The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-31

OutBido OF this, and have TO tell you Gnat
no place on earth has improved In society
As heaven has within the last 70 years, for
the most Of you within 40 years, within
90 years, within years, within year
in other words, by the accessions from
your own household. II heaven were
placed In groups-an apostolic group, q
patriarchal group, u prophetic group,
group Of martyrs, group Of angels and
then group Of your own glorified kin
dred-which group would you ohooseP You
might look around and make comparison,
but 1t would not take you long to choose.
You would say: "Give me back those
whom loved on earth; let mo enter into
their society-my parents, my children,
my brothers, my sisters. We lived to-
gether on earth; lot us live together in
heaven" Oh, Ia 1t not a blessed thought
that heaven has been improved by Its So
ciety. this colonization from earth to
heaven?
Again, remark that heaven has great
" improved in the good cheer Of ANNOUNCE
ed victories. Where heaven rejoiced over
one soul 1t now rejoices over 100 or ZOO.
In the olden times, whom the events Of
human lifo 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 arc reported In heaven. If there
Is any truth plainly taught In this Bible,
1t Ia that heaven is wrapped up in sym
pathy with human history, and we look
ut those inventions Of the day-at teleg-
raphy, at swift communication by steam,
1T all Ahogn 1,rV ~ yuhiCh
seem to give one almost olnnipresence-
spirits before the throne look out and see
the vast and the eternal relation. While
nations rise and fall, while the earth Is
shaking with revolution, do you not sup
pose there Is arousing intelligence going
up to the throne Of God, and that the
question is often asked before tho throne,
"What Is the news from that world-that
world that rebelled but is coming back to
its allegiance2" II ministering spirits,
according 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 backP
Do the ships Of light that come out Of the
celestial harbor into tho earthly harbor,
laden with cargoes Of blessing go back
unfreighteda Ministering spirits not only,
but our loved ones leaving us, take up the
tidings. Suppose you were in far city
and had been there good while, and you
heard that some one had arrived from
your native place-some one who had re-
Gently seen your family and frlends-you
would rush up to that man, and you would
ask all about tho old folks at home. And
do you not suppose when your child went
up to God your glorifled 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 pcrils2
Oh, yes Heaven Ia a greater place for
news than it used to be-news sounded
through the Streets news ringing from the
towers news heralded from the palace
gate. Glad newsl Victorious newsl
The Future Heaven.
But the vivacity and sprightliness of
heaven will be beyond all conception when
the final victories come In, when the church
shall be triumphant everywhere Oh, what
day in heaven it will be when the last
throne OF earthly oppression has fallen,
when the last chain OF serfdom Is broken,
when the last wound of earthly pain is
healed, when tho last sinner Is parloned,
when tho last nation is redeemed! What u
time there will be In heavenl You and
will DO in the procession, you and will
thrum string In that great orchestra.
That will bo the greatest day In heaven
since tho day when the first block Of jas
per was put down for the foundation and
tho first hinged pearl swung II there Is
o difference between heaven now and heav-
en- as 1t was, oh, the difference between
heaven rs 1t shall DO and heaven as 1t Is
nowi Not splendor stuck fast, but roll
ing on and rolling on, and rolling up and
rolling up, forever, forever.
Now, I say these things about the
changes in heaven, about the new I'm
proyements in heaven, for three stout rea-
rons. First, because find that some Of
you are impatient to be gone. You are
tired Of this world and you want to get
into that good land about which you have
been thinking, praying and talking so
many years Now, be patient. could see
why you would want to 60 to an art gal
lery II some Of tho best pictures were to be
taken away this week or next week, but II
some one tells you that there are other
beautiful pictures to como-other Ken
sets, Raphaels and Rubenses, other mas
terpieces to DO added to the gallcry-you
would say: II can afford to walt The
place is improving all the time" Now, I
want you to apply the same principle in
this matter Of reaching heaven and leav-
Ing this world Not one glory is to be
subtracted, but many glories added. Not
In
gone, not one OF your glorified friends
gone. BY the long practicing tho music
will be better, the procession will be lon
ger the rainbow brighter, the coronation
grander. Heaven, with magnificent ad-
dendal Why will you complain when you
are only waiting for something better?
Another reason why l speak in regard
to the changes in heaven and the new i'm.
proyements In heaven is because ! think 1t
will be a consolation to busy and enter.
prsing good people. see very well that
you have not much taste for heaven that
was all done and finished centuries ago.
After YOU have been active 40 or 80 or 80
years 1t would be shock to stop you sud-
Denly and forever, but here is a progressive
heaven, an ever accumulative heaven,
vast enterprise on foot there before the
throne of God. Aggressive knowledge,
aggressive goodness, aggressive power, ag-
gressiye grandeur. You will not have to
come and sit down on the banks OF the
river of life in everlasting inoccupation.
Oh, busy men, toll you Of q heaven where
there is something to do. That Is the
meaning of the passage, "They rest not
day nor night" in the lazy sense Of rest
Ing.
The Old Fashioned Heaven.
speak these words on the changes In
heaven and the new improvements in
heaven also because want to cure some
Of you of the delusion that your departed
Christian friends have gone into dullness
and silence and Inconsistencies. They
are In Stirring, picturesque, radiant, ever
accumulatlve scono. When they left their
bodies, they only got rid Of the last him
drance. They are no moro In lakewood,
Laurel Hill or Mount Auburn than you,
in holiday attire, having seated yourself
at banquet, can be said to be in dark
closet where you have left the old apparel
that was not fit to wear to the banquet.
A soldier cannot use sword until he has
unsheathed it, and tho body Of your do
1. H. 49, hvyU