The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-03-26
WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Contrasts Earthly
and Celestial Vision.
Things We Do Not Comprehend Now VIII
BE Made Plain Hereafter-God's Mercy
and Providence and Greatness
viii BE Revealed.


Dewitt Talmage presents picture of
mighty contrasts, comparing the dim
ness of earthly eyesight with the vivid
ness of celestial vision: The text is:
For now we see through glass, darlkly; but
then face to face.-I Corinthians xiii. ~
The Bible is the most forcefll and
pungent OF books. While it has the
sweetness of a mothers hush for hui
man trouble, it has all the keenness of
scimeter and the crushing power of
lightning 1t portrays with more
than painters power, at one stroke
picturing a Heavenly throne and a
Judgment confagration. The strings
of this great harp are fingered by all
the splendors of the future, now sound
ing with the cracllle of consuming
worlds, now thrilling with the joy of
the everlasting emancipated. 1t tells
how one forbidden tree in the gar
den blasted the earth with sickness
and death, and how another tree,
though leafess and bare, yet, planted
on Calvary, shall yield fruit which
shall more than antidote the poison of
the other. 1t tells how the red-ripe
clusters of Gods wrath were brought
to the wine-press, and Jesus trod them
out; and how, at last, all the golden
chalices of Heaven shall glow with the
wine of that awful vintage. 1t dazzles
the eye with an Ezel1ials vision of
wheel and wing and fire, and whirl-
wind; and stoops down SO low that it
can put it's lips to the ear of a dying
child and say: Come up higher"
Andy Paul. in my text, takes the
responsibility of saying that it is only
an indistinct mirror, and that its mis-
sion shall be suspended. think there
may be one Bible in Heaven, fastened
to the throne. Just as now, in a mu-
scum, we have lamp eXhumed from
Herculaneum or Ninevah, and we look
at it with great interest and say: How
poor light it must have given COM
pared with our modern lamps!" So
think that this Bible, which was lamp
to our feet in this world, may lie near
the throne of God, exciting our inter
est to all eternity by the contrast be-
tween its comparatively feeble light
and the illumination of Heaven. The
Bible now is the scaffolding to the ris-
ing temple, but when the building is
done there will be no use for the scat
folding.
The idea / shall develop to-day il
that in this world our knowledge is
comparatively dim and unsatisfactory
but nevertheless is Introductory to
grander and more complete vision
This is eminently true in regard to our
view of God. We hear SO much about
God that we conclude that we under
stand Him. He is represented as hav
ing the tenderness of a father, the
firmness of a judge, the majesty of 8
king and the love of a mother. We
hear about Him, talk about Him, write
about Him. We lisp His name in in
fancy, and it trembles on the tongue OF
the dying octogenarian. We think
that we know very much about
Him. Take the attribute of mercy
Do we understand it? The Bible bios
SONS all over with that word-mercy
1t speaks again and again of the
tender mercies of God; of the sur,
mercies; of the great mercies; of tn,
mercy that endureth forever; of tn,
multitude of His mereies. And yet
know that the views we have of thi
Great Being are most indefinite, one
sided and incomplete. When, at death
the gates shall fly open, and we shall
look directly upon Him, how new ant
surprising! We see upon canvas
! picture of the morning. We study tn
{ cloud in the sky, the dew upon tn
: grass and the husbandman on the wa,
to the field. Beautiful picture of tn
morning! But we rise at daybreal
E and go up on hill to see for ourselv e
that which was represented to MS
' While we look the mountains ar
TRANSPORTED. The FURNISHED gate
5 of Heaven swing open an
Y shut, to let past a host of fiery splen
, doris. The clouds are all abloom, an
Z hang pendent from arbors of alabaste
and amethyst The waters make path
S way of inlaid pearl for the light t
walk upon, and there is morning o.
: the sea. The crags uncover thei
SCARED visage, and there is mornin
: among the mountains. Now you G
t home, and how tame your picture c
: morning seems in contrast! Create
than that shall be the contrast betwee
this scriptural view of God and tina
I which we shall have when standin
: face to face This is picture of tn
!, morning that will be the morning il
!. self.
Again, my text is true of the Saviour
n excellency. BY image, and swee
: ryhthm of expression, and startling al
9 tithesis, Christ is set forth-His low,
e His compassion, His work, His life, Hi
. death, His resurrection. We are cha
!. lenged to measure it, to compute it, {
$ weigh it. In the hour of our broke
T enthrallment we mount up into hig
u experience of His love, and shout unit
the countenance glows, and the bloc
bounds, and the whole nature is e,
hilarated. II have found Him. An
r yet it is through a glass, darkly. "
d see not half of that compassionate fac
e We see not half the warmth of tn,
loving heart. We wait for death to |,
!. us rush into His outstretched arm
Then we shall be face to face. NJ
). shadow then, but substance. NJ
hope then, but the fulfillment /,
]; all prefigurment. That will
magnificent unfolding. II
rushing out in view of all hidden e,
cellency, the coming again of a lonl