Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-07
PASTOR SCORES
PASSION PLAY
ASKS HEARERS NOT TO SUP
PORT PROJECT
DIR. LOCKE DlscoURAGEs IDEA
OF PRESENTATION
Delivers Strong Sermon on What He
Believes Heaven to Be and
Where People May
Find II

Heaven: What 1t Is and Where 1t
Is" with a brief discussion of what is
known as the Passion play" which
has been seen in this and numerous
other coast cities.
DR.. Locl<e's remarks were strongly
In opposition to the play and its pre-
sentation, and he said: I'm the legend
Kundry, the sorceress, was doomed to
laugh eternally because she had dc
rided Christ upon the cross. Even
fables can teach important truths.
Any dramatic presentation in this city
of our Lord s 'passion should be dis
couraged. No actor is good enough
and no place Is sacred enough for the
impersonation. IL is a piece of daring
effrontery. / do not assail the integ-
rity of those who have projected this
production, but 1 question their judg-
ment and challenge their right to trail
in the dust of money-getting and dis
play the holy passion of our Lord. 1t
trespasses upon the sensitive feelings
and shocks the sense Of propriety of
n multitude of Christ's followers. No
man can imagine Francis of Assist,
that holy man of God who bore on
his body the marks Of his Lords Suf-
ferings, consenting to the subtle irrev-
erence of this public portrayal. I be-
seech you, my people, not to lend your
approval or support to this project"
In his sermon DR.. Locke said in
part: mo theme can be more prac-
tical than Heaven. Thy will be done
on earth as 1t is in heaven justifies
man In peering into the future that he
may acquaint himself with the condi-
tions which to some degree are to be
realized here; when man is as obedient
to God on earth as Gods will prevails
in heaven.
Heaven Where Christ Is
Where is heaven? Is 1t upon some
distant planet? Is It to be found at
last here on earth when all dross shall
have been consumed? Is it far away?
are questions carelessly asked. Heaven
Is where Christ is. Since Christ Is the
way, the truth and the life, and since
he is beauty and power and eternity.
man shall enter in fullness into all
of these things. The old Scotch
preacher replied to the question, How
far Is heaven? About as far as the
river is from the shore
"Shall there be progression in
heaven? Yes, IL there is life. Life is
development There will be no llmita-
tions to our growth in heaven. The
unceasing years will find us steadily
increasing in divinity Therefore. our
employments will be in fulfilling all
the loftiest occupations of the soul.
We shall not there be occupied with
What shall we eat?' or What shall
we drink?' but with What shall we
be?' Truth and character will occupy
our thoughts.
a" Thou hast been faithful in a few
things; l will make thee ruler in many
things Shall we be creators and
rulers? Perhaps so. At least we shall
enter into the joy of our Lord
NO Doubt there will be many sur
prises in heaven. 'It doth ot vet
appear what we shall be. but we know
that when He shall appear we shall be
like Him, for we shall sc Him as He
is. There is a great deal of sensible
philosophy in Mark Twain's imagi-
nary and fantastic story of Captain
Stormfield's visit to heaven. Tho old
seaman thought he would want to
sing songs and play harps and wave
palms of victory forever. but he soon
tired of this aimless employment and
availed himself of the holy pursuits Of
the skies.
How shall we get heaven on earth?
We are justified in looking for heaven
ly influences upon earth. because "The
earth is the Lords" God made the
made the world and Is immanent In
his creations, and upholds all things
by the word of his power. Heaven on
earth will be found wherever God is.
wherever sin is not. where love is
supreme-in the Hill of the Lord.
Where God is worshipped in sincerity,
and where the holy of holles is eff
fulgent with divine glory-there is
heaven on earth.
A Heaven on Earth
"Who shall ascend unto the hill
of the Lord? Who shall stand in his
holy place? Who shall find this earth
ly heaven and live within it's raptu-
rous walls? He that hath clean hands
a token Of innocence; they who can
wash their hands before the multi
tude and not dye the stains more in
delible by their vacillation and hy-
pocrisy, as did the emasculated Pi-
late. "a pure heart" is the invincible
countersign. Such shall see God here
and hereafter.
Heaven on earth is found in ohedi-
ence to all law, human and divine,
Health, happiness, a clear conscience,
sleep. courage and hope are the fruit
age of obedience. God is love but he
dwells in law.
1.-THE battle of our life is won
And heaven begun
When We can say, Thy will be done!' "
sang Lucy Larcom to the tumbling of
the waterfall. One of the pearly por-
has the door posts of contentment and
resignation. 1t was true of Gold
smiths village preacher,
while resignation gently slopes the way;
And all his prospects Frightening to the last,
His heaven commences ere the world be past"
What rare spirit was that venerable
patriarch who, remote from towns ran
his godly race, nor ere had changed.
or wished to change his place" whose
'pity gave ere charity began"
Cheerfulness too, belongs to this
grouping of cardinal virtues. The
world belongs to the hopeful, happy
soul. For him all flowers bloom, all
birds sing, all suns shine, all showers
fall. All things are his, and he seizes
his inheritence as a son of God, and
spends his life in the service of the
king.
If all other paths should fail of
bringing us to some earthly heaven,
there is one, however narrow or tor
tuous, which always leads us to the
hill of the Lord. Sometimes 1t takes
us by the leper quarter and the moi
some depth, sometimes where souls are
lost in sin or submerged in poverty,
but If it be errands OF mercy and of
tender service to our suffering fell
lows, we can never lose our way, for
among "the least of these" we find our
king and behold our Holy Grail.
Heaven is where God is, either on
this or the other side of the grave.
Wise Confucius said long since, "Hea-
ven means to be one with God" Many
a desert spot become a Bethel. When
pursued by sin, or sorrow, or poverty,
are repentant souls find comforting
compensation, when we Disco e. with