Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-04-09

understand that word. the Bible uses il
only once. We say forever and ever
But how long is forever and eyerf'
am glad that my text puts under our eye
heaven for thirty minutes. AS whes you
see great picture. you put a sheet Of
paper into 4 scroll and look through it OF
join your forefnger 10 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 thir-
~ minutes of il at time New, we have
something that we can come nearer To
grasping, ana il is a quiet heaven. When
we discourse about the multitudes Of
heaven, it must be almost nervous
shock to those whp have all their lives
been crowded BY many people and who
want a quiee heaven. For the last thir-
ty-tive years | have been much of 5he
time in crowds and under public scrutiny
and amid eXcitements. and | have some
times thought for a few weeks after
reach heaven l would like to go down in
some quiet part of the realm. with j few
friends. and for a little while try COM
paratiye solitude. Then there arev 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 a good woman In
Hudson, n. Y. said after hearing me
speak of the mighty chorus of heaven.
That must be a great heaven, but what
will become of my poor head" Yes, this
half hour of my text is a still experience.
There was silence in heaven for half an
hour
A Glimpse of the Kings Palace.
You viii find the inhabitants all at
home. Enter the Kings palace and take
only glimpse, for we have only thirty
Minutes for all heaven. rs that Jes,ls?
| 'Ye,." Just under the hair along his
forehead is the mark of a wound made
by bunch Of twisted brambles, and his
foot on the throne has on the round Of
his instep another mark of "A wound made
by spike. and scar on the palm Of the
right hand and a scar on the palm of the
left hand. But what countenance!
What smile! What grandeur! What
a loneliness! what an overwhelming
look of kindness and grace! Why his
looks as if he had redeemed world. But
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 biggest house IN
heaven; that is ''the house of many man
sions." 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 con-
corning which those who once lived on
the banks of the Hudson or the Alabama
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, "WheFe are the asylums for the
oldg" | answer. The inhabitants are
all young" Where are the hospitals for
the lamef" They are all agile where
are the inirmaries for the blind and
deafT' ''They all see and hear" where
are the almshouses for the poor?' 'They
are all multimillonaires. Where are
the inebriate asylumsT' why, there are
no saloons "Where are the grave
yards? "Why, they never die" Pass
down those boulevarts Of gold and am
Der and sapphire and see those intermin-
able 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 and see themw you
say. No. you cannot go 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 never 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 reson-
ance 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 Ill the eternities.
Come on! There is something in the
celestial appearance W hich makes me
think that the half hour of silence will
soon be over. Yonder are the white
J
der are seraphs lingering h2rps as if
about to strike them into symphony, and
yonGpr are corquerors taking down from
the blue halls of heaven the trumpets of
victory. Remember we are mortal yet
and cannot endure the full roll of heav-
emily harmonies and cannot 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 baeki Come
down till your work is done. Shoulder
little longer your burdens. Fight lit
tie longer your battles. Weep little
longer your griefs. And then take heay-
en- not in its dullest haif hour, but in its
mightiest pomp, and, Instead of taking it
for thirty minutes, take it world without
end
Copyright, Louis Klopsch. 1902
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