Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-15
HEAVEN CITY
WITHOUT CHURCH
Nothing Reveals Audacity of
the Bible Better Than Pic
ture of Hereafter
(By William T. Ellis.)


Nothing reveals the audacity of the
Bible better than its picture OF heaven.
AS If delighting to set at naught all
common conceptions, tho Revelations
final portrayal of the triumph and
bliss of the kingdom of Christ is q
city, and q city without church!
Ordinarily, we hold up the city as
the home of evil, the incarnation of
temptation, the stronghold of sin.
Thousands of good people are grow
ing gray over the problems of the
modern city. the puzzle of the twen-
tieth century. Yet here is the in
spired picture of the goal of all good
ness the climax of the triumph Of
Righteousness, and it is a ethyl
AS If to make the paradox more
bewildering the city which was re-
vealed to the eyes of the Seer of Pat
mos held no church. To our way of
thinking. the church is the saving
salt of the city, the best thing about
there will be no church, as we know
the church. But all that the church
typifies and seeks will be there. On
this point I strongly urge q reading
of Henry Drummond's brilliant ad-
dress, THE City Without a Church"
A Picture of Triumph
Bewildering as is this Book Of the
Revelation. let its main purpose be
kept in mind and it is essentially
clear. That purpose is to depict the
triumph of the Gospel of Christ. The
Book was written in a dark, dark
time, to reveal to the suffering Chris
tians that there's good time COM
ing" All the wealth of Oriental i'm
agery. all the figures of a Scripture
saturated mind, were employed to
depict the surprising excellence of
the glory that was in store for the
friends of Christ. The Book of the
Revelation is an illustration of the
truth that Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love
Him."
Mans unaided eye cannot look at
the sun, neither can human imagina-
ton comprehend heaven. 1t is all
that we desire or conceive, and then
far more. With daring genius, one
Nashel Lindsay, has written por-
trayal of heaven that catches the
very spirit of this figure pic
ture in the Revelation. His poem is
called, General Booth Enters
Heaven"
Booth led boldly with his big brass
Are you washed in the blood of the
Lamb?
The saints smiled gravely, and they
said,
He's come"
Are you washed in the blood of the
Lamb?"
Walking lepers followed, rank on
rank,
Lurching bravos from the bitches
dank,
Drabs from the alleyways and drug
f1ends pale
Minds still passion-ridden, soul
powers frail.
Vermin-eaten saints with moldy
Unwashed legions with the ways Of
death
Are you washed in the blood of the
Lamb?'
Every slum had sent its half-a-score
Inc round world over - Booth had
groaned for more.
Every banner that the wide world
flies iu
Bloomed with glory and transcendent
dyes.
Big-voiced lassies made their bantos
bang
Tranced, fanatical, they shrieked ana
sang,
Are you washed in the blood Of the
Lamb?" '-Ae
Hailelutah, 1t was queer to see
BuIl-necked convicts with that land
make free,
Looms with bazoos blowing bIare
blare, blare-
air.
Are you washed in the blood of the
Lamb?"
Booth died blind, and still by. faith
he trod,
Eyes still dazzled by the ways Of
God.
Booth led boldly and he looked the
chief: ''1S
Eagle eountenance in sharp relief.