The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-02-05
LOOKING BEYOND.
Rev. DR. Talmage Says We May
See end Know Our Friends.
Line of Argument to Show that In the
Future Life We May Meet and
MingIe with Those We
Loved on Earth.

by Rev. L. Dewitt Talmage on the sub.
ject: Heavenly Recognition" was
besed on the text:
shall go to Him. IL Samuel xii, "a
There is very sick child in the
abode of David, the king. Disease,
which stalks up the dark lane of the
poor and puts its smothering 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 a young prince the frosts
fpain and death. Tears are wine to
the King OF Terrors. 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 outcry of woe.
What are courtly attendants, or vic
torious 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
ly closed, two little hands folded, two
little feet quiet, one heart still. The
servants come to bear the tidings to
AiAS hAhky OuL AAG1 Cdn HOb u "
their minds to tell him, and they stand
at the door, whispering about the
natter, and David hears them and he
looks up and says to them: is the
child dead?" "Yes, he is dead"
David rouses himself up, washes him
self, puts oD new apparel and sits
down to food. What power hushed
that tempest? What strength was it
that lifted up that king whom grief
had dethroned2 Oh, it was the thought
that he would come again into the pos
sion of that darling child. No grave
digger's spade could hide him. The
wintry blasts of death could not put
out the bright light. There would be
a forge somewhere that with silver
hammer would weld the broken links.
In city where 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: Il will go to
him"
Was David right or wrong? If we
part on earth will we meet again in
the next world? Well" says some
one, that seems to be an impossible
ity. Heaven is so large place we
never could find our kindred there" Z"
Going into scme city, without having
appointed a time and place for meet
ing, you might wander around for
weeks and for months, and perhaps
for years, and never see each other;
aud Heaven is vaster than all earthly
I,
to find your departed friend in that
country? 1t is so vast a realm. John
went up on one mountain of inspira-
tion, and he looked off upon the mul-
and he said: Thousands of
Then he came upon
greater altitude of inspiration and
looked off upon it again, and he said,
Ten thousands times ten thousand"
And then he came on a higher mount
ef inspiration, and looked off again
and he said: "A hundred aud forty
and four thousand and thousands of
And he came on still
greater height of inspiration, and he
looked off again, and exclaimed: "A
great multitude that no man can mum.
ber."
Now 1 ask, how are you going to
6nd your friends in such throng as
that? Is not this idea we have been
after all a falsity? Is
this doctrine of future recognition of
friends in Heaven a guess. a myth,
whim, or is it a gigantic foundation
upon which the soul pierced of all
ages may build glorious hope? In
tense question! livery heart in this
audience throbs right into it. There
IS in every soul here the tomb of at
east one dead. Tremendous question!
1t makes the lip CULVER, and the cheek
1ush, and the entire nature thrill:
shall we know each other there?
ret letters almost every month asking
ne to discuss this subject. get a let
er in a bold, scholarly hand, on gilt
edged paper, asking me to discuss this
question, and l say: ''AhI that is a
curious man, and he wants a curious
question solved" But / get another
etter. 1t is written with tremb bling
land, and on what seems to be torn
,ut leaf of book, and there and here
S the mark of a tear; and L say: "Oh,
hat is a broken heart and it wants to
De comforted."
The object of this sermon is to take
This theory out of the reign of surmise
and speculation into the reign of posi-
tive certainly. People say: 1T would
be very pleasant if that doctrine were |
rue. l hope it may be true" But
believe that l can bring an accumula- |
ton of argument to bear upon this |
matter which will prove the doctrine |
Of future recognition as plainly as that
there is any Heaven at all, and that
the kiss of reunion at the Celestial
gate will be as certain as the dying |
kiss at the door of the sepulcher.
What does my text imply? II shall |
20 TO him." What consolation would |
It be to David to go to his child if he
would not know him? Would David |
have been allowed to record this an.
.icipation for the inspection of all |
ages if it were a groundless anticipa-
ion? We read in the first book of the |
Bible, Abraham died and was gathered |
20 his people. Jacob died and was
gathered to his people. Moses died |
and was gathered to his people. What |
people? Why, their friends, their COM
-ades, their old companions. OF course |
I means that. 1t can not mean any, |
hing else. So in the very beginning !
IF the Bible four times that is taken |
.or granted. The whole New Testa- |
nent is an arbor over which |
his doctrine creeps like a luxu-
liant vine full of the pur-
DE clusters OF consolation. James,
chm and Peter followed Christ into
se mountain, A light falls tFem |