The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-01-07
TALMAGE SERMON.
ssleF SYNOPSIS OF THE plvlhe's SUN.
DAY DISCOURSE.

DAY DISCOURSE.
subject: Our Fathers House - Hod's
Homestead. Builded on tho Hills of
Heaven, Provides Rooms For ALL
Vivid Picture OF the Celestial Home.
Copyright. Louis KIopsch. 1921
WASHINGTON, D. Gin unique way the
heavenly world is discoursed upon by DR..
ralmage in this sermon under the figure Of
home; text, John XIV, 2, "In MY Fathers
house are many rooms"
Here Is bottle OF medicine that is a
.ure all. The disciples were sad, and
Christ offered heaven as an alternative, a
stimulant and n tonic. He shows them
that their sorrows are only dark back
ground OF bright picture OF coming
felicity. He lets them know that, though
aow they live on the iowiands, they shall
yet have house on the uplands. Nearly
all the Bible descriptions Of heaven may be
agurative. / am not positive that in all
heaven there is literal crown or harp or
pearly gate or throne or chariot. They
may be only used to illustrate the Slories
Of the place, but how we'll they do III The
tayorite symbol by which the Bible pre-
sents celestial happiness is house. Paul,
who never owned house, although he
hired one for two years In Italy, speaks OF
heaven as "house nor made with hands,"
and Christ In our text; the translation Of
which Is little changed, so as to give the
more accurate meaning, says: "In My
Fathers house are many rooms"
This divinely authorized comparison OF
heaven to a great homestead OF large ac-
commodations propose TO carry out. In
some healthy neighborhood q man builds
a very commodious habitation. He must
have room for all his children. The rooms
come to DO called after the different men,
bers OF the family. That Is mothers room,
that is Georges room, that is Henrv's room,
that is Fiora's room, that is Mary's room,
and the house Is ell occupied. But time
goes by, and the sons go out into the
world and build their own homes, and the
daughters are married or have talents
enough sfngly to go out and do good
work In the world. After while the
father and mother are almost alone in the
big house, and. seated by the evening
stand, they say, "Well. our family is no
larger now than when we started together
forty years ago." But time goes still
further by, and some of the children are
unfortunate and return to the old home
stead to live, and the grandchildren come
with them and perhaps great-gran dchil-
dren, and again the house Is full.
MilIennisa ago God built on the hills OF
heaven great homestead for a family in
Vulnerable, yet to be. At first He lived alone
In that great house, but after awhile it
was occupied by very large family, cher
ubic, seraphic, angelic. The eternities
passed on, and many OF the inhabitants
became hayward and left, never to return,
and many of the apartments were vacant.
I refer to the fallen angels. Now these
apartments are filling up again. There are
arrivals at the old homestead OF Gods
children every day, and the day will come
when there will be no unoccupied room In
all the house.
As you and expect TO enter 1t and make
there eternal residence, I thought you
would like TO get somo more particulars
about the many roomed homestead. "fn
my Fathers house are many rooms" You
see, the place Is to be apportioned off into
apartments. We shall love all who are in
heaven, but there are some. very good peo-
pie whom we would not want to live with
in the same room. They may be better
than we are, but they are OF divergent
temperament. We would like to meet with
them on the golden streets aud worship
with them in the temple and walk with
them on the river banks, but am glad to
say that we shall live in different apart
ments. "In my Fathers house are many
rooms" You see, heaven will be so large
that IL one wants an entire room to himself
or herself Ii can be afforded.
An ingenious statistician, taking the
statement made In Revelation, twenty rst
chapter, that the heavenly Jerusalem was
meas ured and found to be IL, 900 furfongs
and that the length and height and breadth
OF 1t are equal, says that would make
heaven In size 948 sextillion 9SS quintillion
cubic feet, and then, reserving certain
portion for the court OF heaven aud the
streets and estimating that the world may
last a hundred thousand years, he ciphers
out that there are over 5000, 000, 900 900
rooms, each room seventeen feet long, six
teen feet wide, fifteen feet high. But have
no faith In the accuracy OF that calcula-
ton. He makes the rooms too small. From
all can read the rooms will be palatiai,
and those who have not had enough room
in this world will have plenty OF room at
the last. should not wonder il, instead
of the room that the statistician ciphered
out as only seventeen feet by sixteen, it
should be larger than any of the rooms at
Berlin, st. James or Winter palace. "In
my Fathers house are many rooms"
RCarrying out still further the symbolism
OF the text, let US join hands and go up to
this majestic homestead and see for our
selves. As we ascend the golden steps an
invisible guardsman swings open the front
door, and we are ushered to the right into
the reception room OF the old homestead.
That Is the place where we first meet the
welcome OF heaven. There must be place
where the departed spirit enters and a
place In which 1t confronts the inhabitants
celestial. Inc reception room OF the new
ly arrived from this world-what scenes 1t
must have witnessed since the first guest
arrived, the victim OF the first fratricide,
pious Abel In that room Christ lovingly
greets all newcomers. He redeemed them
and He has the right to the first embrace gu
arrival. What n minute when the assembled
spirit first sees the Lord! Better than nil
we ever read about Him or tai.ed abont
Him or sang about Hin in all the churches
and through all our earthly lifetime will
1t be, Just for one second to see Him.
The most rapturous idea We ever had OF
Hin on sacramentai days or at the height
of some great revival or under the upiifted
baton OF an oratorio Is bankruptcy o!
thought compared with the first cash OF
His appearance In that reception room. AT
that moment when you confront each
other, Christ looking upon you and you
looking upon Christ, there will be an &C.
static thrill and sufging Of emotion that
beggar all description. Look They need
no introduction. Long ago Christ chose
that repentant sinner, aud that repentant
sinner chose Christ. Mightiest moment oil
an immortal history-tbe first kiss OF
heavenl Jesus and the souIl The soul and
Jesusl
But now into that reception room pom
the glorifled kiosfolk, enough OF earthly
retention to let you know them. but with
out their wounds or their sickpesses OF
their troubles. See what heaven has done
for them-so radiant, so gleeful, SC
| transportingly lovely! They call you by
name. They greet you with an ardor pro-
portioned to the anguish OF your parting
and the length CO your separation
Fatherl Motherl There is your child
nfetc -