The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-14
A FINE DISCOURSE BY REV. T. H.
 FISCHER.


 On Sunday morning, in the Church of the Messiah, the pastor, Rev. Theodore A. Fischer preached a sermon on the subject of Heaven" before a large and appreciative audience. The dis course abounded in thought and rhe toric and held the undivided attention of all. The text was: John 14th chap ter and second and third verses: Tn my Fathers house are many man. sions; if it were not so would have told you. I go to prepare g place for you. And if I go and prepare place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where l am, there ye may be also"
 Following are some of the thoughts expressed by the speakeri
 Death is a great mystery, and so is life. Some people think that death is the end of all things. A gentleman from France meeting the Reverend Mi mott J. Savage, said to that eminent divine in the course of a conversation: This is the way it appears to me: I am walking Q plank which reaches out into the impenetrable fog. At the best it will not be long before I take the last step, surrounded by gloom and mystery, and tell yol frankly don't like it."
 But, thank God, we have faith and the star of hope illumines our path way. Death to our mind is transition from this to another life. It is birth ;,o+o 1Naf o+1 7o sc, death what seems so is transition" And this faith and belief reconcile all of the sorrows and contradictions which beset us.L Life if not continuous would indeed be fearful tragedy and wholly inexplicable. Heaven is desired and hoped for by every one. It is a universal hope. Our higher nature as- serts and proclaims it. It appeals to us with potency which is irresistible. ! It fits into the eternal order of things. i Our own souls feel it. And there never was time in the history of the race when it was not in some form or other mighty factor in the world.
 The Greeks called the place of the departed "the under world" and from their description of it it was a very undesirable place. The early Jews had somewhat similar conception of it., but later they believed in a conscious state where angels and spirits dwelt. Then came the further development in I the conception of the future life when the two divisions were spoken of Paradise and Gehenna. Milton and Dante pictured in a thrilling way their thoughts and belief. What do we be- lieve to-day? What is Heaven? Where is Heaven Who are going there?
 Materialistic thinkers and believers are comparatively few in this age, But while that is true, still there are many who are desirous of finding out the particulars. And that is natural enough. Dante was positive he could map out the geography of it and with vivid de- scription and lurid verse lived more in l that world than in this.
 ] Then there are the agnostics, who are honest doubters and should have our sympathy. Heaven is certainly a place. We have unbounded faith in | that statement It is also a condition. The kingdom of heaven is within you The human heart has it's Heaven and 1 it also has it's Hell. When peace and purity and righteousness abide in the heart there is Heaven. And there also Is foretaste of that blissful abode where the saints of all ages in harmo- ny shall meet. The important thing is to develop the character here and now, and the future will be grand and glo- rious. We believe that Heaven will be the scene of reunions. That in the in- finite mercy and love of our Heavenly Father all will at last meet, and even the prodigal will come to the Father, and the dear Father will rejoice with His children. There will be no vacant chairs. This thought to US is indeed heaven. We cannot locate the "Islas of the Blest," but we cannot be whore God is not"
 q know not where His islands lift
 Their fronded palms ia air;
 I only know I cannot drift
 Beyond His love and care"