The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-03-04

gathered to his people. Moses died
and was gathered to his people. What
people? Why, their friends, their COM
rades their old companions. OF course
| 1t means that. 1t can not mean any
thing else. So in the very beginning
of the Bible four times that is taken
| for granted. The whole New Testa-
nent is an arbor over which
this doctrine creeps like a luxu-
RANT vine full of the pur-
pie clusters of consolation. James,
John and Peter followed Christ into
the mountain. A light falls from
Heaven on that mountain and lifts
it into the celestial. Christ's gar
ments glow and His face shines like
the sun. The door of Heaven swings
open. Two spirits come down and
alight on the mountain. The disci-
pies look at them and recognize them
as Moses and Elias. Now, if those dis
clples standing on the earth could rec
ognize these two spirits who had been
| Tor years in Heaven, do you tell me
that we, with our heavenly eyesight,
will not be able to recognize those
|
only five, ten, twenty. thirty years
ago?
| 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 II the
angels have the power of recogni-
tion, shall not we. who are to be higher
! hn
as good cyesight and as good capacity?
What did Christ mean, in His conver-
sation with Mary and Martha, when He
said: Thy brother shall rise again?"
1t was as much as to say: Don't cry
| Don't wear yourself out with this
trouble. You will see him again. Thy
brother shall rise again"
The Bible describes Heaven as great
home circle. Well, now, that would be
a very queer home circle where the
members did not know each other.
| The Bible describes death as sleep. If
we know each other before we 60 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; 'for now," says the
apostle, 1--WE see through glass dark
ly, but then face to face. 1t will be my
purified, enthroned and glorified BODY
gazing on your purified, enthroned and
glorified body.
Now, l demand. if you believe the
Bible, that you take this theory of fu-
ture recognition out Of the realm of
| speculation and surmise into the
region of positive certainty, and no
more keep saying: Il hope it is SO;
have no idea it is SO; guess 1t is SO"
Be able to say, with all the concentra-
ted energy Of body, mind and soul: Il
| know it is SOL
| There are, in addition to these Bible
cept this theory. In the first place,
because the rejection memory. Can it
be possible that we shall forget for
ever those with whose walk, look,
manner we have been so long familiar?
VIII death come, and with a sharp,
keen blade hew away this faculty of
memory? Abraham said to Dives:
"Son, remember" IT. the exiied and
the lost remember, will not the en-
| throned remember?
You know very well 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 besides
us with whom to exchange glances
and sympathies; and | suppose the Joy
| of Heaven is to be augment by the
| fact that we are to have our friends
with us when there rise before US
the thrones of the blessed and when
there snrges up in our ear the jubi-
late Of the saved. Heaven is not
a contraction 1t is an expansion. If
l know you here, | will know you bet =
ter there. Here see you with only
two eyes, but there the soul shall have
a million eyes. 1t will be immortality
gazing on immortality-ransom
spirit in colloquy with ransomed d 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 said: my dear, do
you think we will be bigger fools in
Heaven than we are here?"
Again, | accept this doctrine of fu-
ture recognition because of the worlds 5
expectancy affirms it. In all lands and
ages this theory is received What
form of religion planted it2 No form
of religion, for it is received under all
forms of religion. Then, l argue, a
sentiment, 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 a
great deal to purchase meeting with
Orpheus and Homer? If it be true
that this is to be the consequence o1
death, could even be able TO die oft.
en-"
Again, l adopt this theory because
there are features of moral tempera
ment and features of the soul that will
distinguish us forever. How do We
know each other in this world? Is il
merely by the color of the eye, or tht
length of the hair, or the facial pro