Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-20
FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN.
Nope of Immortality Common 20 All
ASes-Life After Death the
Gospels Promise

Heaven belongs TO the unseen world.
"A narrow horizon limits our view, be-
cause we live in the material. the natur-
al world TO which We are adapted, and
an which we continually touch the boun-
daries OF knowledge and TO which our
Fellowship is restYlcted But though
uDseerSy mortal eyes. says the United
Presbyterian, heaven is not far removed
from us. Indeed The natural and the
spiritual overlap each other so that we
are not always able TO define the boun-
Gary between the two They are like
consecutive moments with no gap be-
tween, the one flowing into the other.
The revelation given us is OF continuity
of life and oonsciousness IN. mortal
returns at death to it's kindred dust but
ahe soul, the immortal. enters into the
fun spiritual life. The souls of be-
heVers are at their 6esth made perfect
in holiness. and do immediately pass
into glory"
Life and Immortality are brought to
light In the Gospel; Christ came to give
life and lie gives il more abundantly;
lie does not narrow bat eplarges life;
He does not restrict, but takes away the
limitations So that in leaving the pres
ent conditions. by virtue of our union
with Him, we enter into His glory.
Christian faiJh SO tags hold of the idea
of ffe. OF consciousness. intelligence,
fellowship and activity. that hope has
always thus penetrated within the veil
and rejoiced in the confidence that
what we call death is the immediate
transition into the fullness of life Dark
ness sometimes oveTshadows the mind.
and the beyond becomes a gloomy un-
certainty. but faith reooils and grasps
the hope that has sustained the saints
of ala ages
or the several patriarchs il is written:
HE was gathered 10 his people" They
parted from their families not to go
out into an unknown land or into IN
consciousness. but into the fellowship
OF their people in the abodes of right
eousness and TO the companionship of
The spirits of the holy. So Moses and
Aaron were gathered to their people In
his great sorrow. Jacob said: Il will
go down 10 Sheol to my son mourning"
His comfort row was that in death he
would go again TO the companionship
of the son whom he believed to have
been rent TO pieces. So David was com
forted. This hope of life and fellowship
runs Hike a thread of gold through all
recorded Christian experience II so
enters into the hope Of life that Ii needs
not to be spoken. but is breathed In all
that is said and done. In the New Tesla
Eent the hope becomes bright vision.
~ ioh e. e ai oil
10 talk with Jesus and prepare Him for
His approaching death Jesus speaks
Of the friends who are Waitin. to wei
come TO their everlasting pose ssions
those wko had ministered 10 them on
earth In the hour when darkness was
gathering about His disciples He gave
them the assurance that He would re-
turn for theIa TO receive them into the
place prepared for them in the man
sions of his Fathers house To the
penitent one on the cross beside him he
gave the assurance that. not al some dis
tAnt time. bur To-day shalt thou be
with Ne In paradise Paul rejoiced in
this hope and said that TO depart and
be with Chris is far better" The won
derful visions OF john reveal the re-
deemed as in the fuIness of life ever
praising Him who redeemed them by
His precious blood
Why multiply words? This hope Of
passing into the blessedness of holy fell
fowship, into the conscious Joy of the
Stiffness OF life in the presence of God
and tn the pleasures at His right hand
for evermore. is common TO all ages. 1t
Is our comfort when our friends die in
Abe Lord. AS We weep we think OF them
hs Joining with the spirits of just men
made perfect in praising the Lord who
has redeemed us unto Himself. and
waits the appointed time when He will
open the door and receive us into His
glory.