The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-09

added all the apostles suppose Hannah
More and Charlotte Elizabeth were intro
duced into your social circle on earth
but heaven has added all the blessed and
the gracious and the holy women Of the
past ages. Suppose that Robert MeCheyne
and John Summarized should be added
to your earthly circle: bat heaven has
gathered up an the faithful and earnest
ministry Of the past. There Is not a town
or u city or a village that has 20 improV-
ed in society in the last hundred years as
heaven has improved.
Augmented Heavens Cherries.
But you say: Has not heaven always
been perfect?' Oh. yes, bet not in the
sense that it cannot be augmented IL mas
been rolling on In grandeur. Christ has
been there and He never changes-the
same yesterday. to-day. and forever; glo-
riOus then. and glorious now. and glorious
forever, But | speak now of attractions
outside of this, and have 20 tell YOU that
no place on earth mas improved in society
as heaven has within the last seventy
years; for the most of you within forty
years. within twenty years. within five
years, within one year, in other words,
by the accessions from your own house
! hold. If heaven were placed in groups
All apostolic group, a partriarchial group,
prophetic group. group of martyrs.
group OF angels apl then a group Of your
own glOrified kindred-whieh group would
YOU choOse2 You might look around and
make comparison, but il would not take
you long to choose. You would say: Give
me back those whom I loved on earth:
let me enter into their society-my par
ents. my children. my brothers, my sis
ter II - J,
/ live together in heaven Oh. is 1t not
beautiful thought that heaven has been
improved by its soeiet!S-this colonization
from earth TO heaven?
Again, remark that heaven has great
~ improved in the good cheer Of an
nOunced victories. Where heaven rejoiced
over one soul 1t now rejoices over hun
dred or a thousand. In the olden times,
when the events of human life were scat
tered over four or five centuries of lon
gevity and the world moved slowly. there
We're not so many stirring events 10 be re-
ported in heaven; but now. | suppose. all
the great events OF earth are reported in
heaven. If there is any truth plainly
taught in this Bible ii is that heaven is
wrapped up in sympathy with human his
tory, and We look at those inventions Of
| the day-at telegraphy. at swift communi-
cation by steam, at all these modern i'm
prOvements which seem to give one almost
omnipresenee-and We see only the secu-
lar relation; but spirits before the throne
look out and see the vast and the eternal
relation. While nations rise and fall.
while the earth is shaking with revolution,
do you not suppose there Is arousing IN
telllgence going up to the throne of Gsd,
and that the question Is often asked De-
fore the throne: What Is the news from
that world-that world that rebelled, but
is coming back to its allegiance?' If min
istering spirits, according TO the Bible, are
sent forth TO minister to those that shall
be heirs of heaven, when they come down
TO us 10 bless us 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? Minister
ing spirits not only, but our loved ones
leaving US, take up the tidings.
sympathy with Morials.
Suppose you were In far city, and had
been there a good while, and you heard
that some one had arrived from your ma
tive place-some one who had recently 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 to
God your glorified kindred in heaven gath
cred around and asked about you, TO ascer-
tain as to whether you were getting along
well in the struggle of life; to find out
whether you we're in any especial peril
that with swift and mighty wing they
might come down to intercept your perils?
Oh, yes! Heaven is a greater place for
news than il used TO be-news sounded
through the streets, news ringing from
the towers, news heralded from die 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 everywhere.
on, what day in heaven it 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 re-
deemed! What time there will be in
heaven! You and l will be in the pro-
cession; you and will thrum string in
that great orchestra That will be the
greatest day in heaven since the DAY
when the first block of jasper was put
hinged pearl swung. If there is differ
ence between heaven now and heaven
as it was, oh, the difference between
heaven as it shall be and heaven as il is
now! Not splendor stuck fast, but roll
ing on and rolling on. and rolling up and
rolling up. forever. forever.
Nov, l say these things about the
changes iii heaven, about new improve
ments in heaven, for three stout reasons
First, because l find that some of you
are impatient to be gone. You are tired
of this world. and you want TO get into
that good land about which you have
been thinking, praying, and talking 50
many years. Now be patient. / could
see why you would want To go TO an art
gallery if some of the best pictures were
10 be taken away this week or next week:
bat ii some one tells you that there are
other beautiful pictures TO come-Other
Kensetts, Raphaeis and Rubens; other
masterpieces 10 be added to the gallery
you would say, i can afford 10 wait. The
place is improving all the time Now. /
want you TO apply the same principle in
this matter of reaching heaven and leav-
ing this world. Not one glory Is 10 be
subTacted, but many glOries added. Not
one angel will be gone, lot one hierarch
gone not one of your glOrihed friends
gone BY the long practicing the music
will be better, the procession will be long
or. the rainbow brighter the coronation
erandeT. Heaven, with magnificent adj
dendai Why will you complain when you
are only waiting for something better?
Welcomed 10 Elysinm.
Another reason why speak in regard
to the changes In heaven, and the new
improvements in heaven, is because
think il will be a consolation TO busy and
enterprising good people. / see very well
that you have not much taste for heaven
that vas all done and finished centuries
ago. After yen have been active forty or
/ fifty or sixty years ii would be a shock
10 stop you suddenly and forever: but
here is a progressive heaven. an ever
aeeumulaLiVe heaven. vast enterprise on
/ foot there before the throne OF God. Az
gressive knowledge, aggressive goodness.
aggressive power, aggressive grandeur.