Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-08-28
perform that task. But in heaven we


grow weary, even though they may be
busy in well doing But In that beau
tiful land" we shall never be weary
OF well doing Then our redeemed
bodies shall have. a perfect eye. per-
feet ear, perfect tongue. q perfect
foot, perfect hand clasp. Then all
our faculties shall not only have the
residence of youth. but the alertness
q nd perfect ad justmeut OF immortality.
We shall live and continue 20 live. be-
cause decay aud corruption shall Zee
away when death, the last enemy.
she'll be destroyed"
Heaven Is TO be place of progress
i've enjoyments. IL the RESTRICTED
brain IS TO be alert II 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 aud museums and art
galleries. places for intellectual as well
az spiritual, development. personally
take no exception 10 this thought
believe the musical desire Is n God
given desire. The celestial harp or the
celestial canvas or the celestial statue
is not a degradation Of the word celes-
bui- nut, tnOuSn tDtEG mny DC many
intellectual enjoyments OF heaven.
believe there shall be two which will
most appeal to the denizens OF the
skies. The FIRST is IN studying the
wonderful construction OF the celestial
city. "Oh," answers some one, IT know
now what Is The formation OF heaven.
1t Is a great walled town. And the
length and breadth and the hesaht Of
1t are all equal And the city IL made
OF pure gold. and the foundations Of
the walls Of the city are a collection OF
precious stones, and the twelve gates
or the city are twelve massive pearls.
Why. the book OF Revelation Describes
the city 20 its minutest detail"
Do you truly mean what you say
Do you affirm. that the streets of heay-
en- are to be literally made out OF gel
low bricks and the city 70 be a walled
In town with lot OF precious stones
for foundstions2 Why, the apostle in
the book OF Revelation is merely talk
ing in figtratiye language or in the Ian
guage OF earth He is giving ms de.
scription OF heaven In figures which we
can comprehend. He does not meap
that heaven Is TO have streets OF gold
any more than he literally means that
hell Is TO be a place OF fire. Fire IL o
symbol of torture. Geld and precious
stones ars the symbols OF unlimited
Injuries. Thus the apostle piles to-
gether a great mass OF diamonds aud
sapphircs and etnerRlds and topazes
and anaethysts and says: Heaven Is
to be like that. Heaven ~ to be like
pearls, Ike mansions or white, like
gotaen bouieyards. Picture TO yourself
the brightest place you possibly can,
and heaven Is TO Zoe multipoteutly, in.
finitely. transcendeutly more beauti-
full" Yet when at last we reach bssy-
en- all VIII be so new, SO strange. that
our minds through all eternity will
never tire OF exploring the grandeur.
We shall take wings or the morning
and fly away as a bird, and every place
our eve lights upon shall offer mex
haustibIe fields OF Investigation.
But in1nitesimal Will be the enjoy
ment Of studying the physical construc-
ton OF heaven compared with that OF
studying the beautiful characters OF
those immortals who will everywhere
live about us. Old Samuel Johnson, I
think IL was, once said: 1.-The grandest
or catbedrals or the most wonderful
poem I'm stone never impressed me so
much os the sight OF a human being.
The reason I am ioath 10 leave London
is not on account of it's st. PsuPs and
Westminster abbey. but because of ths
endless SEQ OF humanity. every human
being of which has for me strange
fascination" The study OF the human
character Is the most interesting of all
studies.
Heaven q Psace of surprisss.
row, the more you live with some
people the more yeu appreciate their
love and devotion and realize their true
worth. When you were n little child
you thought you loved your mother,
but every year you grew older the
more beauty and tenderness you found
In her life. When she was old and her
hair silyercd and face wriRkled and
form emaciated she thought that her
work was done and wondered why
God did not come and get her. But
she became dearer TO You then every
day You said TO her Just before her
death: Mother, mother. cannct get
along without you. l am Just now be-
ginning TO appreciate what your love
means" Yes, II takes some OF Us ten,
twenty. ferty-aye, ffty-years to fully
appreciate the beautiful characters OF
those who have Aved by our side. Each
nonA reveals some new sweetness or
gsnticness. each year some new
worth. So our heaven il 10 be q place
Of continual surprises. We shall all
be heufly and daily discovering some
new manifestation OF purity and love
IN the lives of those with whom we are
spending eternity. We shall be con.
tinually surprised with their thought.
ILLNESSES and sacrifices and tender at
tentions. When they do lis the unsx-
pccted kindnesses which only heaven
can offer we shaH delightedly ezclaim.
why. Mary. though have been living
with you now In heaven for a thou
sand years never realized before how
thoroughly kind yeu could be-" Their
spiritual beauties, their noble deeds.
their self sacrificing attentions. shall be
as changing Kaleidoscope. ever re-
veaiing to us new natures and wonder
fully new developments OF love
Heaven IL to be place Of manifested
gratitude. q place where we can thank
those whose self sacrifices helped save
US when we. were upons the earth. 1t
will be place where we can lay at the
feet Of our benefactOrs the rich golden
sheayes OF our lives which came as q
result OF their seed planting. 1t shall
be place where others may rejoice In
eur gOspel conquests because their
words OF advice and their prayers and
their examples were the means OF first
leading US 70 the foot OF the cross and
starting us forth as gospel messengers.
Heaven must be such a, place. Why
Because most Christians never live long
enough on earth to see the fall results
OF their services for the Master. But
rev gospel workers can say, as did
Simeon OF old, Lord, now Iettest thou
thy servant depart in peace, according
to thy word, for mine eyes have seen
thy salvation which thou hast prens red