Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-12-11
VISIONS OF HEAVEN.
IN. TALMAGE DESCRIBES THE EN-
PLoYMENTS OF THE eLEsT.

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-Dr. Talmage's
sermon today gives a very unusual view
Of the celestial world and is one Of the
most unique discourses of the great
preacher. The text is Ezekiel i, J.,
"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth
year, in the fourth month, in the fifth
day of the month, as was among the
captives by the river Chebar, that the
heavens were opened. "
Ezekiel, with others, had been expa-
triated, and while in foreign slavery,
standing on the banks Of the royal
canal which he and other serfs had been
condemned to dig by the order of Nebu-
ohadnezzar-this royal canal in the text
called the river Of Chebar-the illustri-
Gus exile had visions of heaven. Indeed
it is almost always so-that the bright
est visions Of heaven come not to those
who are on mountain top of prosperity,
but to some John on desolate Patmos,
or to some Paul in Mamertine dungeon,
or to some Ezekiel standing on the
banks Of ditch he had been compelled
to dig-yea, to the weary. to the heart
broken, to those whom sorrow has ban
ished. The text is very particular to
give US the exact time Of the vision. II
was in the thirtieth year and in the
fourth month and in the fifth day OF
the month. So you have had visions Of
earth you shall never forget. You re-
member the year, you remember the
month, you remember the day, you re-
member the hour. Why may we not
have some such vision now and it be
in the twelfth month and in sixth day
of the month!
What Are They Doing7
The question is often silently asked,
though perhaps never audihly PROFOUND
cd. "What are our departed Christian
friends doing now?" The question is
more easily answered than you might
perhaps suppose Though there has
come no recent intelligence from the
heavenly city, and we seem dependent
upon the story Of lS centuries ago, still
l think we may from strongest infer
ence decide what are the present occu-
nations Of our transferred kinsfolk. Aft
er God has made nature he never
eradicates the chief characteristic Of It's
temperament. You never knew a man
phlegmatic in temperament to become
sanguine in temperament. You never
knew a man sanguine IN temperament
TO become phlegmatic in temperament.
Conversion plants new principles in the
soul, but Paul and John are just as diff
ferent from each other after conversion
AZ they were different from each Other
before conversion. II conversion does
not eradicate the prominent character
istics Of temperament, neither viii
death eradicate them. Paul and John
ara az different from each other IL
heaven as they were different from eact
other in Asia Minor.
You have, then, only by sum in sub
traction and a sum in addition to de
eide what are the employments OF your
departed friends in the better world
You are to subtract from them al
earthly erossness and add all earthly
goodness, and then you are to come u
the conclusion that they are doing nov
in heaven what in their best momen
they did on earth. The reason why 81
many people never start for heaven
because they could not stand 1t II the.
got there if it seUuld turn out to be tn
rigid and formal place some people pho
tograph it. We like to come to church
but we would not want to stay here til
next summer. We like to hear tn
"Halleluiah Chorus" but we woul'
not want to hear it all the time for D.
centuries. 1t might be on some grea
occasion it would be possibly comfort
able to wear a crown Of gold weighini
several pounds, but it would be an al
Fiction to wear such acrown forever. Ii
other words, we run the descriptions Q
heaven into the ground while we max
that which was intended as especia
and celebrative to be the exclusive em
ployment in heaven. You might a
we'll. il asked to describe the habits
American society, describe Decoratio
dsy or a Fourth of July or an autumna
Thanksgiving, as though it were all tn
time that way.
The Different Employments-
I am not going to speculate in regar
10 the future world, but | must, BY II
eyitable laws of inference and deductlo
and common sense. conclude that
heaven we will be just as different fror
each other as we are now different an
hence that there will be at least
=. ( many different employments in the c'
lestial world as there are employment
here. Christ is to be the great love- u
great Joy, the great rapture, the sre'
worship Of heaven, but will that spo
ish employments? No more than io'
3 on earth-paternal, filial, fraterna
copiueal Ioye-abolishes earthly occupi
tion. -
In the first place, / remark that .
those Of our departed Christian frienc
who ON earth found great joy In q
fne arts are now indulging their tast'
o in the same direction. On earth the
had their gladdest.pleasures amid pi
l. tures and statuary and in the study
the laws Of light and shade and pc
I spectiye. Have you any idea that th'
u affluence Of faculty at death COLLAPSE
!, and perisbedH Why so, when there
more for them TO look at and they na'
keener appreciation Of the beautif'
and they stand amid the very loon
= where the sunsets and the rainbows al
Q thes spring mornings are wovenf A
, YOU SO obtuse as to Suppose, becau
the painter drops his easel and q
d sculptor his chisel and the engrav
N his knife, that therefore that tas
"a which he was enlarging and intensii
ing for 40 or 30 years is entirely onil
10 eratedi These artists or these frien
of ars ON earth worked in coarse mat
rial and with imperfect brain and WI
10 frail hand. Now they have carried tne
art into larger liberties and into wid
circumference. TheY arc at their Q
ID business yet, but without the fatigue
without the limitations, without
hindrances Of the terrestrial stud