The Yale expositor., 1897-01-08

hot or too cold or
too rarified of at
mosphere for residence. But, II not
fit for human abode, they may De nt
for beings different from and. superior
to ourselves. We are told that the
world of Jupiter is changing and De-
coming fit for creatures like the hu-
man race, and that Mars would do tor
the human family with little change
in the structure of our respiratory or
gans. But that there is great world
swung somewhere, vast beyond imagl-
nation, and that it is the headquarters
OF the universe, and the metropolis OF
immensity, and has a population In
numbers vast beyond all statistics, ana
appointments of splendor beyond the
capacity of canvas, or poem, or angel
to describe. is as certain as the Bible
is authentic Perhaps some Of the as
tronomers with their big telescopes
have already caught a glimpse OF 1t,
not knowing what it is. We spell 1t
with six letters and pronounce 1t
heaven.
That is where Prince Jesus lived
nineteen centuries ago. He was the
Kings Son. 1t was the old homestead
of eternity, and all its castles were as
old as God. Not a frost had ever chill
ed the air. Not a tear had ever rolled
down the cheek Of one of its inhabi-
tants. There had never been a head
ache, or a sideache, or a heartache.
There had not been a funeral in the
memory of the oldest inhabitant. There
had never in all the land been woven
black veil, for there had never been
anything to mourn over. The passage
of millions OF years had not wrinkled
or crippled or bedimmed any of its
citizens. All the people there were in
state of eternal adolescence. What
floral and pomonic richness! Gardens
of perpetual bloom and orchards in un-
ending fruitage. Had sore spirit from
another world entered and asked, What
is sin? What is bereavement? What
Is sorrow? What is death? the bright
est of the intelligences would have fail
ed to give definition, though to study
the question there was silence in hea-
ven for half an hour.
The Prince of whom speak had hon
ors, emoluments, acclamations, such as
no other prince, celestial or terrestrial,
ever enjoyed. AS he passed the street,
the inhabitants took off from their
brows garlands of white lilies and
threw them il the way. He never en-
tered any of the temples without all the
worshipers rising up and bowling in
obeisance. In all the professions of the
high days he was the one who evoked
the loudest welcome. Sometimes on
foot, walking in loving talk with
the humblest of the land, but at
other times he took chariot, and
among the twenty thousand that the
Psalmist spoke of, his was the swift
est and most flaming; or, as when st.
John described him, he took white
palfrey with what prance of foot, and
arch of neck, and roll of name. and
CLEAN of eye is only dinfly suggested
in the Apocalypse. He was not like
other princes, waiting for the Father
to die and then take the throne. When
years ago an artist in Germany made
a picture for the Royal Gallery repre-
senting the Emperor William on the
throne, and the Crown Prince as hav-
ing one foot on the step of the throne.
the Emperor William ordered the pic
ture changed, and said: Let the prince
keep his foot off the throne till l leave
It."
Already enthroned was the Heavenly
Prince side by side with the Father.
What a circle of dominion! What null
titudes of admirers! What unending
round of glories! All the towers
chimed the princes praises. OF all the
inhabitants, from the centre of the city
on over the hills and clear down 10 the
beach against which the ocean of i'm
mensity rolls its billows, the prince
was the acknowledged favorite. No
wonder my text says that "he was
rich" Set all the diamonds of the
earth in one sceptre, build all the pal
aces of the earth in one Alhambra.
gather all the pearls of the sea in one
diadem, put all the values of the earth
in one coin, the aggregate could not
express his affluence. Yes. St. Paul
was right. Solomon had in gold six
hundred and eighty million pounds. and
in silver one billion twenty-nine mil
lion three hundred and seventy-seven
pounds sterling. But a greater than
Solomon is here. Not the millionaire.
but the owner of all things. To de-
scribe his celestial surroundings, the
Bible uses all colors, gathering them
in rainbow over the throne and setting
them as agate in the temple window.
and hosting twelve of them into a
wall, from striped jasper at the base
to transparent amethyst in the cap
stone, while between are green Of emer-
aid, and snow of pearl, and blue of
sapphire, and yellow of topaz, grey of
chrysoprase, and flame of jacinth. All
thei loveliness of landscape in foliage,
and river. and rill, and all enchant-
ment aqua-marine, the sea of glass
mingled with fire as when the sun sinks
in the Mediterranean. All the thrill
Of music, instrumental and yocal.
harps, trumpets. doxologies. There
stood the prince. surrC a ded oy those