The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-05-18
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE ef The NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; The splsndor. of HesveL-How-
ever Exalted Our Ideas May "" Of the
Home on High, They Are Far short
Of the Reality what Awaits Us

Talmage lifts the curtain from eternal
fslicltiss and 10 ~ unusual way treats Of
the heavenly world; text, Corintbians,
H., ., Eye hath not seen nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart OF man,
the things which God hath prepared for
them that love Hin"
The city Of Corinth has been called "the
Paris Of antiquity" Indeed for splendor
the world holds no such wonder to-day. IL
stood on al istbmus washed by two seas,
the one sen bringing the com mmerce OF Eg-
rope, the other sea bringing the commerce
Of Asia. From her wharfs, In the con-
struction OF which whole kingdoms had
been absorbed war galleys with three
banks OF oars pushed out and coDfounded
the navy yards OF all the world. Huge
handed machinery such az modern lnYen-
tlon cannot equal lifted ships from the sea
on one side and transported them on trucks
across the istbmus and set them down Ia
the sea on the other side.
The revenue on GERS OF the city went
down through the olive groves that lined
the beach 10 collect tarlf from all ma
tions. The mirth OF all people sported In
her isthmian games, and the beauty OF all
lands sat ia her thoatIes walked in her
porlicos and threw Itself on the altar Of
her stupendous designations. Column and
statue and temple bGwlide'ed the behold
er. There were white marble fountains
into which, from apeTtures at the side,
there rushed winters everywhere known
for health giving qualities. Around
these basins, twisted into wreaths Of
stone, there were all the beauties Of
sculpture and architecture. while, stand
ing, ne III 10 guard the costly display, was
"a statue OF Hercules OF FURNISHED COrinth-
ian brass. Vases OF terra Gotta adorned
the cemeteries OF the dead-yases 50 cost
ly that julius Caesar was not satisfied until
he had captured them for Rome. Armed
al Ia tf,VI Itr "A nH m
down 10 see that no statue was defaced,
no pedestal oyertbrOwD, no Das-relief
touched. From the edge OF the city n hill
arose, with It's magnificent burden OF col
umns, towers and temples (lO0O slaves
waiting at one shrlne), and citndel go
thoroughly impregnatle that Gibraltar is
a heap OF sand compared with II. Amid
all that strength and magnincence Corlnth
st tood and delied the world.
Oh IL was not 20 rustics who had never
seen anything grand that Paul uttered this
text. They had heard the best music that
had come from the best Instruments In ali
the world; they had heard songs floating
from morning porticoes aud melting in
evening groves; they had passed their
whole lives among pictures and sculpture
and architecture and COrlnthian brass
which had been nodded and shaped until
there was no chariot wheel In which IL bad
not sped, and no tower In which IL had not
glittercd, and no gateway That 1t had not
adorned. All, 10 was bold thing FOR Paul
10 stand .here amid all that and say: "All
this Is nothing. These sounds that come
from the temple OF Neptune are not music
compared with the harmones OF which |
speak; these waters rushing In the basin OF
Pyrene are not pure; these statues OF Bac-
chus and Mercury are not exquisitei your
citadel OF Acrocorinthus ~ not strong com
pared with that which offer o the poorest
a ii hat
brazen gate. Your Corinthians think this
IL a splendid city; you think you have
heard all sweet sounds and 2 sen all beGuti-
iul sights, but tell you eye hath not seen
nor ear heard neither have entered into
the heart OF map, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love Him"
You see my text sets forth the idea that,
however exalted our ideas OF heaven, they
come lar short OF the reality. Some wise
men have been calculating how many fur
longs long and wide Is the new Jerusalem,
and they hnve calculated how many lnhab-
itauts there are on the earth, how long
the earth will probably stand, and then
they come TO this estimate --that after all
the nations have been gathered TO heaven
there will be room for each soul, II room
sixteen feet long and ffteen feet wide. 1t
would not be large enough for you; 1t
would not bo large enough for me. j am
glad To know that no human estimate Is
sufficient TO take the dime usions. Eye
hath not seen nor ear heard" or arithmetl-
clans calculated.
first remark that wo can get no idea OF
the health OF heaven. when you were n
child and you went out In the morning,
how you bounded along the road or street.
You had never felt sorrow or sickness.
Perhaps later you felt glow ia your cheek
and spring IN your step and an exuber.
ance OF spirits aud a clearuess OF eye that
made YOU thank God YOU were permitted
TO live, The nerves were harp strings, and
the sunlight was a doxology, aud the rus
Ting OF tho robes of grent crowd rising
up TO praise the Lord. You thought that
you knew what II was TO be well, but there
~ no perfect henlth on enrth. Tho dis
eases of past generations came down % US.
The airs that now float upon the earth are
not like those which Hoated above Para
disc. They are charged with impurities
and distempess. The most elnsttc and ro.
bust health OF earth, compared with that
which those experience before whom the
gates have been opened, ts nothing but
sickness and emaclatlon. Look ut that
soul standing before the throne. On
earth she was lifelong invalid. See her
step now and hear her voice now.
Catch, IL you can, one breath OF that
celestial air Health. In all the pulses
health Of vision, health OF spirits-iumor-
pleurisles, no consuming ievers, no eN.
hausting pnins no hospitals OF wounded
men. Health swinging In the mir; health
flowing In all the streams, health bloom
ing on the banks. No head aches, no side
aches, no back aches. That child thai
died in the nconies OF Group, hear hel
voice now ringing In the anthem; that old
man that went bowed down with the in
nrmities ot age, see him walk now with th,
step OF an immortal athlete, forever youul
again, That night whom the needlcwomHt
tainted away In the garrett u wave OF tn,
heavenly mir resuscitated her forever. To-
everlasting wears 10 have neither ache no
pain nor weakness, nor iattguel Eye
hath not seen e, ear hath not heard it,
| remark further that we can in thi'
worl get no Just idea OF the splondors o
henysr. John tries to describe them. III,
saws "twelve gates are twelve pearls" nnC
that "the foundations OF the wall are gam
ished with all manner OF precious stones.
As we stand looking through the telescop'
OF 81. John we see "A blaze OF amethyst nn'
pearl and emerald and sardonyx an,
chrysoprasus auI sapphire, mountain o
light, a cataract of color, a sea OF glass an,
a city like the sun. John bids us look again
and we see thrones--thrones OF the proph
cts, thrones ot the patriarchs, thrones o
the angels, thrones OF the apostles. throne'
OF the martyrs, throne of Jesus, thscrs o
God Aud we turn round to see the glow
aud q 1, thrones, thrones, thronesl
John bids us look ngutu and see tn
great procession of the redsemed passing
| Jesus, on "a white horse, leads the march
aud all the armies ot heaven follow on
white horses. lnnnite cavalcadc passing
passing; empires pressing into liue; age
/ following ages; dispcnsatiou tramptul
] after dspensatiou; glory. Ia the track o
/ glory; Europe. Asia. Africa. North an,
/ south A nerica pressing Into lines; island
= OF the sea shoulder TO shoulder; genera
| tions before the food following genera
/ tions after the flood. and as Jesus rises a
/ the bead, ct that great host aud wave
IIis sword In signal of victory 81