Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-11-05
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1893.

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into heaven, awoke into higher realms
of philosophy, and that Sir William
Hamilton, lifted to loftier sphere, un-
derstood better the construction of the
human intellect, and that John Milton
took up higher poetry in the actual
presence of things that on earth he had
tried to describe? When the first saints
entered heaven, they must have studied
only the a 3 G of the full literature
of wisdom with which they are now
acquainted.
Again, heaven is vastly improved in
its society. During your memory how
many exquisite spirits have gone into
it? If you sEculd try to make list Of
all the genial, loving gracious, blessed
souls that you have known, it would be
a very long list souls that have 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. Have they
done nothing for heaven? Take all the
gracious souls that have gone out of
your acquaintanceship and add to them
all the gracious 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 OH earth; but heaven
has added all the apostles. Suppose
Hannah More and Charlotte Elizabeth
were introduced into your social circle
on earth; but heaven has added all the
blessed and the gracious and the holy
women of the past ages. Suppose that
Robert MacCheyne and John Summer
field should be added to your earthly
oircle-but heaven has gathered up all
the faithful and earnest ministry Of the
past. There is not town, or city, or
a village that has so improved III society
in the last 100 years as heaven has i'm
proved.
Always Perfect.
But you say, Hasn't heaven always
been perfec::' Oh, yes, but net IN the
sense that it cannot be augmented 1t
has been rolling on in grandeur. Christ
has been there, and be never changes
the same yesterday, today and for
ever; glorious then and glorious now
and glorious 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 with
in the last 10 years, for the most OF you
within 10 years, within 20 years, with
in five years, within one year-in other
words, by tha accessions from your own
household. If heaven were placed i'll
groups-an apostolic group, patrl-
archal group, u prophetic group, group
of martyrs, group of angels, and then
group of your own glorified kindred
which group would you choose? You
might look around and make COMPARE
son, 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 OH earth, let US live
together in heaven" Oh, is it not a
blessed thought that heaven has been
improved by its society-this colonial
ton from earth to heaven?
Again, 1 remark that heaven has
greatly improved in the good cheer Of
announced victories. Where heaven re-
ioiced over one soul it now rejoices over
a hundred or thousand. In the olden
times, when the events of human life
were scattered over four or five cen
turtles 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 plainly taught in this Bible,
it is that heaven is wrapped up IN sym
pathy with human history, and we look
at those inventions of the day-at teleg-
raphy, at swift communication by
steam, at all these modern improve
ments which seem to give one almost
omnipresence, and we see only the sec-
ular relation but spirits before the
throne look out and see the vast ard the
eternal relation. While nations rise and
fall, while the earth is shaking with
revolution 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, "What
is the news from that world-that world
that rebelled, but is coming back to its
allegiance:" If miniStcring spirits, &C
cording 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
back? Do the ships of light that come
out of the celestial harbor into the
earthly harbor, laden with cargoes of
blessing, go back unfreighted? Minister
ing spirits not only, but our loved ones
leaving us, take up the tidings. Sup
pose you were in a far city and had
been there good while, and you heard
that some one had arrived from your
native place-some one who had recent
ly 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 abost you, 80 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 swSft and mighty wing they
might come down to intercept your
perils? Oh, yes Heaven is greater
place for news than it used to be-news
sounded through the streets, news ring
ing from the towers, news heralded
hom the palace gate. Glad newsl Vic
brious newsi
A Glorious Day.
But the vivacity and sprightliness OF
heaven will be beyond all conception
when the final victories come in, when