The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-11-11

ueScrl be!
Again: Heaven is vastly improved
in its society. During your memory
how many exquisite spirits have gone
into il! If you should try 10 make a
list of all the genial, loving gracious,
blessed souls that you have known, it
would be very long list-souls that
Fave gone into glory. Now, do you
not suppose they have enriched the
society? Have they not improved
Heaven? You tell of what Heaven did
for them. They have done nothing for
Heaven? Take all the gracious souls
that have gone out of your acquaint-
anceship, and add to them all the gra-
cious and beautiful souls that for 500
or 1000 years have gone out of all the
cities and all the villages, and all the
countries of this earth into glory,
and how the society of Heaven must
have been improved! Suppose Paul,
the apostle, were introduced into your
social circle on earth; but Heaven has
added all the apostles. Suppose Han
nah More and Charlotte Elizabeth
were introduced into your social cir
the blessed and the gracious and the
holy women of the past ages. Sup
pose that Robert rCheyne and John
Summerfeld should be added to your
earthly circle! but Heaven has gath
cred up all the faithful and earnest
ministry of the past. There is not a
town, or a city, or a village that has
so improved in society in the last hun
dred wears as Heaven has improved.
But you say: Hasn't Heaven al
ways been perfect?" Oh, yes. but not
in the sense that it can not be aug
mented. 1t has been rolling on in
grandeur. Christ has been there, and
He never changes-the same yester-
day, to-day and forever. But l speak
now of attractions outside of this,
and | have to tell you that no place on
earth has improved in society as
Heaven has within the last 70 years;
for most of you within 40 years,
within 20 years, within five years,
within one year; in other words, by
the accessions from your own house
hold. If Heaven were placed in
groups-an apostolic group, patri-
archal group, prophetic group, group
of martyrs, group of angels, and then
a group of your own glorified kindred
group would you choose?
You might look around and make COM
parison, but it would not take YOU
long to choose. You would say: Give
me back those whom l loved on earth;
let me enter into their society-my
parents, my children, my brothers, my
sisters. We lived together on earth,
let us live together in Heaven" Oh,
is it not a blessed thought that Heaven
has been improved by its society-this
colonization from earth to Heaven?
Again: 1 remark that Heaven has
greatly improved in the good cheer of
announced victories. Where Heaven
rejOiced over one soul, it now reioices
over a hundred or a thousand. In the
olden times, when the events of hui
man life were scattered over four or
five centuries of longevity, and the
world moved slowly, there were not so
many stirring events to be reported in
Heaven; but now, | suppose, all the
great events of earth are reported in
Heaven. If there is any truth plain
ly taught in this Bible it is that Heav-
en- is wrapped up in sympathy with
human history, and we look at those
inventions of the day-at telegraphy,
at swift communication by steam, at
all these modern Improvements which
seem to give one almost omnipresence
and we see only the secular relation;
but spirits before the throne look out
and see the vast and the eternal rela-
ton. While nations rise and fall,
while the earth is shaking with revo-
luton, do you not suppose there is
arousing intelligence going up to the
throne of God, and that the question
is often asked before the throne:
Heaven he knew more than ever the
science of health: and that Joseph
What is the news from that world
that world that rebelled, but is com
ing back to its allegiance?" If min
spirits, according to the BIZ
BILE, 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 back? Do the
lestiaI harbOr into the earthly harbor,
laden with cargoes of blessing, go back
Ministering spirits not
only, but our loved ones leaving us,
take up the tidings. Suppose you were
in far city, and had been there a
good while, and you heard that some
one had arrived from your native place
some one 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. And do
you not suppose when your child went
up to God, your glorified kindred in
Heaven gathered around and asked
about you, to ascertain as to whether
you were getting along well in the
struggle of life; to find out whether
YOU were in any especial peril, that
with swift and mighty wing they
might come down to intercept your
perils? Oh. yes! Heaven is a greater
place for news than itused to be-news
through the streets, news
ringing from the towers, news herald
ed from the palace gate. Glad news!
news!
But the vivacity and sprightliness of
Heaven will be beyond all conception
when the final victories come in, when
the church shall be triumphant every
where. Oh, what a day in Heaven it
will be when the last throne of earthly
has fallen, when the last
chain of serfdom is broken, when the
last wound of earthly pain is healed,
when the last sinner is pardoned,
when the last nation is redeemed!
What a time there will be in Heaven!
You and l will be in the procession;