The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-03-26


hospital to-day, as compared with the
hundreds of thousands of well people |
in the city, would not be smaller |
than the number of those who shall |
be cast out in suffering, compared
with those who shall have upon them
the health of Heaven. For we are to
remember that we are living in COM
paratively the beginning of the Chris
tian dispensation, and that this world
is to be populated and redeemed, and
that ages of light and love are to fow
on. If this be so, the multitudes of the
saved will be in vast majority.
Take all the congregations that have
to-day assembled for worship. Put
them together and they would make
but small audience compared with
the thousands and tens of thousands,
and ten thousand times ten thousand,
and the hundred and forty and four
thousand 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 off into the sea. They came up
from Corinth, from Laodicea, from the
Red sea bank and Gennesaret's wave,
from Egyptian brick yards, and eide
on's threshing floor. 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 sepulchre.
A general expecting an attack from
the enemy stands on hill and looks
through tield-glass, and sees, in the
great distance, multitudes approach
ing but he has no idea OF their num-
bers. He says: 81 can not tell any
thing about them. l merely know
that there are great number" And
so John, without attempting to count,
says: "A great multitude that no man
| can number"
We are told that Heaven is a place
of happiness; but what do we know
about happiness? Happiness in this
world is only a half-fedge thing; a
howery path, with a 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
Bible takes us to river. We stand on
the grassy bank. We see the waters
How on with ceaseless wave. But the
filth of the cities are emptied into it.
and the banks are torn; and unhealthy
exhilarations 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 ant
mother were yet living, and the chill
dren came home. A good time that
But it had this drawback were no
there. That brother went off to sea
and never was heard from. That sistel
did we not lay her away in the fresh
ness of her young life, never more il
this world to look upon her? All! there
was skeleton at the feast; and tears
mingled with our laughter on tha
Christmas day Not so with Heaven
reunions. 1t will be an uninterrupted
gladness. Many a Christian parent
will look around and find all his chill
dren there. "Ah!" he says, "can it bt
possible that we are all here, life's peril
over? The Jordan passed, and not on
wanting? Why, even the prodigal i
here. l almost gave him up. How
long he despised my counsels blu
grace hath triumphed. All here! al
here! Tell the mighty joy through
the city. Let the bells ring, and tn
angels mention it in their song. Wav
it from the top of the walls AL
here!"
No more breaking of heart-strings
but face to face. The orphans tina
were left poor, and in mercilcs
world, kicked and cuffed of many hard
ships, shall join their parents, owe
whose graves they so long wep
and gaze into their glorihed cour
tenances, forever, face to face w
may come up from different parts @
the world, one from the land and an
other from the depths of the sea; froI
lives affiuent and prosperous, or frol
: scenes of ragged distress; but we shal
!, all meet in rapture and jubilee, face t
l face.
2 Many of our friends have entere
G upon that joy A few days ago the
sat with us studying these Gospe
themes; but they only saw through
a glass, darkly-now revelatio
| hath come. Your time will also come
4 God will not leave you Laundering i
Y the darkness. You stand wonder-strucl
: and amazed. You feel as if all tn
7 loveliness of life were dashed out. Yo
1 stand gazing into the open chasm {
: the grave. Wait a little. In the pre-,
( ence of your departed, and of Hi
S who carries them in His bosom
4 you shall soon stand face to fac,
J; Oh, that our last hour may kind
!; up with this promised Joy! May W
!; be able to say, like the Christian ne
: long ago, departing: Though pi
t grim, walking through the valley, I'll
: mountain tops are cleaning frol
t peak to peak!" Or, like my des
Il friend and brother, Alfred Coo!
t man. who took his fight to the thror
d of God, saying in his last moment tn;
a which has already gone into Christia
I classics: Il am sweeping through IL
9 pearly gate, washed in the blood of til
i Lamun
: The Wages of Sin.
n Many respectable people grow ric