The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-03-04
LOOKING BEYOND.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Says We May
Sec and Know Our Friends.
Line of Argument to Show that In the
Future Life We May Meet and
Mingle With Those We
Loved OIL Earth.


by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage on the sub
ject: "Heavenly Recognition, was
besed on the text:
l shall go to Him. III Samuel, xii, %.
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
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 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
the king, but they can not make up
their minds to tell him, and they stand
at the door, whispering about the
matter, and David hears them aud he
looks up and says to them: is the
child dead?' Yes, he is dead"
David rouses himself up, washes him
self. 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? 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
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: Twill 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 a place we
never could find our kindred there. :"
Going into some city, without having
appointed a time and place for meet
ing, you might wander around for
weeks and for months, and perhaps
Tor years, and never see each other;
and Heaven is vaster than all earthly
| cities together, and how are you going
to find your departed friend in that
country? 1t is so vast realm. John
went up on one mountain of insDira-
| tion, and he looked off upon the null
titude, and he said: Thousands of
| thousands" Then he came upon a
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 and forty
and four thousand and thousands of
thousands" And he came on a still
greater height of inspiration, and he
| looked off again, and exclaimed: "a
great multitude that no man can mum.
| ber.''
Now l ask, how are you going to
find your friends in such throng as
that? Is not this idea we have been
entertaining after all falsitv? Is
this doctrine of future recognition of
friends in Heaven guess. a myth, a
whim, or is it a gigantic foundation
upon which the soul pierced of all
ages may build glorious hope? In
tense question. Every heart in this
audience throbs right into it. There
is in every soul here the tomb of at
least one dead. Tremendous question
1t makes the lip quiver, and the cheek
flush, and the entire nature thrill:
| Shall we know each other there? !
get letters almost every month asking
me to discuss this subject. get let
ter in bold, scholarly hand, on gilt
edged paper, asking me to discuss this
question, and l say: "Ah. that is a
curious man, and he wants curious
question solved" But get another
letter. 1t is written with a trem bling
hand. and on what seems to be a torn
out leaf of a book, and there and here
is the mark of a tear; and say: oh
that is broken heart and it wants te
be 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
true. hope it may be true" But
believe that can bring an accumula
tion of argument to bear upon thi.
matter which will prove the doctrin,
of future recognition as plainly as tha
there is any Heaven at all, and tha
the kiss of reunion at the Celestia
| gate will be as certain as the dyin1
kiss at the door of the sepulcher.
What does my text imply? II shall
go to him." What consolation woul,
it be to David to go to his child if h,
would not know him? Would Davi.
have been allowed to record this an
ticipation for the inspection of al
ages if it were groundless anticipa