The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-07-20

WEAKNESS. but in the life which lies en-
the other side of the dark vel it is prob
able that we shall not only move without
! WEAKNESS but with such rapidity of move
ment as shall greatly transcend even the
eagles flight. If we may not pass from
one object to another as quickly as
thought can fly or as rapidly as the eec-
trio fluid flows along the wire, we may
move with such rapidity as practically to
annihilate space.
1t will also be life in higher sphere
of existence. 1t matters little to me
whether the present earth is or is not to
| be the future home of the saints. The
one fast which stands out prominently in
the teachings of Scripture is that the
heavenly world will be world of tran
scendent beauty. The city which John
saw was city of pure gold, like unto
pure glass. The foundations of the
walls were adorned with all manner of
precious stones. And the twelve gates
were twelve pearls; each one of the sew
eral gates was of one pearl; and the
street of the city was pure gold as it
were transparent glass. And the city
had no need of the sun, neither of the
moon to shine upon it; for the glory Of
God did Tighten it, and the lamp thereof
is the Lamb. And the nations sh Il walk
midst the light thereof; and the kings of
the earth do bring their glory into it,"
Whether these expressions are to be un-
derstood in literal sense or as figures is
immaterial. They are at least designed
to convey the idea of the heavenly home
home of more respondent lustre than
any which our eyes have ever looked
upon. oftentlmes look upon the beauty
of the heavens at the time of the rising
and the setting of the sun. | look back
with deepest delight to scenes which l
witnessed in my boyhood days; upon the
hills covered with verdure and the fields
with waving grain; upon the landscape
with its varied hedgerows; upon ancient
palaces as we'll as modern. | have seen
the Crystal palace with its roof of glass
and its magnificent treasures of ancient
and modern art. | have seen the British
Museum with its wonderful treasures,
and the picture galleries of London, so
resplendent with grandeur. | have lis
tened TO the song of the skyark rising
heavenward, till it seemed to me there
could be no song on earth to be compared
unto it. | have listened to the melody of
several different bands playing in unison;
but all that | have ever seen or heard,
and all that you have ever seen or heard,
bear no comparison to the beauty and
melody which will characterize our home
in heaven. | am so profoundly interest
ed in the lands OF the Orient in Palestine
where Jesus lived and taught Egypt
where the Pharaoh built the pyramids,
carved the mighty sphinx and constructed
the magnificent temples, that | would
sacrifice almost anything to go there;
but we shall see in the future life things
infinitely more beautiful than anything
which this earth has to offer.
The present life is life of sense;
life in which the material forces of life
are in the ascendant. Even our friends
are dearer to US because of the fact that
like US they live on the lower plane of
life. In the life to come the spiritual
forces will be in the ascendant. Tempta-
ton, moral struggle, doubt, pain, sick
ness, death and all the tendencies and
results which spring from them will dis
appear. Those things which pertain to
family, church and civil governments;
methods and machinery of education; in
dustries, commerce, and all such activi-
ties as grow out of this earthly state,
will pass away. They were of the waste
work, scaffolding in the building and
there will be no further use for them;
but all that is of permanent worth will
remain. personality, intellect, emotion,
will, the real manhood with all endeavor,
enjoyment and fellowship which pertain
to such life in it's unembarrassed and
endless development. What disappears
is the tear, friction, alloy, rust; what
remains is the gold, the pure. the per-
manent. W. H. w.