The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-08


That must be a great heay ven. hut
what Will become OF my poor head?'
Yes. this half hour OF my text is 4 still
experience. There was silence In
heaven for half an hour"
A Glimpse of the King. Palace.
You will find the inhabitants all at
home. Enter the Kings palace and
take only a glimpse. for we have only
thirty minutes for all heaven lis that
Jesus?" Yes" Just under the hair
along his forehead is the mark of n
wound made by a bunch OF twisted
brambles. and his foot on the throne
has on the round OF his instep another
mark Of a wound made by q spike. and
q scar on the palm of the right hand
and q scar on the palm OF the left
hand. But what a countenance! What
a smile! What a grandeur! What q
loneliness, What an overwhelming
look OF kindness and grace, Why. he
looks as il he had redeemed q world!
But come on. for our time is short. Do
you see that row Of palaces? That is
the Apostolic row. Do you see that
long reach OF architectural glories?
That is Martyr row. Do you see that
immense structure? That is the big,
gest house in heaven: that is 1.-THE
house Of many mansions" Do you
see that wall? Shade your eyes against
its burning splendor. for that is the
wall OF heaven. jasper at the bottom
and amethyst at the top. See this riv-
er rolling through the heart Of the
great metropolis? That is the river
concerning which those who once lived
on the banks of the Hudson or the AL
ahama or the Rhine or the Shannon
say, I'VE never saw the like of this
for clarity and sheen" That IS the
chief river of heaven so bright, so
wide. so deep But you ask, Where
are the aSyluGls for the oId:" | an
swer. The inhabitants are all young"
Where are the hospitals for the
lame:" They are all agile" Where
are the intirnaries for the blind and
dcaf?' They all see and hear"
Where are the ~almshouses for the
poor? They are all multimillion-
aires" Where are the inebriate asy-
lums:" Why, there are no saloons"
where are the graveyards?" why,
they never die" Pass down those
bouievards Of gold and amber and sap
phire and see those interminable streets
built by the Architect Of the universe
into homes, over the threshold of
which sorrow never steps and out of
whose windows faces. once pale with
earthly sickness. now look rubicund
with immortal health.
"Oh, let me go in Inc see them" you
say. No, you cannot so in. There are
those who would never consent to let
you come out again. You say. Let me
stay here in this place where they new
er sin. where they never suffer. where
they never part" No. no. Our time
is short, our thirty minutes are almost
gone. Come on, We must get back to
earth before this half hour of heavenly
silence breaks up, for in your mortal
state you cannot endure the pomp and
splendOr and resonance when this half
hour of silence is ended. The day will
come when you can see heaven in full
blast. but not now. | am now only
showing you heaven at the dullest half
hour of all the eternities. Come on!
There is something in the celestial ap-
pearance which makes me think that
the half hour of silence will soon be
over. Yonder are the white horses be-
ing hitched to chariots, and yonder are
seraphs lingering harps as if about to
strike them into symphony. and yonder
are conQuerors taking down from the
blue halls Of heaven the trumpets Of
victory. Remember we are mortal yet
and cannote endure the fuil roll Of heav-
emily harmonies and mo endure even
the silent heaven for more than half
an hour. Hank, The clock in the tower
of heaven begins TO strike. and the half
hour is ended Descend. Come back!
Come down till your work is done.
Shoulder a little longer your burdens.
Fight a little longer your battles. Weep
q little longer yOur griefs. And then
take heaven not in its dullest half hour,
but in its mightiest pomp, and, instead
Of taking it for thirty minutes, take it
world without end.
Entering Into Heavenly Citizenship.
But how will you spend the first half
hour Of your heavenly citizenship after
you have gone in to stay? After your
prostration before the throne in wor-
ship Of him who made it possible for
you to get there at all I think the rest
of your first half hour in heaven will
be passed in receiving your reward il
you have been faithful | have a
strangely beautiful book containing the
pictures Of the medals struck by the
English government in honor of great
battles. These medals are pinned over
the heart Of the returned heroes Of the
army on great occasions. the royal
family present and the royal bands
| ~playing-the Crimean medal, the med
| al Of the mutiny. the Victoria cross.
the Waterloo medal. In four first half
hour in heaven in some way you will
be honored for the earthly struggles
in which you won the day. Stand up
before all the royal house Of heaven
and receive the insignia while you are
announced as victor over the drafts
and freshets Of the farm field. victor