Connecticut western news., 1898-11-03

what heaven z 1. u"' ,,,. nup lid for them. Have they oooe ho'hf g for heaven? Take all the efaoioo's souls that have gone out of you. ..cquaintanceship and add to them ai' the gracious and beautiful souls that '.Jr 800 or l, 900 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 mast have been improvedl Suppose Paul, the apostle, were introduced into yourfsocial circle on 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 faithfuli and earnest ministry of the past. Thereiis not a town, or city, or a village that has so improved In society in the last 100 years as heaven has inn proved.
 Always Perfect.
 But you tsay, Hasn't heaven always been perfe1?' Oh, yes, but not Tn the sense that it cannot be augmented It has been rolling on in grandeur. Christ has been there, and he never changes .-the same yesterday, today and for ever; glorious then and glorious now and glorious forever. But I speak now of attractions outside of this, and I have to tell you that no place on earth has improved in society as heaven has with in the last 70 years, for the most of you within 40 years, within 90 years, with in five years, within one year-in other words, by the accessions from your own household. If heaven were placed in groups-an apostolic group, patri- arohal group, a prophetic group, group of martyrs, group of angels, and then a group of your own glorified kindred which group would yon choose? You might look around and make compari- son, but it would not take you long to choose. You would say: "Give me back those whom I 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 0 blessed thought that heaven has been improved by it's society-this coloniza- tion from earth to heaven?
 Again, 1 remark that heaven has greatly improved ill the good cheer of announced victories. Where heaven re- joiced 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 oen- turies 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 psthy 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 eoc- ular relation, but 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 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 it's allegiance?" If ministeripg 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 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 yorr glorified kindred in heaven gathered around and asked about you, to ascertain as to whether you were getting along well
 ill the struggle of life; to fiud out whether you were in any especial peril, that with swift and mighty wing they .aight come down to intercept your aerils? Oh, yes Heaven is greater place for news than it used to be-news sounded through the streets, news ring ing from the towers, nsws 'heralded from the palace gate Glad news Vic- torious newsl
 A Glorious Day.
 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 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 the last sinner is pardoned, when the last nation is redeemedl What O. time there will be in heavenl You and l will be in the procession. You and I will thrum string in that great orches- tra. That will be the greatest day in heaven since the day when the first block of jasper was put down for the foundation and the first hinged pearl swung. If there is difference between heaven now and heaven as it was, oh, the difference between heaven as it shall be and heaven as it is now! Not & splendor stuck fast, but rolling on and rolling on, and rolling up and rolling up, forever, forever.
 Now, say these things about the changes in heaven, about the new i'm provements in heaven, for three stout reasons. First, because Hind 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