The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-07
SPLENDoRS TO BE UNRoLLED.
TALMAGE breaches a SERMON OF
MIGHTY CONTRASTS.

ana Pungent OF BoOks-TaImage
Denies That Heaven Is a Small
Place.
Washington. March 6.-This discourse q
DIR. Talmage IS one of mighty contrasts
and the dimness of earthly eyeslsht' as
compared with the Nividuess Of celestial
eyesight, is illustrated. The text is Cor
1872: For now we see through a glass;
darkly; but then face to face
The Bible is the most forceful and pun
gent of books. While it has the sweetness
of a mothers hush for human trouble, IL
has all the koenness OF "A scimetar, AID
the crushing power OF a lightning bolt. II
portrays with more than a painters pow
er. at one stroke pcturing heavenly
throne and a Judgment confagrauon. The
strings of this great harp are fingered by
all the splendors of the future, now sound
ing with the crackle of consuming worlds
now thrilling with the JOY OF the ever
lasting emancipated. Il tells how one Tor
bidden tree in the garden blasted the earth
with sickness and death; and how another
tree though leaness and bare yet, plant
ed on Calvary, shall yield fruit when
shall more than antidote the poison of the
other 1t tells how the red-rpe clusters
of Gods wrath were brought to the vine
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 Eze-
klers vision of wheel, and wing. and FIRE,
IgV,f
that it can put its lips to the ear of dy-
ing child and say: Come up higher"
And yet Paul, in my text, takes the re-
sponsibility of saying that il is only an
indistinct mirror and that its mission shall
be suspended. / think there may be one
Bible in heaven, fastened to the throne.
just as now, in a museum, we have
lamp exhumed from Herculaneum or Min
eveh and we look at 1t with great in
terest and cay: How poor a light it
must have given compared with our mod
ern lampsr' So 1 think that this Bible,
which was a lamp to our feet in this
world, may lie near the throne of God.
exciting our interest to all eternity by the
contrast between its compare lively feeble
light and the illumination of heaven. Fhe
Bible, now, is the scaffolding TO the rising
there will be no use for the scaffolding.
The idea l shall develop to-day is,
that in this world our knowledge is COM
paratively dim and unsatisfactory, but
nevertheless is introductory to grander
and more complete vision. This is emil
nently true in regard to our view of God.
We hear so much about God that we con-
eiude that We understand Him. He is rep
resented as having the tenderness of a
fiFmneG= Of nd fl~.af Toe
~ of king, and the love of a mother.
We hear about Him. talk about Him,
write about Him. We lisp His name in
infancy, 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 il?
The Bible blossoms all over with that
word-mercy. It speaks again and again
of the tender mercies of God; of the
sure mercies; OF the great mercies: of
the mercy that endureth forever; of the
multitude of His mercies. And yet /
know that the views we have of this 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 and surprisingi We
see upon canvas a picture of the morn
ing. We study the cloud in the SKY. the
dew upon the grass, and the husbandman
on the way to the field. Beautiful picture
of the morning! But we rise az daybreak,
and go uD on a hill TO see for ourselves
that which was represented to us. While
We look the mountains are TRANSPORTED.
The FURNISHED gates of heaven swing open
and shut to let past host of
fiery spendor The clouds are all
abloom, and hang pendent from arbors
of alabaster and amethyst. The waters
make pathway of inlaid pearl for the
light to walk upon; and there is
morning on the sea. The crags uncover
their SCARED visage; and there is morning
among the mountains. Now you go home
and how tame your picture of the morning
seems in contrast! Greater than that shall
be the contrast between this Scriptural
view of God and that which we shall have
when standing face to face. This is a pic
ture of the morning, that will be the
morning itself.
Again: my text is true of the Savior's
excellency. By image and sweet rhythm
of expression, and startling antithesis.
Christ is set forth-his love. his compass
sion, his work, his life, his death. his res
direction. We are challenged to measure
il, 10 compute it. TO weigh it, In the hour
of our broken enthraIlment, we, mount up
into high experience of his love, and shout
until the countenance CLOVIS and the blood
bounds, and the whole nature Is exhilar-
ated, Il have found him" And yet 1t is
through glass, darkly. We see not half of
that compassionate face. We feel not half
the warmth of that loving heart We wait
for death to let us rush into his outspread
arms. Then we shall be face TO face. Not
shadow then, but substance. Not hope then.
but the fuldlling of all prehgurement. That
will be a magnificent unfolding. The rush
ing out in View of all hidden exceilency, the
coming again of a long-absent Jesus, TO
meet us-not in rags and in penury, and
death, but amidst light, and pomp and
outbursting joy such as none but glori-
fled intelligence could experience. oh! to
gaze full upon the brow that was lacerated.
upon the side that was pierced, upon the
feet that We're nailed; TO stand close up in
the presence Of him who prayed for us on
the mountain, and thought of us by the
sea. and agoniZed for us in the garden, and
died for US in horrible cruchXion; to feel
of him, to embrace him, to take his hand.
TO kiss his feet. to run our fingers along
the scars of ancient suffering; TO say.
This is my Jesus He gave himself for
me. ] shall never leave his presence. shall
forever behold his glory. / shall eternalIy
hear his voice. Lord Jesus, now see thee!
] behold where the blood started where
the tears coursed, where the face was dis
torted. / have waited for this hour. | shall
never turn nv hack fbca No mara