Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-05
REC0GNITIONlN HEAVEN
DR.. Hall Asks, "ShaIl We Know
Each Other There q"
An Earnest and Impressive Discourse
Founded Upon tho Text, "Thon Shall I
Know Even as Also am Known"-1
Cor. 1919.

AT Park Avenue Baptist Church,
Brambleton ward, Rev. j. ]. Hall, d.
D., the pastor, preached Sunday morn
Ing on Recognition in Heaven" from
the text: "Then shall know even as
also am known."-Cor. 1912. He said
in part:
Shall we know each other there?" is
question which nearly every person
who thinks of the heavenly state will
ask. But to those who have lost loved
ones the question is often put with pro-
found anxiety and concern. And be-
cause death Is busy in taking away
from our homes those whose presence
was the joy of our hearts we want to
know If they are gone forever from us
or whether we shall again see them,
know them. and have them by our
sides as in the days gone by.
l am no spiritualst, neither a ma
terialist. There Is that about me not
of earth. My aspirations are born of
God. Jesus said: "He that believcth
on Me shall never die" And to the
oft-repeated question:: Shall we know
each other in heaven?" 1 answer yes,
we shall know each other there.
OBJECTIONS TO THE BELIEF.
Before going into the evidence of our
position, let us consider a few of the
objections brought against 1t.
Some say: We shall be changed in
appearance and condition so great as
not to recognize each other in heaven
We shall be changed. This mortal
shall put on immortality, and this cor
ruptible shall put on interruption. But
how much changed who car tell?
Moses and Elijah had changed, yet
they were known on the Mount of
TRANSPORTATION. Lazarus had died.
out his sisters and friends knew him
afterwards. Jesus passed through
death, yet Peter said at one of His ap-
pearances: 1T Is the Lord"
We change here. yet our individuality
remains. Your loved is not after death
somebody else, but the same as when
you knew them with you here upon the
earth. We are the same persons here.
and shall be the same persons there.
We are told that in heaven we
neither marry nor are given into mar
rage. Some think this proof against
the recognition of friends there. Not
at all. 1t simply says: "They do not
marry in heaven
Another objector says: what about
missing our loved ones in heaven?" IL
| we know each other there and fail to
ma some whom we loved on earth, will
1t not give us grief and pain? In
heaven we shaii be In perfect harmony
with the will of God.
I believe we shall know each other
IN heaven, because death will not de-
stroy the interest In the affections for
ana the concern about those whom we
Knew and loved before we died. I,aza-
rus loved the presence OF his sisters as
much after his death as he did before
Jesus, after His resurrection. mani
o 49,. i
ciples as he did before He endured the
agony of dying. The rich man in hell
was more concerned about the spiritual
welfare of his five brothers than he
ever had before his decease.
VIII ny mind, my memory, my affec
tions be less perfect in heaven than
here? There IT shall know fully"
.hat Is the better rendering of my text,
and because death is powerless to de-
stroy the mind which God has given
me believe we shall know each other
in heaven.
OUR DEEPEST LoNGINGs.
Only by knowing each other there
can we ever have our deepest longings
and most anxious desires fully met
HeaVen would be very lonely abode
II we did not know each other there
TO know is the yearning Of humanity:
the munger OF the soul, the thirst of the
recognition and longed for the meet
Ing OF kindred spirits in the hapnv
hunting grounds of the land of the bles.
sed.
The greatest heather philosophers
believed and taught it. and fondly
cherished the hope.
The early Christian rejoiced In the
thought of recognizing and ENJOYING
the company of their friends. who had
gone before. Cyprian and Chrysostom
believed in and taught the doctrine.
Martin Luther and Richard Baxter pro
claimed it.
The Bible teaches that some are GER
tainly known in heaven. Jesus said:
They shall come from the East and
the West: from the North and the
South, and shall sit down with Abra-
ham, Isaac and Jacob" Paul the
great Apostle, certainly believed that
he would know the departed when he
should meet them again. and that the
sight of"them would afford him ihex-
pressible joy.
One of the chief delights of n great
gathering here, which we attend, is the
meeting of dear friends and the ac-
quaintance formed; and shall we at