The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-05-08

Bible uses it only once. We say afor.
ever and ever" But how long is .for-
ever and ever?" l am glad that my
text puts under our eye Heaven for
80 minutes. As when you see a great
picture, you put sheet of paper
into scroll and look through it or ioin
your forefinger to your thumb and look
through the circle between, and the
picture becomes more intense, so this
masterpiece of Heaven by st. John is
more impressive when we take only
80 minutes of it at time Now, we
have something, that we can come
nearer to grasping, and it is quiet
Heaven. When we discourse about the
multitudes of Heaven, it must be al
most a nervous shock to those who
have all their lives been crowded by
many people and who want a quiet
Heaven. For the past 80 years I have
been much of the time in crowds and
under public scrutiny and amid excite
ments, and l have sometimes thought
for a few weeks after l reach Heaven
would like to go down in some quiet
part of the realm. with few friends,
and for little while try comparative
solitude. Then there are those whose
hearing is SO delicate that they get no
satisfaction when you describe the
crash of the eternal orchestra, and
they feel like saying, as good woman
in Hudson, n. Y, said after hearing me
speak of the mighty chorus of Heaven:
THAT must be great Heaven, but
what will become of my poor head?"
Yes, this half hour of my text is still
experience. There was silence in
Heaven for half an hour"
You will find the. inhabitants all at
home. Enter the Kings palace and
take only a glimpse, for we have only
80 minutes for all Heaven. "Is that
Jesuse" "Yes." Just under the hair
along His forehead is the mark Of
wound made oy bunch of twisted
brambles, and His foot on the throne
has on the round of His instep another
mark OF wound made by spike, and
scar, on the palm of the right hand
and scar on the palm of the left
hand. But what countenance! What
smile! What a grandeur! What
loveliness! What an overwhelming
look of kindness and grace! Why, He
looks as if He had redeemed 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 ''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 river
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 Ala
bama or the Rhine or the Shannon
say: "We 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 asylums for the o1d?' / an
swer: "The inhabitants are all young"
"Where are the hospitals for the
lame?" "They are all agile" "Where
are the infrmaries for the blind and
deaf?" "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 graveyards9" "Why,
they never die" Pass down those
boulevards of gold and amber and
sapphire and see those interminable
streets built by the Architect of the
Universe into homes, over the thresh-
old of which sorrow never steps and
out of whose windows faces, once pale
with earthly sickness, now look rubi-
curd with immortal health.
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 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 medal of the mutiny, the Victoria
| cross, the Waterloo medalr In your
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 over the temptations of the
stock exchange, victor over profession
al allurements, victor over domestic
infelicities, victor over mechanics s
shop, victor over the storehouse, VIC
tor over home worriments, victor over
physical distresses, victor over hered-
| itary depressions, victor over sin and
| daa+h and hell Take the hadpe that