River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-12-24


Seeing the null
titude of many nationaltes saved
and unified in Christ is a fore
taste of heaven. 81 beheld, and
10, a great multitude, which no
man could number, of all nations. and
kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne and before
the Lamb" AS we see large multi
tudes saved and unified in Christ upon
earth, our hearts are stirred with
gratitude and praise, which is no lit
tie part of heaven.
Victory through Christ is foretaste
of heaven. The multitude of the saved
are clothed with white robes and
palms in their hands" The white
robes are a symbol OF the victory
Christ gained for us on the cross, by
which it became possible for him to
impute and impart unto us his right
eousness. "He made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in
him" QI. Cor. 5:21) Christ was
made not a sinner whom God loves,
but sin which God hates, that we
might be made righteousness, alto
gether lovely. The palms in hand are
the symbols Of the victory which we
have gained through Christ in our
conflicts with sin and the powers OF
darkness. His righteousness In ours
now and so is the victory. Having re-
moved our rags, he clothes us with his
spotless robe and through the power
of his holy spirit enables us to live
the victorious life. This is heaven.
Confessing God as Saviour and king
is foretaste of heaven. They "cried
with a loud voice, saying, Salvation in
our God which stitch upon the throne
and unto the Lamb" 1t was not whis-
pered, but spoken in loud voice. The
confession was public. Nicodemus'
midnight visit to Jesus with whis-
pered private confession will not bring
q foretaste of heaven. There must be
courage enough to make it pubic.
Giving to God his due is foretaste
of heaven. They "worshiped God, say"
Ing, Amen! Blessing, and glory, and
wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor
and power, and might, he unto our
God forever and ever, Amen" 1t is
Gods due that we worship him, and
that we acuuiesce In his righteous
will Our prayers end with amen"
ESQ let it be) but in heaven prayer
begins with amen" and then it all
turns to praise. If we can say
"Amen" to God before we begin to
pray we have in advance what we
desire, for all good things are summed
up in the will of God concerning us.
The Consciousness That We Have
Been CIeansed from Our Sins Through
the Blood of Christ Is a Foretaste of
Heaven. "These are they which came
out of great tribulation and have
washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb"
Tribulation is from a Latin word
which means a fail, and the intima-
ton is that through tribulation the
chaff has been eliminated while only
the good wheat remains. If we are
Gods children, affliction Is a servant
working for us and not an enemy
fighting against us, as we learn from
III. Corinthians All, "Our light af-
Fiction, which is but for moment
worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory" But this
is possible only through the atoning
merit of the blood 1t was not the
fail nor the furnace, but the blood
of the Lamb" which washed their
robes and made them white" The
fact that /. John 1T is in the present
tense shows that we have now and
here this foretaste OF Heaven, "Tho
blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleans
eth us from all sim" In Heaven we
may still wonder at the mystery
while we rejoice in the experience.
The Conscious Presence of Christ
In the Midst of His People is a Fore
taste of Heaven "He that stitch on
the throne shall dwell among them"
He is not only king to rule but friend
to associate. He is always EN-
manuel, God with u.s." and his prom
Use, IT shall be with you all the days.
is every day fulfilled. The Christ
whose presence makes Heaven glori-
Gus is the ever-present, intimate friend
of his people.
Satisfaction ana Safety in Christ
Is a Foretaste of Heaven. "They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any
more; neither shall the sun light on
them, nor any heat. For the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne
shall feed them and shall lead them
unto living fountains of waters" The
Lamb who leads and feeds the glori-
fed in Heaven is our Shepherd on
earth. and we can sing with the Psalm
ist. "The Lord is my Shepherd.
shall not want. He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures. He leadeth
me beside the still waters" To those
who commit their way unto the Lord
the leadership of earth is as good as
the leadership of Heaven.
Not Handicapped by Saloons.