The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-11-09

apostolic group, patriarchal group. 4
prophetic group, group OF martyrs;
group OF angels and then 4 group OF
your own eloritici kindred winch
group would YOU choose? You might
look around and make comparison, but
it would not take you long to choose.
You would say: Give me back those
whom | loved on earth: let me enter
into their socicty-my parents. my
children. my brothers. my sisters.
We lived together on earth: let US live
together in heaven Oh, is it not a
blessed thought that heaven has been
improved by its society, this colonlza-
ton from earth to heaven?
Again. | remark that heaven has
greatly improved in the good cheer Of
announced victories. Where heaven
rejoiced over one soul it now rejoices
over 100 or ZOO. In the olden times,
when tie events of human life were
seat:e Cd; yer four or five centuries Of
longey.ty and the world moved slowly,
:here were not so many stirring events
to be reported in heaven, but now, |
suppose, all the great events OF earth
are reported in heaven. It there is any
truth plainly taught in this Bible, 1t is
that heaven is wrapped up in sympathy
with human history, and we look at
those inventions of the day-as telegra-
ply. at swift communication BY steam,
at all these modern improvements
which seem to give one almost omni-
presence--and we see only the secular
relation, but spirits before the throne
look out and see the vast and the eter-
nal 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 ministering
spirits, according to the Bible, are sent
forth TO minister to those that shall De
heirs of heaven, when they come down
to US to bless sus, 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? Min
istering 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 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 tc God your glorl.
fed kindred in heaven gathered around
and asked about you to ascertain as to
whether you were getting along we'll in
the struggle Of life, 70 find out whether
you were in any especial peril, that
with swift and mighty wing they might
come down to intercept your perlls:
Oh, yes, Heaven is greater place fol
news than it used to be-news sound
ed through the streets: news ring:
ing from the towers, news heraldeo
from the palace gate. Glad news
Victorious news.
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 ii
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 redeemed! What a
time there will be in heaven. Icu and
l will be in the procession, you and !
will thrum string in that great orches-
ira. 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, ead rolling up and roll
ing up. forever, forever.
I 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 uncon-
sciousness. They are in String, pic
turesque. radiant, ever accumulatlve
scene. When they left their bodies,
they only got rid of the last hindrance:
They are no more in Oakwood, 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 ap-
parel that was not fit to wear to the
banquet. A soldier cannot use a sword
until he has unsheathed it, and the
body of your departed was only the
sheath of bright and glittering spirit
which God has lifted and is swaying in
the heavenly triumph. According to
what am telling you at present, your
departed Christian friends did not go
so much into the company of the mar
tyrs, and the apostles, and the prophets.
and the potentates Of heaven as into
the company of grandfather and grand
mother and the infant sister that tar
ried just long anough to absorb your
tenderest affection and all the home
circle. When they landed, it was not
as you land in Antwerp or Hamburg or
Havre. wandering up strange wharf,
asking fora strange hotel. They land
ed amid your gloritied relatives, who
were waiting to greet them.
Oh. does not this bring heaven near
er? Instead Of being far off it comes
down just now, and it puts its arms
around our necks. and we feel its breath
on our faces. 1t melts the frigid splen-
dor nf tho conventional haovaD into .