Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-08-29
TALNAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby.
tsriAn Church. Chicago

and enjoymcnts the preacher in this
sermon directs us 10 the contemplation
Of the greater joys OF the "better land
The text is Corinthians XIV, ~, I'VE
shall also bear the image of the heav-
enly."
What is heaven? Some people think
that we do not know much about 1t. L
remember how my father, who loved TO
preach about the celestial city used
10 say he felt when he described it
that he was looking through n glass
darkly." Some years ago one OF his
dear friends, Judge Nelson, was dying.
He was Brooklyn's most honored jul
rist. The last time my father visited
him the Judge asked, What did you
preach upon last Sabbath" Upon
heaven" Upon heaven! exclaimed
the old judge. will you send me the
sermon? l would like to read It,"
Certainly" said my father. But that
afternoon his face wore sad smile as
ne came into the house. asked
what is the matter. father| "Why,
said he. Il have been down TO visit
Judge Nelson. who is dying. He asked
me to send him my last Sundays ser
mon on heaven. | was just thinking
that within few days the old judge
will be in heaven. He will 20 there
lust after reading my description OF IT.
Then all the grandeur and glorieS or
that celestial city will so eclipse any
thing that have ever dreamed OF that
ne Will laugh at me and my sermon and
saw what a poor idea Talmage had OF
what Christ has prepared for us. For
since the beginning of the world men
have not heard nor perceived by the
ear neither hath the eye seen, y COO,
besides thee, what he hath prepared Tor
him that waiteth for him. l guess L
will not send Nelson my sermon on
heaven. 1t would make me laughing
stock for him through all eternity
A Glance Through the Gates.
That Is true. No human mind can
conceive. no human voice or pen can
depict. the beauties of the celestial
kingdom. There are, however, pas
ssges in Gods word which open the
pearly gates a little way. so that we
can catch glimpse of the supernai
grandeur of that city of celestial glory.
We can. as il were, pluck rose OF
Sharon or lily of the valley and learn
in miniature what the fragrance or the
heavenly gardens shall be. where every
hillside and meadowland is covered
with perpetual fora. Through the
crevice of that open gate we can, as II
were. for q 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 ca
pacity to enjoy the happiness provided
for them by their almighty and all
loving Father. 1t is for such a glimpse
Of this heaven. to which all Christians
are heading, that l would open my 81
BILE 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 q place of immortal resi-
dence. What does that imply? Why
answers some one. that means we
shall live on millions upon millions OF
years" 1t means that long after this
earth as burning star shall flicker
and 90 out our spiritual existence shall
continue 1t means conscious life
extending to ages which dwarf into
brevity the longest term even Of the
inanimate re lies Of the most remote
past. Immortal exclaimed Napoleon
Bonaparte, turning to one of his gener'
ais who had applied the epithet to a
statue Of vast antiquity which had
been brought from Egypt to the Lou
vre in Paris. Immortal! That Is not
immortal. What are the three or four
thousand years which that statue has
existed in comparison with the immor-
tally which goes on for ever and
everT
But the immortality Of heaven is not
TO be measured in years alone. 1t is
the Immortality of eternal youth. Old
age implies weakness of body and OF
mind. In heaven there will be such 8
perfect renewal Of our powers day by
day that the passage Of years leaves nc
trace Of decay.
No Need of Rest In Heaven.
Perfect adjustment of the resurrected
body to its celestial surroundings
proves there Is to be no fight for ar
Immortal existence. Why does the
physical body grow tired! Because II
IL not in perfect accord with its phys
zeal surroundings. In order to make
the heart pump l must breathe. Yet
every time inhale the air that oxygeI
burns up part Of my physical being
which must be replaced by food and
physical nourishment. Why do the
great clouds of smoke ascend from the
tunnels Of the locomotive and the chin
neys Of the factories? Because those
clouds form component parts Of wasted
energies. Imperfect consumption OF
fuel implies that the coal must be con
tinually shoveled into the furnaces oil
else the machinery will stop. But in
that heavenly land there shall be nc
need Of sleep. because the redeemed
body, perfectly adjusted to its celestia
surroundings. will never know fatigue
There shall be no need Of physicians
because pain, which Is the warning sig
nal Of infrmity, shall never have any
Of our joints In its twist There shall
be no need of recreation, because Their
all stings shall be, once for all, perfect
~ created.
We marvel at the perfect adjust
ment IN the natural world. We won
der at the vast resources Of power
which can swing the stars in theil
courses and make whirling constella
lions marshal themselves upon tn
heavenly plains and yet have no con
fusion in passing reviews. Once IL
awhile we are horror struck when som
OF the elements seem to balk and tn
lightnings, as fractions colts, kick owe
<ha xrococ md N SmaCb things