Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-01-28
SOUL RECOGNITION.
REV. Or. TALMAeE. SAYS WE SHALL
KNOW EACH OTHER.

turing In Chicago, Minneapolis and ST
Paul and his sermon is on theme which
will absorbingly interest all who read it
He returns this week TO Washington. The
subject is Heavenly Recognition, and
the text, III Samuel xii, 2s, ''I shall go to
him."
There is a 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 young prince the frosts
of pain and death. Tears are wine to the
king Of terrors. Alas for David the king.
He can neither sleep nor eat and lies pros
trate on his face weeping and wailing un-
til the palace rings with the outcry of woe.
What are courtly attendants or victori-
Gus armies, or conquered provinces 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 gently
closed, two little hands folded, two little
feet quiet, one heart still. The servants
come to bear the tidings to the king, but
they cannot make up their minds to tell
him, and they stand at the door whisper
ing about the matter, and David hears
them, and he looks up and says to them,
sis the child deadP' "Yes, he is dead !"
David rouses himself up, washes himself,
puts on new apparel and sits down to food.
What power hushed that tempest? What
strength was it that lifted up that king
whom grief had dethroned? OhYit was the
thought that he would como again into the
possession of that darling child. No grave
digger's spade could ide him. The win
try blasts of death could not put out the
bright light. There would be forge some
where 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, 81 shall go to him."
The Heavenly Throng.
Was David right or wrong2 If we part
on earth, will we meet again in the next
worldp "Well," says some one, "that
seems to be an impossibility. Heaven is so
large place we never could find our kin
dred there" Going into some city, with
out having appointed a time and place for
meeting, you might wander around for
weeks and for months, and perhaps for
years, and never see each other, and heaven
is vaster than all earthly cities together.
And how are you going to find your do
parted friend in that country? 1t is so
| vast realm. John went up on one noun
| tain of inspiration, and he looked off upon
L. 10 L. -
| thousands. Then he came upon greater
altitude of inspiration and looked off upon
it again, and he said, "Ten thousand times
ten thousand" And then he came on a
higher mount Of inspiration and looked of
| again, and he said, "a hundred and forty
and four thousand and thousands of thou
| sands" And he came ON a still greater
height Of inspiration, and be looked off
again and exclaimed, "a great multitude
that no man can number"
Now, ask, how are you going to find
| your friends in such throng as that? Is
| not this idea we have been entertaining,
after all, falsity? Is this doctrine of fu.
| ture recognition of friends in heaven 6
guess, a myth, a whim, or is it granite
| foundation upon which the soul pierced Of
all ages may build a glorious hope? In.
tense question: Every heart in this audi.
ence throbs right into it. There is in every
| soul hero the tomb of at least ono dead.
Tremendous question: 1t makes the Lip
| culver, and the cheek flush, and the entire
| nature thrill. Shall we know each Other
| there? I get letters almost every month
asking me to discuss this subject. get a
letter in bold, scholarly hand, on gilt
edged paper, asking me to discuss this
question, and say, "Ah, that is curious
man, and he wants q curious question
| solvedP' But get another letter. 1t is
written with trembling hand and OF
what seems to be torn out leaf of book,
and there and here is the mark of tear,
and 1 say, ''Oh, that is broken heart, and
it wants to be comfortedr'
The object of this sermon is to take this
| theory out of the region of surmise and
| speculation into the region of positive Ger,
tainty. People say: est would be very
pleasant If that doctrine were true. I hope
| it may be true Perhaps it is true. 1 wish
| it were true" But / believe that I car
bring an accumulation of argument tc
bear upon this matter which will prove
the doctrine of future recognition as plain.
| that the kiss of reunion at the celestial gate
will be as certain as the dying kiss at the
door of the sepulcher.
Facts For Proof.
Now, when you are going to build ship
| you must get the right kind OF timber.
You lay the keel and make the framework
of the very best materials-the keelson
stanchions, plank shear, counter timber
knees, transoms-all iron or solid oak. You
may build ship of lighter material, but
when the cyclone comes on it will go down.
Now, we may have great many beautiful
theories about the future world bulls out
of our own fancy, and they may do very
well as long as we have smooth sailing in
the world, but when the storms of sorrow
come upon us, and the hurricane of DEATH
we will be swamped-we will be founder
ed. We want theory built out of Gods
eternal word. The doctrine of future rec
ognition is not SO often positively stated in
the word of God as implied, and you know,
my friends, that that u.s. after all, the
strongest mode of affirmation. Your friend
travels in foreign lands. He comes home
He does not begin by arguing with you te
prove that there are such places as London
and Stockholm and Paris and Dresden and
Berlin, but his conversation implies it
And so this Bible does not so positively
state this theory as, all up and down its
chapters, take it for granted
What does my text imply? "I shall &c
to him." What consolation would it be te
David to go to his child If he would not
know himP Would David have, been al
lowed to record this anticipation for the
inspection of all ages If it were ground
less anticipaiton2 We read in the first book
of the Bible: A braham died and was gath-
cred to his people. Jacob died and was
gathered to his people Moses died and
was gathered to his people What peoplei
Why, their friends. their comrades, theil
old companions. Of course it means that.