Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-11-16

| look at those inventions Of the day-ar
| telegraphy, at swift communication by
steam at all these modern improvements
which seem to give one almost omnipres-
| ence-and we see only the secular relation;
| but spirits before the throne look out and
see the vast and the eternal relation. While
nations rise and fall, while the earth is
! shaking with revolution, do you not sup
pose there is arousing intelligence going
up to the throne Of God, and that the ques-
tion is often asked before the throne,
''What Is the news from that world-that
world that rebelled. but is coming back to
its ailegiance?" If ministering spirits, ac-
eording to the Bible are sent forth to
minister to those that shall be heirs OF
heaven, when they come down to US to
bless US, do they not take the news backf
Do the ships of light that come out OF the
celestial harbor into the earthly barbor,
laden with cargoes of blessing, go back
unfreighted? Ministering spirits not only,
but our loved ones leaving us, take mp tue
tidiDgs. Suppose you were in far city.
and had been there a good while, and you
heard that some one had arrived '--'
your native piace-some enc who had
recently seen your family and friends
YOU would rush up to that man, and you
would ask all about the old folks at home.
Aud do YOU not suppose when your child
went up to God, your glorifed kindred in
heaven gathered around aud asked about
You, to ascertain as to whether you were
getting along we'll In the struggle OF life;
to find out whether you were in any espe-
cial peril, that with swift and mighty
wing they might come down to intercept
your perils? On, yesl Heaven is
greater place for news than it used to be-
news sounded through the streets, news
ringing from the towers, news heralded
from the palace gate. Glad news! Vic
tOrious news!
Now, I say these things about the changes
in heaven, about the new improvements in
heaven, for three stout reasons. First, be-
cause find that some of you are impa-
tient to be gone. You are tired of this
world, and you want to get into that good
land about which you have been thinking,
praying, aud talking so many years. Now
be patient. could see why you would want
to go to an art gallery If some OF the best
pictures were to he taken away this week or
next week; but If some one tells you that
there are other beautiful pictures to come
other Kensetts, Rsphaels, and Rubens;
other masterpieces to be added to the gal
lery-you would say, II eau afford to
wait. The place is improving all the
sine" Now, Iwant you to apply the same
principle in this matter ofreaching heaven
aud leaving this world. Not one glory is
to be subtracted, but many glories added.
Not one angel will be gone, not one hier-
arch gone, not one OF your glorifled friends
gone. By the long practicing the music
will be better. the procession will be
longer, the rainbow brighter, the corona
tion grander. Heaven, with magnificent
addenda Why will you complain when
you are only waiting for something better?
Another reason why speak in regard to
the changes in heaven, and the new i'm
prOvements in heaven, is because | think II
will be a consolation to busy and enterpris-
ing good people. I see very we'll that you
have not much taste for a heaven that was
al! done and finished centuries ago. After
You have been active forty or fifty or sixty
years it would be a shock to stop you sud.
denly and forever; but here is progressive
heaven, an ever-accumuiative heaven, vast
enterprise on foot there before the throne
of God. Aggressive knowledge, aggressive
goodness, aggressive power, aggressive
grandeur. You will not have to come and
sit down on the banks of the river of life
in everlasting inoccupation. o busy men,
I tell you of a heaven where there is some
thing to dol That is the meaning of the
passage. 'They rest not day nor night" in
the lazy sense of resting.
do not think it was superstitious when
one Wednesday night. | stood by a death
bed within a few blocks of the church
where preached, and on the same street
and saw one of the aged Christians of the
church going into glory. After l had
prayed with her said to her, eve have
all loved you very much, and will always
cherish your memory in the Christian
church. You will see my son before ]
our love- She said, 81 will, 1 will" and
In twenty minutes she was in heaven
the last words she ever spoke. 1t was
swift message to the skies. II you had
your choice between riding in a heavenly
chariot and occupying the grandest palace
in heaven, and sitting on the throne next
highest to the throne OF God, and not see.
ing your departed loved ones; and on the
other hand, dwelling in the humblest place
in heaven, without crown or throne, ano
without garland, and without sceptre, yet
having your loved ones around you, you
would choose the latter. L say these things
because want you to know it is domes-
tic heaven, and consequently 1t is all the
time improving. Every one that goes UP
makes 1t a brighter place, and the attrac.
tions are increasing month by month and
day by day; and heaven, so vastly more OF
a heaven, n thousand times more OF a
heaven, than 1t used to be, will be a better
heaven yet. Oh, say this to intensity
your anticipation
: enter heaven one day. 1t is almost
empty. 1 enter the temples of worship,
and there are no worshipers. Iwalk down
the street, and there are no passengers.
go into the orchestra, and find the instru-
ments are suspended in the baronial halls
of heaven, and tho great organs of eter-
nifty, with multitudinous banks of keys, are
closed. But l see shining one at the
gate, as though he were standing on
guard, and say, Sentinel. what does this
mean? 1 thought heaven was Il populous
city. Has there been some great plague
sweeping off the population?" Have
you not heard the Hews2' says the SEN
tinel. There is world burning, there
is a great conflagration out wonder, and
all heaven has gone out to look at the con-
migration and take the victim out of the
ruins. This is the day for which all other
days are made. This is the Judgment
This morning all the chariots, and the cav
airy, and the mounted infantry rumbled
and galloped down the sky" After had
listened to the sentinel, l looked off over
the battlements. and So that the fields
Of air were bright with blazing world.
said, ''Yes, yes, tnis must be the Judg-
ment;' and while stood there 1 heard the
rumbiing of wheels and the clattering of
hoofs. and the rearing of many voices.
and then l saw the coronets and plul es
and banners, and saw that all
heaven was coming back again-com-
ing to the wall, coming to the gate,
and the multitude that went off in
the morning was augmented by vast
multitude caught up alive from the earth,
and a vast multitude of the resurrected
bodies of the Christian dead, leaving the
cemeteries ard the a5beys ard the mauso-
leums and the gravey ards or the earth
empty. Procession moving in through the
gates. And then 1 found out that what
was fiery Judgment Day on earth was
Jubi ee in Heaven. aud l cried, Door
keepers Of heaven, shut the gates; all
heaven has come in Doorkeepers, shut
the twelve gates, lest the sorrows and the
woes of earth, like bandits, should some
day come up and try to plnrder the Citvi"
Useful Hints.