Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-11-05
We shall know each other better
When the mists have cleared away


terian church, has the following to say
about this question:
We shall recognize our friends in
heaven because
First. 1t is implied in the doctrine
of the resurrection of the body. Ac.
cording to the Scriptures the future
body ia the same body we now inhabit
If this be 80 why may not the future
body bear certain sameness of ap.
pearance with the present body?
Second. It is implied in the trans.
figuration on the mount. Moses an6
Elias were recognized at once by the
disciples. II they knew them, why
not their friends?
Third. It is implied in the consti-
tuition of our being. We are made
with affections and it is unreasonable
to believe that God would create in
US such capacities for pleasure an6
then fail to fill them.
Fourth. 1t is implied in many pas.
sages of the Scriptures. David said
as he wept over his dead child: 81
shall go to him, but he shall not return
to me-" It is said that we are to sit
down in heaven with Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob. This implies that
they will be known. II they are known
surely others VIII be known also.
Fifth. It is taken for granted in
both the Old and New Testaments.
The old patriarchs spoke of going to
their fathers when they died. Paul
gives consolation to those who mourn
for the dead by assuring them that
they shall be reunited with those who
die in the Lord. See I Thess. 4:16- II
noticing the word together in verse
seventeen.
Rev. John 8. Shouse, of the Chris
tian church, answers the question az
follows:
The LEDGER has asked me for a few
lines as to theprobabiity of recognition
of our friends in heaven. am re-
minded of the common sense answer
of the venerable John Smith to his
wife, Nancy, when she propounded
the question, "Mr. Smith, do you
think you will know me if we both 60
to heaven?" "Why certainly, Nancy.
DO you think am to be bigger fool
there than am here?"
l think it is certainly taught, and il
is in perfect harmony with the condi-
tions of life. apprehend that such 9
doubt has its origin in the fact that il
any of those we love are not among
the redeemed we cannot be as happy
as the Bible says we are to be. This
reasoning meets with an answer in the
reply of Jesus to the Sadducees, who
tried to puzzle him in regardso his
teaching of the resurrection of the
dead. They supposed the same woman
to have had as husbands seven broth
ers and they could not see whose wife
she was to be, and that, therefore
there would be strife over their re-
spective claims of her. Jesus replied
"You do err, not knowing the Script
urss," because the Scriptures teach
the doctrine of the resurrection; that
should be sufficient. "You do err, MOI
knowing the power of God, for In the
resurrection they neither marry or are
given in marriage" All Of the affec.
tions that grow out of the married
state, or parental state, will be gone
So, necersary here, up there they viii
be gone because they will no longer be
needed, and we shall be Gas angels are
in heaven"
We are taught in the Bible that
they are perfectly happy beings, and
yet in their ministery to Gods suffering
and dying children, while full of ten.
derness, they are still happy, notwith'
standing the pain and misery they be.
hold. Jesus once wept tears of sym.
pathy with two sisters at their broth
er's grave. Since He ascended tt
heaven each day, perhaps, He look
upon scenes more distressing than hal
at Bethany, yet He does not shed tear
in heaven, nor groan, nor lament, al
He did in Jerusalem. This is not be.
cause He has lost His sensibilities, but
because in leaving the human He hai
entered into the divine and perfect
So shall it be with Us. Our human
lives will have subserved their pur
poses and the deeper, purer and mor'
enhancing love shall engulf us
"When that which is perfect is come
then shall we know as we are known
even as that which in part shall b,
done away"