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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Times, 1897-2-18, Page 2LIFE BEYOND THE ORWWE, REV. DR. TALMAGE SAYS WE MAY SEE AND KNOW OUR FRIENDS. Au Argument Caicuilated to Show That 'Beyond material Death We 1Iay Meet and Bougie with Those We Loved on Earth. Rev. Dr, Talt age preaohed this in- teresting discourse from the text: "I shall go to Him," found in II, Samuel, xii, 23. Re said: There is avery sick child in the abode of David, the king. Disease, which stalks up the dark lane of the poor and puts smothering hand on lip and nos- tril of the wan and wasted also mounts the palace stairs, and, bending over the pillow, blows into the face of a young prince the frosts of pain and death. Tears are wine to the King of Ter- rors. Alas !. for David, the king. He can neither sleep nor eat, and lies pros- trate on his face, weeping and wailing until the palace rings with the outcry of woe. What are courtly attendants, or vic- torious armies, or conquered provinces, under such. circumstances? What to any parent is all splendid surrounding when his child is sick? Seven days have passed on. There is that great house two eyelids are gently closed, two little hands folded, two little feet quiet, one heart still. The servants some to bear the tidings to the king, but they can, not make up their minds to tell him, and they stand at the door, whispering aboutthe matter, and David hears them and he looks up and Bays to them: "Is the child dead?" "Yes, he is dead," David rouses himself up. washes himself, puts on new apparel and sits dawn to food. What potter hushed that tempest i' What strength was it that lifted up that king whom grief had dethroned? Oh, it was the thought that he would come again into the possession of that darling child. No gravedigger's spade could hide him. The wintry blasts of death could not put out the bright light. There would be a forge somewhere that with silver hammer would weld the broken links. In a city where the hoofs of the pale horse never strike the pavement he would clasp the lost treasure. He c.ipee away the tears from his eyes. and he clears the choking grief from his throat, and exclaims; "1 will go to him." Was David right or wrong? If we part on earth will we meet again in the next world? "Well," says some one, "that seems to be an impossibility. Heaven is so large a place we never could find our kindred there." Going into some city, without having ap- pointed a time and place for meeting, you might wander around for weeks and months, and perhaps for years, and never see each other; and heaven is vaster than all earthly cities to- gether, and how are you going to find your departed friend in that country? It is so vast a realm. John went up on one mountain of inspiration, and he Iooked off upon the multitude, and he said: "Thousands of thousands." Then he came upon a greater altitude of inspiration and looked off upon it again, and he said. "Ten thousands times ten thousand." And then he came on a higher mount of inspira- tion, and looked off again and he said: "A hundred and forty and four thou- sand and thousands of thousands." And he came on a still greater height of inspiration, and he looked off again, and exclaimed: "A greater multitude that no man can number." Now, 1 ask, how are you going to find your friends in such a throng as that ? Is not this idea we have been entertaining after all a falsity ? Is' this doctrine of future recognition of friends in heaven a guess, a myth, a whim, or is it a gigantic foundation upon which the soul pierced of all ages may build a glorious hope? In tense question] Every heart in this audience throbs right into it. There is in every soul here the tomb of at least one dead. Tremendous question ! It makes the lip quiver and the cheek flush, and the entire nature thrill. Shall we know each other there? I get letters almost every month asking me to discuss this subject. I get a letter in a bold, scholarly band, on gilt-edged paper, asking me to discuss this question, and I say: "Ah 1 that is a curious man, and he wants a curious question solved." But I get another letter. It is written with a. trembling hand, and on what seems to be a torn out leaf of a book. and there and here is the mark of a tear, and I say: "Oh, that is a broken heart and it wants to be comforted." The object of this sermon is to take this theory out of the reign of surmise and speculation into the reign of posi- tive certainty. People say: "It would be very pleasant if that doctrine were true. I hope it may, be true." But 1 believe that I can bring an accumula- tion of argument to bear upon this matter which will prove the doctrine of future recognition as plainly as that there is in any heaven at all, and that the kiss of reunion at the celestial gate will he as certain as the dying kiss at the door of the sepulcher. What does my text imply? "I shall go to him." What consolation would it be to David to go to his child if he would not know him? Would David have been allowed to record this an- ticipation for the inspection of all ages if it were a groundless anticipa- tion? We read in the first book of the Bible, Abraham died and was gathered to his people. Jacob died and was gathered to his ;people; Moses died and was gathered to his people. What people? Why, their friends, their com- rades, their old companions, Of course it means that. It can not mean any- thing else. So in the verybe innin pi the Bible four times tht is takenk for granted. , The whole New Testa- ment is an arbor over which this doc- trine creeps like a luxuriant vine full of theurple clusters of consolation. 1anares, John and Peter followed Obrist into tae mountain. A light falls from heaven e on that mountain and lifts it into the celestial. Christ's garments glow and His face shines like the sun. The door of heaven F swings open. Two spirits come 'dawn and alight on the mountain. The disciples look at them and recognize them as Moses and Elias. Now, if those disciples standing on the earth could. recognise these two spirits who had been ter years in hea- ven, do you tell me that, we, with our heavenly eyesight, will not be able to recognize those who have gone out from among us only five, ten, twenty, thirty years ago? The Bible indicates, over and over again, that the angels know each other; and then the Bible says that we are to be higher than the angels, and if the angels have the power of recogni- tion, shall not we, who are to be 'higher than they in the next realm, have as good eyesight and as good capacity? What did Christ mean in His conver- sation with Mary and Martha, when He said: "Thy brother shall rise again?" itt was as much as to say' "Don't cry. Don't wear yourself out with this trouble, You will see him again. Thy brother shall rise again." The Bible describes heaven as a great home circle. Well, now, that would be a . very queer llome circle where the members did not know each other. The Bible describes death as sleep. If we know each other before we go to sleep, shall we not know each other after we wake up? Oh, yes. We will know each other a great deal better then thaw now; "for now," say's the apostle, "we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. It will ba my purified, enthroned and glorified body gazing on yoururified, enthron- ed and glorified body," Now, I demand if you believe the Bible, that you take this theory of future recognition out of the realm of speculation and surmise into the region of positive certainty, and no more keep saying, "i hope it is so; I have no idea it is so; I guess it is so." Be able to say, with all tit' concentrat- ed energy of body, mind and soul: "I 1 know it is so!" Phare are, in addition to these Bible arguments, other reasons, why I ac- cept this theory. in the first place, because the rejection memory. Can it be ever, possible with k h weshall forget whose wal,look, manner we have been so long familiar? Will d come, and with a sharp, keen blade hew away this faculty of memory? Abraham said to Dives: "Sun remember," If the exiled and the fust remember, will not the en- throned remember? You know very well that our joy in any c,rcutnstanee is augmented by the companionship of our friends, We can no: s_e a picture with less than four eyen, or hear a song with less than four years. We event some one besides us with whom to exchange glances and sympathies; and I suppose the joy of heaven is to be augmented by the fact that we are to have our friends withus when there rise before us the thrones of the blessed, and when there surges up in our ear the .jubilate of the saved. Heaven is not a contraction. It is an expansion. If I know you here, I will know you bet- ter there. Here I see you with only two eyes, but there the soul shall have a million eyes. It, will be immortality gazing on immortality-- ransomed spirit in colloquy with ransomed spirit -victor beside victor. When John Evans, the Scottish minister, was seat- ed in his study, his wife came in and said to him: "My dear, do you think we will know each other in heaven?" He turned to her and said: "My dear, do you think we *will be bigger fools in heaven than we are here?" Again, I accept this doctrine of fu- ture recognition because the world's ex- pectancy affirms it. In all lands and ages this theory is received. What form of religionplanted it? No form of religion, for it is received under all forms of religion. Then, I argue, a sentiment of feeling, an anticipation universally planted, must have been God -implanted and if God -implanted it it is rightfully implanted. Socrates writes: 'Who would not part with a great deal to purchase a meeting with Orpheus and Romer ? If it be true that this is to be the consequence of death, I could even be able to die often." Again, I adopt this theory because there are features_of moral tempera- ment and features of the soul that will distinguish us forever. How do we know each other in this � ? Is it world merely by the color of the eye, or the length of the hair, or the facial pro- portions? Oh, no, It is by the dis- position as well, by natural. affinity, using the word in the very best sense and not in the bad sense ; and if in the duct our body should perish and lie there forever, and there should be no resurrection, still the soul has enough features and the disposition has enough features to make us distinguishable, I can understand how in sickness a man will become so delirious that he will not know his own friends; but will we be blasted with such insufferable idiocy that, standing beside our best friends for all eternity, we will never guess who they are? Again,,I think that one reason why we ought to accept this doctrine is be- cause we never in this world have an opportunity to give thanks to those to whom we are spiritually indebted. The joy of heaven, we are told, is to be inaugurated by a review of life's work. These Christian Hien and wo- men who have been toiling for Christ, have they seen the full result of their work ? Oh, no. There is amother before the throne of God. You say her joy is full. Is it? You say there can be no augmentation of it. Can not there be I Her son was a wanderer and a vagabond on the earth when that mother died: He broke her old heart. She died leav- isgeforre int in ehhrwilderness ne of God noof w. YeShe rs pass and the son repents of his crimes and gives his heart to God, and be- comes a useful Christian, and dies and enters the gates of heaven. You tell me that mother's joy cannot be aug- mented. Let them confront each other, the son and the mother, "Oh," she says to the angels of God, "rejoice with me 1 The dead. is alive again, and the lost is found. Hallelujah 1 I never expected to see this lost one come back." The Bible says nations are to be born in a day. When China comes to God wild it not know Dr. Abell? When the Indians come to God will they not know David Brainerd? I see a soul entering heaven at last, with covered face at the idea that it has done so little for Christ, and feel- ing borne down with unworthiness, and it says to itself: "I have no right to be here." A voice from a throne says: "Oh, you forget that Sunday- school undayschool class you invited to Christ 1 I was one of them." And another voice says: "You forget that poor old man to whom you gave a loaf of bread, and told of the heavenly bread, I. was that man." ;And another says: "You forget that sick one to whom you gave medicine forthe body and the soul. I am that one." And then Christ, from a, throne overtopping all the rest, will, sly: "Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these, you did it to Me." -4.nd then the seraphs will take their harps from the side of the throne and my: "What song' shall it be f" And Christ, bending over the harpers, shall say. "It shall be . the 'Harvest Home. Heaven isnot a stately,formal place, as I sometimesbe ar described,a ver frigidityf ple dorihose peo- pestanon cold formalities and go around with heavy crowns of gold on their heads. No, that is not my idea L H E of heaven. My idea of heaven is more .ike this: You are seated in the even - ole family tithe ;e, the neay fire -place allo f them there. While you are seated talking and enjoying the evening hour, there is a knock at the door and the door opens, and there comes in a brother that has long been absent. He has been absent, for years you 'have not seen him, and no sooner do you make up your mind that it is certainly he than you leap up and the question is ' who shall give him the first embrace? That is my idea. of heaven -a great home circle where they are waiting for us. Oh, will you not know your mo- ther's voice there'? She who always call edo af- ter by your first name long ter others had given you the formai "Mister?" You were never anything but James, or John, or George, or Thomas, or Mary, or Florence, to her. Will you not know your child's voice/ She of the bright eye and the ruddy cheek, and the quiet step, who came in from play and flung herself into your lap, a very Weaver of mirth and beauty? Why, the picture is graven on your soul. It can not wear out. If that little one should stand on the other side of some heavenly hill and call to you, you would hear her voice above the burst of heaven's great or- chestra. Know it! You could not bele but know it. Now I. bring you this glorious conso- lation of future recognition. If you could get this theory into your heart it would lifta melt many shadows that are stretching across it. When I was a lad i used to go out to the rail- road track and putmy ear down on the track and Icculd hear the express train rumbling miles away, and com- ing on; and to -day, my friends, if we only had faith enough we could put our ear down to the grave of our dead, and listen and hear in the distance the rumbling on of the chariots of resur- rection victory. O heaven! sweet heaven! You do tot spell heaven as you used to spell it, h -e -a -v -e -n, heaven. But now, when you want to spell that word, you place side by side the faces of the lov- ed ones who are gone, and in that ir- radiation of light and love and beauty and joy, you si,01 it out as never be- fore, in songs and hallelujahs. Oh, ye, whose hearts are down under the sod of the cemetery, cheer up at the thought of this reunion, Oh, how much you have to tell them when once you meet them. Oh, how they hound in, these spirits before the throned Some shout with gladness. Some break forth into un- controllable. weeping foroy. Some stand speechless in their shock of de- light. They sing. They quiver with excessive gladness. They gaze on the temples, on the palaces, on the waters. on each other. They weave their joy into garlands, they spring it into tri- umhal arches, they strike on timbrels. and then all the loved ones gather in a great circle around the throne of God -fathers, mothers, brothers. sis- ters, sons and daughters, lovers and friends, band to hand around about the throne -the circle, hand to hand. joy to joy, "until to jubilee, victory to victory, until the day break and the shadows flee away. Turn, my beloved. and be like a. roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." Oh, how different it is on earth from the way it is in heaven when a Chris- tian dies We say: "Close his eyes." In heaven they say: "Give him a palm." On earth we say: "Let him down in the ground." In heaven they say: "Hoist him on a throne." On earth it is: "Frewell, farewell." In heaven it is: "Welcome, welcome." And so I see a Christian. soul coming down to the river of death, and he steps into the river, and the water comes up to the ankle. He says: "Lord Jesus, is this death?" "No." says Christ, "this is not death." And he wades still deeper down into the waters until the flood comes to the knee, and he says: "Lord Jesus, tell me, tell me, is this death?" And he me, tell, me, is this death'?" And Christ says: "No, no, this is not death." And he wades still further down until the wave comes to the gir- dle, and the soul says: "Lord Jesus, is this death?" "No," says Christ, "this is not," And deeper in wades the tsaud till the billow strikes the lip, and the departing one cries: "Lord Jesus, is this death?" "No," says Christ, "this is not." But when Christ had lifted this soul on a throne of glory, and all the pomp and joy of heaven came surging to its feet, then Christ said: "This, oh transported soul! this is death!" TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL LESSON, FEB, 21. "The First Christian Martyr." Acts 6. 8•is; 7. 54 60. Golden Teat liev. 2. 10. GENERAL STATEMENT. The season of undisturbed preaching lasted long perhaps for years, and converts greatly increased. Then came a low buzzing foretokening trouble and threatening the unity of the Church. A very little thing can destroy love. annd,when loves goes, power for good is lost. The Hellenists (Grecians, as the text calls them; Jews in blood and reldgdoxt blit born in foreign lands, and speaking thelanguages of the places in whieb they were born) complained that the charitable distributions among the poor were made in a partial manner, and to the neglect of their widows; that the Christian Jews (born or re- sident in Palestine, who spoke the He- brew tongue, or rather the Aramaic) got more of the good things of life out of the "Christian socialism" than the Hellenists. Now, if we remember that the wars and tumults of that age made many widows, and that there were many Christians in Jerusalem who were cion -producers, we shall see that if this was a fact at all it was a very serious fact. The wealth of the Church had been laid at the apostles' feet, but their public work of preach- ing had so increased that they had pro- bably been obliged. to employ others to distribute to the needy, and they seem to have employed Hebrews for this duty. The apostles called the dis- ciples les to p gether. to state the ease to them and to request them to nominate distributors. This was really the first attempt at organization in the Church, end it arose from expediency ; but the apostles p es deem to have held in their own hands the right of confirming or re- jecting. Seven men were chosen -men well spoken of by their acquaintances,! as all church officers should e hon i be, and, who were full of the Holy Ghost ,and EXETER TIMES irk r,�• r`f, XxnC.tc9C...�a.pC x.? �S it EVE'S YOUR OPPI.HTUNITY Positively the Greatest Bargain Ever Offered For Daily Use hi Your Home or Office T e -• -- And Especially to aid the Young Folks In their Studies. cyclo CV I SUPERB ' tico°ncy°iit°PrAt d taiyni" �� �•G� producer Sw13©,CIOd to icti nary Published by' Cassell , Company, Linallell, London, England. Which has been over 15 years !n preparation undee the editorial super- vision of OR. 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I agree to pay the balance ilre 12 egoal: monthly payments. Name...... Occupation Residence; The Canadian Newspaper Syndicate, 218 St. James Street, Montreal, rr,.: ei Y5).-."--.94,- ! ¢ '¢ C JL P. ¢JCS C,l e. GJ , a . 1C .W."@ '' W :. .;C' s 4 ;C 4a¢a � : JCx`J x : ` tel g4.11 Efl tts- to 'mmeax•mor...a full of common sense. Their duties were to be much hike those of a Meth- odist steward. The apostles were thus left free for spiritual work. It is no- ticeable that the names of these seven men are all Greek names, and so it is probable that they ware all Hel- lenists. Very soon one of them came to the front as a preacher of such force that be became the center of public attention, and for the time being the most conspicuous representative hi- tellectually and spiritually, of the the Church. And now this trouble be- ing remedied, the Church increased at an unusual pace, and "a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith." This brings the story up to the beginning of our lesson, where we see that Stephen's preaching aroused special opposition. PRACTICAL NOTES. Verse 8. Stephen, one of the seven, said in. verse 5 to be "full of faith and the Holy Ghost," as descriptive of his character, is here full of faith (or, ra- ther, grace) and miraculous power, as divine bestowments for his work. Un- til now only apostles have been men- tioned en- tio9d�as working miracles. a synagogues of Jerusalem were arranged according to nationalities, and even according to trades. Five are metswatch mentioned in this verse,.,all of which. were composed of foreign -born ews. Libertines were descendants of Jewish freemen at Rome whom Tiber- ius had expelled from the capital. Dis- putting the service of the synagogue seems to have consisted largely in dis- cussion. Stephen's view of Christian- ity was far in advance of those of the apostles, ,His "gospel" seems to have been almost identical with what was afterward called Paul's gospel the belief that Judaism and the Mosaic law were to fade away before the Gospel of Jes- us Christ. 10, 11. Resist. Unable to.' reply to - his arguments, the Hellenists of these five synagogues resolve to put him down by force. They thus show their Seal fot Jewish institutions, and their criminal folly. Suborned. They pro- cured by collusion men to tensity falsely against him. 12. Stirred up. They meant mischief. Talking around, they excited the peo- plple first ; and the popular feeling aroused the elders and scribes, and this prepared the way. Caught. Suddenly arrested. Council. The Sanhedrin, be- fore which he was arraigned for trial, 13. False witnesses. Such as the Jews brought against Stephen's Lord. The charge was blasphemy. It- had four specifications, respecting Moses, God, the temple, the law. 14. Heard him say. They bad per- haps heard Stephen utter the very words recited, but they took them out of their connection and misrepresented them. 15. Face of an angel. Calm under false accusation, undisturbed by peril,' peaceful through love of Jesus, anoint- ed with the Spirit who was to speak through him, no doubt there was a supernatural brightness in the con- fessor's face, such as we suppose the an- gers wear. The practical lesson is the faith and power. which every work- er for Jesus may have, To the early disciples the speech of which we have a fragrant here, retest have indicated more than it does to us. Stephen was showing that the tem- us. Stephen was showing that the temple worship was preparatory to something better, and wasevidently intending to show that Christ was a divinely ap- pointed Saviour, when he ' was inter- rupted. It would be of much value to our students, both teachers and schol- ars, to compare with the beginnings, of Stephen's • speech Peter's argument, Acts 3. 12-00. and Paul's : argument, Acts 13. 15-69. Stephen's hearers pro- bably gave same token of 'impatience and displeasure, and he; suddenly quit his argument and burst forth in . the bold appeal which we have in verses 51 to 53. 54. Heard. Stephen's motive was to show his judges their awful sin, and, if possible, lead them, to repentance. But such was not the effect. They were cut (literally sawn through") the heart, and became so enraged. that they, gnashed their teeth in their passion. Yet, Stephen, by his boldness of speak- ing, magnified Christ, whose servant. be was. 55. Full of the Hold Ghost. As he a' had been during his entire presence before the Sanhedrin. The indwelling Holy Spirit, filling his soul, gavethe angelic brightness to his face, guided his defense, Matt. 10. 17-20, and now so quickens his eyes that he is able to see into heaven itself, We must in- terpret the language literally. It was no mere foretaste of the heavenly joy, no mental elevation to a full concep- tion of the things named. He saw what is stated, just as we all could if God should open our eyes. The view con- firmed chid strengthened him in that awful hour, and put an record a lesson for us as well. Glory of God. The daz- zling splendor in which God dwells, and which, es in thepillar of cloud and fire (often called the "glory"), betok- ened his presence. It was the divine Shekina. Right hand. The place of honor and power, Acts 2. 25 ; Heb. 1. 3. 56. I see it was not as it he saw ; but he truly saw. Son of man. Jesus bad told this very Sanhedrin of his place henceforth as at "the right hand l4Stephen now repeats att. his words, declares that he sees him there. This was to them ahorrid blasphemy, and it doubly maddened them. Standing. It is a beautiful thought of Chrysostom that Jesus, who is usually described as sit- ting (Psalm Ila. 1) has here risen, as if he would certainly see the treat- ment of . his servant and be ready to hasten toi hshel Theglorious vision' magnified C'bais�tps as it proved him the living and glorious Lord. 57. Cried out. Screamed. They would. hear no more, and stopped their ears. The court broke into an infuriated mob, which rushed all together upon. the prisoner, as if to destroy him on the spot. 58. Out oft the c@t . y Lev. 24. 14. ; No formal verdict was taken; no sentence was pronounced. By common consent the mob determined that he should die, and took him in the midst of them be- yond the city walls and stoned him to death, It was yank murder, Yet they observed the legal form in stoning. The witnesses who had testified in the cosc e laying off theirouter garments, threw. the first great stones upon his breast as the law required, Deut. 17. '1. Their clothes they put in charge of a young man (between twenty-five and forty, probably thirty years old) by the name of Saul. He was doubtless present at the trial, was perhaps a member of the Sanhedrin, and certainly approved the stoning, Acts 8. 1. This is the first mention of him. 59. Calling upon. The word God, in italics, is not in the original. He, called uppon Jesus, as the next words show. The dying martyr prays to Jesus ; so should we. Receive my spirit. And Jesus received it. Stephen was no ma- terialist ; nor did he believe his soul would lie in the grave till the resur- rection. 60. Lord. "Lord Jesus,' as in verse 59. Lay not. Put it not to their ac- count. How like the prayer of. Jesus,_ "rather, forgive •them I" Luke 23. 35. Fell asleep. Not in writhing and an- guish, but manly and sweetly. As- leep is Jesus -blessed sleep!" The early Christians were wont to speak of death] as a sleep ; but it was sleep of the body and not of the soul, as verse 59 shows. Thus Stephen magnified Christ, his Lod, in his triumphal martyrdom. ""If tine,h"thead not Chnixahp had not had s Paul." SOME. SMILES. She -"So you are really engaged at last? Oh, 1 am so glad I" Her -"You ought to be." Fair poetess -"Won't you please print my poem?" Conciliatory editor -"1 can't, really ; bat I should like to print your picture." "I've discovered why the Greeks were such a happy people." "Why was • it ? "They didn't have their clothes made to fit."0 "'Brownjonto es isa J the hardest man �� take in shorthand that I ever struck. "Does he talk so fast as that?" "No -so confoundedly slow." k'ri.zby-"Is it not much more a en' sive crusing in a yacht than travelling on the cars?" Vanwart-""The reverse There are no porters on yachts." 1 I like to cook enough to last;" re marked the young bride.. "You do, di you," groaned the devoted hubby, ">:• matter how little yon cook.'" The gay fool -killer now may shirk At ease, as wintry sluch he views, His victims kindly do the worle By leaving off their overshoes., pr,