Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-10-03

earth. Il is not desolatt outpost. A
Jerusalem was the capital of Judea
and Babylon the capital of the Baby
lonian monarchy, and London is TIN
capital of Great Britain, and Washing
ton is the capital OF our own republic
the New Jerusalem is the capital Of til,
universe. The King lives there, ant
the royal family of the redeemed have
their palaces there, and there is Q con
gress of many nations and the parlia
ment of all the world. Yea, as DAME
had kindred in Jerusalem Of whom be
often thought, though he left home
when very young man, perhaps fathez
and mother and brothers and sisters
living, and was homesick to see them,
and they belonged to the high circles
Of royalty, Daniel himself having royal
blood in his veins, SO we have in the
New Jerusalem great many kindred,
and we are sometimes homesick to see
them, and they are all princes and
princesses, in them the blood imperial,
and we do well to keep our windows
open toward their eternal residence.
1t is q Joy for US to believe that while
we are interested in them they are in
terested in us. Much thought Of Heaven
makes one heavenly. The airs that
blow through that open window are
charged with life, and sweep up to US
aromas from gardens that never wither,
under skies that never cloud, in a
spring-tide that never terminates. Com
pared with it all other heavens are
dead failures.
Homer's heaven was an elysium
which he describes as a 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 year blooming with the
most exquisite flowers, and the air is
tinted with purple, while games and
music and horse races occupy the time.
The Scandanavian's heaven was the
hall of Walhalla, where the god Odin
gave amending wine suppers to earthly
heroes and heroines. The Mohamme-
dams heaven passes it's disciples in over
the bridge Al-Sirat, which is finer than
hair and sharper than sword, and
then they are let loose into a riot Of
everlasting censuality.
The American aborigines look for
ward to heaven of illimitable hunt
ing ground, partridge, and deer, and
wild duck more than plentiful, and the
hounds never of the scent, and the
guns never missing fire. But the geog-
rapher has followed the earth round,
and found no Homer's elysium. Voy-
ayers have traversed the deep in all
directions and found no Hesiod's
islands of the blessed. The Moham-
medan's celestial debauchery and the
Indians eternal hunting ground for
vast multitudes have no charm. But
here rolls in the Bible Heaven. No
more sea-that is, no wide separation.
No more night-that is, no insomnia.
No more tears-that is, no heartbreak.
No more pain-that is, dismissal Of
lancet and bitter draughts and miasma,
and Punishment of neuralgias, and cata-
lepsies, and consumptions. All colors
in the wall except gloomy black; all
the music in the major key, because
celebrative and jubilant. River crys-
talline, gate crystalline, and skies crys-
talline, because everything is clear and
doubt White robes, and that
means sinlessness. Walls full of odors,
and that means pure regalement of the
senses. Rainbow, and that means the
storm is over. Marriage supper, and
that means gladdest festivity. Twelve
manner of fruits. and that means
luscious and unending variety. Harp,
trumpet, grand march, anthem. amen,
and hallelujah, in the same orchestra.
Choral meeting solo, and overture meet
ng antiphon, and strope joining dithy-
lamb, as they roll into the ocean Of
loxologies. And you and may have
Ill that, and have it forever through
Christ, if we will let Him with the
blood Of one wounded hand rub out
our sin, and with the other wounded
land open the shining portals
Day and night keep your window
,pen toward that Jerusalem. Sing
lbout it. Pray about it Think about
t. Talk about it. Dream about il.
DO not be inconsolable about your
riends who have gone into il. Do not
worry If something in your heart in
licates that you are not far off from
is ecstasies. Do not think that when
! Christian dies he stops, for he goes |
N.
An ingenious man has taken the |
heavenly furlongs as mentioned in
and has calculated that
here will be in Heaven one hundred
ooms sixteen feet square for each
.scending soul, though this world
hould lose hundred millions yearly.
But all the rooms of Heaven will be
'urs, for they are family rooms, and rs
10 room in your house is too good for
our children, so all the rooms Of all |
he palaces Of the heavenly Jerusalem
viii be free to Gods children, and even
he throne room will not be denied.
nd you may run up the steps Of the
hrone, and put your hand on the side |
+ the throne, and sit down beside the
ling according to the promise: ITO
i'm that overcometh will grant to sit
With Me in NV throna."