursues lts,uuwearled fight to thI