Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-27

which holds the moon and the sun off
from the earth at arms length We
think of the greater power of the laws
Of evaporation, which with golden pull
lcys lifted those water into the clouds.
We think of the law of cohesion or OF
specific gravity, which holds this old
earth together in compact sphere. We
think of the power inherent in vege-
table and animal life of sucking up the
waters which flow by their sides. We
marvel at the great adjustment Of
natme-marvel not only because 1t
works like the wheels Of a perfect
automaton, but because 1t seems to
work without friction.
The Attainment Of Perfection.
Now. my friends II we wonder at the
seemingly perfect adjustment Of the
mundane elements, can we not the
more marvel at the perfect adjustment
Of the redeemed body with its heavenly
surroundings? Shall we not rejoice
over the thought that all our faculties
shall be enlarged and developed and
yet keep on enlarging and developing
and never grow tired? We have read
that for over fifty years John Wesley
preached on an average sixteen ser
mons per week, or nearly three ser
mons per day. How vigorous must
have been the constitution that could
perform that task. But in heaven we
shall all have vigorous constitutions
Oh. the rapture Of that better land in
which the services we render Will
never produce WEAKNESS nor the In
finite subjects that will engage our at
tention ever cause safety. Our hands
grow weary, even though they may be
busy in we'll doing But in that beau
tiful land" we shall never he weary
of well doing. Then our redeemed
bodies shall have perfect eye, per
feet ear, perfect tongue. perfect
foot, n perfect hand clasp. Then all
our faculties shall not only have the
residence of youth, but the alertnesS
and perfect adjustment of immortality.
We shall live and continue to live, be-
cause decay and corruption shall flee
away when death. the last enemy.
shall be destroyed"
Heaven is to be place of progress
i've cnioyments. If the resurrected
brain 100 be alert it must have some
thing to feed upon So some writer's
have predicted that in the heavenly
city" we shall have our music halls
and libraries and museums and art
galleries. places for intellectual as we'll
rs spiritual development. l personally
take no exception to this thought.
believe the musical desire Is God
given desire. The celestial harp or the
celestial canvas or the celestial statue
is not n degradation Of the word celes-
tial But, though there may be many
intellectual enjoyments of heaven, |
hAleve there shall be two which will
most appeal to the deni7ens Of the
skies. The first is in studying the
wonderful construction of the celestial
city. oh" answers some one, 81 know
now what is the formation of heaven.
1t is a great walled town. And the
length and breadth and the height Of
it are all equal. And the city Is made
of pure gold, and the foundations Of
the walls of the city are a collection Of
precious stones, and the twelve gates
o. the city are twelve massive pearls.
Why, the book Of Revelation describes
the city to It's minutest detail"
Do you truly mean what you say?
Do you affirm that the streets Of heav-
en- are to be literally made out of yell
low bricks and the city to be a walled
| for foundations? Why, the apostle in
the book of Revelation is merely talk
ing in figurative language or in the Ian
gunge of earth. He is giving US a de-
scription Of heaven in figures which we
can comprehend. He does not mean
that heaven is to have streets of gold
any more than he literally means that
hell is to be a place Of fire. Fire IS n
symbol of torture. Gold and precious
stones are the symbols Of unlimited
luxuries. Thus the apostle piles to-
gether great mass of diamonds and
sapphires and emeralds and topazes
and amethysts and says; Heaven is
to be likeShat. Heaven is to be like
pearls, like mansions of white, like
golden boulevards, Picture to yourself
the brightest place you possibly can
and heaven is to be multipotently, In
6ntely, transcendenty moro hoauti
full" Yet when at last we reach hcav
en- all will be so new. so strange, that
our minds through all eternity vii
never tire Of exploring the grandeur
We shall take wings Of the morning
and fly away as a bird and every place
our eye lights upon shall offer mex
haustlble fields of investigation.
But infinitesimal will he the enjoy
ment of studying the physical construc
ton of heaven compared with that OF
studying the beautiful characters Of
those immortais who will everywhere
live about US. Old Samuel Johnson,
think it was, once said: The grandes
Of cathedrals or the most wonderful
poem in stone never impressed me 81
much as the sight of a human being
The reason.S am loath to leave LondoI
"a not on account of its St. PAul's ant
,Nstminster abbey. but because Of TIL
endless sea of humanity every human
being Of which has for me strang
, fascination" The study of the human
char acter is the most interesting Of nj
studies.
. Heaven a Place of Surprises.
Now the more you live with som
people the more you appreciate thei
love and devotion and realize their tru
worth. When you were little chill
! you thought you loved your mother
} but every year you grew older tn