The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-23
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "occupation After Death .

TExr:.tNow it came 10 pass In the thirtieth
year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day Of
the month, as was among the captiyes by
the river Of Chebar, that the heavens were
opened. ."-Ezekiel l., 1. l..
Ezekiel. with. others, had been expatri-
atei, and while In foreign slavery, stand.
Ing on the banks of the royal canal which
he and other seris had been condemned
to dig by the order OF Nebuohadnezzar-
this royal canal in the text called the River
OF Chebar-the illustrious exile hal
visions OF heaven. Indeed 1t L. almost al
ways so-that the brightest visions OF
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 a ditch he had
been compelled to di9-yea. to the weary, to
the heartbroken, to those whom sorrow has
banished. The text is very particular to
give US the exact time OF the vision. It was
In the thirteenth year and in the fourth
month and In the fifth day Of the month:
SO you had visions OF earth you shall never
forget. You remember the year. you remem-
remember the hour. Why may we not have
some such vision now and 1t be In the
twelfth month and in sixth day OF the
month? Esli Z Z S 5t ~
The question Is often silently asked though
perhaps never audibly propounded, 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 eighteen centuries ago,
still think we may from strongest inference
decide what are the present occupations OF
our transferred kinsfolk. After God has
made nature He never eradicates the chief
characteristic OF Its temperament. You never
knew man phlegmatic In temperament to
become sanguine In temperament.
You never knew man SAN
guine In temperament to become phlegma-
tic in temperament. Conversion plants new
principles In the soul, but Paul and John are
Just as different from each other after con-
version az they were different from each
other before conversion. II conversion does
not eradicate the prominent characteristics
oftemperament, neither viii death eradicate
them. Paul and John are as different from
each other in heaven as they were different
from each other in Asia Minor.
You have. then, only by gum In sub
traction and sum in addition to decide
what are the employment OF your departed
friends in the better world. You are to
subtract from them all earthly grossness
and add. all earthly goodness, and then you
are to come to the conclusion, that they are
doing now in heaven what In their best
moment they did on earth. The reason
why so L any people never start for heaven
Is because they could, not stand 1t II they
got there II it should turn out to be the
rigid and formal place some people photo
r. n. A. k,o II. g.f,,,k
we would not want to stay here till next
summer. We like to hear the sHallelulah
Chorus" but we would. not want TO hear
It all the time for Atty centuries. It might
be on some great occasion itWoulc :, posi-
bly, comfortable to wear a crown o. gold
weighing several pounds, but ftswould be an
Jafiicfion to wear such crown forever. In
other words, we rum the descriptions ofheayen
into the ground while we make that which
was intended as special and celsbrative to
be the exclusive employment In heaven. You
might as we'll, II ssked,to describe the habits
OF American society. describe q eDeccratton
Day or Fourth Of July. or an autumna.
Thanksgiving, as thoughtt ware allthe time
that way. 10 ~
am not going to speculate in regard to
laws of inference and deduction md co nmon
sense, conclude that IN heaven we Will be
Just az different from each other as we are
snow different, and hence thatthere will bs at
least as many different employments In the
celestial world as there are employments
here Christ is to be the great love, the eigreat
10y, the great rapture, the great worship OF
heaven, but will that abolish employments2
No more than love on earth-paternal, fllal.
fraternal, conjugal love-abolishes earthly
occupation. ..,i s5 (.
In the first place, remark that all those
of our departed Christian friends who on
earth found great Joy in the fine arts are now
lndulging their tastes In the same direction.
On earth they had their gladdest pleasures
amid pictures and statuary and In the study
OF the laws OF light aud shade and perspec-
tive. Have you any idea that that affluence
of faculty at death collapsed and perished2
Why so, when there Is more for them to look
at and they have keener appreciation OF the
beautiful and they stand amid the very looms
where the sunsets aud the rainbows and the
spring mornings are woven? Are you so OBJ
tuse as to suppose, because the painter drops
his ensel and the sculptor his chisel and the
engraver his knife, that therefore that tasta
which he WAS enlarging and intensifying for
forty or fifty years Is entirely obliterated2
These artists, or these friends OF art on earth,
worked in coarse material and with imper-
feet brain and with frail hand. Now they
have carried their art into larger liberties
ard into wider circumference. They are al
their old business yet, but without the
fatigues, without the limitations, without
the hindrances Of the terrestrial studio.
Raphael could improve upon his master
piece Of "Mchael the Archangel" now that
he has seen him, and could improve upon
hin masterpieces Of the "Holy Trinity" now
that he has visited them. Michael Angelo
could better present the "Last Judgment"
after he had seen its flash and heard the
rumbling battering rams OF its thunder. Ex-
quisite colors here graceful lines here, pow
erful chiaroscuro here, but am persuaded
that the grander studies and the brighter
galleries are higher up by the winding mar
Bile stairs OF the sepuleher. AMI that Turner
and Holman Hunt and Rembrandt and Titan
and Paul Veronese, II they exercised saving
faith in the Christ whom they portrayed
upon the canvas, are painting yet. but their
strength Of faculty multiplied ten thousand
fold. -, To-.
remark again that all our departed
Christian friends who In this world were
passlonately fond Of music are still regaliug
that taste in the world celestial. The Bible
says 80 much about the music OF heaven thai
it cannot all be fgurative. Why all this talk
about hallelujahs and choirs on the glass and
trumpets and harps and oratorios and Or
gans? The Bible over and over again speaks
of the songs ofheaven. II beaven had no
songs OF its own. u vast number ofthose on
earth would have been taken up hy the
earthly emigrants. Surely the Christian at
death does not lose his memory. Then there
must be millions OF souls in heaven who
know Coronation" and "Antioch" and
Mount Plsgah" and "O!d Hundred" The
leader OF the eternal orchestra need on.y
once tap his baton, and all heaven will be
ready for the hallelujah. l. ...
If heaven should ever. get out OF music,
Thomus Hastings and Lowell Mason and
Bradbury would start uo hundred old