The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-30
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
BY THE REV. FRANK DE WITT rALMAeE. D. D.

Chicago August 23.-From the glitter and fascination of worldly pleasures and enjoyments the preacher in this sermon directs us to the contemplation of the greater joys of the better land" The text is Corinthians xv 4s, We shall laso bear the image of the heavenly"
 What is heaven? Some people think that we do not know much about it. remember how my father, who loved to preach about the celestial city," used to say he felt when he described it-that he was looking through "a glass darkly." Some years ago one of his dear friends, Judge Nelson. was dying. He was Brooklyn's most honored jurist. The last time my father visited him the judge asked, What did you preach upon last Sabbath" Upon heaven" Upon heav- en!" exclaimed the old judge. will you send me the sermon? I would like to read it." Certainly" said my father. But that afternoon his face wore sad asked, What is the matter, father?' Why" said he, 'I have been down to visit Judge Nelson, who is dying. He asked me to send him my last Sundays sermon on heaven. I was just thinking that within a few days the old judge will be In heaven. He will go there just after reading my description fof it. Then all tile grandeur and glories of that celes- tial city will so eclipse anything that have ever dreamed of that he will laugh at me and my sermon and say what poor idea Talmage had of what Christ has prepared for us. For since the be- ginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. I guess I will not send Nelson my sermon on heaven. It would make me laughing stock for him through all eternity
 A Glance Through the Gates.
 That is true. No human mind can con- ceive, no human voice or pen can depict, the beauties of the celestial kingdom. There are, however, passages in Gods word which open the pearly gates a little way, so that we can catch a glimpse of the supernal grandeur of that city of ce- lestial glory. We can, as it were, pluck a rose of Sharon or a lily of the valley and learn in miniature what the fra grance of the heavenly gardens shall be- where every hillside and meadowland is covered with perpetual flora. Through the crevice of that open gate we can, as 1t were. for a moment catch a sight of the redeemed, whose garments are as white as the driven snow and whose joys are limited only by their own capae- ty to enjoy the happiness provided for them by their almighty and all loving Father It is for such a glimpse of this heaven, to which all Christians are head ing, that l would open my Bible today and speak from the text, "As we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also bear the image of the heavenly"
 Heaven is a place of immortal resi- dence- What does that imply? Why" answers some one, that means we shall live on millions upon millions of years" It means that long after this earth as a burning star shall flicker and go out our spiritual existence shall continue It means a conscious life extending to ages which dwarf into brevity the longest term even of the inanimate relics of the most remote past. 'Immortalp' exclaim- ed Napoleon Bonaparte, turning to one of his generals who had applied the ep- ithet to a statue of vast antiquity which had been brought from Egypt to the Louvre in Paris. Immortal! That Is not immortal. What are the three or four thousand years which that statue has existed in comparison with the inn mortality which goes on forever and for ever?'
 But the immortality of heaven is not to be measured in years alone It Is the immortality of eternal youth. Old age implies weakness of body and of mind. In heaven there will be such perfect renewal of our powers day by day that the passage of years leaves no