Connecticut western news., 1897-01-28

solation. James, John and Peter fol lowed Christ into the mountain. A light falls from heaven on that mountain and lifts it into the glories of the celestial. Christ's garments glow, and his face shines like the sun. The door of heaven swings open. Two spirits come down and alight on that mountain. The dis ciples look at them and recognize them as Moses and Elias. Now, if those dis ciples standing on the earth could recog- nize these two spirits who have been for years in heaven, do you tell me that we, with our heavenly eyesight, will not be able to recognize those who have gone out from among us only 5, 10, 20, 80 years ago?
 Recognition.
 The Bible indicates, over and over again, that the angels know each other, and then the Bible says that we are to be higher than the angels. And if the angels have the power of recognition, shall not we, who are to be higher than | they in the next realm, have as good | eyesight and as good capacity? What did | Christ mean, in his- conversation with | Mary and Martha, when he said, "Thy | brother shall rise again?" It was as l much as to say; Don cry. Don't wear yourselves out with this trouble. You will see him again. Thy brother shall ! rise again.
 The Bible describes heaven as a great l home circle. We'll now, that would be l very queer home circle where the members did not know each other. The | Il. IL | know each other before we go to sleep, shall we not know each other after we wake up? Oh, yes We will know each other great deal better then than now, flor now, says the apostle, i've see | through glass darkly, but then face to face." It will be my purified, enthroned and glorified body gazing on your puri- fled, enthroned and glorified body. l Now, demand, if you believe the Bible, that you take this theory of fu- | ture recognition out of the realm of 1 speculation and surmise into the region | of positive certainty, and no more keep saying: 1T hope it is so, have an idea | it is so. guess it is so" Be able to say, with all the concentrated energy of body, mind and soul, "I know it is sop | arguments, other reasons why I accept this theory. In the first place, because the rejection of it implies the entire ob- liberation of our memory. Can it be possible that we shall forget forever | those with whose walk, look, manner, we have been so long familiar2 Will death come and with sharp, keen blade hew away this faculty of memory? Abraham said to Dives, "Son, remem- ber'' If the exiled and the lost remem- Der, will not the enthroned remember3
 You know very we'll that our joy in any circumstance is augmented by the companionship of our friends, We can- not see picture with less than four eyes or hear song with less than four ears We want some one beside us with whom to exchange glances and sympa- thies, and suppose the joy of heaven is to be augmented by the fact that we are to have our friends with us when there l rise before us the thrones of the blessed and when there surges up in our ear the jubilate of the saved Heaven is not a contraction. It is an expansion. If know you here, will know you better there. Here see you with only two eyes, but there the soul shall have 1000, 900 eyes. It will be immortality gazing on immortality, ransomed spirit in colloquy with ransomed spirit. victor beside victor When John Evans, the Scotch minister, was seated in his study, his wife came in and said to him, My dear, do you think we will know each other in heaven?" He turned to her and ! lo i,,1y xx,sl1 be bigger fools in heaven than we are here?''
 The World Expects It.
 Again, accept this doctrine of future recognition because the worlds expect ancy affirms it. In all lands and ages this theory is received What form of religion planted it? No form of religion, for it is received under all forms of re- ligion. Then, l argue, a sentiment, 8 feeling, an anticipation, universally planted, must have been God implanted, and if God implanted it is rightfully implanted. Socrates writes: 'Who would not part with great deal to purchase a meeting with Orpheus and Homer? If it be true that this is to be the consequence of death, I could even be able to die often."
 Among the Danes, when master dies his servant sometimes stays himself that he may serve the master in the fu- ture world Cicero, living before Christ's coming, said: "Oh, glorious day when shall retire from this low and sordid scene to associate with the divine assemblage of departed spirits,
 and net only with the one I have just mentioned, but with my dear Cato, the best of sons and most faithful of meA
 if seemed to bear his death with forti-
 tude, it was by no means that did not
 most sensibly feel the loss had sus-
 tained. It was because was supported
 by the consoling reflection that we could
 not long be separated '"
 The Norwegian believes it; the Indian
 believes it; the Greenlander believes it;
 the Swiss believe it; the Turks believe
 it. Under every sky, by every river, in
 every zone, the theory is adopted And
 so say principle universally implant-
 ed must be God implanted, and hence .
 right belief The argument is irresisti-
 ble.
 Again, adopt this theory because
 there are features of moral temperament
 and features of the soul that will distin- guish us forever How do we know each other in this world? Is it merely by the
 color of the eye, or the length of the
 hair, or the facial proportions? Oh, mol
 It is by the disposition as we'll, by nat
 ural affinity, using the word in the very
 best sense and not in the bad sense. And
 if in the dust our body should perish | and lie there forever, and there should be no resurrection, still the soul has enough features and the disposition has enough features to make us distinguish, able I can understand how in sickness