The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-03-17

deny the charge. suppose that the
multitude OF the finally lost, as COM
pared with the multitude OF the finally
saved. will be handful. / suppose
that the few sick people in the hospital
today, as compared with the hundreds
OF thousands Of we'll people in the city.
would not be smaller than the number
of those who shall be cast out in suf-
fering, compared with those who shall
have upon them the health Ct heaven.
For we are to remember that we are
living in comparatively the beginning
OF the Christian dispensation, and that
this world is to be populated and re-
deemed, and that ages of light and love
are to flow on. If this be SO, the null
titudes of the saved will be in vast
majority.
Take all the congregations that have
today assembled for worship. Put them
together and they would make but a
small audience compared with the
thousands and tens of thousands, and
ten thousand times ten thousand, and
the hundred and forty and four thou
sand that shall stand around the
throne. Those flashed up to heaven in
martyr fires; those tossed for many
years upon the invalid couch; those
fought in the armies of liberty, and
rose as they fell; those tumbled from
high scaffoldings, or slipped from the
mast, or were washed OF into the sea.
They came up from Corinth, from Lao
dicea from the Red Sea bank and
Gennesaret's wave, from Egyptian
brick yards, and Gideon's thrashing-
moor. Those, thousands OF years ago,
slept the last sleep, and these are this
moment having their eyes closed, and
their limbs stretched out for the sepul-
chre. .-:.. 80
"A general expecting an attack from
the enemy stands on a hill and looks
through field glass, and sees, in the
great distance, multitudes approaching,
out has no idea of their numbers He
says, I can not tell anything about
them. merely know that there are
great number" And so John, without
out attempting to count, says: "A
great multitude that no man can num-
ber.''
We are told that heaven is a place
OF happiness; but what do we know
ABOUT happiness? Happiness in this
world is only half-fedged thing;
nowery path, with serpent kissing
across it; broken pitcher, from which
the water has dropped before we could
drink it; thrill of exhilaration, fol-
lowed by disastrous reactions. To help
us understand the joy of heaven, the
Bloie takes us to river. We stand on
the grassy bank. We see the waters
now on with ceaseless wave. But the
Nth of the cities are emptied into it;
and the banks are torn; and unhealthy
exhaiatlons spring up from it; and we
fail to get an idea of the River of Life
in heaven.
we get very imperfect ideas of the
reunions of heaven. We think Of some
festal day on earth, when father and
mother were yet living, and the chill
dren came home. A good time that!
But it had this drawback-all were not
there That brother went OF to sea,
and never was heard from. That sis
ter-dld we not lay away in the fresh
ness of her young life, never more in
this world to look upon her? All!
there was skeleton at the feast, and
tears mingled with our laughter on
that Christmas day. Not so with
heavens reunions. It will be an unin-
terrupted gladness. Many a christian
parent will look around and find all
his children there. "Ahv' he says, "can
it be possible that we are all here
life's perils over? The Jordan passed.
and not one wanting? Why, even the
prodigal is here. I almost gave him
up. How long he despised my coun-
sells! but grace hath triumphed. All
here! all here! Tell the mighty iov
through the city. Let the bells ring.
and the angels mention it in their
song Wave it from the top of the
walls. All herer'
No more breaking of heart strings.
but face to face. The orphans that
we're left poor, and in a merciless
world, kicked and cuffed of many hard
ships, shall join their parents. over
whose graves they so long went. and
gaze into their glorified countenances
forever, face to face. We NAV come
up from different parts of the world
one from the land and another from
the depths of the sea; from lives az
fluent and prosperous, or from scenes
of ragged distress; but we shall all
meet in rapture and jubilee, face to
face.
Many of our friends have entered
upon that joy. A few days ago thew
sat with us studying these Gosnel
themes; but they only saw through q
glass, darkly-now revelation hath
come. Your time will also come God
will not leave you foundering in the
darkness. You stand wonder struck
and amazed. You feel as it ali the
loveliness of life were dashed out. You
stand gazing into the open chasm Of
the grave. Wait little. In the nres-
ence of your departed, and Of him who
carries them in his bosom. Won shah
soon stand face to face. Oh, that our
last hour may kindle UP with this
promised joy! May we be able to saw
y sAs