St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-02-27
LOOKING BEYOND.
Rev. Dr.. Talmage Says We May
See and Know Our Friends.

ss0v. IL. AoIud80 says we MAY
See and Know Our Friends.
4 Lase oe ArEuns1t to show that In the
Failure lIfs We May Meet aud
1ingle with Those We
Loved On Earth.
The following Interesting discourse
BY Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage on the sub
$ect: Heavenly Recognition" was
besed on the text:
shall 60 TO Him. IL Samuel. xii, g
There is . very sick child in the
abode Of David. the king. Disease,
which stalks up tho dark lane Of the
poor and puts its smotheriug hand on
lip and nostril of the wan and wasted,
also mounts the palace stairs, and,
bending over the pillow, blows into
the face Of . young prince tie frosts
Of pain and death. Tears are wine to
the King OF Terrora. Alas! for David,
the king. He can neither sleep nor
eat and lies PROSTATE on his face.
weeping and wailing until the palace
rings with the outory of woe.
What are courtly attendants, or vic
toEious armies. or conquered prov
inces, under such circumstances?
What TO any parent is all splendid
surrounding when his child is sick?
Seven days have passed on. There in
that great house two eyelids are gent
" closed. two little hands folded. two
little feet quiet, one heart still. The
servants come to bear the tidings to
the king. but they can not make up
their minds to tell him, and they stand
1t the door, whispering about the
matter, and David hears them and he
looks mp and says to them: is the
child dead7" "Yes, he is Dead
David rousos himself up, washes him
self, puts on new apparel aud sits
down TO food. What power hushed
that tempest? What strength was it
that lifted up that king whom grief
had dethr0nsd9 Oh, it was the thought
that he would come again into the pos.
sion OF that darling child. No grave
diggsr's spade could hide him. The
wintry blasts Of death could not put
out the bright light There would be
. forge somewhere that with silver
hammer would weld the broken links
In city whore the hoofs Of the pale
horse never strike the pavement he
would clasp his lost treasure. He
wipes away the tears from his eyes,
and he clears the choking grief from
his throat, and exclaims: twill 60 to
him"
Was David right Or wrong? II we
part on earth will we meet again in
the next world7 "Well." says some
one, ''that seems to be an impossible
ity. Heaven IL 10 large = place we
never could dnd our kindred there"
Going into scme city. without having
appointed time and place for meet
Ing, yoa might wander around for
weeks and for months, and perhaps
e0r years, and never see each other;
aud Heaven IL vaster than all earthly
cities together, and how are you going
10 find your departed friend in that
It II 90 vast = realm. John
went mp on one mountain of inspira-
lion. and he looked of upon the null
titude, and he said: Thousands Of
thousands" Then he came upon .
greater altitude of inspiration and
looked on upon it again. and he said.
''Ten Thousands times ten thousand"
And then he came on . higher mount
II inspiration. and looked Oh again
md he said: "A hundred aud forty
md four thousand aud thousands of
And be came on still
greater height OF inspiration, and he
looked of again, and exclaimed: "A
great multitude that NO man can num-
ber."
Now I ask, how are you going to
Ind your frienda in such = throng Is
that9 IL not this idea we have been
after all = falsity? Is
his doctrine of future recognition of
friends in Heaven guess. . myth, .
whim, or is it = gigantic foundation
apon which the soul pierced of all
lges may build . glorious hope? In
tense question! livery heart in this
audience throbs right into it There
. in every soul here the tomb of At
east one dead. Tremendous question!
L makes the lip quiver, and the cheek
lush, and the entire nature thrill:
Shall we know each other there? II
ret lstters almost every month asking
ne to discuss this subject get let
er in = bold. scholarly hand, on gilt
.dged paper, asking mo to discuss this
question. and l say: ..Ahl that is . |
curious man, and he wants . curious |
luestion solved" But get smother |
etter. It Is written with . trembling
sand, and on what seems to be = torn
,ut leaf of . book, and there and here |
, the mark Of = tear; and say: ''Oh,
hat il . broken heart and it wants to |
" comforted."
The object Of this sermon il to take |
his theory ont of the reign of surmiss
Ind speculation into the reign Of posi-
i've certainly. People say: 1T would
% very pleasant il that doctrine were
;rua hope it may be true. But l |
oelieve that can bring m accumula-
ion of argument to bear upon this
natter which will prove the doctrine
II future recognition as plainly as that
here 10 any Heaven at all, and that
he kiss of reunion At the Celestial |
gate will be as certain MS the DYING
Kiss at the door Of the sepulcher.
What does my text imply7 II shall
70 to him." What consolation would
{ Be to David to 70 to his child il he
would not know him2 Would David
lave been allowed to record this an
;icfpation for the inspection Of al
lges Il it were . groundless anticipa-
i0nf We read In tho first book of the
Hble, Abraham died and was gathered
% his people. Jacob died and was
gathered TO his people. Noses died
Ind Was gathered to his people. What
peoples Why, their friends, their com.
,odes, their old companions. OF coursa
4 mama that II can mt xn>.