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AUTHOR: 
 
 CLARK, RUFUS W. 
 
 TITLE: 
 
 HEAVEN AND ITS 
 SCRIPTURAL EMBLEMS 
 
 PLACE: 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 DATE: 
 
 1853 
 
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 
 PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT 
 
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HEAVEN 
 
 AN I) 1 TS 
 
 SCllIPTURAL EMBLEMS. 
 
 BY 
 
 llEV. IIUFUS W. CLARK 
 
 BOSTON: 
 JOHN P. JEWETT AND C03IPANY 
 
 CLEVELAND, OHIO: 
 JEWETT, PROCTOR & WORTHINGTON. 
 
 1853. 
 
Ffltered according to Act of Congresa, in the year 1852, by 
 
 K L F U S W . CLARK, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 STr.KEOTYPKn BT 
 
 IIOBART k BOBBINS, 
 
 NKW KN<iLANl> TYPE AND STEKKuTYPK KUCNDKBT, 
 
 BOSTON. 
 
 PRINTED BT CEO. C. RAND. CORMIILL- 
 
 TO 
 
 MY BELOVED MOTHER, 
 
 TO WHOM I AM IM>KnTEI) FOR MY EARLIEST IMPRESSIONS 
 
 OF HEAVENLY SCENES, 
 
 Cfjig Volume 
 
 19 MOST AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 
 
 284124 
 
ContentH. 
 
 I'AfJK 
 
 INTRODUCTION, ^ 
 
 I. EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE, 13 
 
 n. A RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE, 34 
 
 m. A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD, 50 
 
 IV. NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN, C9 
 
 V. THE LIKENESS OF THE REDEEMED TO CHRIST, . . 89 
 
 VI. RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS, 101 
 
 Vn. NO MORE SEA, l^"^ 
 
 Vm. NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN, 1G4 
 
 IX. THE ANGELIC INHABITANTS OF HEAVEN, .... 188 
 
 X. THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN, 218 
 
 XI. THE THRONE IN HEAVEN 245 
 
SUiistnitiDiiB. 
 
 I 
 
 DESIGNED BT HAMMATT BILLINGS. 
 
 ENGllAVED BY . C. E. WAGSTAFF AND J. ANDREWS. 
 
 PACK 
 
 CHRIST RAISING LAZARUS, (Frontispiece,) 
 
 RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE, 34 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN, 69 
 
 NO MORE SEA, 147 
 
 THE NEW JERUSALEM, 188 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 m 
 
 It is not our purpose, in the following work, to 
 enter upon the discussion of the metaphysical ques- 
 tions which relate to the spiritual w^orld. We pro- 
 pose to view heaven through some of the scriptural 
 emblems of its beauties, and examine a few of the 
 prominent sources of its enjoyments. We would, in 
 company with the Christian reader, ascend the moun- 
 tains that are round about the New Jerusalem, and 
 from their summits obtain glimpses of its splendors, 
 cfitch some faint strains of its melody, and indulge 
 the imagination in visions of its joys. We would add 
 a ray to the bright hopes of the departing spirit, add 
 a drop to the cup of consolation which Christianity 
 proffers to the afllicted, and stimulate all believers to 
 press forward towards the mark for the prize of their 
 high calling. 
 
 Were wxs indeed, disposed or able to penetrate 
 into the mysteries of spiritual existences, we should 
 encounter, at tlie outset, an insurmountable difficulty, 
 in the inadequacy of human language to express 
 spiritual ideas. All our conceptions being derived 
 from experience and ol)servation, except, perhaps, 
 tliose of intuitive truths, we can contemplate spiritual 
 
i 
 
 10 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 11 
 
 objects only through the medium of images, symbols, 
 or analogies. Even the nicest definitions in theology, 
 and the most abstract terminology, must be presented 
 in figurative language ; and it is more than probable 
 that there is not a single term in our language that 
 had originally a spiritual meaning. 
 
 It is true that the Deity has power, independently 
 of the agency of human language, to communicate 
 adequate views of spiritual realities. He can cause 
 to pass before the intellectual virion the bright scones 
 of the celestial w^orld, — the splcn<1ors and joys of 
 glorified saints. But our faculties, in their present 
 state, are as little prepared for the full elTulgence of 
 heavenly scenes, as our organs of sight are to receive 
 the light of the stars blazing upon us with tlie 
 intensity of the sun's rays. In kindness, ilKTofore, 
 God has placed these glories at an immense distance 
 from us, revealing only enough to excite iaitli, and 
 inspire the heart with hope. 
 
 Should, however, a mind be enriched with adc- 
 ([uate conceptions of heaven, it would have no power 
 to imptirt its impressions to others. 
 
 It is a deeply interestinir fact in the history of our 
 race, that one mind has been thus favored, — has 
 been admitted to the third heaven, and there filled 
 with the most glowing and enrapturing \iews of 
 celestial felicity. But what the apostle saw and 
 heard it was impossible for him to utter. The scenes 
 he could not describe, though he felt intensely their 
 power. The bright visions floated in his imagination 
 through life, keeping ever alive in his heart *' a 
 desire to depart.'' 
 
 To what extent the material world represents the 
 spiritual, we cannot accurately determine, though it 
 is the opinion of some eminent writers that the anal- 
 ogy between the two is very striking. " Holy Scrip- 
 ture," says one, " in fiict, is only a gradual unrolling, 
 or spiritualizing to us, of figures and forms that 
 envelop and represent the deeper truths of the spiritual 
 
 life." 
 
 This idea filled the soul of Milton, when he wrote, 
 
 "What if earth 
 Be but the shadow of heaven and things therein, 
 Kach to other like, more than on earth is thought ? " 
 
 Another has l)eautifully said, '' I have often thoughi 
 that fiowers were the alphabet of angels, whereby 
 they write, on hills and fields, mysterious truths, 
 wdiich it is not given our fallen nature to under- 
 stand." 
 
 Why may we not extend this idea, and regard all 
 the objects around and above us, — all that is beauti- 
 ful in the sky, clouds, verdure and landscape, — as 
 constituting a language which teaches us, though 
 imperfectly, spiritual truths, and reveals, though 
 fidntly, the glories of the heavenly w^orld ? It cer- 
 tainly must aid the devotions of the Christian, and 
 solace him in his pilgrimage, to look up, and see 
 hung around the visible universe pictures of the 
 invisible, — to listen to the stars, as they softly yet 
 eloquently declare the glory of God. It must increase 
 his faith to view the decorations of this great temple, 
 as the types and shadows of a new dispensation, and 
 of a loftier and more spiritual worship. 
 
12 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The duty of studying the intimations of Heaven, 
 that have come to us through nature or revelation, 
 rests upon every Christian. Amid the practical 
 schemes and intense activity of the present day, there 
 is but little calm meditation. The spirit is not at rest 
 long enough to reflect with accuracy the mansions and 
 palaces of the celestial city. It is more like a turbu- 
 lent stream than a smooth lake. 
 
 If we are heirs to a vast and splendid inheritance, 
 if we are cherishing the hope of spending an eternity 
 amid the felicities and glories of a spiritual kingdom, 
 it is but reasonable that we meditate upon them ere 
 our departure thither. 
 
 Not content with being in the outer court, we 
 should seek, under the Spirit's guidance, to enter the 
 Holy of holies, and there sweetly commune Avith our 
 Father, in whose presence " there is fulness of joy,*' 
 — at whose " right hand there are pleasures forever- 
 more.** 
 
 n 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 I. 
 
 EHDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 •' If a man die shall he live again ? " — Job xiv. 14. 
 
 Tins question lies at the basis of all our \iews of 
 the heavenly world, and is one of infinite moment to 
 every thinking being. 
 
 It enters into our ethical investigations, theological 
 opinions, and religious hopes. Let us prove that there 
 is no existence beyond the grave, and we convert all 
 earthly realities into shadows, destroy the highest 
 stimulus to virtue, throw into inexplicable confusion 
 the plans of the Creator, shroud death in impenetrable 
 darkness, and the grave in indescribable gloom. We 
 abandon the long chain of events and achievements in 
 the world's history to the control of chance, or the 
 caprice of a mysterious Deity ; and leave, at last, the 
 WTCck of a world to swing in its silent orbit, with no 
 traces remaining of the severe conflicts and splendid 
 victories, of which it had been the theatre. 
 
 2 
 
f < t 
 
 14 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 On the other hand, prove that if a man die he shall 
 live again, and we give precision and certainty to our 
 religious views, and clothe with vast importance the 
 actions, speech and thoughts, of every moment of tliis 
 passing life. We connect time with utumily as by a 
 thousand electric cords, through which influences arc 
 passing and repassing, that aflect both worlds, and 
 reach even the throne of the Deity. 
 
 Such, indeed, is the vital connection between all 
 truths, natural and revealed, scientific and ethical, 
 that arguments in favor of one, strengthen the whole. 
 Evidences that substantiate the doctrine of the future 
 life, give additional force to the divine government, 
 majesty to the divine character, authority to the 
 claims of Christianity. They clothe with increased 
 solemnity the sanctions of God's law, and give to 
 the soul a value, that the riches and kingdoms of a 
 universe cannot express. A discovery in science, 
 even, sheds its influence over the whole system of 
 moral truth, and is a chapter in that new, or third 
 book of revelation, that a progressive civilization is 
 opening to the world. The light of one truth is 
 reflected by others, and the brightness of th(' whole 
 constellation is increased by every new star that 
 appears in the firmament. 
 
 The mere possibility of a future life, with which 
 the present is connected, should awaken the Jinxieties 
 and arouse the powers of every sentient being. The 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 15 
 
 possibility that this is the seed time of a future 
 measureless harvest, — that our mission here is to 
 give coloring and character to an immortal state, 
 — should secure for the themes before us the most 
 serious attention. 
 
 The doctrine of a future state may be argued from 
 the natural phenomena of the physical luorld, the con- 
 stitution of the human mind, and from the character 
 a7id designs of the Deity, as revealed in his providence 
 and luord. 
 
 It will not be necessary, in order to show that 
 the soul will survive the body, to prove its imma- 
 teriality. The same omnipotent power that created 
 mind can preserve it in being, whatever may be 
 the constituent elements of which it is composed. 
 Besides, we have no more evidence of the destruc- 
 tion of matter, than of the destruction of mind. All 
 the phenomena in the natural world show that mat- 
 ter, in undergoing its various transfonnations and 
 changes, loses none of its particles. It may be 
 decomposed, may enter into a variety of chemical 
 aflinities, may be changed from a solid to a liquid, 
 and from a liquid to invisible gases, and yet not 
 an atom be annihilated. Its power thus to sundve 
 all changes, and enter into new combinations, under 
 laws that are fixed and unalterable ; its capability 
 of resisting all tlie forces that can be brought against 
 it, shows that its properties are subtile agents, or 
 
16 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 elements distinct from mere exteiibiou, .solidity, &c., 
 — elements that, for aught we know, cling iil 
 tenaciously U, life, as those of an immaterial sub- 
 stance. 
 
 To pa.ss by more common illustrations, wo would 
 refer to the changes wliich so solid a substance as 
 silver undergoes on being inunei-seil in ililutod nitric 
 acid.* Tlir trong affinity of the acid for the silver 
 acts u|)oi. it so powerfully jis very .soon to entii-ely 
 dissolve it. The lluid remains as clear and limpid 
 iui before. Now, what has l)ecomo of the silver ? 
 Is it .lestroyod ? Its fonu, solidity, lustre, and all 
 it^ metallic characteristics, are gone. Its existence 
 is not appreciable by any of the senses ; and were 
 we ignorant of the method cf restoring it to its 
 metallic state, or r.f dis. .Bering by certtdn tests its 
 presence in the fluid, wo .sho.d.l suppose that it 
 was annihilate.!. And were a chiss of objectors dis- 
 posed to maintain this position, and ad.luce the 
 evidences of their senses that the 2net«l w,us .-d.s„- 
 lutely destroyed, ur Miould have no means ,.f 
 refuting them. l!ut our knowledge of chemistry 
 enables u> i,, introduce a sub.st:mce into the mix- 
 ture that will compel the acid to surrender up the 
 silver, and the small particles may be gathered ui), 
 
 • Sec Bakewoll- ■ N.t>,.al Evidence, of a Future Life. UeriveJ fron. ,he 
 Propo,„e,, &c. .., M:u,e,-,- a work in .I.ich tl.is branch of our subject i, 
 'liscussed with si-eat abilirv. 
 
 'fy- 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 and restored even to the same form, that the sub- 
 stance presented before its dissolution. 
 
 So we may take water, and resolve it into two 
 substances that bear no resemblance to the original, 
 — hydrogen and oxygen gases. We may bring the 
 two, thus separated, into contact with fire, that is 
 extinguished by water, and the one is found to be 
 a supporter of combustion, and the other })unis with 
 an intense and steady flame. Reunited, they again 
 form water. 
 
 A piece of coal, in undergoing the process of 
 combustion, is simply resolved into its primitive ele- 
 ments, — caloric, gas, smoke, and ashes; and could 
 these be collected together again and weighed, they 
 would be found to correspond exactly in weight 
 with the original piece of coal. Vegetation, too, 
 when decomposed, has simply assumed new forms, 
 and entered into new combinations. None of its 
 particles are lost, but they have simply been 
 appointed to other offices, and are at work in other 
 departments of the great laboratory of nature. 
 
 Examples of a similar character might be multi 
 plied indefinitely ; and from these various and con 
 stant changes in the natural world we would draw, 
 if not a conclusive argument, at least a sti'ong 
 probability, that the immaterial and more valuable 
 part of man will survive the changes that the body 
 undergoes at death. 
 
18 
 
 EMBLEMS OF IIEAVEX. 
 
 It is true that we are incapable of conceivinn^, 
 with our present faculties, how the sentient ])rinci- 
 ple witliin us can exist, detached from a bodily 
 organization; and we allow, that the evidences of 
 the external senses, in viewing the i^honomeua of 
 death, flivor the idea that all that was vital in tlio 
 prostrate form is forever extiniiuished. But when 
 we witness changes in material substances more 
 marked and surprising than those wrought by death 
 upon a human being, without destroying a single 
 particle of matter, — when we see the most won- 
 derful transformations taking place, as, fcn^ instance, 
 gases converted into solids, and solids into gases, 
 without the loss of a single ingredient, — we may 
 reasonably believe that a di<>Jolution may take place 
 between the body and the mind, without the des- 
 truction of either. And if we are unable to trace 
 out the processes in the natural world, by means 
 of which these changes are elTected, — if we can- 
 not see and explain how tlie two gases that com- 
 pose water separate from each other, and become 
 combustible, invisible, and noxious, while in com- 
 bination they were \isible and salubrious, — our 
 ignorance does not militate against the iact tliat 
 such changes do take place. Neither should our 
 ignorance of the manner in which mind is preserved 
 when separated from the body, destroy our faith in 
 the fact that it is preserved. Our inability to 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 19 
 
 explain the mamier in wliich the separation takes 
 place, and each pait exists as a distinct entity, is 
 certainly no proof that it cannot be explained. The 
 Being who created the human soul, and united it 
 to a material body, has power to sustain it Avhen 
 detached from that body ; and if all experience 
 teaches us that matter is imperishable, a higher 
 experience may teach us that mind is imperishable. 
 
 But the natural world furnishes another analogy 
 that is worthy of attention. 
 
 We find that there are properties inherent in 
 matter, such as chemical attraction and gravitation, 
 which, though so subtile as to defeat every effort to 
 ascertain their nature, yet are not destroyed nor 
 affected by the changes that take place in the bodies 
 in which they are found. Let these bodies be decom- 
 posed, or resolved into their primitive elements, and 
 still these properties will not be amiihilated ; thus fur- 
 nishing, at least, a striking analogy to the continued 
 existence of the spiritual nature of man, after his 
 physical organization has been reduced to its native 
 dust. That most subtile and mysterious element, 
 heat, that so generally pen^ades matter, and may, 
 perhaps, be regarded lus a distinct essence, can be 
 proved to be indestmctible. A large class of experi- 
 ments might be brought forward to show that it 
 cannot be annihilated, and that in being brought 
 from a latent into an active state, it diffuses itself 
 
20 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 abroad, and passes to other bodies. The same is 
 true of other elements. No satisfactory evidence 
 can be adduced that the least portion of them is 
 ever destroyed. 
 
 We now ascend to a higher class of evidences in 
 favor of the future life, drawn from the constitution, 
 desires, and moral qualities of the human intellect. 
 
 A simple glance at the powers of the mind, — 
 its capacities, store-honsjo?; of memory, range of 
 thought, taste, refmement, capabilities of happiness, 
 and exquisite organization, — aifords strong pre- 
 sumptive evidence that it was not made to perish 
 with the body. So wonderful a structure, animating 
 this living material organization, connected with all 
 external structures,— with the earth, sun, and stars; 
 —so godlike a substance, — united to the great God, 
 soaring for companionship with angels, capable of 
 loving and adoring the Supreme Being, — could not 
 have been made to sport here for a while, amid an 
 ocean of mysteries and uncertainties, to be at last 
 flung, as a worthless wreck, upon the shores of 
 eternity. 
 
 The very contrast exhibited between the human 
 intellect and its comparatively limited sphere here, 
 — between its capabilities and their actual develop- 
 ment, between its desires and their gratification, 
 
 indicates that it is designed for a higher life, and 
 nobler theatre. In looking around us, we find that 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 21 
 
 all other objects and classes of lacings are fitted to 
 the ends for which they were created. The flowers 
 that bloom, the animals that roam in the fields, and 
 the insects that sport in the sunlight, are all fulfill- 
 ing their destiny. But man stands alone upon this 
 jdanet, — an anomaly, a mystery. He is a stranger 
 here. He bums with desires after knowledge and 
 truth, which must be restrained. lie is conscious of 
 struggling powers, earnest aspirations ; but they are 
 clogged, fettered. lie looks upward, and sees signal 
 stars hung out over the canopy, indicating that there 
 are vast domains beyond his naiTOW habitation, — 
 domains that he would rejoice to explore, — worlds 
 that he thirsts to know about. As he gazes, a 
 thousand conjectures throng his mind : Are these 
 false lights designed to deceive, or only to light 
 up the wastes of an infinite expanse, or do they 
 illumine millions of attendant worlds ? He asks, are 
 they inhabited ? Does the same divine government 
 that we are under, extend over them? Are the 
 subjects loyal, or rebels, like us ? Do they know 
 what death is? Do they need a Saviour? Have 
 they ever heard the thunder of divine wrath, or 
 watched the flash of their Creator's indignant eye ? 
 What is their organization ? — what their suscepti- 
 bilities, intellectual endowments, moral character- 
 istics, hopes, fears, joys, or sorrows ? The stranger 
 asks, but no response is heard. He goes to the 
 
99 
 
 ExMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 99 
 
 ^ most profound philosophers, but they can tell him 
 nothing satisluciury. Wii goes to the most success- 
 ful astronomers, but they can give him only conjec- 
 tures. He consults the Book of books, but he finds 
 that tliat treats of but one ^science. 
 
 The intensity of this desire after knowledge, — 
 this longing to study the map and traverse the 
 empire of the universe, — is indicated in the excite- 
 ment and warm enthusiasm with wliieh important 
 astronomical discoveries are recei\-ed. Let it be 
 announced that by means of vastly incronsed teles 
 copic power, cities and inha])itants had l)een dis- 
 covered on the nearest planet ; that the glitter of its 
 palaces, and the magnificence of its architecture, 
 and the movements of its busy throng, had been 
 seen, — with what rapidity would the tidings fly over 
 the civilized world! With what greeiliness would 
 the news be received! But those distant suns, 
 planets, and moons are all silent. They declare 
 only "the glory of God.^' They teach but one 
 lesson, and that is, tlmt from far nobler heights 
 than this earth can furnish we shall view their 
 splendors and read their destiny. Else this language 
 Jibove us is a forgery. And can the finger of God 
 Avrite, in such bright charactei^, forgery ? I tremble 
 in uttering even the suspicion. I believe in a God 
 who cannot lie,— in a Father who Avill not deceive. 
 I ask from yonder stains no other voices. They tell 
 
 I 
 
 me enough. Faith can build beyond the boundaries 
 of sight. 
 
 But distinct from this thii-sting after knowledge 
 is the inherent love of existence, and desire for 
 inmiortality, that is in every breast. Notwithstand- 
 ing all our disappointments and calamities here, we 
 still cling tenaciously to life. We love to be. We 
 lo\e to feel the glow of health, and the vigorous 
 workings of our intellectual nature. We love to 
 look out upon the broad earth, breathe the fresh 
 air, drink in the sunlight, listen to the music of 
 l>irds and forests, and float quietly on this green 
 l)all tln'ouirh the skies. We love, for from the noise 
 and strife of men, to comumne with our own spirits 
 and with the Great Spirit. 
 
 ** Deep solitude I sought. Tliere was a dell 
 Where woven shades shut out the eye of day. 
 While, towering near, the rugged mountains made 
 Dark back-ground 'gainst the sky. Thither I went, 
 And bade my spirit drink that lovely draught 
 For which it long had languished, 'mid the strife 
 And fever of the world. I thought to be 
 There without witness, but the violet's eye 
 Looked up upon me, the fresh wild rose smiled, 
 And the young pendent vine-flower kissed my cheek. 
 And there were voices, too. The garrulous brook. 
 Untiring, to the patient pebbles told 
 Its history. Up came the singing breeze. 
 And the broad leaves of the cool poplar spoke, 
 Responsive, every one." ♦ * ♦ 
 
 The thought of losing this conscious life, of having 
 

 24 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 9f; 
 
 this bright flame go out, and existence buried down 
 deep in the grave of endless night, is appalling. 
 The mere possibility of annihilation, to a sensitive 
 spirit, to a heart gushing with affection, to a 
 mind fdled with pure desires and n()l)le aspirations, 
 is honible. Even with the revealed promise of a 
 life to come, we shrink from the hazards of the 
 grave. We fear to close our eyes in death, lest 
 they may never open again. We fear to cast off 
 the last rope that holds us to the shore of time, 
 lest some unknown storm may engulf us in tlie 
 ocean of annihilation. 
 
 And when the dread certainty is fastened upon 
 us that we must die, our desires and hopes leap 
 the dark valley, and land amid the imagined felici- 
 ties of an immortal state. The evidences of the 
 future life, in such an hour, throng the mind, and 
 strive to buoy it up, as it is sinking into the dark 
 waters of death. 
 
 This longing after immortality, — tliis stretching 
 away after the infinite, — is inlierent in every mind 
 that is not shattered or debased by sin. It appears 
 in the want of satisfaction, that one feels, when in 
 the possession of the highest earthly good. The 
 greatest degree of power, knowledge, wealth, or 
 pleasure, cannot aflbrd to the mind lasthig and solid 
 enjoyment. The king upon his throne strives for 
 new teiTitories, larger revenues, and more exclusive 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 prerogatives. The most gifted and profound phi- 
 losopher uses his acquisitions and mental discipline, 
 to effect new conquests in the kingdom of science. 
 The man of wealth thirsts for greater riches, and, 
 too often, his gains are only fuel to feed the flame 
 of his avarice. 
 
 These restless, burning desires pervade all nations, 
 and all ranks in society. They constitute a part of 
 man's being, and can only be extinguished by 
 destroying the principle of life ; and as one increases 
 in intellectual attainment and moral excellence, his 
 desire for immortality increases in the same propor 
 tion. Among the heathen, the earliest and most 
 zealous advocates of this doctrine were illustrious 
 poets, philosophers, and statesmen. Xcnocrates, 
 Plato, Demosthenes, and others, strongly advocated 
 it ; and as they advanced in intelligence and virtue 
 the fear of death was removed. 
 
 The early martyrs, as they rose in religious 
 feiTor, rose in contempt of death. Persecutions, 
 prisons, bodily tortures, they heeded not, for they 
 desired "a better country,'* — a more splendid the- 
 atre for the development of their powers, and the 
 display of their loyalty and devotion. 
 
 Now, how shall we account for the universality 
 and intensity of this desire for a future life ? Why 
 is it that the mind of man, upon whicli the Deity 
 lavishes such rich blessmgs, — before which he opens 
 
 3 
 
2f) 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 such a variety of moral, intellectual, and social 
 enjoyments, — yet remains unsatisfied, yet cherishes 
 
 " this pleasing hope, this fond desire, 
 This longing after immortality ? " 
 
 Can we doubt the source of this desire ? And if 
 planted in the breast by the Creator, can we sup- 
 pose that it was placed there without design, or Avith 
 the intention of exciting in us hopes which will 
 never be realized ? Does it comport with our ideas 
 of the divine benevolence, wisdom, and rectitude, to 
 imagine for a moment that minds freighted with such 
 hopes are destined to be annihilated, — destined to 
 plunge over the precipice, into the deep, bottom- 
 less gulf, from which we instinctively recoil with 
 horror ? 
 
 The moral qualities of the soul also indicate its 
 immortality. Man is constituted to feel and act, as 
 well as to think. He is endowed with certain 
 instincts, affections, and principles, that prompt him 
 to seek his own moral culture, and the improve- 
 ment of his fellow-men. Amid the evidences of a 
 sad degeneracy, and wide-spread moral debasement, 
 with which the world is fdled, we find numerous 
 instances of heroism, benevolence, and philantlu'opy, 
 that excite our admiration and reflect honor upon 
 human nature. Men have lived who were noble 
 specimens of the race, — men of exalted virtues, 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 27 
 
 strong fortitude, invincible courage, boundless use- 
 fulness. They have appeared upon the stage to 
 redeem human nature, to show that principle can 
 triumph over self-interest, that the good of society 
 can be toiled for, without the hope of earthly reward, 
 and that a life can be regulated by the law of kind- 
 ness, and devoted to acts of generosity and charity. 
 We might point, for example, to the heroes of 
 the Christian church, who have furnished the world 
 with most illustrious examples of patient endurance 
 under suffering ; of boldness and zeal in maintaining 
 the truth, in the face of the bitterest opposition ; of 
 a resolute detennination to break up those giant 
 systems of evil that had so long crushed the nations. 
 In the early efforts of apostles and martyrs to estab- 
 lish Christianity upon an imperishable basis, we have 
 a scene of moral sublimity upon which the good and 
 virtuous of all ages delight to gaze. We have an 
 exhibition of qualities of heart and soul, calculated 
 to quicken the energies and fire the zeal of every 
 beholder. And the effects of those labors and sacri- 
 fices have been felt down to the present hour; 
 nay, more ; their influence has been deepening 
 and widening, flowing through the ramifications of 
 society, touching the springs of action in thousands 
 of hearts, aiding millions in sustaining the shock of 
 life's battle, giving birth to institutions that are 
 blessing the civilized world. 
 
28 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 xsow, can we entertain the thought that these 
 minds, that had attained to such an eminence in 
 moral excellence, religious devotion, and godlike 
 usefulness, have perished ? Were they, through long 
 disciplinary processes, through fire, dungeons, and 
 torture, carried to such a noble height that tliey 
 might fall thence into annihilation ? Is there, in 
 this wide universe, no other field for the exercise 
 of their benevolence, courage, heroism ? Is the 
 Creator so limited in his power and resources that 
 he can carry a human being no further than to tlie 
 door of the tomb ? Is death so mighty an agent as 
 to dispute dominion with the Infinite One ? Is 
 there given to a single mind, a single earnest 
 apostle, the power of illuminating, by the briglit- 
 ness of his example, the civilized world, causing its 
 light to be reflected from a thousand pulpits and 
 thousands of presses, furnishing themes for the most 
 persuasive eloquence, and stimulus for the most ele- 
 vated piety, while that mind itself is left to perish ? 
 Shall the influence be "clothed with immortality," 
 while the source of the influence goes down into 
 annihilation ? 
 
 There is a still higher class of evidences of the 
 future life. 
 
 All men are impressed, to a greater or less 
 degree, with the fact that they are the subjects of 
 a divine moral government. Their reason, con- 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 29 
 
 science, and experience, teach them this truth. The 
 itlea that we are under authority, — that we owe 
 allegiance to a higher power, — is developed in the 
 mind of a child, and grows Avith his growth, and 
 sti-engthens witli his strength. The approbation that 
 we feel in view of right conduct, and the disappro- 
 bation that is produced by wrong conduct, — the 
 rewards that accompany virtue, and the evils that 
 follow vice, — all keep this idea of government 
 before the mind. Not only is it taught through 
 God's providential dealings, but there is placed in 
 every soul a viceroy of heaven's King, — a princi- 
 ple termed conscience, — that acts as a faithful sen- 
 tinel over our moral interests. If a person follows 
 a vicious course of life, it is not necessary for him 
 to be summoned before ah external tribunal, in order 
 to have his case examined, and sentence pronounced. 
 There is inherent in his own soul, a power that 
 brings him into the court of his own consciousness, 
 impanels a jury from his own sense of justice and 
 propriety, compels him to hear witnesses before con- 
 science, which sits as judge, and requires him to 
 listen to the sentence of condemnation, and experi- 
 ence its execution in impaired health, waste of 
 character, ruined prospects, and blasted hopes. He 
 canies about with him this miniature moral govern- 
 ment wherever he goes. He cannot shake it off. 
 He cannot divest himself of its authority, nor flee 
 
 
30 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 from its sanctions. And what is it but a reflection 
 of that great moral government that the Supreme 
 Being has instituted over all his sentient creatures ? 
 What does it teach, but that we must one day render 
 an account before a more august tribunal, and in 
 the presence of a more terri])le Judge ? Connected 
 with this idea of government, is the idea that this 
 is a disciplinary state, — that we are placed here to 
 form characters and acquire habits for a higher life. 
 In passing through the severe ordeal of temptation, 
 in being subject to heavy trials and aftUctions, we 
 cannot suppose that the benefits accruing therefrom 
 are confined to this short life. All the influences 
 with which we are brought in contact here, seem 
 to have an educational purpose. They bid us look 
 upward, — bid us make preparation for the future. 
 While we have abundant evidence of the perfec- 
 tion of this divine government, we have also evi- 
 dence that it is here imperfectly administered, and 
 that the ends of strict justice are not always attained. 
 The virtuous often sufler unjustly, — are oppressed, 
 persecuted, and deeply injured, wdth no means of 
 redress. On the other hand, tyrants often seem, 
 for a series of years, to prosper in their tyranny. 
 They are not always smitten down at once by the 
 judgments of Heaven. They retain their power, 
 amass wealth, revel in luxuries, while their virtu- 
 ous, perhaps Christian victims, are pining in dun- 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 31 
 
 geons or burning at stakes. Now, without a future 
 life, there are deep mysteries here that we cannot 
 solve ; — there are perplexities here that we can- 
 not reconcile with divine justice and benevolence. 
 
 But convince me that there is a future life, 
 where villanous persecutors and infamous tyrants 
 will receive the punishment due to their crimes, 
 and where the virtuous and holy will be rewarded, 
 and these difllculties are at once removed. 
 
 The question, however, of a future state of being, 
 has been settled by Ilim wlio brought life and immor- 
 tality to light. The Great Teacher sent from God 
 has laid before us an array of evidences that removes 
 every doubt, and inspires us with the strongest iliith 
 and most brilliant hopes. Appearing upon the the- 
 atre of human action, he unrolls his credentials for 
 the inspection of mankind. By his accurate fulfil- 
 ment of prophecy, his power to work miracles, his 
 holy life, and his readiness to suffer and die for 
 man, he has substantiated his claim to our unlimited 
 confidence ; and when he declares, " I am the resur- 
 rection and the life ; he that believeth in me shall 
 never die,'* we recognize in the w^ords, the most 
 sublime announcement ever made to man. We 
 recognize the language of a messenger who speaks 
 as "one having authority." 
 
 Indeed, the Holy Scriptures abound with proofs 
 of our immortality. Every page is luminous with 
 

 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 this gre«it doctrine. From the hopes of the patri- 
 arch Abraham, who ''looked for a city that had 
 foundation, whose buihler and maker is God," down 
 to the splendid revelations made to St. John, we 
 have a series of proofs that no scepticism can under- 
 mine, nor opposition overthrow. Moses, in the full- 
 ness of his fidth, " esteemed the reproach of Christ 
 greater riches than the trea^-^ures of Egypt ; for he 
 had respect unto the recompense of the reward." 
 Job, in the midst of his adversity, could say, "I 
 know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 
 stand at the latter day upon the earth." The 
 Psalmist David declared, "As for me, I shall behold 
 thy face in righteousness ; I shall be satisfied when 
 I awake with thy likeness." All these ancient 
 saints " confessed that they w^re strangers and pil- 
 grims on the earth," and that they " desired a bet- 
 ter country, even an heavenly." 
 
 The evangelists and apostles glowed with the 
 rapture imparted by this great doctrine. Hear the 
 dying words of the most earnest and noble of these 
 lieroes: "I have fought a good fight, I have fin- 
 islied my course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth 
 there is laid up for me a crow^n of righteousness." 
 
 We cannot sum up the scriptural presentation of 
 this truth in words more appropriate and sublime 
 than those used by St. Paul, in his Epistle to the 
 Corinthians: "Behold, I show you a mystery. 
 
 EVIDENCES OF A FUTURE LIFE. 
 
 33 
 
 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed ; 
 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the 
 last trump : for i\\o trumpet shall sound, and the 
 dead shall ho raised, and Ave shall be changed. For 
 this corniptible must put on incormption, and this 
 mortal must put on inmiortality ! " 
 
 *' 0, listen, man ! 
 A voice within us speaks that startling -vvord, 
 • Man, thou shalt never die ! ' Celestial voices 
 Hymn it unto our souls ; according harps. 
 By angel fingers touched, when the mild stars 
 Of morning sang together, sound forth still 
 The song of our great immortality ; 
 Thick clustering orbs, and this our fair domain, 
 The tall, dark mountains, and the deep-toned seas, 
 Join in this solemn, universal song. 
 0, listen, ye, our spirits ; drmk it in 
 From all the air ! 'T is in the gentle moonlight ; 
 'T is floating 'midst day's setting glories ; night, 
 Wrapped in her sable robe, with silent step 
 Comes to our Ijod, and breathes it in our ears. 
 Night, and the dawn, bright day, and tlioughtful eve 
 All time, all bounds, the limitless expanse. 
 As one vast mystic instrument, are touched 
 By an unseen, living Hand, and conscious chords 
 Quiver with joy iu this great jubilee. 
 The dying hear it, and, as sounds of earth 
 Grow dull and distant, wake their passing souls 
 To mingle in this heavenly harmony." 
 
11. 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 
 •* And there was a rainbow round about the throne.'* — Rfvelatiox iv. 3. 
 
 No portion of the Bible is so fmitful in heavenly 
 emblems as the book of Revelation. They duster 
 and sparkle upon every page. They adorn every 
 vision, and glisten from every tmth which is recorded 
 by the beloved disciple. As though conscious tliat 
 the inspired volume is about to close, they crowd 
 around the setting sun to receive its last beauteous 
 rays, and throw their splendors over the whole 
 heavens. 
 
 The isle of Patmos, where this panorama of gor- 
 geous images passed before the mind of St. John, 
 presented a striking contrast to the scenes of which 
 it was the theatre. It was a lonely, barren spot in 
 the iEgean Sea, so desolate that criminals were sent 
 to it as a punishment. Domitian, the tyrant, ban- 
 ished thither the Apostle John, thinking that the 
 wildness and hardships of the place would induce 
 him to renounce his religion. But his faith and 
 devotion, instead of becoming weaker, kindled into 
 a glow that pervaded his whole being. He felt that 
 
• • . • • I ' 
 
 11* 1 1 > t 
 
 • I 
 
 • • I 
 
 • f »' 
 
 • * • 
 
 • • • 
 
 • I 
 
 ' * > . 
 
 < • • • I 
 
 ' t I 
 
 4 
 

 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 
• • • 
 
 i • • 
 
 • • • 
 
 • •• • 
 
 • •: 
 
 • • 
 
 > • • 
 
 • • • • • 
 
 • •• • 
 
 • • • ,• • 
 • • , • • 
 
 
 .• * * 
 
 
 • •• 
 
 • • • 
 
 • • • • 
 
 « • 
 
 • • • • • • 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 35 
 
 God was with him, that the Holy Spirit was hover- 
 in*^ over him, that Jesus was liis companion, and 
 that angelic messengers w^ere encamped round about 
 him. Those rough cliffs and cragged rocks, were 
 clothed with freshness and beauty to his eye. The 
 ocean that begirt his isle spread out as the emblem 
 of infinite love. Its roar was sweet music to his 
 ear, as he recognized in it notes of that great 
 anthem that is constantly ascending from nature to 
 its God. 
 
 The heavenly scenes, however, that he witnessed, 
 shed over the island a bright halo of glory. As he 
 looked upward, he beheld the whole canopy filled 
 with images of surpassing beauty and splendor. In 
 the distance, there appeared a throne, and one sat 
 upon it ''like unto the Son of Man.*' His robes 
 were of snowy whiteness. His countenance shone 
 as the sun. Upon his brow rested a brilliant crown. 
 Around the throne there was "a great multitude, 
 that no man could number, of all nations, and kin- 
 dreds, and people, and tongues, clothed with w^hite 
 robes, and palms in their hands.*' 
 
 Other scenes, of equal grandeur, open one after 
 another, illustrating the power of the church, the 
 progress of Christ's kingdom, and the signal ruin 
 of its enemies. The New Jerusalem appears in the 
 \ isiuu, with its streets of gold, its gates of pearl, its 
 towers and palaces, and gorgeous decorations. 
 
3G 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 But it is to n single object in this celestial pano- 
 rama, that we would now direct our attention ; and 
 that is, the rainbow that was round about the throne. 
 There i^^ a significancy in this into whi(^h it may be 
 well to inquire. Why did not the holy divine behold 
 over such a throne, the radiance of brilliant stars, or 
 the splendor of a noonday's sun ? Why does there 
 appear a simple rainbow ? We answer. 
 
 It is phiced there as the token, that a covenant- 
 keeping God is seated upon that throne. After 
 Noah and his family had witnessed the fearful 
 ravages and escaped the perils of the deluge, God 
 said to him, "I do set my bow in the cloud, and 
 it shall be for the token of a covenant between me 
 and the earth ; and I will remember my covenant, 
 and the waters shall no more become a flood to 
 destroy all flesh.'' In this solemn pledge we have 
 shadowed forth the spiritual covenant which God 
 has entered into with his church, — a covenant that 
 he will not flood the earth with divine wrath, but 
 will receive to his fovor the penitent and believing. 
 As the ancient dispensation, under Mo^os, with its 
 rites and ceremonies, stood as the type of a new and 
 spiritual system, so the bow that Noah saw in the 
 cloud, was the type of that more resplendent arch 
 that appeared in the vision of John ; and as God 
 has been faithful in fulfdling his promise to spare 
 the world from the disasters of another deluge, he 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 37 
 
 will be equally faithful in fulfdling all the precious 
 promises, which he has made to his people. And 
 this bow around the throne is to inspire confidence, 
 as well as hope, — to give to the Christian pilgrim 
 **a full assurance of faith;" to enable him to say, 
 *' I know that my Redeemer iiveth." 
 
 A special object of Christ's mission was to impress 
 the world with the truthfulness and faithfulness of 
 Jehovah. "In my Father's house are many man- 
 sions. If it were not so, I would have told you." 
 
 Indeed, Christ is presented to us as ''the medi- 
 ator of a better covenant, which was established 
 upon l)etter promises." Those which were made 
 with Noah, Abraham, and their descendants, per- 
 tained to temporal benefits. The Israelites, if obedi- 
 ent to God, were to receive distinguished earthly 
 favors. They were to be in a miraculous manner 
 supplied with food, protected from their enemies, 
 and conducted to a land overflowing with milk and 
 honey. The manifestations which the Deity made 
 of himself to them, were such as appealed to the 
 external senses. They approached " ca mount that 
 might be touched, and that burned with fire;" 
 they heard "the sound of a tmmpet, and the voice 
 of words." "But ye," Avho are under the new 
 covenant, "are come unto Mount Zion, and unto 
 the city of the living God, the heavenly Jemsalem, 
 and to an innumerable company of angels." The 
 
 4 
 
38 
 
 KMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 blessings now ollered are of a spiritual nature. 
 Instead of manna to support the body, we have 
 precious truths to nourish and invigorate the soul. 
 Instead of waters flowing from a rock, we may 
 drink of " the pure river of the water of life, clear 
 as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God 
 and of the Lamb.'* Instead of following a cloud 
 by day and a i)illar of fire l)y night, a divine, 
 resplendent Being appears before us, saying, " I 
 am the light of the world.'' Instead of a mountain 
 that might be touched, — a mountain enveloped in 
 clouds and darkness, shaken by peals of thunder, 
 and rendered terrible by flashes of lightning, — we 
 ''are come unto Mount Zion," wliose mild beauties 
 attract every beholder, and around whose summit 
 play the soft beams from the Sun of righteousness. 
 Instead of a material city, we have pointed out to 
 us, in the far distance, " the heavenly Jerusalem," 
 with its sweet gardens, celestial palaces and thrones, 
 — "a city that hath foundations, whose builder and 
 maker is God." Instead of being confined to the 
 society of imperfect men, we are admitted to com- 
 panionship with angels, — to "the general assembly 
 and church of the first bom." Indeed, all that 
 the Christian can desire in this life, or hope for in 
 the next, is pledged under this new and better 
 covenant. No language can describe, no imagina- 
 tion can portray, the rich blessings which it secures 
 
 TIIK RAIXBOW AROUXI) THE THRONE. 39 
 
 to the believer. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear 
 
 heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, 
 
 the things w^hich God hath prepared for them that 
 love him." 
 
 How appropriate, then, that the throne of the 
 Eternal should l)e arched over with the bow of 
 promise, that the Christian should have before him 
 this perpetual token, that a covenant-keeping God 
 holds the reins of universal dominion! How full 
 of comfort to the saint, that the eye of faith may 
 rest upon that bow ! No sun is there, to dazzle 
 the vision ; no storm-cloud, with its rolling thun- 
 der and lightning flashes, overhangs the throne, to 
 terrify those who approach it ; but a rainbow, with 
 its beautiful tints and soft rays, attracts them, 
 inspiring in their hearts, confidence and hope. The 
 oppressed pilgrim may look upon it, and from the 
 throne he hears the words, "Fear not, for I am 
 with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God." 
 Penitent prodigals, weary with toil, having found 
 the ways of transgressors hard, may turn towards 
 it an anxious eye, and they hear the invitation, 
 *'Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
 laden, and I will give you rest." The dying Chris- 
 tian, as earthly scenes are fading from the view, may 
 behold it, and exclaim, "Though I walk through 
 the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no 
 
40 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 evil : for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy staff 
 they comfort me/' 
 
 This bow, however, does not stand alone, as a 
 proof of the divine faithfuhiess. Our pathway 
 through life is scattered with evidences of a Heav- 
 enly Father's care. Ilis bounteous supply of our 
 wants ; his regard for life, in providing food , for 
 the intellect, in furnishing knoAvledge ; for the taste, 
 in decorating so l)eautifully this globe, that is float- 
 ing us through the heavens ; his providential care, 
 in guarding us from injury, in keeping the delicate 
 and complicated workmanship of the luunan system 
 in tune so long, are all proofs that our future inter- 
 ests will be protected. We reason justly, from this 
 life to another ; from what we see around us, and 
 experience here, to wdiat we may expect in a higher 
 and nobler state of being. This is our school, to 
 which we are sent to learn lessons of God's truth- 
 fulness and love. AVe are here taught to have faith 
 in our great Benefactor, and to trust him for tlie 
 blessings of another life, because he has done so 
 much for us in this. 
 
 The bow around tlie throne is also a token that 
 the storms of human life shall ere long pass away. 
 
 After a severe tempest, during which the raging 
 elements have threatened to destroy every object 
 within their reach, and the heavy crashes of thun- 
 der have appalled the stoutest heart, we have 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 41 
 
 experienced the relief afforded by the subsiding of 
 
 the storm, and seeing painted on the retiring clouds 
 
 tlie bow of promise. As we looked abroad, instead 
 
 of witnessing the marks of ruin, nature has appeared 
 
 clothed in its loveliest hues, as though to mock the 
 
 fury of tiie tempest. From the descending torrents 
 
 it has gathered refreshment and viaor, and even the 
 
 lightning has done it a service, by purifying the 
 
 atmosphere. Thus the devout Christian sees in the 
 
 bow around the throne the pledge tliat the trials 
 
 and afflictions of life shall soon end, and perfect 
 
 serenity be his portion. He reads inscribed upon it, 
 
 in golden letters, the words, *' There remaineth a 
 
 rest for the people of God.'* 
 
 But the hour for this rest has not yet come. 
 The benefits of trials must first be gathered into the 
 soul. The heart must be disciplined; faith must 
 be cultivated; the power of the souFs endurance 
 must be tested. It is not the design of God that 
 the Christian 
 
 " should be carried to the skies 
 On flowery beds of ease." 
 
 He must *« strive to enter in at the strait gate.'' 
 He must ''nin with patience the race set before 
 him.'' lie must '* fight the good fight of faith." 
 All the scriptural expressions upon this point imply 
 the necessity of earnest effort. The battle must 
 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 EMBLEMS 0-F HEAVEN. 
 
 be fought before the triumph is celebrated. A great 
 work must be accomplished in self-discipline, — in 
 the development and growth of holy principles, — 
 ere we are prepared for the rewards of heaven. In 
 all the temptations and aflUctions of life, the design 
 of the Creator is discernible, and he has arched his 
 tlu^one with a ])eautiful rainbow, to assure his peo- 
 ple that he will give peace to the trou])lcd soul. 
 And this bow is over the ilu'one to iuilieate that it 
 is only when the Christian is near this throne, that 
 he can enjoy perfect serenity. He must, as it were, 
 enter into God, dwell amid his holy attributes, 
 experience the fulness of his love, if he would enjoy 
 that peace "that passeth all understanding.'' That 
 far-distant height storms never reach. Clouds that 
 cast shadows upon the earth float beneath it. The 
 passions and strifes of Avicked men do not ascend 
 to it. 
 
 " There foith lift.«« up the tearless eye. 
 
 The heart with anguish riven ; 
 It views the tempest passing by, 
 Sees evening shadows quickly fly, 
 
 And all serene in heaven." 
 
 There is infinite wisdom displayed in thus making 
 the throne the seat of perfect peace ; for, had wc 
 satisfying enjoyment here, Ave should become too 
 much attached to the Avorld. As it now is, we are 
 loath to leave it. Amid all our trials and disap- 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 43 
 
 poiiitments, its channs continue to fascinate us. Its 
 cares absorb the attention. We seek its riches, 
 covet its applause, and depend upon its pleasures. 
 Though we term human life a vale of tears, we arc 
 often reluctant to excliange it for Mount Zion,— 
 for the city of the living God. Though friends 
 here are sometimes lalse, many receive Avith alarm 
 the summons to mingle Avith an innumerable com- 
 pany of angels, and the general asseml^ly and church 
 of the first ])orn. Though in this world the Christian 
 has tribulation, he trembles at the thought of enter- 
 ing into the presence of God, Avhere the Psahnist 
 assures us ''there is fulness of joy/' 
 
 It is therefore a Avise provision that so many 
 attractions cluster around the throne. It is a great 
 kindness in the Supreme Father to draAv aAvay his 
 children from the vanities of time, and fasten their 
 attention upon the joys and splendors of immor- 
 tality. 
 
 The rainboAv encircling the throne indicates, also, 
 that there is ample power to confer and perpetuate 
 this happiness. A throne is the emblem of strength 
 and authority. Hence, it is not simply a Father, 
 Avho promises to the Christian, peace; — it is a 
 Sovereign, — one " avIio doeth according to his Avill, 
 in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants 
 of the earth." The resources of God's boundless 
 empire are to ))e employed in executing his pur- 
 
44 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 poses of love. The vast revenues that flow into his 
 treasury, are to be used in enriching and blessing his 
 people. Those glorious, divine attributes, that built 
 the universe, and peopled the niillioas of worlds that 
 float in space, are to be exercised in promoting the 
 happiness of the righteous. With what inexpressible 
 joy will the redeemed saint approach the throne, 
 and view his rich and everlasting inheritance ! With 
 what rapture will he gaze upon the splenditl mani- 
 festations which the Deity will make of himself, in 
 his celestial kingdom ! 
 
 "It is,'' says one, ''a glorious thing, even, when 
 the golden beams of day flood the can«>i>y of heaven, 
 and forest, mountain and river, are beautiful with 
 light ; — glorious, indeed, wdien the whole creation 
 wakes up at the summons of the morning, as though 
 the tmmpet had sounded, and the vast grave of 
 niirht were aivin^ back the ciiics and solitudes that 
 had 2'(me tlowu into its recesses. But in place of 
 a firmament lighted up with a material body, we 
 shall have the infmitc vault converted into one bril- 
 liant manifest<ition of Deity ; the s[)lendid corus- 
 cations of righteousness, truth and love, weaving 
 themselves together to form the arch ; and the 
 Deity glowing through immeasurable space, and 
 pouring his own lustre upon every object, and thus 
 making the universe a reflection of his own glory." 
 
 The rainbow around the throne is significant in 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 45 
 
 another aspect. As the bow upon the cloud is 
 formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, 
 so this may be said to be formed, by the union of 
 mercy and justice. As an arch reaching to heaven, 
 it sustains the divine government ; and its extremes, 
 descending and resting upon the earth, show that 
 divine mercy extends to man. Were only the justice 
 of the Deity revealed, we should continually hear 
 the thunders of the law, and tremble before the ter- 
 rors of its awful penalty. Were God only merciful, 
 there would be no efficiency in his government, and 
 no stability in his throne. But it is the min^rlino- 
 of the two that inspires us with confidence in the 
 divine character, and secures to the obedient subject 
 the rich rewards of his kingdom. Mercy invites us 
 to enter heaven ; justice protects us in our rights and 
 privileges, after we have entered. Mercy opens the 
 gates of the heavenly city; justice stands at the 
 entrance, and demands holiness of character, in all 
 those who would see God. Were justice destroyed, 
 and the diA'ine mercy of such a nature as to admit 
 the whole race to heaven, irrespective of qualifica- 
 tions or character, there could be no order or hap- 
 piness in God's moral kingdom. The happiness of 
 a sentient being is not produced by the locality 
 that he occupies. It flows from the inward senti- 
 ments, from the conduct, and character. It may 
 be enjoyed in a higher degree in a prison than in a 
 
4G 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 paliice, — on a solitary, haiTcn island, than amid 
 the luxuries and splendors of the most brilliant 
 earthly court. Heaven might, indeed, be thro^vn 
 open, unconditionally, to all mankind, without 
 requiring of any repentance, foith, or love to God ; 
 but such a measure would not secure their salva- 
 tion. 
 
 The only salvation worthy of the name is that 
 which saves man from sin, — from that which is 
 the cause of his misery. He is the victim of a 
 moral disease, and must apply for a remedy to the 
 great Physician. His soul, originally designed as 
 the temple of the living God, is shattered. Its 
 colunms are broken, its walls have cruniblod, its 
 altar is overthrown, its worship is suspended. It 
 must therefore be rebuilt, and become a fit recepta- 
 cle for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The 
 voice of penitential prayer must be heard within 
 its walls. To the altar must be brought the sacri- 
 fice of a broken and contrite heart. 
 
 No, the Bible does not teach us that justice is 
 annihilated because the si^^ptre of mercy is extonded. 
 The Deity has not laid aside his sovereignty by 
 becoming a Kedeemer. The laws proclaimed on 
 Mount Sinai are not annulled by the love displayed 
 on Calvary. Notwithstanding the ample provisions 
 of the scheme of redemption, man is distinctly 
 taught that he has duties to perform, as well as 
 
 THE RAINBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 47 
 
 hopes to entertain. The proclamation made to all 
 men is, "Work out your own salvation Avith fear 
 and trembling;'' — with fear, lest ye fail of the 
 great salvation ; with trembling, lest ye are startled, 
 at last, by the utterance, "Depart, for I jiever 
 knew you.*' 
 
 In the elociuent language of another, we would 
 say to all, " Strive ; for the grasp of the destroyer 
 IS upon you, and if ye be not wrenched away, it 
 wall palsy you and cmsh you. Strive ; for the foe 
 is on the right hand, on the left hand, before you, 
 behind you, and ye must be trampled under foot 
 if ye struggle not and strike not as those who feel 
 themselves bound in a death-grapple. Strive ; there 
 is a crown to be won. The mines of the earth have 
 not furnished its metal, and the depths of the sea 
 hide nothing so radiant as the jewels with which it 
 is wreathed. Strive, then, in the strength of your 
 risen Lord, and not in your oavh. Ye know not 
 hoAv soon that Lord may come. Whilst the sun 
 walks his usual path on the firmament, and the 
 grass is springing in our fields, and merchants are 
 crowding the exchange, and the avaricious countins" 
 gold, ' the sign of the Son of Man ' shaU be seen in 
 the heavens, and the august throne, of fire and of 
 cloud, be piled for judgment.'' 
 
 God grant that we may stand before that throne 
 
48 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 with the consciousness of sins pardoned, — that wo 
 may look upon the bow around it as one of promise 
 to us, and that under its beauteous light Ave may 
 be guided to mansions in the skies ! 
 
 How delightful to the Christian to think of the 
 departed saints as having ah'cady passed under that 
 bow, and received the welcome and blessing of a 
 covenant-keeping God ! Especially in the silence 
 of night, when the stillness of the hour incites to 
 meditation, do we love to think of our friends as 
 having entered the bright mansions above. The 
 stars seem to tell us of their homes and their happi- 
 ness. Under the influence of such meditations, the 
 following verses evidently were written : 
 
 " Who ever looked upon yon starry spheres, 
 
 Which brightly shine from out the dark-blue sky, 
 Nor called to mind tlio friends of other years, 
 The hopes, the joys, the transient smiles and tears. 
 Gushing from out where buried memories lie. 
 And waking the full heart to highest ecstasy? 
 
 0, what a glorious vision, when the moon, 
 
 Silently gliding through her pathless way. 
 Has reached the extremest point of her high noon. 
 Shedding o'er this our earth her radiant boon, 
 While twinkling stars, and orbs of steadier ray, 
 Shine with a light that mocks the intcnser glare of day ! 
 
 0, who has ever gazed on such a scene. 
 
 Nor thought the spirits of the blest were there ? 
 Who, that beholds not in that blue serene 
 Bright isles, the abode of pleasures yet unseen, 
 
 THE llAIXBOW AROUND THE THRONE. 49 
 
 Except by those who, freed from mortal care. 
 
 Have winged their raptured flight to reahns of upper air ? 
 
 The mother, who has watched with sleepless eye 
 Her babe, and rocked with tireless foot the while. 
 
 And when she saw the little sufferer die. 
 
 Bowed her meek head, and wept in agony, 
 Fancies she hears, in yonder starry isle. 
 Her little cherub's voice, and sees his angel smile. 
 
 0, ye departed spirits of my sires. 
 
 And ye, the loved ones of my childhood's days. 
 
 While now I look on yonder heavenly fires, 
 
 Methinks I hear you tune your seraph lyres, 
 Methinks I see you bend your pitying gaze 
 On him who still must tread alone earth's gloomy maze! 
 
 Thou angel spirit, who so oft didst sing 
 
 My infant cares to sleep upon thy breast. 
 Let me but hear the rustling of thy wing. 
 Around thy child its guardian influence fling ! 
 O, come thou from the island of the blest. 
 And bear my weary soul up to thy sainted rest ! 
 
 Can we forget departed friends? Ah, no ! 
 Within our hearts their memory buried lies ; 
 
 The thought that where they are we too shall go 
 
 Will cast a light o'er darkest scenes of woe ; 
 For to their own blest dwellings in the skies 
 The souls whom Christ sets free exultingly shall rise ! '* 
 
III. 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 « 0, that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I fly away, and be 
 at rest." — Psalm lv. 6. 
 
 "There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God."— Hebrews 
 
 IV. 9. 
 
 We have, in these two passages, a wish and a 
 promise ; the one indicative of man's restlessness 
 here, the other affording an assurance of his repose 
 hereafter. It is the lot of all mortals to be dissat- 
 isfied. Our desires and attainments do not corre- 
 spond. The ambitious man, who has reached certain 
 heights of power, eagerly strains his vision towards 
 loftier positions. The covetous man uses his wealth 
 as fuel to feed the flame of his avarice. The scholar 
 is stimulated, not satisfied, with his acquirements. 
 His desire to know increases with his knowledge. 
 His discoveries he uses as torch-lights with which 
 to explore yet darker and more obscure regions. 
 
 The monarch upon the throne of Israel, with all 
 his wisdom, the power of his armies, the splendors 
 of his reign, was not at rest. An humble subject, 
 passing by, to his daily labor, the walls of his pal- 
 ace, and gazing upon the costly architecture, would 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 51 
 
 naturally envy the fortunate occupant. As he heard 
 the music of his players, and the songs of his choirs, 
 he would feel that here there was positive and satis- 
 fying enjoyment. And as, at night, in his cottage, 
 he reads the soothing and beautiful verses of the 
 Hebrew poet, and drinks in their inspiration, he 
 exclaims, "Happy, thrice happy monarch !'' 
 
 But what says the royal Psalmist himself? — 
 *' Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and 
 horror hath overwhelmed me. 0, that I had wings 
 like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at 
 rest. Lo, then would I wander liir off, and remain 
 in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from 
 the windy stonn and tempest.'' As the timid dove, 
 startled by the howling wind, hastens, before the 
 dark cloud, to the wilderness for shelter, so would 
 the envied monarch leave behind him honor, royalty 
 and his kingdom, and fly to the desert to obtain 
 rest. 
 
 Had he been, however, permitted to retire from 
 office and authority, and resume his early occupation 
 as a shepherd,— had he exchanged the splendors of 
 royalty for the simplicity of rural life, the respons- 
 ibilities of a magnificent sovereignty for the care 
 of a flock, — would he liave found satisfying repose ? 
 Would no enemies have troubled him in the wilder- 
 ness, no quarrels vexed him, no calamities befallen 
 him ? Would no midnight howl from wild beasts, 
 
52 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 eager for prey, have disturbed his slumbers ? And, 
 though secure from all outward misfortunes, would 
 he have had nothing to fear from the reproaches of 
 conscience, the solicitations of evil passions, or the 
 restless desires of unsatisfied affections ? The Avings 
 of a dove, that bore him to any spot on earth, would 
 not carry him beyond the boundaries of trouble and 
 anxiety. He might reach the wilderness, but he 
 would not find rest. That is not the portion of man 
 here. Ilis circumstances, his nature, his character, 
 forbid it. But " there remaineth a rest to the peo- 
 ple of God/' It is above, on heights that earthly 
 storms never reach ; near pure rivers, that never 
 swell into destructive torrents ; in green pastures, 
 and amid bright flowers that never fade. 
 
 Let us contemplate some of the features of this 
 heavenly rest. 
 
 I. It is rest for the powders and aspirations of the 
 soul. It does not involve inactivity and cessation 
 from all effort ; for such a state would be far from 
 desirable. It is a repose analogous to that which 
 the earnest and diligent philosopher feels, when he 
 has attained, in some satisfactory degree, the object 
 of his researches ; or that which the faithful Chris- 
 tian experiences, at the close of an eminently holy 
 and useful life. 
 
 The mind rests upon objects worthy of its powers, 
 commensurate w^ith its desires. It enjoys a mental 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 53 
 
 tranquillity never before experienced ; for in this 
 w^orld there is an abiding consciousness of longings 
 that can never be gratified. The intense thirst of 
 the intellect for knowledge, for truth, for a clear 
 insight into the mysteries of science and religion, 
 cannot be satisfied. The mind is clogged by gross, 
 material objects. The perceptions are dimmed by 
 the mists that are around us. There is, too, the 
 humiliating reflection that we are in a state of 
 banishment from our Father's house, — that w^e are 
 wanderers in a moral desert, and that the storms 
 of sin have shattered our powers. Though the vital 
 principle is not extinct, — though there are occa- 
 sional flashes of the fire of genius, that throw their 
 lustre over the intellectual firmament, — yet man is 
 in ruins. His spirit is the sport of a thousand con- 
 flicting emotions, baffled plans, and thwarted pur- 
 poses. 
 
 But above there is peace, — "the peace of God 
 that passeth all understanding.'' The divine image 
 is remipressed upon the soul, and man is restored 
 to his allegiance, his dignity, and his relationship 
 to the Deity. He is received into the presence of 
 the infinite Sovereign, dwells amid his holy attri- 
 butes, experiences the intensity of his love, is clothed 
 in the robes of royalty. His powers are now in 
 harmonious and vigorous action, and the tide of 
 
 knowledge flows in upon him, as a pure, sparkling, 
 
 5# 
 
54 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEX. 
 
 refreshing stream. lie enjoys the repose of perfect 
 satisfaction. A palace is his home. Angels are 
 his companions and instructors. God is his portion. 
 He feels, as he never felt before, the beauty and 
 soothing influence of the words, *' The Lord is my 
 shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie 
 down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the 
 still waters.*' 
 
 He rests, too, in the bosom of his Saviour ; for 
 he has accepted the invitation, " Come unto me, 
 all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will 
 give you rest.'* He experiences the fulfdment of 
 the promise, "My peace I give unto you; not as 
 the world giveth give I unto you." 
 
 As this language was addressed by Christ to his 
 disciples while he was upon the earth, we might 
 inquire. What peace could come from a heart that 
 was wounded for our transgressi<jus, and bruised 
 for our iniquities ? What rest could he give, who 
 himself was a "man of sorrows and acquainted 
 with grief"? Must we not believe that, for below 
 the troubles of Christ's agitated spirit, there were 
 deep waters whose placid surface was never ruffled ; 
 — waters that constantly reflected the palaces and 
 cities of the celestial world, — a divine ocean of 
 satisfaction and happiness, from which flowed pure 
 and refreshing streams ? Indeed, he declared, 
 "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 55 
 
 him, shall never thirst, but it shall be in him a 
 well of water springing up into everlasting life." 
 
 Even while his disciples were in the midst of 
 severe trials and persecutions, he could yet impart 
 to them a peace which the world could neither give 
 nor take away. He could lift them for above their 
 persecutors, into that serene atmosphere in which 
 his own divine spirit floated, — an atmosphere filled 
 with the blessedness of heaven. St. Paul felt this 
 satisfaction when he said, in writing to the Corin- 
 thians, "As sorrowing, yet always rejoicing; as 
 poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, 
 and yet possessing all things." And if Christ could 
 give to his disciples rest in the midst of their labors, 
 and joy in the midst of their sorrows, how full will 
 be the peace, how intense the pleasure, that he will 
 impart when he receives them to his celestial king- 
 dom ! What a depth of meaning will be then 
 contained in the words, " Not as the world giveth 
 give I unto you." No transient good, no limited 
 blessings, do I impart; but I give as a God, — as 
 a being who has infinite resources at his command, 
 and who has the disposition as well as ability to 
 bestow upon his friends the greatest blessings. 
 
 II. The rest promised involves a freedom from 
 all doubts and anxieties concernino; our relis:ious 
 state. There are favored seasons here, when the 
 Christian can say, ''I know that my Redeemer 
 
56 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 liveth/' There are bright spots along the pathway 
 of life, that seem to be illumined by some beam 
 of light that has escaped from the celestial world. 
 But, at other times, harassing doubts overshadow 
 the spirit. Faith is weakened. Confidence in God, 
 in his promises, and even in the whole scheme 
 of salvation, is shaken. The Bi))le seems full of 
 dark mysteries and perplexing problems. Prayer is 
 a burden, for the throne of grace appears to be afar 
 off. Meditation only calls up images of coming evil. 
 Not unfrequently a flood of unbelief will rush upon 
 the mind, with such force as to threaten to sweep 
 away every holy purpose and Christian hope. 
 
 Even the patriarchs and prophets, God's messen- 
 gers to mankind, — men eminent for their spiritual 
 attainments, the light of whose example relieved the 
 intense darkness of the early ages, — even they had 
 their seasons of perplexity and gloom. Elijah, after 
 witnessing the most wonderful displays of divine 
 favor, and triumphing over the prophets of Baal, 
 falls into a state of despondency, and requests that 
 he may die. David, who could at one time greatly 
 rejoice in the Lord, at another time exclaims, "I 
 am troubled ; I am bowed down greatly ; I go 
 mourning all the day.'* 
 
 The apostles of Christ, who enjoyed the personal 
 instructions of their master, — who were his intimate 
 companions in his walks, labors and devotions ; who 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 57 
 
 witnessed his miracles, and shared largely in his 
 affections,— were unstable in their faith and hopes. 
 It required the greatest care and effort, on the part 
 of Christ, to keep them from relinquishing their 
 prospects of heavenly felicity. 
 
 Even that apostle who was denominated, pre- 
 eminently, the "rock of the church, against which 
 the gates of hell should not prevail, '' was found, 
 during the trial of his Master, standing without the 
 court, despairing of the cause he had espoused, and 
 uttering falsehood and blasphemy. 
 
 St. Paul, who at one time was full of confidence 
 and hope, with his spirit glowing with anticipations 
 of future blessedness, at another exclaimed, "0, 
 wretched man that I am ! who can deliver me from 
 the body of this death?'' 
 
 Could the history and condition of one human 
 heart, reputed eminent for holiness, be accurately 
 portrayed, how dark and melancholy would be the 
 picture! What distrust of God; what false con- 
 ceptions of his moral government ; what inadequate 
 views of the atonement, and of the agency of the 
 Holy Spirit ! And even in cases where there is an 
 earnest struggling after the higher life, and clearer 
 views of divine and heavenly things, how slowly 
 does the mind rise to "a full assurance of hope''! 
 While we are in the body, and immersed in the 
 cares of life, we cannot, indeed, expect to obtain 
 
58 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 perfect spiritual repose. In spite of all our watch- 
 fulness and efforts, the flesh will war against the 
 spirit. The atheism of the world will assail our 
 faith. Material objects will hide from our view 
 celestial and divine things. It is diflicult to walk 
 by faith, amid objects of sight ; difficult to feel 
 the presence of an invisi])le Being, who, though 
 unseen by us, knows every thought and emotion 
 of the heart ; diflicult to believe that a God of 
 infinite purity can receive into his holy courts beings 
 so defiled with sin, — that the Infinite Jehovah can 
 condescend to companionship with worms of the 
 dust. 
 
 But, from all doubt and anxiety, '* there remaincth 
 a rest to the people of God.** The hour is at hand 
 — it is very near — when every cloud shall vanish 
 from their spiritual horizon ; when they shall recline 
 in sweet security amid the bowers of a celestial 
 paradise, with the river of life flowing at their feet, 
 whose soft murmurings, falling as music upon their 
 hearts, will express their inward serenity. 
 
 There, too, will be rest and happiness, for every 
 variety of taste and age, among the redeemed. The 
 bright visions of the young, who are early impressed 
 with the fading nature of all eartlily objects, the 
 fond dreams of the meditative spirit, and the long- 
 ings of the afflicted for consolation and rest, will 
 there be fully realized. 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 59 
 
 * Dream* st thou of heaven ? — What dreams are thine, 
 
 Fair child, fair, gladsome child, 
 With eyes that like the dew-drop shine, 
 And bounding footsteps wild ! 
 
 * Tell me what hues the immortal shore 
 
 Can wear, my bird, to thee. 
 Ere yet one shadow hath passed o'er 
 Thy glance and spirit free ? * 
 
 * 0, beautiful is heaven, and bright. 
 
 With long, long summer-days ; 
 I see its lilies gleam in light. 
 Where many a fountain plays. 
 
 * And there, unchecked, methinks I rove. 
 
 And seek where young flowers lie, 
 In vale and golden-fruited grove, 
 Flowers that are not to die ! * 
 
 * Thou poet of the lonely thought. 
 
 Sad heir of gifts divine ! 
 Say, with what solemn glory fraught 
 Is heaven in dreams of thine ? * 
 
 * 0, where the living waters flow 
 
 Along that radiant shore. 
 My soul, a wanderer here, shall know 
 The exile-thirst no more. 
 
 * The burden of a stranger*s heart. 
 
 Which here along I bear, 
 Like the night-shadow shall depart. 
 With my first wakening there. 
 
 'And, borne on eagle's wings afar, 
 Free thought shall claim its dower. 
 From every realm, from every star. 
 Of glory and of power.' 
 
CO 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 61 
 
 * woman ! with the soft, sad eye, 
 
 Of spiritual gleam. 
 Tell me, of those bright worlds on high, 
 How doth thy fond heart dream? 
 
 ' By thy sweet, mournful voice I know. 
 On thy pale brow I see. 
 That thou hast loved in fear and woe ; 
 Say, what Is heaven to thee ? * 
 
 * 0, heaven is where no secret dread 
 
 May haunt love's meeting hour ; 
 Where from the past no gloom is shed 
 O'er the heart's chosen bower ; 
 
 * Where every severed wreath is bound ; 
 
 Where none have heard the knell 
 That smites the heart with that deep sound, 
 Farewelly beloved^ — farewell.'' " 
 
 in. This rest will include a freedom from all 
 temptation and sin. Herein w^ill be its chief excel- 
 lence ; for the great calamity that overtops all 
 others, that throws into the shade all others, is 
 moral evil. Physical pain, earthquakes, storms, 
 disease, — these are but the types and shadows of 
 evil, in the comparison. Sin strikes inwardly. It 
 assails the most noble part of man's nature ; makes 
 havoc with godlike faculties and powders. Disease 
 prostrates the body, but this blasts the soul. War 
 wastes empires ; this w^astes a spiritual empire of 
 more value than the material universe, — an empire 
 of thoughts, desires, and hopes. It batters down 
 
 walls that are designed for the protection of immor- 
 tal interests. It breaks in the gates, and allows 
 hosts of enemies to rush in and take possession. It 
 demolishes every altar consecrated to Heaven, every 
 temple devoted to worship. It obliterates all that 
 is lovely and beautiful. 
 
 And Avhcre sin is there can be no peace. *'The 
 wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot 
 rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.'' Where 
 there is the least remains of sin in the heart, there 
 is a disturbance produced, just as the slightest mote 
 in the eye occasions an irritation until it is removed. 
 The Christian feels it in his seasons of religious medi- 
 tations, in his hours of worship and prayer. He 
 feels it especially when he is making efforts to 
 advance in the divine life. He finds that every 
 inch of ground is disputed by an antagonistic force, 
 and that he must gird himself for the conflict. He 
 discovers that he is called to "wrestle not against 
 flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 
 powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this 
 world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.*' 
 The power and number of the foes arrayed against 
 him, require him to put forth his whole strength. 
 If he would make progress in spirituality, he is 
 convinced that he must have his "loins girt about 
 with truth, and have on the breastplate of righteous- 
 ness," — that he must "take the hehnet of salva- 
 
 6 
 
62 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 tion, and the sword of the Spirit/' lie is also 
 deeply affected by the developments and effects of 
 sin around him. The awful apostasy of mankind, 
 the idolatry and debasement of millions of the human 
 family, the vices that reign in civilized communi- 
 ties, the practical atheism of multitudes, the sys- 
 tems of oppression that embody the worse forms of 
 avarice and injustice, the wrongs inflicted upon the 
 innocent and unprotected, — these and other forms 
 of sin distress him. Every blasphemous oath he 
 hears, wounds him. Every instance of successful vil- 
 lany causes him pain. He feels as did the Psalmist 
 when he exclaimed, "Rivers of waters run down 
 mine eyes, because they keep not thy law." 
 
 When, too, the evil passions of men reach such 
 an intensity as to become organized, and are directed 
 against the Christian in the form of persecution, 
 then he feels the severity of the battle here, and 
 looks upward, w^ith longing eyes, for rest. Besides 
 the ordinary evil influences against which he has 
 to contend, he is now under a pressure that seriously 
 tries his faith, and puts to the test his fortitude, and 
 the strength of his devotion to Christianity. He is 
 threatened with the loss of property, friends, and 
 even life itself. He is exposed to the rudest insults, 
 held up to the public scorn, made the victim of 
 popular fury, driven from city to city, imprisoned, 
 tortured, and perhaps put to death. 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 63 
 
 Yet what multitudes, during the severe persecu- 
 tions tlu-ough which the church has, at different 
 periods, passed, have been sustained by the assurance 
 that " there remaineth a rest for the people of God ! '' 
 How many who compose the noble army of martyrs 
 were enabled, by the energy of their faith and the 
 intensity of their love for Christ, to press through 
 all opposition ! Neither flatteries nor threats, neither 
 bribes nor tortures, could move them. They had 
 counted ''all things loss for the excellency of the 
 knowledge of Christ Jesus.'' They had caught 
 glimpses of the bright regions above, and they kept 
 their eyes steadily fixed upon the stars of heavenly 
 hope. And, although clouds would sometimes inter- 
 vene, and the heavens gather blackness, and the 
 thunder roar, and the lightning flash, yet they were 
 confident that the storm would break away, — that 
 the clouds would open, and they would again see, 
 in the fiir distance, the peaceful mansions which were 
 prepared for them. 
 
 We might cite noble instances of faith and forti- 
 tude, in the midst of the hazards and tortures of 
 severe persecution ; — men who, while longing for 
 rest, were yet willing to suffer all things for Christ's 
 sake ; who, while panting for heaven, were yet sub- 
 missive under the shocks of the world's wickedness 
 and treachery. 
 
 And these heroes, though they appeared cahn to 
 
64 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN'. 
 
 the spectators around them, yet were often the sub- 
 jects of inward struggles and conflicts, of which the 
 outward were but the types and shadows. The 
 dying exclamation of St. Paul, *'I have fought a 
 good fight," is full of intense meaning. It was no 
 mere shadow of a warfare in which he was engaged. 
 It was no May-day amusement that absorbed his 
 energies, and taxed his strength. It was a conflict 
 that required him to have on the whole armor of 
 God, — the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, 
 the sword of the Spirit. He passed through an 
 ordeal of fire and blood, that would have destroyed 
 ordinary minds. lie endured afllictions as a good 
 soldier of the cross. He adds, "I have finished 
 my course.'' This was an intense relief. The apos- 
 tle felt somewhat as his illustrious Master did when 
 he exclaimed ''It is finished;'' for, with him, his 
 trials and dangers were all finished. The work of 
 life was done. His mission on earth was accom- 
 plished. "I have kept the faith." This expres- 
 sion, too, is full of meaning ; for that fiuth had been 
 often in peril. The apostle was at times anxious 
 lest he should lose it, — lest liis Christianity might 
 suffer shipwreck in the storms through which he was 
 called to pass. But now he can exclaim, "Blessed 
 be God, I have kept the fiiith, -and the faith has 
 kept me ; — has kept my soul from being taken in 
 the snares of the adversaiy ;" has kept my hopes 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOI). 
 
 65 
 
 from perishing ; has kept me in favor with God 
 and all holy beings! And now I go to my rest, 
 — go to enjoy the peace of God, that passeth all 
 understanding." And, at tliis hour, the apostles, 
 prophets, mart}TS, and hosts of the redeemed, are 
 enjoying spirituid rest. Upon the banks of the 
 Jordan, or under the shadows of the temples in the 
 holy city, they can recline, and recount to each 
 other the dangers through which they have passed, 
 and rejoice together in the possession of everlasting 
 
 rest. 
 
 IV. The heavenly rest carries with it the idea of 
 triumph. It is not only a peaceful and happy rest, 
 but it is a glorious rest. The redeemed rest, as 
 concpierors, upon the fame of their exploits, upon 
 the trophies of their victories. They have been 
 faithful unto death, and have received immortal 
 crowns. They have overcome the world, and, as a 
 reward, are seated upon Christ's throne. They are 
 made pillars in the temple of God, and shall go no 
 more out. They have become kings and priests unto 
 
 God. 
 
 '«I beheld," says St. John, "and lo, a great 
 multitude, wliich no man could number, of all 
 nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, 
 stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, 
 clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
 
 hands." 
 
 0* 
 
 :..M- 
 
66 
 
 EMBLEM?> OF HEAVEN. 
 
 *• These glorious minds, — how bright they shine! 
 Whence all their white array? 
 How came they to the happy seata 
 Of everlasting day ? 
 
 From torturing pains to endless joys 
 
 On fiery wheels they rode, 
 And strangely washed their raiment white 
 
 In Jesus' dying blood. 
 
 Now they approach the eternal God, 
 
 And bow before his throne ; 
 Their warbling harps and sacred songs 
 
 Adore the Holy One." 
 
 The devoted Payson, on his dying bed, feeling 
 the glow of this triumph, exclaimed, "The battle's 
 fought ! the battle 's fought ! and the victory is tvon ! 
 I am going to bathe in an ocean of purity, and 
 benevolence, and happiness, to all eternity!'* At 
 another time, he said, '« The celestial city is full 
 in view. Its glories beam upon me, its breezes fan 
 me, its odors are wafted to me, its music strikes 
 upon my ear, and its spirit breathes into my heart. 
 Nothing separates me from it but the river of death, 
 which now appears as a naiTow rill, which may be 
 crossed at a single step, whenever God shall give 
 permission. 
 
 '' The Sun of Eighteousness has been gradually 
 drawing nearer and nearer, appearing larger and 
 larger as he approached ; and now he fdls i\i(i whole 
 hemisphere, i)ouring forth a flood of glory, in which 
 I seem to float, like an insect in the beams of the 
 
 A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 
 
 67 
 
 sun; exulting, yet almost trembling, while I gaze 
 on this excessive brightness, and wondering, with 
 unutterable wonder, why God should deign thus to 
 shine upon a sinful worm." 
 
 The pious Holland, while listening, in his dying 
 hours, to the reading of the Scriptures, and giving 
 his meditations upon each passage, suddenly ex- 
 claimed to his friend, " 0, stay your reading ! Wliat 
 brightness is this I see ? Have you lighted up any 
 candles?" Mr. L. replied, ''No, it is the sun- 
 shine ;" for it was about five o'clock, on a beautiful 
 summer's evening. " Sunshine ! " said he. '' Nay, 
 it is my Saviour's shine. Now, farewell world! 
 Welcome, heaven ! The day-star from on high hath 
 visited me. 0, speak it when I am gone, and 
 preach it at my funeral ; — God dealeth familiarly 
 with man ! I feel his mercy ; I see his majesty ; 
 whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot 
 tell, — God knoweth, — but I see things that are 
 unutterable." Thus, full of rapture, he passed away 
 to the spirit world, the sweet tones of his voice 
 growing fainter and fainter, until they were merged 
 in the melody of heaven 
 Christian reader, 
 
 " So Shalt thou rest ; and what if thou shalt fall 
 Unnoticed by the living, and no friend 
 Take note of thy departure ? All that breathe 
 Will share thy destiny. ♦ * * » 
 
G8 
 
 EMBLEMS OF IIEAVKN. 
 
 Ah the long train 
 Of ages glide away, the sons of men, — 
 The young, in life's green spring, and he who goes 
 In the full strength of years ; matron and maid ; 
 The bowed with age ; the infant, in the smiles 
 And bc.iuty of its innocent age cut ofif, — 
 Shall, one by one, be gathered to thy side, 
 By those who, in their turn, shall follow them. 
 
 So live, that, when thy summons comes to join 
 The innumerable caravan that moves 
 To the pale reuhns of shade, where each shall take 
 His chamljer in the silent halls of death, 
 Tliou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, 
 Scourged to his dungeon ; but, sustained and soothed 
 By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave 
 Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 
 About him, and hes down to pleasant dreams ! ** 
 
 • • • 
 
 I » 
 
 1 1 
 i I • 
 
 • • 
 
 • • 
 • I • 
 
 ■ • • 
 • • • 
 
 > • 
 
 • * • 
 
 ■ t 
 • > 
 
 • ■ 
 
 1 1 
 
 t 
 
* I , • • 
 
 ■ • • « I • 
 t ■ • I • I 
 
 I • • • 
 
 t • • t I • • 
 
 II • I 
 
 It • « t I 
 
 * I i I • (I 
 
 (I « f f 
 
 « 1 • » ■ • • 
 
 • » . ♦ • » 
 
 • • , f I • 
 
 • I I t t 
 
 • • I • 
 
 • I 
 
 "Vi- 
 
 t^y^'h 
 
 *■ 
 
' 
 
 IV. 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 " And there shall be no night there." — Revelation xxii. 6. 
 
 Tins is another of those strikmg and compre- 
 hensive utterances, by which St. John endeavors to 
 describe what is indescribable, and to aid us in con- 
 ceiving what is inconceivable. All attempts to com- 
 prehend the nature and blessedness of the heavenly 
 state, are as ineffectual as an effort to measure with 
 the eye the height of a mountain whose summit 
 is enveloped and lost in the clouds, or to traverse, 
 with our present organization, the distances that 
 separate us from the fixed stars. Yet, as the 
 astronomer, by careful study and the use of arti- 
 ficial aids, is enabled to enlarge his conceptions of 
 the physical universe, and to gaze upon suns and 
 systems that are invisible to the naked eye, so the 
 Christian, with the assistance of the telescopic power 
 of the Bible, may extend his views of the heavenly 
 world, and discover new beauties and glories in the 
 moral firmament above him. 
 
 The terms darkness and light are often used in 
 the Scriptures as emblems of spiritual objects. As 
 
70 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 71 
 
 descriptive of the prevalence of sin, darkness is said 
 to cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. 
 It is synonymous with ignorance, sorrow, wretched- 
 ness and the divine judgments. The day of the 
 Lord coming in teiTor, is "a day of darkness and 
 gloominess, — a day of clouds and of thick dark- 
 ness.'' For the finally impenitent there " is reser^xd 
 the blackness of darkness forever." 
 
 On the other hand, light is emblematic of loveli- 
 ness, beauty, truth and happiness. Pouring forth 
 from its centre, it chases away the darkness, renders 
 visible the material universe, decks a thousand objects 
 with beauty, and clothes the works of the great 
 Architect with a drapery of richest lustre and varie- 
 gated splendor. Light is to the eye what truth 
 is to the mind, the medium of communication with 
 realities, — the source of the highest stimulus and 
 the most exquisite delight. 
 
 The apostle declares that ''God is light.'' He 
 not only shines through his works, and pours his 
 effulgence through suns and stars, but he is in him- 
 self light. Christ is exhibited to us as rising upon 
 the world as "the Sun of righteousness, Avith heal- 
 ing in his wings." Christians are denominated 
 *'the light of the world;" and they are commanded 
 to let their light so shine before men, that others, 
 seeing their good works, may glorify their Father 
 who is in heaven. This image runs through the 
 
 whole Christian economy, and furnishes, perhaps, 
 the nearest approximation that we have to spiritual 
 objects. Its purity, its ethereal nature, its reviving, 
 cheering influence, its power to call the earth from 
 the tomb of night, to the life and blessedness of 
 day, its capability of resting upon the world with- 
 out participating in its coiTuptions, of entering every 
 abode without feeling the contagion from their sinful 
 inhabitants, render it a fit emblem of the unseen 
 and spiritual. Perhaps we may regard it as the 
 connecting link between the material and the imma- 
 terial, — as the element that will survive, in some 
 form, the general wreck of all that is visible. It 
 may not be altogether a suggestion of the fancy, 
 that in the liour of the Christian's dissolution, wiiile 
 the body descends into darkness, — the darkness of 
 the grave, — the spirit rises into light, — the light 
 of an eternal day. It may float away into higher 
 regions, clothed in a robe of dazzling splendor, and 
 radiant with all the colors of the rainbow. 
 
 In our present sphere, God shines upon us through 
 external mediums. He has suspended in the great 
 temple of nature a bright orb, through w^hich he 
 pours his effulgence upon the earth by day, and 
 stars that relieve the darkness by night. He shines, 
 too, through all his w^orks ; — through mountains, 
 valleys and verdure ; through every tree, plant and 
 flower; through the plumage of every bird, the 
 
 I 
 
72 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 mechanism of every insect, the organization of the 
 human frame, and the workings of the inteUect of 
 man. 
 
 But in that higher, nobler, purer state, towards 
 which every earnest Christian is making progress, 
 there will be no need of this external apparatus. 
 It will be all swept away, and the redeemed will 
 be admitted into the presence-chamber of the Infi- 
 nite One. The} will gaze, with an unclouded vision, 
 upon the full eftulgence of the Deity, and experi- 
 ence the blessedness of being where *' light is sown 
 for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in 
 heart.'' 
 
 " There shall be no night there ; and they need 
 no candle, neither light of the sun ; for the Lord 
 God giveth them light.'' 
 
 From this declaration, we learn, in the first place, 
 that there will be, in that world, no need of rest. 
 
 The absence of night, with our present constitu- 
 tion, and under the present economy of things, 
 would be far from a blessing. After the toils of 
 the day, we need repose. The husbandman needs 
 it, as he returns from his labors in the field. The 
 tradesman, the artificer, the scholar, — all, as the 
 shades of night fall upon the earth, crave rest. 
 Without it, the physical, and even the mental sys- 
 tem, soon becomes exhausted; — the muscles and 
 sinews Jose theii' sti'ength; the max)hinery of mind 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 73 
 
 and body is broken up. The most profound studies, 
 the most interesting investigations, the most satis- 
 fying enjoyments, can be pursued only for a short 
 period. A sense of w^eariness soon indicates our 
 frailty, and the darkness of night comes to teU us 
 of our weakness. The most intellectual philoso- 
 phers, the proudest monarchs, the mightiest armies, 
 must sleep. 
 
 IIow great, then, the change, in our physical 
 and mental constitution, that will fit us for a world 
 in which there is no night, — where no fatigue will 
 occasion the slightest suspension of our duties, or 
 interruption of our joys ! To wdiat a height in the 
 scale of existence does the conception lift us, to 
 imagine ourselves possessed of bodies capable of an 
 unceasing activity, and minds proof against the influ- 
 ence of fatigue ! It camiot but deepen our impres- 
 sions of the blessedness of the heavenly state, to know 
 that there, the discipline of the mind may be carried 
 to the highest perfection, — that the most profound, 
 elaborate and important truths may be investigated 
 without fatigue or inteiTuption, — that we may go 
 from one height to another, in the scale of intel- 
 lectual advancement, and yet, all the Avhile, feel 
 the freshness of the morning, and the vigor of 
 youth. It is difficult, nay, impossible, to conceive 
 how rapidly the faculties will develop and powers 
 expand in such a state. The ability of the mind to 
 
74 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 know and to worship God, — to admire his charac- 
 ter, to fathom the mysteries' of his being, to com- 
 prehend his providence, to study his works, — will 
 increase in a ratio that no present calculation can 
 reach. The saint will become more intensely con- 
 scious of his likeness to Ilim, who, it is affirmed, 
 '' never slumbers or sleeps." Freed from the incum- 
 brance of a material and perishable body, fired with 
 the thought that even the rolling ages of eternity 
 can bring with them no weariness or interruption, 
 rejoicing in the evidence that every increase in 
 knowledge is accession of strength, the glorified 
 saint will be continually tracing out, with increasing 
 distinctness, the lineaments of the divine image in 
 which he was created. 
 
 But, besides affording a season for rest, night is 
 necessary, in the present world, as an instructor. 
 Had we perpetual sunshine, our views of the power 
 of the Deity, the extent of his authority, and the 
 magnificence of the universe, would be compara- 
 tively limited. We should suppose tliis earth to 
 comprise by flir the greater portion of the Creator's 
 dominions, and Ave should be inchned to assign to 
 ourselves a position of high importance in the scale 
 of intelligences. But, as the sun sinks below the 
 horizon, the great map of the universe is unrolled 
 to our view. The myriads of lights that every- 
 where blaze over the canopy of heaven tell us of 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 75 
 
 other worlds, more vast and important, perhaps, 
 than our own ; tell us of immensities that even 
 the imagination of man cannot traverse ; tell us, 
 — 0, wondrous discovery! — that we are surrounded 
 with receptacles of life and happiness that in number 
 defy all arithmetical calculation, — that, for aught 
 we know, are as numerous as the sands upon the 
 sea-shore. And how many interesting conjectures 
 does this discovery start up in the mind, as to the 
 mission of these myriads of w^orlds ; — as to their 
 size, shape, accompanying rings and satellites ; the 
 number, character and destiny, of their inhabitants ; 
 as to the probability that the work of creation is 
 constantly going on, and the boundaries of the 
 material universe enlarging, as one age succeeds 
 another ! Yet, the fact that we need the darkness 
 of night to open to us the wonders of creation, is 
 itself evidence of the imperfections of our present 
 organs of vision. The veil of night must fall, before 
 we can even know of the existence of other systems. 
 The sun must withdraw its brightness, to enable us 
 to discern these distant orbs. And still, what we 
 behold of them, compared with what is invisible, is 
 to us what the beacon-lights along an extensive 
 coast are to the mariner. He sees these faint glim- 
 merings dotting the horizon, while the vast conti- 
 nent, with its peopled cities, its mountains, plains, 
 rivers and forests, are totally invisible. 
 
76 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 We are accustomed to speak of our wonderful 
 powers of vision ; and properly so, when we consider 
 how extensive a panorama the eye is capable of 
 surveying, and with what delicacy and accuracy a 
 thousand objects may, at the same instant, be painted 
 upon the retina. Yet, a moment's reflection will 
 show us, that it is only a narrow stratum, compara- 
 tively, of even material olijects, that is visi])le to us, 
 while above and below, there are vast tracts that 
 are only discernible by the aid of artificial means. 
 With the assistance of telescopic power we are able 
 to go above, and view myriads of worlds, the exist- 
 ence of which could never have been discovered by 
 the naked eye. With the microscope we can go 
 below, and become acquainted with orders of exist- 
 ences, wliich display, equally with our o^vn physical 
 organization, the s-klll, wisdom and power, of the 
 Creator. And, even with these aids, we know not 
 how limited our incursions are into these foreign 
 regions. 
 
 But, in another sphere, when this corruption shall 
 have put on incorruption, and this mortal, immor- 
 tality, we shall need no artificial aids to help us to 
 discern sun^ounding objects. We shall need no veil 
 of night to enable us to gaze upon the wonders and 
 splendors of creation. With superior organs, with 
 more refined senses, with enlarged faculties, we shall 
 view the brilliant scenes around us, rejoicing in the 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 77 
 
 dawnings of an eternal day, — dawnings that will 
 throw their lustre upon turrets, palaces, cities and 
 kingdoms, over which the mantle of night shall 
 never be thrown. 
 
 There shall be no night of sorrow in heaven. 
 Darkness is the fit emblem of wretchedness. The 
 afflicted spirit is under a cloud, — is the victim of 
 night-tempests, the gloom and fury of which can 
 only be fully known by experience. The bereaved 
 Avalk in a vale of tears, with crushed hearts, blighted 
 hopes, agonizing thoughts. I need not tell the reader 
 that this is a world of sorrows, of disappointments, 
 of calamities, that rend asunder the very heart- 
 strings. I need not tell you of your liability to 
 lose, with the suddenness of the lightning's flash, 
 the dearest objects of your affections, — need not 
 point you to the wrecks that are strewed along the 
 coast of human life. It is true that afflictions often 
 come on a mission of benevolence. It is true that, 
 with many of the children of soiTow, it is necessary 
 that their sun of prosperity set, and a night of gloom 
 shut down upon them, in order to render visible the 
 stars of heavenly hopes. By no other means can 
 they be induced to look upward, and cast their 
 anchor of hope within the vail. By no other means 
 can they be led to inquire, "Where is God, my 
 ]\Iaker, ^vho giveth songs in the night ? '' We allow, 
 with a beautiful writer, " that in the deepest moral 
 
 '* 
 
78 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 darkness there can be music, — music which sounds 
 softer and sweeter than by day ; and that when the 
 instruments of human melody are broken, there is 
 a hand which can sweep the heart-strings, and wake 
 the notes of praise." 
 
 Yet upon all, the sorrows of earth come with a 
 crushing weight. "No chastisement for the present 
 seemeth to be joyous, l)ut grievous.'' Ask the 
 mother who is sitting by the side of her pale, cold 
 child, — a beloved form, silent, motionless, uncon- 
 scious, the pulsations of life stopped, the spirit 
 fled to return no more, — ask her, if there is not a 
 keenness in affliction! Ask the youthful widow, 
 whose bridal robes have been soon exchanged for 
 the habiliments of mourning, — whose bright visions 
 of earthly happiness have all faded, — whose beloved 
 companion sleeps in the damp, silent, cruel grave, 
 — if earth's trials do not pierce the heart! Enter 
 the family w^here death has preceded you, and how 
 suddenly has the voice of gayety, and the music of 
 mirth, been hushed! How changed is every coun- 
 tenance, every movement, every heart ! The spirit 
 of melancholy broods over the scene! The very 
 rooms and furniture seem to share in the gloom. 
 The very air seems to whisper, "Tread softly, for 
 a dread, mysterious messenger hath visited this 
 family, and laid its hopes in ashes.'' Bleedin"- 
 hearts are here, to which mere words of comfort 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 79 
 
 sound formal and cold. Soitows are here, that earth 
 cannot heal. 
 
 Visit the dying man, and learn lessons of afflic- 
 tion from his prostrate, emaciated form, his wasted 
 countenance, his baffled plans, his pains and groans, 
 his mysterious dread of that dark pathway into 
 which he must soon go down ! 
 
 Nor can we, while in this world, escape these 
 nights of sadness. We are frail, and disease may 
 arrest us ; we are mortal, and death may seize us. 
 Our friends, children, companions, are lent to us, 
 and the great Proprietor of all may take them back 
 to himself. We are sinners, and at any moment 
 the calamitous results of our Avickedness may be 
 sprung upon us. The fruits of years of transgres- 
 sion may be compressed within a few short, fatal 
 days. We are surrounded with iniquity, in its vari- 
 ous intense and destructive forms ; and this keeps 
 the fountain of sorrow open, — the deep, wide, 
 rushing tide, ever in motion. And night, especially, 
 is the season of its triumphs. Then crime stalks 
 abroad ; then villany, under its cloak of darkness, 
 executes its base and wicked designs ; then the 
 unwary are ensnared, the tempted fall, the inno- 
 cent are sacrificed. 0, is it not a blessed announce- 
 ment, that there is a world in which "there shall 
 be no night ;" — no night of crime, deceit, treachery 
 or temptation ; — no night of pain, sickness or death ? 
 
80 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 0, tell it to the penitent, who is struggling against 
 the evil habits and depraved inclinations of a wicked 
 heart, — who, on life's fierce battle-field, is strivino- 
 to win an immortal crown! Tell it to the dying 
 man, who, restless upon his couch, through long, 
 wearisome nights, is trying to learn the lessons of 
 submission, and foith, and moral discipline, which 
 his suJl'erings are teaching, — who longs for light 
 to break through the dark clouds that are iratherinir 
 a))out him ! Hasten with the tidings to tlie bereaved 
 family, and assure them that there is a world where 
 these griefs shall be lifted from their oppressed spirits, 
 and their present ailUctions, if rightly improved, 
 shall work out for them " a far more exceeding and 
 eternal weight of glory." For where God is, there 
 can be no night. Where bright, holy angels throng, 
 there can be no sorrow. Where celestial music rolls 
 through the galleries and arches of temples filled 
 with the effulgence of the Deity, there can be no 
 sighing. Where Jesus reigns in liis majesty and 
 glory, "all tears shall be wiped away." 
 
 No night in heaven! Then no sad partings are 
 experienced there ; — no funeral processions move, 
 no death-knell is heard, no graves are opened. 
 Then no mysterious providences will there perplex 
 us, no dark calamities will shake our faith; but 
 we shall walk the golden streets of the eternal city, 
 surrounded with perpetual brightness, breathing an 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 81 
 
 atmosphere of heavenly purity, and free to enter 
 the palaces of our King, or climb to heights over 
 wdiich no shadow ever passes. 
 
 If such, indeed, be the glory of heaven, w^hy should 
 we desire to hold our friends and the objects of our 
 affections to earth ? Wiy keep them in a world of 
 darkness and sorrow, when God calls them to the 
 light and blessedness of an eternal day? The fol- 
 lowing sweet poetic dialogue cannot fail to awaken 
 the tenderest emotions in a mother's heart. 
 
 It is entitled 
 
 THE MOTHER AND HER DYING BOY. 
 
 BOY. 
 
 My mother, my mother ! 0, let me depart ! 
 
 Your tears and your pleadings are swords to my heart. 
 
 I hear gentle voices, that chide my delay ; 
 
 I see lovely visions, that woo me away. 
 
 My prison is broken, my trials are o'er ! 
 
 mother, my mother, detain me no more ! 
 
 HOTIIEB. 
 
 And will you, then, leave us, my brightest, my best ? 
 And will you run nesthng no more to my breast ? 
 The summer is coming to sky and to bower ; 
 The tree that you planted will soon be in flower ; 
 You loved the soft season of song and of bloom ; 
 0, shall it return, and find you in your tomb ? 
 
 BOY. 
 
 Yes, mother, I loved in the sunshine to play, 
 And talk with the birds and the blossoms all day ; 
 
I 
 
 82 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 But sweeter the songs of the spirits on high. 
 And brighter the glories round God in the sky ! 
 I see them, I hear them, they pull at my heart ; 
 My mother, my mother, 0, let me depart ! 
 
 MOTHEE. 
 
 O, do not desert us ! Our hearts will be drear, 
 
 Our home will be lonely, when you are not here ; 
 
 Your brother will sigh 'mid his playthings, and say, 
 
 I wonder dear William so long can delay. 
 
 That foot, like the wild wind, — that glance, like a star, 
 
 0, what will this world be when they are afar? 
 
 BOY. 
 
 This world, dearest mother ! — 0, live not for this ! 
 No, press on with me to the fulness of bliss ! 
 And trust me, whatever bright fields I may roam. 
 My heart will not wander from you and from home. 
 Believe me still near you, on pinions of love ; 
 Expect me to hail you, when soaring above. 
 
 MOTHER. 
 
 Well, go, my beloved ! the conflict is o'er ; 
 My pleas are all selfish, — I urge them no more. 
 Why chain your bright spirit down here to the clod, 
 So thirsting for freedom, so ripe for its God? 
 Farewell, then, farewell, tiU we meet at the throne, 
 Where love fears no parting, and tears are unknown ! 
 
 BOY. 
 
 0, glory ! 0, glory ! what music ! what light ! 
 What wonders break in on my heart, on my sight ' 
 I come, blessed spirits ! I hear you from high. 
 0, frail, faithless nature ! can this be to die ? 
 So near ! what, so near to my Saviour and King ? 
 0, help me, ye angeLs, His glories to smg ! 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 83 
 
 There will be no night of ignorance in heaven. 
 Here, our highest attainnient in knowledge is 
 comparative ignorance. Our clearest conceptions 
 of truth are confused and indistinct. Even the 
 little knowledge that we do possess costs us a vast 
 amount of toil, protracted study and conflicts, with 
 wandering thoughts and perplexing doubts. We 
 can leam of God, the greatest and. best of beings, 
 only through dim shadows, and faint types, and 
 material representations. Our view^s of his moral 
 government, obtained through his providential deal- 
 ings here, are crude and unsatisfactoiy. When we 
 are enjoying the bright sunlight, and aU nature is 
 clothed with richness and beauty, — when we walk 
 amid the mountains and majestic forests, God's 
 earthly palaces, and breathe the fragrance of flowers, 
 and tread beneath our feet the soft verdure, and 
 see above us the crimsoned clouds and mild blue 
 vault, and, amid all, drink of the cup of pleasure, 
 — we are ready to exclaim, with the Psalmist, 
 " The Lord is good, and his tender mercies are over 
 all his works.'' But let the scene be changed. 
 Let the midnight tempest arise, and our habitations 
 quiver under the fury of the storm ; let the earth 
 tremble under the successive peals and crashes of 
 the thunder, and the lieavens seem on fire from the 
 incessant flashes of lightning; let the shrieks of 
 bereaved friends tell where the fatal fluid has stmck. 
 

 84 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 
 
 85 
 
 and amid the wild terror of the scene, doubts will 
 throng the mind as to the infinitude of the divine 
 
 love, as to the purely l)enevolent design of God's 
 
 moral administration. These checkered scenes will 
 perplex us, and we are led to exclaim, with the 
 apostle, " How unsearchable are his judgments, and 
 his ways past finding out.'' Even with the aid of 
 Christianity, how little we absolutely know of the 
 Deity, — his designs, plans and works; how little 
 of the mysteries of the future life, — of the won- 
 ders of that state to which time is so rapidly bear- 
 ing us! "Now we see through a glass darkly." 
 "Now I know in part.'' 
 
 In the departments of human learning, too, the 
 same obscurity and uncertainty perplex us. Upon 
 the most important principles in science, philosophy 
 and ethics, we find that the wisest men are divided. 
 Kival schools are contending for directly opposite 
 systems. The principles of one age are supplanted 
 by the fmits of the superior intelligence and more 
 profound investigations of that which succeeds it. 
 How different is the science of astronomy, for exam- 
 ple, from what it was a century ago! A single 
 modem discovery of a gifted astronomer has effected 
 a complete revolution in the ideas, calculations and 
 studies, of the world, upon this science ; and what 
 new changes and discoveries await it, the future 
 alone can reveal. 
 
 In mental philosophy, how little satisfactory pro- 
 gress has been made ! Nothing, in fact, has been 
 accomplished here, worthy of the name of science. 
 No principles are permanently settled. Human 
 language, in its present state, at least, seems to be 
 too gross a medium through which to communicate, 
 with accuracy and precision, a knowledge of the 
 elements and interior workings of the intellect of 
 man. 
 
 But in heaven there will be no night of ignorance. 
 There, with unfettered powers, — with a clear, dis- 
 criminating reason ; with a keen, spiritual vision, — 
 we shall see and know all truth. We shall be liable 
 to no mistakes, be exposed to no errors, be perplexed 
 with no mysteries. We shall no longer need to pass 
 through the tedious processes of study and investiga- 
 tion. We shall no longer be baffled, in our attempts 
 to ascend the heights of knowledge, by a shattered 
 memory, a perverted judgment, and powers weakened 
 by sin. We shall see as we are seen, and know as 
 Ave are known. As the elements and essence of our 
 own being lie exposed to the eye of the Infinite 
 Intelligence, so the elements and essence of all other 
 beings and objects will be clearly seen by us. We 
 shall have a view of the power, majesty, excellence 
 and splendor, of the Deity, of which we can now 
 form no conception. God will, as it were, enter 
 into the mind of the saint, take possession of it as 
 
 8 
 
86 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 his own temple, and fill it with the lustre of his 
 own being, with the purity of his own nature, mth 
 the blessedness and perfection of his own character. 
 And the very act of beholding God will strengthen 
 the powers and enlarge the capacities of the mind. 
 It will develop faculties that now lie slumbering in 
 the intellect, the opening of which will afford the 
 most exquisite delight, and be as the dawnings of a 
 new creation upon the soul, — dawnings that will 
 pour their effulgence through all the chambers of 
 the memory, and all the faculties of the soul. 
 
 And, as we extend our view to other beings and 
 objects, we shall comprehend and realize the mean- 
 ing of the language, "They shall need no candle, 
 neither light of the sun ; for the Lord God giveth 
 them light.'' The candle of human instrumentalities 
 is no longer needed. The sun itself is quenched ; for 
 God, the author of light, shines in its stead. That 
 splendid orb that had lighted the pathways of so 
 many generations, — that had poured its golden 
 beams upon so many mountain- tops, and painted 
 so many flowers with beauty, — whose rays had 
 sparkled in a thousand gems, and sported upon 
 numberless ocean waves, — is forever quenched. 
 
 ** 0, thou art glorious, orb of day ! 
 Exulting nations hail thy i-ay ; 
 Creation swells a choral lay, 
 To welcome thy return '. 
 
 NO NIGHT IN HEAVEN. 87 
 
 From thee all nature draws her hues. 
 Thy beams the insect's wing suffuse. 
 And in the diamond burn. 
 
 Yet must thou fade; — when earth and heaven 
 By fire and tempest shall be riven, 
 Thou, from thy sphere of radiance driven, 
 
 sun ! must fall at last. 
 Another heaven, another earth, — 
 New power, new glory, — shall have birth. 
 
 When all we see is past. 
 
 But He who gave the word of might, — 
 'Let there be light,' — and there was light; 
 Who bade thee chase the gloom of night. 
 
 And beam the world to bless ; 
 Forever bright, forever pure, 
 Alone unchanging shall endure. 
 
 The Sun of Righteousness ! " 
 
 Under the intense effulgence of his glory, all 
 clouds will be dissipated, all mysteries solved. The 
 attributes of the Deity will shine in unclouded splen- 
 dor, illuminating the whole heavens w^ith their rich 
 and variegated coruscations, and revealing the fact 
 that the universe is one vast temple, whose arches 
 echo the music of the spheres, and the adoring 
 accents of thronging worshippers. 
 
 " There shall be no night there," for it is eternal 
 day. Every object is brilliant with an effulgence 
 more intense than the sun-light. The tree of life 
 casts no shadows indicative of a setting sun. The 
 sparkling of the crystal river is never dimmed by 
 
88 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 the mantle of darkness. The white-robed multitude 
 continually go in and out of the glittering city, their 
 brows irradiated by that shining light, which sliineth 
 more and more unto the perfect day. 
 
 " Creature all grandeur, son of truth and liglit. 
 Up from the dust ! the last great day is bright ; 
 Bright on the holy mountain, round the throne, — 
 Bright where, in borrowed light, the fur stars shone. 
 Look down ! the depths are bright ! and hear them cry, 
 « Light ! light ! ' Look up ! 't is rushing down from high ! 
 Regions on regions, far away they shine : ^ 
 
 'Tis light ineffable, 'tis light divine ! 
 * Immortal light, and life forevermore ! ' 
 Off through the deeps is heard from shore to shore, 
 Of rolling worlds, — * Man, wake thee from the sod, — 
 Wake thee from death, — awake ! — and live with God !*" 
 
 .,- 
 
 VI. 
 
 THE LIKENESS OF THE REDEEMED TO CHRIST. 
 
 ** We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we 
 shall see him as he is." — 1st of John, hi. 2. 
 
 It is a blessed feature of the gospel, that it 
 reveals the •Christian's likeness to his Saviour. It 
 assures him that he is made a * ' partaker of the 
 divine nature,'* — is "changed into the same image 
 from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the 
 Lord." This is efTected at the moment regenera- 
 tion takes place. The divine image is stamped 
 anew upon the soul. The rudiments of a trans- 
 formation appear, that will carry the subject forward 
 through successive stages of improvement, until he 
 attains "unto the measure of the stature of the ful- 
 ness of Christ/' 
 
 At the period of conversion, the real life of the 
 soul begins. Previous to this, it is " dead in tres- 
 passes and sins.'' Its action is like that of a gal- 
 vanized corpse, spasmodic, fitful, and aimless. It has 
 organs of vision, but no insight into spiritual truth. 
 It has the power of speech, but its utterances are 
 incoherent and false. But at the new birth its true 
 
 8* 
 
90 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 life commences. It becomes then like him who is 
 ''the way, the truth, and the life." 
 
 We may regard the likeness refen-ed to as relat- 
 ing to the external appearance^ the intellectual and 
 moral nature^ and the state of felicity which the 
 saints will enjoy in common, though not in degree, 
 with the Redeemer. 
 
 St. Paul says that Christ (Phil. iii. 21) "shall 
 change our vile body, that it may be lashioned like 
 unto his glorious body.'* Of the precise nature of 
 
 "his glorious body'' " to) ouaaii, t^5 dChti nlioZ" 
 
 — we have no adequate conception. Indeed, the 
 meaning of the word glory, as applied to celestial 
 objects, it is difficult to define. It primarily signi- 
 fies to open, to expand with clearness. Hence, 
 brightness, splendor. The celebrated John Howe 
 defines the glory of Deity to be "nothing else but 
 resplendent excellency, the lustre of excellency, or 
 real worth made conspicuous." 
 
 St. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, attempts 
 to describe the glorious bodies of the redeemed, and 
 language seems to break down under the weight of 
 his thoughts, or, rather, it is consumed by their glow 
 and excessive effulgence. "There are also celestial 
 bodies, and bodies terrestrial ; but the glory of the 
 celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is 
 another. There is one glory of the sun, and another 
 glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. 
 
 THE SAINTS LIKE CHRIST. 
 
 91 
 
 So, also, is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown 
 in corruption, it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown 
 in dishonor, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in weak- 
 ness, it is raised in power." A few beams of this 
 celestial glory have at different times reached the 
 earth. They rested upon Mount Sinai, when God 
 appeared to give his law through his servant Moses. 
 They shone about the tabernacle, and in the temple, 
 when special manifestations of the Deity were made. 
 At the birth of the Saviour, the pious shepherds 
 were dazzled and affrighted, as "the glory of the 
 Lord shone round about them." At his baptism, 
 the heavens were opened, — dreio/^rjauv ol ovquvoI^ — 
 or, as some foreign commentators interpret the pas- 
 sage, the heavens were cleft* asunder, as though 
 by vivid lightning, and the glory burst through and 
 rested upon the Saviour. 
 
 On the mount of transfiguration, the three apostles 
 beheld our Lord in his glorious body. St. Luke 
 describes the scene thus (Luke ix. 29-31) : "As he 
 prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, 
 and his raiment was white and glistening. And 
 
 * •* So," they add, ** we find scindere and findere coelum, in the Roman 
 writers. Such language being adapted to the common opinion of the 
 ancients, that the sky was a solid mass, and that fire from thence burst 
 through the vast convex of the firmament." Bloomfield, however, remarks : 
 *' We have good reason to suppose the light to have been preternatural., and 
 to have accompanied the divine Spirit, — such a light as accompanied Jesus 
 on being visibly revealed to St Paul at his conversion." 
 
i 
 
 92 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 behold, there talked Avith him two men, Hoses and 
 Elias, Tvho appeared in glory/' We might cite 
 other instances, but these suffice, as examples of the 
 point under consideration. Those who enjoyed these 
 beatific visions had views of a "glorious body" 
 that we cannot obtain. Stephen at the time of 
 his martyrdom, Paul when converted, tlie favored 
 company wdio witnessed the ascension of Christ, and 
 those just referred to, obtained as vivi<l impressions 
 of glory as our present organs of vision are capable 
 of receiving. 
 
 Although we are less ftivored, yet there are cer- 
 tain features of this subject, upon which faith may 
 rest with confidence. 
 
 In the first place, we shall have some fonn of 
 bodily organization in heaven. Whether material 
 elements will enter into the composition of this 
 body, or what will be its form, size or appearance, 
 we cannot now determine. We are assured that it 
 will be like Christ's glorious body, and we may infer 
 that it will bear some resemblance to our present 
 bodies, as in the case of Christ, when Paul, Stephen, 
 and others, recognized him in his glorious body. 
 At least, the change, though great, though incon- 
 ceivably wonderful, will not be such as to deslruy 
 our personal identity, any more than that which takes 
 place when the helpless infimt becomes a full-grown 
 and vigorous man. The same being who here, on 
 
 
 THE SAINTS LIKE CHRIST. 
 
 93 
 
 life's battle-field, stmggles with corruption, shall 
 be clothed with incorruption ; the same mortal, here 
 frail, weak, liable to disease, injury and death, shall 
 be clothed with immortality. 
 
 The change will be such, however, as will fit us 
 for our ncw^ state and new duties. It is the uni- 
 versal law among animal existences, that the organ- 
 ization of the being shall be suited to its element ; 
 — the fish to the w ater, the beast to the field and 
 forest, the bird to the air. And when the animal 
 or insect is removed from one clement to another, 
 there is a corresponding change made in his organiza- 
 tion ; as, for instance, when the craw^ling worm is 
 converted into the beautiful butterfly, and, instead 
 of mingling in the dust, sports in the sunbeam, and 
 is regaled amid the fragrance of flowers. It is there- 
 fore in accordance with the established order of 
 nature, that '' w^e shall all be changed." We shall 
 have bodies like Christ's "glorious body," suited 
 to a celestial sphere ; with organs of sight that will 
 enable us to view spiritual objects; with organs 
 of hearing that will catch the strains of celestial 
 music ; with a splendid and effulgent attire, suitable 
 to our admission to the palace of the great King; 
 with an ethereal organization, fitted to execute, with 
 lightning speed, the commands of our Sovereign. 
 So great will be this change that St. Paul says, to 
 the Colossian Christians, in their present state, " Ye 
 
94 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 are dead," — that is, dead comparatively; dead to 
 all worldly hopes and blessings, — " and your life 
 is hid with Christ in God." The life-principle has 
 not perished, but it is hid away, as a valuable treas- 
 ure, where it will be safe. He then immediately 
 breaks forth with the sublime announcement, "When 
 Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye 
 also appear with him in glory." Ye shall mingle 
 with the bright and illustrious throng that attend 
 him. Ye shall share his honors, participate in his 
 triumphs, constitute, in fact, the pomp and regal 
 splendor of this great conquest celebration. 
 
 The likeness of the glorified saint to his divine 
 Lord tvill also respect the intellectual nature. Some 
 persons may be disposed to confine the resemblance 
 to the external appearance, or bodily organization ; 
 but such would be a very partial and unsatisfactory 
 likeness. Besides, the passage does by no means 
 require so limited an interpretation. The likeness 
 referred to is general and complete. "As we have 
 borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear 
 the image of the heavenly." When the Psalmist 
 exclaims, "I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy 
 likeness," he means something more than an exter- 
 nal likeness to his Lord. The satisfaction and joy 
 that he anticipates must have a deeper source than 
 this. They must spring from an intellectual and 
 spiritual resemblance. 
 
 THE SAINTS LIKE CHRIST. 
 
 95 
 
 If the body is to undergo such astonisliing changes, 
 — if corruption is to put on incorruption, and this 
 mortal become immortal, — why should not the mind 
 be greatly changed ? Why should not this think- 
 ing, feeling, acting, energizing principle witliin us, 
 be clothed with new powers and fresh energies ? 
 
 In the present state, the mind is weakened by 
 sin. The storms of iniquity have beat upon it, and 
 shattered its noble faculties, and deranged its fine 
 powers. The reason holds but a precarious author- 
 ity, and is often silenced and overpowered by pas- 
 sion. The judgment is perverted. The walls of 
 memory are broken down. The will acts incon- 
 stantly, and often feebly. Our ideas are crude, 
 indistinct, partial, and unsatisfying. Our truth is 
 half error ; our faith is half scepticism. " We 
 know but in part." " W^e see as through a glass 
 darkly." 
 
 But " when he shall appear, we shall be like 
 him." Out of tliis wreck of mind, this chaos of 
 mental faculties, will spring a godlike intellect, 
 sound, vigorous, clear, mighty in all its powers. 
 Its full glory, its surpassing excellence, its vast 
 superiority to mind in its present state, "doth not 
 yet appear." Nor will any effort or study here make 
 this apparent. We may seek for light earnestly, 
 diligently, and yet no rays will even skirt the dark- 
 ness of our ignorance. We may knock at the door 
 
96 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE SAINTS LIKE OHllIST. 
 
 9' 
 
 .■■4|il 
 
 of the most subtile metaphysics, of the most pro- 
 found erudition, of the sublimest theology, nnd yet 
 no response will be heard. We may sit at the feet 
 of men inspired of the Holy Ghost, and all they can 
 tell us is, "it doth not yet appear." We may go 
 to God, in earnest supplication, and the reply to our 
 petitions is, "Have faith." 
 
 Indeed, to describe a glorified intellect is to pos- 
 sess it. To be able to delineate its divine excel- 
 lences and vast capacities, would be proof that we 
 had passed out of this present state of being, — that 
 we had already exchanged the earthly for the heav- 
 enly. Let us, then, be content to walk about our 
 spiritual Zion ; for we cannot enter in. The gates 
 are closed. The great King hath not sent for us 
 yet. Death has not yet received his commission to 
 release us, — to take off these material clogs, and let 
 the spirit rise. We may meditate without, profit- 
 ably. We may "mark well her bulwarks, and con- 
 sider her palaces." We may make sure that " this 
 God is our God," and that "he Avill be our guide 
 even unto death." Then we shall be like him. 
 Then we shall renew our strength, and "mount up 
 with wings as eagles." The gates will open, and 
 the splendors of immortality will burst upon the new 
 powers and capacities of the soul. 
 
 And not only shall we be overwhelmed with these 
 brilliant scenes, but our faculties will be such as will 
 
 
 L 
 
 enable us to sec Christ as he is. We shall not 
 behold him through vague types and dim shadows, 
 but in all his glory, — in the full effulgence of his 
 divine perfections. Yet this language must be 
 qualified ; for, with all our accession of vitality, 
 capacity and glory, we shall still be finite ; and no 
 finite can comprehend the infinite. To whatever 
 heights the Supreme Intelligence may elevate us, 
 there will yet remain a measureless gulf between 
 the Creator and the creature. The Highest must 
 still stoop to bestow his blessings. Communion with 
 us, on his part, must still be condescension. And 
 down to the latest ages, if there can be latest ages 
 in eternity, the inquiry will still run along the ranks 
 of the most gifted and elevated of the heavenly 
 hosts, " Wlio by searching can find out God ; who 
 can find out the Almighty unto perfection?" We 
 must be infinite, to comprehend the infinite. We 
 must be gods, to fully know God. And yet we 
 may with strict propriety say that when we awake 
 in his likeness, we shall behold his full effulgence 
 and glory ; for it will be full to us. It will fill 
 every capacity, and satisfy every desire. And to 
 whatever heights the law of progress, in its eternal 
 operation, may carry us, we shall still be over- 
 powered with views of the divine excellence and 
 glory. In our estimation, infinite will be piled upon 
 infinite^ like Alps upon Alps. 
 
 
 
98 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 When we consider how contracted our minds are 
 here, how limited our sphere of \4sion, how faint 
 our impressions of the Deity, we are struck with 
 the immensity of the change that is to be wrought 
 in us. We cannot grasp it, nor comprehend it. It 
 is like converting dew-drops into oceans, pebbles 
 into worlds, the dust floating in a sunbeam into 
 stars of the first magnitude, destined to shine for 
 ever and ever. And although the thought is noble, 
 exciting, stimulating, yet there is also something 
 awful in this aspiration to be like God. There is a 
 fearful grandeur in the idea of seeking and expect- 
 ing a resemblance to the Infinite One, the great 
 I Am ! And there is a sense in which a desire to 
 be like God is impious. The haughty Prince of 
 Tyre was severely rebuked by the prophet, because 
 he set his " heart as the heart of God." The threat 
 was uttered, " Behold, I will bring strangers upon 
 thee, the terrible of the nations ; and they shall 
 draw their swords against the beauty of tliy wis- 
 dom,'* &c., Ezekiel xxv. 6 and 7. The first trans- 
 gression arose from a desire to "be as gods;'* and 
 the very essence of sin is to seek a supremacy over 
 the Supreme Being. 
 
 But a proper imitation of God is a matter of 
 command and duty. It is required of us by the 
 Sovereign, as e\idence of our loyalty. It is required 
 by the Creator, as proof of our respect and rever- 
 
 THE SAINTS LIKE CHRIST. 
 
 99 
 
 ence. It is required by our Heavenly Father, as 
 proof of our affection. 
 
 The likeness to the Deity that we anticipate, will 
 also be a moral likeness. We shall resemble God 
 in holiness, in benevolence, in perfect love. "We 
 shall see him as he is,'* and this will be enough to 
 kindle in the soul the most intense desires to be 
 like him in those moral attributes which are the 
 chief ornament and glory of his character. As the 
 sun, on rising above the horizon, dissipates the 
 darkness of night, and turns all the objects it 
 illumines, as it were, into light, — reflections of its 
 own brightness and glory, — so the Sun of Eighteous- 
 ness assimilates to itself all the beings upon which 
 it sliines, imparting to them a divine lustre. A 
 vision of God's holiness transforms the soul into the 
 same element ; — obliterates all impurity, spiritual- 
 izes what before was carnal, and chases away every 
 cloud of scepticism. A view of his majesty brings 
 every fiiculty and desire into sweet subjection to 
 his will. A sight of his infinite love renders the 
 beholder lovely. The whole constellation of his vir- 
 tues, shining down at once upon the redeemed spirit, 
 fills it with a glory that will never grow dim. 
 
 And this moral likeness will be to the saint a 
 source of infinite felicity. He will feel that sin, the 
 cause of all corruption, danger and wretchedness, 
 is forever banished from his soul ; that it wiU no 
 
100 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 more blast his virtues, no more peril his hopes, no 
 more cripple his energies, shatter his good resolu- 
 tions, open upon his spirit the flood-gates of jithe- 
 ism. He is now free, gloriously free. The monster 
 is slain, is dead, without the possibility of a resur- 
 rection. The battle is fought ; the victory won. 
 
 Well does the Psalmist exclaim, "I shall be 
 satisfied when I awake in thy likeness." Satisfied ? 
 The word is too feeble, too inexpressive. And yet 
 it is the best that the language affords. Satis facio, 
 to make enough, to gratify desire to its full extent. 
 And if this is done, the bounds of possibility are 
 reached. Omnipotence can do no more than satisfy 
 every desire. 
 
 But we would look at this moral likeness a little 
 more carefully. It consists not simply in the absence 
 of sin, but in the presence of positive holiness. It 
 is a vital, living, soul-peiTading, soul-transfuiming 
 principle, that inclines one to love all that is excel- 
 lent, pure, and lovely. It leads one to seek the 
 society of holy angels, and a holy God. The glori- 
 fied saint desires to enter the divine Shechinah, the 
 presence-chamber of the great King, the place where 
 his honor dwelleth. He desires to breathe its pure 
 atmosphere, to experience its sacred influences, to 
 draw near to the fountain of light, and life, and all 
 blessedness ; to feel the pulsations of that great cen- 
 
 TIIE SAINTS LIKE CHRIST. 
 
 101 
 
 tral heart, that sends its streams of benevolence to 
 the furthest extremities of the universe. 
 
 This holiness has so penetrated his nature, as to 
 become a part of his being, as really as light is part 
 of the sun, or oxygen is a part of the atmosphere. 
 It has taken complete possession of the spirit, and 
 regulates every faculty, gives exercise to every 
 power, and reigns over the motives, desires and pur- 
 poses, of the soul. 
 
 There is no more any conflict, — no warring of 
 the flesh against the spirit. A blessed peace reigns. 
 A calm felicity like a summer-cloud rests upon the 
 soul. And, as the capacities of the mind expand, 
 there is a corresponding increase of holiness. Indeed, 
 there is in holiness itself a power that acts mightily 
 upon the intellect and heart. It gives clearness to 
 the mental vision ; it gives extent and compass to 
 the power of thought ; it creates ideas ; it creates 
 as well as satisfies desires ; it calls forth the affec- 
 tions, and fills the heart with a glowing love, that 
 waters camiot quench, nor floods drown. 
 
 There is another feature of this likeness of the 
 glorified saint to the Deity. He will be like him 
 in happiness. He will have access to all the sources 
 and rivers of delight, that contribute to swell the 
 ocean of divine felicity. 
 
 God will open before him his works, and bid him 
 look abroad ui^on the magnificence and splendors of 
 
 0* 
 
102 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 creation. Worlds upon worlds, stars upon stars, 
 systems piled upon systems, will pass in review 
 before him. He will undei^tand and realize why 
 at the dawn of the creation "the morning stars 
 sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for 
 
 joy." 
 
 He will view, too, the government and providence 
 of God. That mighty system of moral forces and 
 instrumentalities, that sustains the divine authority, 
 will open before him, in all its stupendous machinery 
 and glorious ends. He will rejoice that he is under 
 the protection of such a government, — will rejoice 
 in its wise sanctions and infinite rewards. He will 
 sympathize with the great Euler in its equitable 
 administration, and participate with him in the 
 glory of its successful operation in every part of the 
 habitable universe. He will find happiness in the 
 ideas and sentiments of the Godhead. Having a 
 similarity of taste, feeling and purpose, he will covet 
 the society of the Deity, and will exclaim, with an 
 emphasis never experienced on earth, "In thy pres- 
 ence there is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there 
 are pleasures forevermore.'' He will know what it 
 is "to sit together'' with prophets, apostles, mar- 
 tyrs, and hosts of the redeemed, " in heavenly places 
 in Chiist Jesus.'' 
 
 And 0, what floods of joy will fill the soul, when 
 the saint awakes to the full consciousness, that the 
 
 THE SAINTS LIKE CHRIST. 
 
 103 
 
 resources of God's boundless universe are at his 
 command! What rapture will thrill every sensi- 
 bility of his nature, when he fully realizes that he 
 has reached those glorious heights for which he had 
 been so long toiling, — that he has received the 
 crown after which he had been striving, — that he 
 is an inhabitant of that celestial city, to which he 
 had for so many years prayed, and struggled, to be 
 admitted ! 
 
 (< 
 
 When, on Devotion's seraph wings, the spirit soars above. 
 
 And feels thy presence, Father, Friend, God of eternal love, 
 
 Joys of the earth, ye fade and die before that living ray. 
 
 Which gives to the rapt soul a glimpse of pure and perfect day, — 
 
 A gleam of heaven's own light, though now its brightness scarce 
 
 appears, 
 Through the dim shadows which are spread around this vale of tears ! 
 But thine unclouded sndle, God, fills that all-glorious place, 
 * Where we shall know as we are known, and see thee face to face.' '* 
 
VI. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS IN HEAVEN. 
 
 ** There appeared unto them Elias, with Moses, and they were talking 
 with Jesus." — Mark ix. 4. 
 
 "That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." — Colos- 
 SIANS I. 28. 
 
 We are free to acknowledge that, in the views 
 we entertain of heavenly recognition, the feelings 
 of the heart may sensibly affect the opinions of the 
 intellect. The stream of the affections may mingle 
 in with the current of reason and evidence, and 
 give, perhaps, a strong coloring to the belief, that 
 we shall know our earthly friends when we meet 
 them in the heavenly world. For, when called to 
 part with them here, — when forced, by a stem and 
 inevitable necessity, to bid farewell to those with 
 whom we have held sweet converse on earth, and 
 around whom our warmest affections are entwined, 
 — the heart cannot admit, for a moment, the senti- 
 ment that we shall never see or know them again. 
 We instinctively follow them, in thought, to the 
 bright regions above, and anticipate the pleasure of 
 ere long meeting them in the society of the blessed, 
 and participating with them in the employments 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 105 
 
 and joys of their Father's kingdom. They are not 
 lost to us, but are only gone before ; and, with 
 increased affection, will aw^ait our arrival at their 
 blissful home. As the stars are not lost, w^hen the 
 morning sun throws his light over the firmament, 
 but are simply invisible to our vision, so the spirits 
 of the departed saints shine in the moral heavens, 
 though w^e cannot see them with the natural eye. 
 "Wliile we, with other mourners, are gathered around 
 the lifeless form, so cold and desolate, — w^hile we 
 weep that the eye that often has beamed upon us 
 with w^^irm affection is now forever closed ; that the 
 lips that have uttered words of kindness, are sealed 
 in death, — the scene above presents a striking 
 contrast to the sadness of this hour. There, happy 
 angels are welcoming the spirit of the saint, and 
 amid the smiles of the redeemed, the warm greet- 
 ings of our elder brother, and the benediction of a 
 reconciled Father, he enters upon the everlasting 
 rest. 
 
 We cannot better introduce the subject of this 
 article, tJian by quoting the beautiful and touching 
 words of Montgomery, — words which have stirred 
 the deepest and warmest emotions of many hearts : 
 
 Friend after friend departs ; 
 
 Who hath not lost a friend? 
 There is no union here of hearts, 
 
 That finds not here an end. 
 
106 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 Were this frail world our final rest. 
 Living or dying, none were blest. 
 
 Beyond the flight of time. 
 
 Beyond the reign of death, 
 There surely is some blessed clime 
 
 Where life is not a breath, 
 Nor life's affections transient fire, 
 Whose sparks fly upward and expire. 
 
 There is a world above, 
 
 Where parting is unknown ; 
 A long eteniity of love. 
 
 Formed for the good alone ; 
 And faith beholds the dying here 
 Translated to that glorious sphere. 
 
 Thus star by star declines. 
 
 Till all are passed away. 
 As morning high and higher shines. 
 
 To pure and perfect day ; 
 Nor sink those stars in empty night, 
 But hide themselves in heaven's own light. 
 
 In advocating the doctrine of heavenly recog- 
 nition, we would refer, for evidence in its favor, 
 to the universal desire and expectation of mankind 
 in regard to meeting their departed friends, and to 
 the teachings of human reason. We would walk 
 in the light that patriarchs, prophets and apostles, 
 have shed upon the subject ; and especially would 
 we sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of him. We 
 would seek wisdom from the wise and good, in dif- 
 ferent ages of the church, who have left on record 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 107 
 
 their opinions, and who themselves experienced the 
 satisfaction and delight that the doctrine ajQfords to 
 every Christian heart. And though we may not 
 be able to adduce many scriptural passages, that 
 furnish direct and unqualified proof of the recog- 
 nition of our friends in heaven, and though the 
 nature of our CAidence may not allow us to argue 
 the question with mathematical precision and con- 
 clusiveness, yet we shall find testimony enough to 
 satisfy the longings, and sustain the faith, of all 
 the true disciples of Jesus. 
 
 I. The general hope and belief, among mankind, 
 that they will know and love their friends in the 
 future world, is a significant and important fact, in 
 the history of this doctrine. It has been the uni- 
 versal sentiment among all classes, and in all ages 
 of the world. Pagans and Mahometans, Jews and 
 Gentiles, Papists and Christians, have alike had 
 faith in it. It has shot as a gleam of light across 
 the darkness of heathenism, and carried a few glim- 
 merings of consolation to the bereaved and benighted 
 pagan. In the midst of his superstitions, his moral 
 debasement, his ignorance of the future life, he has 
 yet, in his afflictions, found comfort in the twilight 
 of this doctrine. While wandering amid the dark 
 mountains of error and idolatry, he has heard the 
 faint echoes of the voices of the departed. The 
 Hindoo widow, while offering herself a sacrifice 
 
108 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 upon the funeral pyre of her beloved husband, has 
 been sustained by the expectation of meeting the 
 departed in the spirit land. As the fires were kin- 
 dled around her, and all earthly scenes were fading 
 from her sight, she has anticipated a speedy union 
 with her husband, in the paradise and spacious 
 temples of her deities above. 
 
 The custom which has prevailed, for many ages, 
 among some pagan nations, of sacrificing human 
 victims, at the death of a prince, or chief, grew, 
 ob\iously, out of the same idea. The spirits of the 
 slain were supposed to accompany the prince, and 
 serve him, and minister to his happiness, in the 
 future world, as they had done in this. The prac- 
 tice, also, has prevailed, of sending messages by the 
 dying, to friends who had been long dead ; and 
 among some heathen tribes, suicide has been encour- 
 aged and practised, under the desire of being released 
 from the body, and enjoying the society of departed 
 spirits. 
 
 Dr. Leland, in his work on the necessity of a 
 divine revelation,* says, *'In many parts of the 
 world, where they held a life after this, the notion 
 they had of it seems to have been, that it shall be 
 a life perfectly like the present, with the same bodily 
 
 * As quoted by Harbaugh, in his ** Heavenly Recognition ;'* a work to 
 "which I am happy to acknowledge my indebtedness for many of the quota- 
 tions and arguments presented in this article. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 109 
 
 wants, the same exercises and employments, and 
 the same enjoyments and pleasures, which they had 
 here. Hence it was, that among some nations it 
 was customary for the women, the slaves, the sub- 
 jects and friends of the deceased, to kill themselves, 
 that in the other world they might serve those whom 
 they loved and respected in this. Such was the 
 practice among the ancient Danes, as Bartholimus 
 informs us, in his Danish Antiquities." 
 
 Such a blind perversion of the sentiment under 
 consideration, by the pagan heart, cannot but excite 
 our pity and sorrow ; and yet it indicates, in a 
 striking and impressive manner, the strength of 
 human affections, and the depth and power of the 
 desire to continue, in the future life, the love w^hich 
 has been cherished in this. Nor can we but believe 
 that this desire has been planted in the breast by 
 the Creator, and that it is his design to afford scope 
 in the coming life for the exercise of these same 
 affections that are cultivated here. If it is a senti- 
 ment so deeply imbedded in humanity that even the 
 errors and superstitions of heathenism cannot eradi- 
 cate it, — if, as we shall see, it is found to be uni- 
 versal, existing under all forms of religion and 
 shades of doctrine, surviving the various changes 
 through which tribes and nations have passed, 
 remaining after the loss of other truths, — we can- 
 not for a moment suppose that it is delusion, that 
 
 10 
 
110 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 must vanish with our earliest experience of the 
 realities of the future life. " ! Avhy should not 
 this be prophetic of the final and eternal renova- 
 tion of our social nature in heaven, where the ruins 
 of the fall shall be restored, and where all that sin 
 has divided, shall be brought together again into 
 the joyful embraces of holy love ? We find it hard 
 to consider a doctrine, so full of consolation and so 
 creditable to true friendsliip, as only 
 
 *The herald of a lie.' 
 
 We find it hard to believe that this agreeable hope, 
 which rises like a May-sun over the world of social 
 life, cheering, and warming, and making it beauti- 
 ful, and which often sets in richest glory, shall be 
 finally and forever lost in night. No ; it will surely 
 rise again in new beauty, when the eternal morning 
 shall dawn upon the grave ; holy aifections, as well 
 as glorious bodies, shall come forth from the tomb ; 
 suspended ties of affection, which, like plants whose 
 life retired during winter into the bosom of the earth, 
 will revive in vernal loveliness, and bloom on in an 
 eternal spring.'' ''^ 
 
 But, leaving the dim vista of this doctrine, as it 
 appears to the pagan mind, and consulting the 
 pages of philosophy, the teachings of theology, the 
 experiences of the more enlightened of all nations, 
 
 ♦ Harbaugh. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 and especially the feelings of Clnristian communities, 
 we find the same hope and expectation prevailing. 
 The eminent philosophers of Greece and Rome, 
 without the light of Christianity, embraced this 
 sentiment, and felt its influence in a dying hour. 
 It has extended its sway from the institutions of 
 learning, down, through all ranks, to the lonely cot- 
 tage. It has consoled the dying Christian, in all 
 nations and ages ; and surviving friends, as they 
 followed beloved ones to the cold and silent tomb, 
 have been sustained by the cheering hope of meet- 
 ing them again, and renewing their friendsliip in a 
 brighter and better world. 
 
 The universality of this hope is certainly a strong 
 argument in its favor; for, by the same process of 
 reasoning, do w^e substantiate other important doc- 
 trines. In proving the existence of God, we derive 
 a strong argument from the universality of the 
 belief in a supreme and overruling deity. We find 
 that all tribes and nations have some conception, 
 more or less distinct, of God. With many, the 
 idea is crude, and connected with notions, respect- 
 ing his character and attributes, which are palpably 
 erroneous ; yet the idea, in some form, exists. It 
 is imbedded in the consciousness of the human mind. 
 It is reflected in the image in which man is cre- 
 ated. It is developed in the feelings and senti- 
 ments of the heart. It is the universal voice of 
 
112 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 humanity, coming up from every cottage, hamlet, 
 city, nation, island and continent, ''There is a 
 God;" and the voice, being universal, commands 
 our attention and our faith. 
 
 Associated with this idea is, also, the conception, 
 in some of its aspects, of a divine moral govern- 
 ment, which the Supreme Being has established 
 over the world. Every man believes that he is 
 under a system of laws to which penalties are 
 attached. Ilis consciousness of a principle within 
 him, that points out the path of duty, — the self- 
 approbation that he feels in view of right action, 
 and the self-reproach that he experiences in view 
 of wrong action, — keeps this idea of moral govern- 
 ment constantly before his mind. lie cannot shake 
 it oiT. He camiot escape its influence. And from 
 this fact, we derive a positive and powerful argu- 
 ment in proof of the existence of such a govern- 
 ment. 
 
 So, in regard to a system of atonement. The 
 idea is everywhere impressed upon the human heart, 
 that sacrifice must be made for sin. This is the 
 central force of paganism, and induces the multi- 
 tude to bring their offerings to the altar, and the 
 more ignorant and deluded to inflict upon them- 
 selves bodily torture. 
 
 In proving, also, the doctrine of immortality, we 
 attach great importance to the universal belief in 
 
 RECOGNITION OF KRIENDS. 
 
 113 
 
 a future state. Finding mankind everywhere enter- 
 taining this doctrine, and looking forward with more 
 or less of hope to the future life, we argue that a 
 God of infinite benevolence could not have planted 
 such an expectation in the human breast, knowing 
 that it would never be realized. He could not, 
 from what we know of his character from the light 
 of nature alone, have practised upon his rational 
 creatures so gross a deception. And when we add 
 to this evidence the light of revelation, the truth 
 of the doctrine is placed beyond all dispute. 
 
 Indeed, "there is not one vital truth in divine 
 revelation, concerning the whole race of man, that 
 has not its likeness, though in mournful caricature 
 and liideous burlesque, in the religious ideas of 
 pagans. This proves, beyond all doubt, that, though 
 the reason and logic of fallen humanity are false, 
 its signs are true. The infinite Avants, which lie in 
 their constitution, reach after the truth.'' 
 
 Now, the same course of argument that we follow, 
 in dealing with these fundamental truths, is equally 
 applicable to the doctrine under consideration. And 
 if we listen to the voice of universal humanity declar- 
 ing the being of a God, the existence of a moral 
 government, the necessity of an atoning sacrifice, 
 and the doctrine of immortality, then should we 
 also listen to that same voice, when it declares that 
 
 we shall know and love, in another life, the Chris- 
 
 10* 
 
114 
 
 EMBLEMS OP HEAVEN. 
 
 tian friends whom we have loved in this. But we 
 should not overlook the flxct, that, as Christianity 
 advances, and its sanctifying and elevating influ- 
 ences aifect the hearts of men, this doctrine advances. 
 In proportion as the power of sin is broken, and the 
 selfish principle dethroned, and man is brouglit under 
 the dominion of benevolence and holiness, is the 
 desire increased of recognizing and loving our friends 
 in the future life. With the growth of all the 
 Christian graces, with the culture of the religious 
 affections, with the increase of spirituality, and of 
 devotion to the cause of Christ, this hope brightens. 
 The nearer we live to heaven, the more distinctly 
 do we hear the voices of the departed, and see their 
 angelic forms, as they walk around the gardens and 
 temples of the celestial paradise. The eminent 
 saint, whom fervent prayer and unwavering faith 
 keep upon the mountain's summit, under the full 
 sunshine of divine love, can almost hear the beloved 
 ones calling him up to his heavenly home. 
 
 " Come to the land of peace ! 
 Come where the tempest hath no longer sway, 
 The shadow passes from the soul away. 
 The sounds of weeping cease ! 
 
 Fear hath no dwelling there ! 
 Come to the mingling of repose and love. 
 Breathed by the silent spirit of the dove 
 
 Through the celestial air ! 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 115 
 
 Come to the bright and blest, 
 And crowned forever ! — 'midst that shining band. 
 Gathered to heaven's own wreath from every land 
 
 Thy spirit shall find rest ! 
 
 Thou hast been long alone ; 
 Come to thy mother ! — on the Sabbath shore, 
 The heart that rocked thy childhood back once more 
 
 Shall take its wearied one. 
 
 In silence wert thou left ! 
 Come to thy sisters !— joyously again 
 All the home-voices, blest in one sweet strain. 
 
 Shall greet their long bereft. 
 
 Over thine orphan head 
 The storm hath swept, as o'er a willow's bough ; 
 Como to thy father ! — it is finished now ; 
 
 Thy tears have all been shed. 
 
 In thy divine abode 
 Change finds no pathway, memory no dark trace ; 
 And, 0, bright victory ! — • death by love no place ! 
 
 Come, spirit, to thy God ! " 
 
 II. The doctrine which we are advocating is in 
 accordance with human reason. Although it is 
 declared that in the future life "we shall be 
 changed,'' yet we have no evidences to believe, that 
 the change will be such as to destroy all those dis- 
 tinctive features and peculiar characteristics by which 
 we recognize each other on earth. Here, after a 
 separation from our friends, for many years, during 
 which they may have passed through great changes. 
 
116 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 in appearance, manners and character, we are able 
 to know them when we meet. Even those who had 
 been our playmates in childhood are recognized in 
 old age, and we take pleasure in recalling the inci- 
 dents of our early history, and reviving associations 
 connected with the sports and studies of youth. 
 With many persons, the power of memory is so 
 great as to enable them to recall every one with 
 whom they had formed even a slight acquaintance. 
 Now, can we suppose that so noble and powerful a 
 faculty as the memory will be obliterated from the 
 mind, when we shall have passed the boundaries of 
 the grave ? Or, can we suppose that there will be 
 such a loss of every external feature, movement, 
 expression, habit of thought, and peculiarity of char- 
 acter, as will preclude the possibility of one friend's 
 knowing another? If memory is so tenacious in 
 this life, — if we regard it as an important and 
 binding duty to retain a warm affection for those 
 here Avith whom we are connected by the ties of 
 kindred, friendship or religion, — if this love is to 
 us a source of so much interest and pleasure, can 
 we suppose, for a moment, that death Avill forever 
 sever these ties, and cut off this fountain of enjoy- 
 ment? 
 
 We beUeve that our great mission, in this life, is 
 to make preparation for the next, — that we are 
 placed here to cultivate virtues which wiU be carried 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 117 
 
 to still higher perfection in another and nobler state 
 of being. And among these virtues, Ave must regard 
 not certainly as the least important, those which 
 grow out of our relations with each other. The 
 parent is prompted, by the natural instincts of the 
 heart, to love his child, and promote his welfare. 
 The child, from a sense of gratitude, is interested 
 in the parent, and, if he is faithful, does all in his 
 power to promote the parent's happiness, and make 
 some returns for the kindness received. The family 
 relation is instituted for the cultivation of the social 
 affections, and in society Ave are made dependent 
 one upon another, that mutual confidence, love and 
 benevolence, may be called into exercise. And in 
 proportion as the spirit of true piety reigns in the 
 hearts and consciences of a community, do Ave find 
 the social virtues developed. While sin tends to 
 sever every tender tie, to suppress every noble 
 impulse and generous emotion of our nature, holiness 
 promotes the groAvth of the affections, and gives a 
 sweetness and sacredness to human friendships. 
 
 Some of the most deUghtful intimacies on earth 
 have been formed between those Avho have been 
 brought together by a similarity of religious tastes 
 and feelings. Having common temptations to resist, 
 and trials to endure ; accustomed to Avorship in the 
 same sanctuary, and to mingle their prayers and 
 praises in the same social circle; called to labor 
 
118 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 together in the cause of Christ, they have formed a 
 friendship which nothing could destroy. Especially 
 where devoted Christians have been afflicted in a 
 similar manner, by the loss of dear companions or 
 children, have their sympathies dTuvm them together, 
 and produced an attacliment which has lasted to the 
 close of life. 
 
 Is it not, then, reasonable to suppose, that the 
 same religion which here so ennobles the social nature 
 of man, — which elevates and sanctifies true friend- 
 ship, — will, in a higher life, more fully develop 
 the affections, and give greater intensity to our love ? 
 In seasons of affliction, when the saint mourns the 
 loss of a devoted Christian friend, all the instincts 
 of nature, and the feelings of the heart, favor the 
 idea that the separation is only temporary, and that 
 there will be a reunion in a brighter and purer world 
 above. As the survivor lingers about the grave of 
 the departed, this hope animates the soul, and helps 
 to support it under its oppressive burden. The poet 
 has beautifully described the emotions of the afflicted 
 heart, in the following stanzas: 
 
 ** Oft weeping Memory sits alone. 
 Beside some grave, at even, 
 And calls upon some spirit flown, 
 say, shall those on earth our own 
 Be ours again in heaven? 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 119 
 
 Amid these lone, sepulchral shades. 
 
 Where sleep our dear ones riven, 
 Is not some lingering spirit near, 
 To tell if those divided here 
 
 Unite and know, in heaven? 
 
 Shall friends who o'er the TVASte of life 
 
 By the same storms are driven. 
 Shall they recount, in realms of bliss. 
 The fortunes and the tears of this. 
 
 And love again, in heaven? 
 
 When hearts which have on earth been one 
 
 By ruthless death are riven. 
 Why does the one which death has reft 
 Drag off in grief the one that 's left, 
 
 If not to meet in heaven ? 
 
 The warmest love on earth is still 
 
 Imperfect when 't is given ; 
 But there's a purer clime above. 
 Where perfect hearts in perfect love 
 
 Unite ; and this is heaven. 
 
 If love on earth is but * in part,' 
 
 As light and shade at even, 
 
 If sin doth plant a thorn between 
 The truest hearts, — there is, I ween, 
 
 A perfect love, in heaven. 
 
 0, happy world ! 0, glorious place ! 
 
 Where all who are forgiven 
 Shall find their loved and lost below, 
 And hearts, like meeting stream, shall flow. 
 
 Forever one, in heaven." 
 
 m. We would next inquire into the teachings 
 of the Holy Scriptures, upon this doctrine. 
 
 I 
 
120 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 121 
 
 1^ 
 
 While, in the Old Testament especially, there is 
 an absence of direct and unqualified declarations, 
 respecting this question, yet there are allusions and 
 expressions which indicate a belief in heavenly 
 recognition, even among the Jews. The patriarchs, 
 when dying, spoke of being gathered to their peo- 
 ple, or to their flithers, while, also, giving directions 
 respecting the burial of their bodies. Jacob, a short 
 time previous to his death, said to his sons, "I am 
 to be gathered unto my people ; bury me with my 
 fathers." Gen. xlix. 29. Then, at the close of the 
 chapter, it is recorded, "And w^hen Jacob had 
 made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered 
 up his feet into his bed, and yielded up the ghost, 
 and was gathered unto his people.'* It is said, too, 
 of Abraham, that he " gave up the ghost, and died 
 in a good old age, and w^as gathered to his people.*' 
 Isaac, also, "gave up the ghost and died, and was 
 gathered unto his people, being old and full of days ; 
 and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." Now, 
 it is obvious, from this language, that the phrase, 
 "gathered to his people," refers to something dis- 
 tinct from the burial of the body. In the case of 
 Jacob, the sacred writer goes on to state the circum- 
 stances that followed his death ; — the mourning of 
 Joseph, the embalming of the body, and the inter- 
 view with Pharaoh respecting the burial. And 
 after the Egyptians had mourned for him "three- 
 
 score and ten days," "Joseph went up to bury 
 his father." Thus, forty days after Jacob was 
 "gathered to his people," the rites of his burial 
 were performed. In his dying hour, while bidding 
 farewell to earthly scenes, and to his children, who 
 stood around him, he felt consoled by the thought, 
 that he was going to mingle with his sainted ances- 
 tors, and participate with them in the enjoyments 
 of the spirit world. 
 
 When Moses, the illustrious leader of the Children 
 of Israel, had accomplished his mission, God said to 
 him, "Get thee up unto Mount Nebo, which is in 
 the land of Moab, and die in the mount whither 
 thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people, as 
 Aaron thy brother died in Mount Ilor, and was 
 gjithered unto his people." This language cannot 
 be regarded as synonymous with "being buried with 
 his fathers;" for we are informed that Moses was 
 "buried in a valley in the land of Moab, over 
 against Beth-pcor ; but no man knoweth of his 
 sepulchre unto this day." Thus the holy patriarchs 
 and eminent seiTants of God, one after another, 
 passed away, and joined the glorious company who 
 waited at the gates of the celestial city to welcome 
 them to their everlasting home. 
 
 The opinion which we arc advocating is confirmed 
 by Jahn, in his Archaeology, § 203. He says, " The 
 Hebrews regarded life as a journey, — as a pilgrim- 
 
 11 
 
122 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 age on the face of the earth. The traveller, as 
 they supposed, when he arrived at the end of this 
 journey, which happened when he died, was received 
 into the company of his ancestors, who had gone 
 before him. * * * Opinions of this kind are the 
 origin and ground of such phrases as the following 
 To be gathered to one's people ; to go to one's 
 fathers. This visiting of the fathers has reference 
 to the immortal part, and is clearly distinguished 
 from the mere burial of the body.*' 
 
 The Psalmist David evidently believed in the 
 doctrine of heavenly recognition, and found comfort 
 in it, when bereaved of those whom he dearly loved. 
 Wliile his child was sick, and he was bowed down 
 under the weight of his affliction, he fasted and 
 w^ept, and pleaded with God to spare the life of the 
 child. But, when the child died, he arose from the 
 earth, and required his servants to set bread before 
 him, "and he did eat.'' They, astonished at his 
 conduct, sought an explanation of it, when he said, 
 " While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept ; 
 for I said, who can tell whether God will be gracious 
 to me, that the child may live ? But now he is 
 dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him 
 back again ? / shall go to him, but he shall not 
 return to me." How beautiful and touching are 
 the words of this bereaved father, who, though living 
 in the twilight of spiritual knowledge, was yet full 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 123 
 
 of confidence that he would again meet his departed 
 child ! While the object of his affections yet lived, 
 and there remained a ray of hope that he might 
 recover, he used every means in his power to save 
 him. All that the love of a father, the piety of a 
 saint, or the power of a king, could do, was done, 
 to secure the child's restoration to health. But the 
 moment that the child dies, the father plants himself, 
 with implicit faith, upon the doctrine of heavenly 
 recognition. As he gazes upon the cold, silent form, 
 of the departed, he feels that tliis is not the child, 
 but that he lives in higher and purer regions, where 
 he will one day meet him, and again hear his voice, 
 receive his smiles, and experience his love. "I 
 shall go to him." ''After the trials and toils of 
 this life are over, I shall depart, and be reunited to 
 the beloved one." 
 
 IIow many fathers, in similar circumstances, have 
 felt the consoling influence of this hope, and been 
 sustained by the anticipation of a reunion in that 
 world where there is no more pain, sickness, sor- 
 row, or death ! 
 
 The following touching verses are expressive of 
 a bereaved father's tenderness and hope. They are 
 entitled 
 
 MY CHILD. 
 
 I cannot make him dead ! 
 His fair, sunshiny head, 
 Is ever bounding round my study-chair ; 
 
124 
 
 EMBLEMS OP HEAVEN. 
 
 Yet, when my eyes, now dim 
 With tears, I turn to him. 
 The vision vanishes — he is not there ! 
 
 I walk my parlor-floor. 
 
 And, through the open door, 
 I hear a footfall on the chamber stair ; 
 
 I 'm stepping towai-d the hall. 
 
 To give the boy a call, 
 And then bethink me that — he is not there! 
 
 I know his face is hid 
 
 Under the coffin-lid ; 
 Closed are his eyes, cold is his forehead fair ; 
 
 My hand that marble felt. 
 
 O'er it in prayer I knelt. 
 Yet my heart whispers that —he is not there ! 
 
 I cannot make him dea<i ! 
 
 When passing by the bed 
 So long watched over with parental care. 
 
 My spirit and my eye 
 
 Seek it inquiringly. 
 Before the thought comes that — he is not there! 
 
 When, at the day's calm close, 
 
 Before we seek repose, 
 I'm with his mother, offering up our prayer, 
 
 Whate'er I may be saying, 
 
 I am, in spirit, praying 
 For our boy's spirit, though — he is not tliere ! 
 
 Not there ! Where, then, is he ? 
 
 — The form I used to see 
 Was but the raiment that he used to wear. 
 
 The grave, that now doth press 
 
 Upon that cast-off dress. 
 Is but his wardrobe locked ; — ^ is not there ! 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 125 
 
 He lives ! In all the past. 
 
 He lives ; nor, to the last. 
 Of seeing him again will I despair ; 
 
 In dreams I see him now. 
 
 And on his angel brow 
 I see it written, "Thou shalt see me there!'* 
 
 Yes, we all live to God ! 
 
 Fatukr, thy chastening rod 
 So help us, thine afflicted ones, to bear. 
 
 That, in the spirit land. 
 
 Meeting at thy right hand, 
 *Twill be our heaven to find that— he ifl there! 
 
 Passing from the Old Testament to the New, 
 we find satisfiictorjs though not direct evidences, of 
 the doctrine of heavenly recognition. Our blessed 
 Saviour, in his intercourse with his disciples, and 
 in the instructions which he gave to his followers, 
 seems to take it for granted, that friendships and 
 Christian ties which are formed on earth will be 
 continued and perpetuated in heaven. He often, 
 in communicating important truths, addressed the 
 social nature of man, and employed imagery drawn 
 from the family relation. God is presented to us 
 as his father and our father. He himself is our elder 
 brother. Heaven is our home, whither he has gone 
 to prepare mansions for all true believers. To com- 
 fort his disciples, when about to be separated from 
 them, he said, "Let not your heart be troubled; 
 ye believe in God, believe also in me. * * * If 
 I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again 
 
 11* 
 
126 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 127 
 
 and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there 
 ye may be also." As expressive of the intimate 
 and tender relations which he sustained to them, he 
 said, "I call you not servants, for the servant 
 knoweth not what his lord doeth ; but I have called 
 you friends, for all things that I have heard of my 
 father I have made known unto you." 
 
 In referring to the joys of heaven, he said, '' Many 
 shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit 
 down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the 
 kingdom of heaven." Here the doctrine of recoo-- 
 nition is distinctly acknowledged. The patriarchs, 
 with the saints gathered from every part of the 
 earth, are represented as feasting together, and 
 enjoying social intercourse. And if an acquaintance 
 may be formed with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 
 why may we not know the prophets, apostles, mar- 
 tyrs, the illustrious hosts of the redeemed, and those 
 pious relatives and Christian friends with whom we 
 have been associated on earth? Why may we not 
 meet there St. Paul, Stephen, John the beloved 
 disciple, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and 
 other distinguished saints? 
 
 The earnestness with which Christ urged upon 
 his foUowers the duty of loving one another, indi- 
 cates that their friendships would not terminate with 
 death. ''This is my commandment, that ye love 
 one another, as I have loved you^ The strong 
 
 if 
 
 affection and deep interest which he felt for them, 
 he required that they should feel for each other. 
 Among the Christian virtues, he set forth brotherly 
 love, as one of the most prominent. He made the 
 exercise of it an essential evidence of true faith, and 
 as vital to the perpetuity and progress of his king- 
 dom. Nor is there a more satisfactory and convinc- 
 ing proof of the genuine piety of believers, than the 
 prevalence among them of true friendship and affec- 
 tion. '' We know," says John, " that we have passed 
 from death to life, because we love the brethren. 
 He that lovcth not his brother, abideth in death." 
 Now, such being the requisitions of the gospel, 
 and such the tests of genuine religion in the soul, 
 we have every reason to believe that these strong 
 attachments w^hich are formed on earth will be con- 
 tinued in heaven ; that there our social enjoyments 
 will be carried to a high state of perfection, and that 
 contributing to the happiness of others will be a 
 prominent source of felicity thi'oughout eternity. 
 
 " The saints on earth, when sweetly they converse. 
 And the dear favors of kind Heaven rehearse, 
 Each feels the other's joys ; both doubly share 
 The blessings which devoutly they compare. 
 If saints such mutual joy feel here below, 
 When they each other's heavenly foretastes know, 
 I What joys transport them at each other's sight. 
 When they shall meet in empjTeal height ! 
 Friends, even in heaven, one happiness would miss. 
 Should they not know each otlier when in bliss." 
 
1 
 1 
 
 128 
 
 EMBLEMS OP HEAVEN. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 129 
 
 The scene which occurred upon the mount, at the 
 time of Christ's transfiguration, is full of instructions 
 in regard to the question before us. It is thus 
 described by St. Luke: "And it came to pass, 
 about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter, 
 and John, and James, and Avent up into a mountain 
 to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his coun- 
 tenance was altered, and his raiment was white 
 and glistening. And behold there talked with him 
 two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared 
 in glory, and spoke of his decease, which he should 
 accomplish at Jerusalem.'' In this scene, all who 
 were present are represented as knowing each other. 
 Although Moses and Elias had left this world at 
 periods so remote, yet they had become acquainted 
 in heaven, and now they visited together the Lord 
 of glory. They had doubtless watched the Saviour's 
 career since he had been on the earth, and had been 
 deeply interested in the progress of his mission. 
 They had witnessed his trials, sympathized with 
 him in his sufferings, and now they came to comfort 
 and strengthen him for the last tragical scenes of 
 his life. The disciples, though they were filled with 
 astonishment at what they beheld, yet felt that it 
 was delightful to be in such society. Peter ex- 
 claimed, *' Master, it is good for us to be here: let 
 us make three tiibemacles ; one for thee, one for 
 Moses, and one for Elia.s." He desired at once to 
 
 build habitations, that he might retain the illustri- 
 ous visitants, and enjoy, as long as possible, sweet 
 intercourse with them. But they soon took their 
 flight back to their glorious abode, where now Peter, 
 James and John, and all the apostles, are enjoying 
 their society ; and, instead of frail tabernacles, they 
 are dwelling in a city "that hath foundations whose 
 builder and maker is God." 
 
 The description which our Saviour gives of the 
 final judgment, is also referred to by writers upon 
 this subject, as proof of the doctrine. of heavenly 
 recognition. In answer to Peter's inquiries respect- 
 ing the reward which awaited them in the future 
 life, Christ said, "Verily, I say unto you, that ye 
 wliich have followed me in the regeneration, when 
 the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory, 
 ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the 
 twelve tribes of Israel." In this case, it is obvious 
 that if the apostles are to occupy the distinguished 
 position of judges, and discharge the duties con- 
 nected with such an office, they must know each 
 other, and those whose characters they are to 
 examine. " Whatever may be the nature of their 
 office, or in whatever manner it may be exercised, 
 it must include the knowledge of individuals, and 
 of their relation to the present world. In other 
 words, the apostles must know the persons submitted 
 to their jurisdiction to be the twelve tribes of Israel ; 
 
130 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 131 
 
 and it is equally plain that the Israelites must, on 
 the other hand, be aware that their judges are the 
 twelve apostles. But, if this be admitted, what 
 should hinder the individuals of either party from 
 becoming known to one another ? And, in the face 
 of such evidence, on what ground can the belief of 
 a general recognition amongst friends be reasonably 
 called in question ? " 
 
 The apostles, from the language which they used 
 in reference to the future life, evidently expected 
 to know each other, and those whom they had been 
 the means of converting to Christianity. They 
 regarded heaven as a place, or state, where the 
 social affections would be called into vigorous exer- 
 cise ; where the warm Christian friendships formed 
 on earth would be continued ; where they would be 
 united, not only ''to an innumerable company of 
 angels,*' but "to the general assembly and church 
 of the first born, which are Avritten in heaven, and 
 to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of 
 just men made perfect.*' They anticipated, with 
 the greatest delight, the hour when "the whole 
 family, in heaven and in earth,*' would meet in 
 their Father's house, enjoy his smiles, and bow in 
 adoration before his throne ; when, amid the bright 
 and innumerable multitude, they would recognize 
 their " elder Brother," and be permitted to cast 
 their crowns at his feet, and ascribe to him the 
 
 11 
 
 glory of their salvation ; when they w^ould together 
 gaze upon the splendors of their celestial home, and 
 enter the glorious mansions prepared for them. 
 
 In one of the passages which we have quoted, at 
 the commencement of this article, this doctrine is 
 distinctly recognized. St. Paul, in writing to the 
 Colossians, says, after referring to Christ as the hope 
 of glory, " Whom we preach, warning every man, 
 and teaching every man in all wisdom ; that we may 
 present every man perfect in CMst Jesus." From 
 this language, w^e learn that the apostle was stimu- 
 lated to be faithful in the discharge of his duties by 
 the anticipated pleasure of meeting his converts in 
 the heavenly world, and presenting them to Christ, 
 as the trophies of the power of a Saviour's love. 
 He wished to warn every man of the dangers of 
 impenitence, and the consequences of apostasy ; and 
 to teach them in all wisdom, instruct them thor- 
 oughly in the precepts and doctrines of Christianity, 
 that he might present them perfect before the 
 Redeemer's throne. 
 
 In his epistle to the Thessalonians he says, "For 
 w^hat is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing ? Are 
 not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 at his coming ? For ye are our glory and joy." 
 Ilerp the apostle distinctly affirms that those whom 
 he is instrumental in turning to righteousness will 
 be, at the coming of Christ, not only his "hope," 
 
132 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 but his ''joy and crown of rejoicing/' Macknight, 
 in his able and learned commentary on the epistles, 
 thus remarks upon this passage (page 408) : " The 
 manner in which the apostle speaks of the Thessa- 
 lonians, in this passage, shows that he expected to 
 know his converts at the day of judgment. If so, 
 we may hope to know our relations and friends 
 then. And, as there is no reason to think, that in 
 the future life we shall lose those natural and social 
 affections, which constitute so great a part of our 
 present enjoyments, may we not expect that these 
 affections, purified from everything animal and ter- 
 restrial, will be a source of our happiness in that 
 life likewise ? It must be remembered, however, 
 that, in the other world, we shall love one another, 
 not so much on account of the relation and friend- 
 ship that formerly subsisted between us, as on 
 account of the knowledge and virtue that we pos- 
 sess ; for, among rational beings, whose affections 
 will all be suited to the high state of moral and 
 intellectual perfection to which they shall be raised, 
 the most endearing relations and warmest friendsliips 
 will be those which are founded on excellence of 
 character. What a powerful consideration this, to 
 excite us to cultivate in our relations and friends 
 the noble and lasting qualities of knowledge and 
 virtue, which will prove Such a source of happiness, 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 133 
 
 to them and to us, through the endless ages of 
 eternity !'* 
 
 There are other passages, in Paul's epistles to 
 tlie Corinthians, equally decisive with those already 
 adduced. The apostles fully expected to meet in 
 heaven, not only those whom they had instructed, 
 and over whom they had exercised a pastoral watch 
 and care, but all with whom they had labored in 
 the cause of Christ. Their companions in toil and 
 suffering, — those with whom they had prayed, and 
 wept, and struggled, in efforts to build up the 
 Redeemer's kingdom, — they hoped to meet at the 
 right hand of the Majesty on high. They believed 
 that they would rejoice together in their victories, 
 and shout with rapture in view of the pleasures of 
 heavenly society that would open before them. 
 
 If we are faithful, we shall undoubtedly share 
 with them in these blessings. The pastor will meet 
 the beloved members of his flock, whom he has 
 instructed in the duties and doctrines of our holy 
 religion, and whose devotions he has led. Sabbath 
 after Sabbath, in the sanctuary. Those, especially, 
 whom he has been the means of converting, from 
 the error of their w^ays, to "the truth as it is in 
 Jesus,'' will be his joy and croAvn of rejoicing. The 
 agedt servant of God, who has for years ministered 
 at the altar, whose whitened locks and venerable 
 form indicate his nearness to the spirit world, — 
 
 12 
 
134 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 who has stood by the dying bed of one parishioner 
 after another, until an entire generation has passed 
 before him into the eternal world, — shall renew 
 his Christian friendships and sweet rehgious associa- 
 tions in another world, where there shall be no more 
 partings forever. The father who has consecrated 
 his children to God, and trained them for his ser- 
 vice, will meet those of them who have believed in 
 Jesus, amid the joys and raptures of a heavenly 
 home. The bereaved Christian mother, who has 
 laid away her infant child in the cold grave, will 
 be reunited to its angel spirit in those pure and 
 bright regions. Her feelings and hopes are sweetly 
 expressed in the following lines by Montgomery, 
 entitled 
 
 A mother's lament. 
 
 I loved thee, daughter of my heart ! 
 
 My child, I Iove«l thee dearly ; 
 And, though we only met to part, 
 
 How sweetly ! how severely ! 
 Nor life nor death can sever 
 My soul from thine forever. 
 
 Thy days, my little one, were few ; 
 
 An angel's morning visit, 
 That came and vanished with the dew, — 
 
 'Twas here, 'tis gone, — where is it? 
 Yet didst thou leave behind thee 
 A clue for love to find thee. 
 
 The eye, the lip, the cheek, the brow, 
 The hands stretched forth in gladness, 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 135 
 
 And life, joy, rapture, beauty now, 
 Then dashed with infant sadness ; 
 Till, brightening by transition, 
 Retui-ned the fairy vision. 
 
 Where are they now, — those smiles, those tears. 
 
 Thy mother's darlhig treasure? 
 She sees them still, and still she hears 
 Thy tones of pain or pleasure. 
 To her quick pulse revealing 
 Unutterable feeling. 
 
 Sarah ! my last, my youngest love. 
 
 The crown of every other ! 
 Though thou art born in heaven above, 
 I am thine only mother ; 
 Nor will aflfection let me 
 Believe thou canst forget me. 
 
 Then, — thou in heaven, and I on earth,— 
 
 May this one hope delight us. 
 That thou wilt hail my second birth. 
 When death shall reunite us. 
 Where worlds no more can sever 
 Parent and child forever ! 
 
 IV. Some persons may suggest the inquiry, 
 What views have our standard theologians enter- 
 tained upon this subject? What opinions have 
 those men held who have been most deeply imbued 
 with the spirit of Christianity, — who have devoted 
 their lives to the investigation of truth, and to whom 
 we have been accustomed to look for wisdom and 
 instruction ? 
 
 In reply, we are able to furnish the most satis- 
 
136 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 factory evidence that they not only believed in this 
 doctrine, but cherished it with the greatest fond- 
 ness, and found in it a rich source of consolation 
 and joy to their own hearts. 
 
 From among many testimonies, I would select a 
 few; and these are quoted from Ilarbaugh's able 
 and excellent work on "Heavenly Eecognition," 
 already referred to. 
 
 I. REV. DR. EDWARDS. 
 
 It is reasonable to believe that the saints shall 
 know that they had such and such a relation to 
 one another, when they were on the earth. The 
 father shall know that such a one was his child ; 
 the husband shall remember that such a one was 
 his wife ; the scriptural guide shall know that such 
 belonged to his flock ; and so all other relations of 
 persons shall be renewed and known in heaven. 
 The ground of which assertion is this, — that the 
 soul of man is of that nature that it depends not on 
 the body and sense, and, therefore, being separated, 
 knows all that it knew in the body. And, for this 
 reason, it is not to be doubted that it arrives in the 
 other world with the same desires and inclinations 
 that it had here ; so that the delights of conversa- 
 tion are continued in heaven. Friends and relations 
 are flxmiliar and free with one another, and call to 
 mind their former circumstances and concerns, in 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 137 
 
 the world, so far as they may be serviceable to 
 advance their happiness. 
 
 n. DR. GEORGE CHRISTIAN KNAPP. 
 
 According to the representations contained in the 
 Holy Scriptures, the saints will dwell together in 
 the future world, and form, as it were, a kingdom, 
 a state, of God. They will there partake of a com- 
 mon felicity. Their enjoyment will doubtless be 
 very much heightened by friendship, and by their 
 confiding intercourse with each other. We must, 
 however, separate all earthly imperfection from our 
 conceptions of this heavenly society. But that we 
 shall there recognize our former friends, and shall 
 be again associated with them, was uniformly 
 believed by all antiquity. The idea was admitted 
 as altogether rational, and as a consoling thought, 
 by the most distinguished ancient philosophers. 
 Even reason regards this as in a high degree proba- 
 ble ; but to one who believes the Holy Scriptures, 
 it cannot be a matter of doubt and conjecture. 
 
 ra. REV. JOHN DICK, D. D. 
 
 It has been asked whether, in this blessed abode, 
 the saints will know one another? One should 
 think that the question was unnecessary, as the 
 answer naturally presents itself to every man's 
 mind; and it could only have occurred to some 
 
 12* 
 
138 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 139 
 
 dreaming theologian, who, in his airy speculations, 
 has soared far beyond the sphere of reason and 
 common sense. Who can doubt whether the saints 
 will know one another ? What reason can be given 
 why they should not? Would it be any part of 
 their perfection to have all their former ideas obliter- 
 ated, and to meet as strangers, in the other w^orld ? 
 Would it give us a more favorable notion of the 
 assembly in heaven to suppose it to consist of a 
 multitude of unknown individuals, who never hold 
 communication with each other, or by some inexpli- 
 cable restraint are prevented, amidst an intimate 
 intercourse, from mutual discoveries ? Or have they 
 forgotten what they themselves were, so that they 
 cannot reveal it to their associates? What would 
 be gained by this ignorance, no man can tell; 
 but we can tell what would be lost by it. They 
 would lose all the happiness of meeting again, on 
 the peaceful shore, those from whom they were 
 separated by the storms of life ; of seeing among: 
 the trophies of divine grace many of whom they had 
 despaired, and for whose sake they had gone down 
 with sorrow to the grave; of knowing the good 
 which they had been honored to do, and being sur- 
 rounded with the individuals who had been saved by 
 means of their prayers, and instructions, and labors. 
 How could those whom he had been the instrument 
 of converting and building up in the holy faith be, 
 
 « 
 
 If 
 
 to the minister of the gospel, a crown of joy and 
 rejoicing, in the day of the Lord, if he did not 
 recognize them when standing at his side ? 
 
 IV. REV. J. W. NEVIN, D. D. 
 
 That the saints in glory shall continue to know 
 those whom they have kno^vn and loved on earth, 
 seems to me to flow necessarily from the idea 
 of their mortality itself; for this cannot be real 
 except as it includes personal identity, or a continu- 
 ation of the same consciousness. It is, moreover, 
 a strictly catholic idea, the sense of which has been 
 actively present to the mind of the church, through 
 all ages, in her doctrines of the '' Communion of the 
 Saints." This regards not merely Christians on 
 earth, but also the sainted dead, according to the 
 true word of the hymn, "The saints on earth, and 
 all the dead, but one communion make.*' But com- 
 munion implies a continuity of reciprocal knowledge 
 and affection. If death sundered absolutely the new 
 consciousness of the believer from the old, there 
 could be no real spiritual conjunction of this sort 
 between the living and the departed members of 
 Christ*s body. There is a dangerous tendency in 
 the religious world, at the present time, towards a 
 false I view of this relation, by which, in fact, the 
 dead are taken to be so dissociated from the living 
 as to have no part further in the onward movement 
 
140 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 of Christ's kingdom. But this is an error full as 
 bad, to say the least, as the old superstition of 
 invoking the saints and praying for the dead. The 
 communion of saints, now noticed, has regard, of 
 course, to the order of things between death and 
 the resurrection. But, if we are required to believe 
 that disembodied spirits, in the middle state, stiU 
 retain their interest in those they have left behind, 
 then in the mortal state, how shall we question 
 their power of recognition afterwards, in the more 
 perfect resurrection state, when those who are now 
 in two different states (and still in communion) shall 
 be all gloriously brought together again in one ? 
 
 V. REV. RICHARD BAXTER. 
 
 I must confess, as the experience of my soul, that 
 the expectation of loving my friends in heaven prin- 
 cipally kindles my love to them on earth. If I 
 thought that I should never know them, and, conse- 
 quently, never love them, after this life is ended, I 
 should in reason number them as temporal things, 
 and love them as such. But I now delight to con- 
 verse with my pious friends, in the firm persuasion 
 that I shall converse with them forever ; and I take 
 comfort in those of them that are dead or absent, as 
 believing I shall shortly meet them in heaven, and 
 love them with a heavenly love that shall there be 
 perfected. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 141 
 
 VI. DR. DODDRIDGE. 
 
 Let me be thankful for the pleasing hope, that 
 though God loves my child too weU to pennit it to 
 return to me, he will ere long bring me to it. And 
 then that endeared paternal affection, which would 
 have been a cord to tie me to earth, and have added 
 new pangs to my removal from it, will be as a golden 
 chain to draw me upwards, and add one further 
 charm and joy to paradise itself. 
 
 VU. REV. J. F. BERG, D. D. 
 
 Go where we will, we find the sentiment, that 
 friendship is perpetuated beyond the grave. It is 
 enshrined in the heart of our common humanity. 
 The pure, unsophisticated belief of the vast majority 
 of the followers of Christ is in union with the yearn- 
 ings of natural affection, which follows its object 
 through the portals of the grave into the eternal 
 world. What but this causes the Christian parent, 
 in the dying hour, to charge his beloved children to 
 prepare for a reunion before the throne of the Lamb ? 
 He desires to meet them there, and to rejoice with 
 them in the victory over sin and death. The widow, 
 bending in bitter bereavement over the grave of him 
 whom God has taken, meekly puts the cup of sorrow 
 to her lips, with the assured confidence that the 
 separation wrought by death is transient, and that 
 they who sleep in Jesus shall together inherit the 
 
142 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 1*1 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 143 
 
 rest that remaineth for the people of God. Thus 
 the wormwood and the gall are tempered by the 
 sweet balm of hope, and heaven wins the attraction 
 which earth has lost. Tell me, ye who have seen 
 the open tomb receive into its bosom the sacred trust 
 committed to its keeping, in hope of the first resur- 
 rection, — you who have heard the sullen rumblin"- 
 of the death-clods, as they dropped upon the coffin- 
 lid, and told you that earth had gone back to earth, 
 — when the separation from the object of your love 
 was realized in all the desolation of bereavement, 
 next to the thought that ere long you should see 
 Christ as he is, and be like him, was not that con- 
 solation the strongest which assured you that the 
 departed one, whom God has put from you into 
 darkness, will run to meet you, when you cross 
 the threshold of immortality, and, with the holy 
 rapture to which the redeemed alone can give utter- 
 ance, lead you to the exalted Saviour, and with you 
 bow at his feet, and cast the conqueror's cro^vn 
 before Him? 
 
 Vm. DR. THOMAS CHALMERS. 
 
 Tell us if Christianity does not throw a pleasing 
 radiance around an infant's tomb ? And should any 
 parent who hears us, feel softened by the remem- 
 brance of the light that twinkled a few short months 
 under his roof, and at the end of its little period 
 
 expired, we cannot think that we venture too far 
 when we say, that he is only to persevere in the 
 faith, and in the following of the Gospel, and that 
 very light will again shine upon him in heaven. 
 The blossom which withered here upon its stalk, 
 has been transplanted there to a place of endurance ; 
 and it will there gladden that eye which now weeps 
 out the agony of an affection which has been sorely 
 wounded ; and, in the name of Him who, if on 
 earth, would have wept along with them, do we 
 bid all believers present to sorrow, not even as 
 others which have no hope, but to take comfort in 
 the hope of that country where there is no sorrow, 
 and no separation. 
 
 Such is the language of our eminent divines 
 upon the question before us. We might add to the 
 list of witnesses in favor of the doctrine of heavenly 
 recognition, but enough has been said to exhibit the 
 views and feelings of those distinguished servants 
 of the church, in whose piety and wisdom we repose 
 the fullest confidence. 
 
 We are aware that objections have been raised 
 against our doctrine. But a sentiment so deeply 
 imbedded in the human heart, and so strongly 
 entwined around the warmest affections and sympa- 
 thies-, as this, — one that is sustained by reason and 
 by the general desire and expectation of mankind ; 
 
144 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 
 
 145 
 
 one that is recognized by Christ and his apostles, 
 and believed in by the great majority of devoted 
 Christians, and distinguished divines, — is not easily 
 to be set aside or weakened. It is our privilege to 
 cling to it, to find consolation in it in seasons of 
 bereavement, to derive comfort from it in a dying 
 hour, and to anticipate the pleasure of meeting, in 
 '' the general assembly and church of the first born,'' 
 our beloved Christian friends, and of enjoying their 
 society forever ! We shall with them wander amid 
 the bowers and streams of a heavenly paradise, walk 
 with them the golden streets of the New Jerusalem, 
 enter with them the temples dedicated to celestial 
 worship, and sing with them the songs of redeeming 
 love! 
 
 A doctrine sustained by such evidence, and so 
 full of rich consolation, should have a practical bear- 
 ing upon every Christian heart. It should lead us 
 to cultivate a warm affection, not only for those to 
 whom we are bound by natural ties, but for all the 
 disciples of Christ. It is the design of the gospel 
 to unite all mankind in one common brotherhood, 
 — to bind them together by common sympathies, 
 interests, and affections. The law under which we 
 pass our Christian lives is, "Thou shalt love thy 
 neighbor as thyself." And this law aims at the 
 destruction and annihilation of the selfish principle 
 in the human heart. It breaks down avarice, and 
 
 ^i 
 
 leads to the culture of the widest benevolence. It 
 destroys the feelings of prejudice and revenge, and 
 fills the soul with the spirit of kindness and forgive- 
 ness. It brings us, in Hict, under the dominion of 
 the principle that regulates the society of heaven. 
 If, then, we obey the law of Christianity, we shall 
 love one another, and do all in our power to pro- 
 mote each other's interests and happiness. 
 
 This doctrine is full of encouragement and stimu- 
 lus to the Christian minister. How delightful to 
 him to anticipate meeting, in the streets of the New 
 Jerusalem, those who have been saved through Ms 
 instrumentality ! To be able to witness their joys, 
 to recognize their voices in the song of redeeming 
 love, to behold them amid the splendors and glories 
 of an immortal paradise, how intense the satisfaction ! 
 How glorious to have such '' stars " in one's '' crown 
 of rejoicing"! Here is indeed a motive for faith- 
 fulness, that should arouse and thriU every pastor's 
 
 heart. 
 
 To the bereaved, this doctrine comes to heal their 
 
 wounds and soothe their anguish. It bids them 
 
 hasten their preparation for a higher life, and for 
 
 sweeter and holier Christian intercourse than this 
 
 earth can afford. Their departed Christian friends 
 
 wait, with fond anticipations of deUght, their arrival 
 
 in the spirit world. Bending over the battlements of 
 
 the celestial city, they beckon to them to come home. 
 
 13 
 
146 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 We cannot close better than by quoting the beauti- 
 ful words of Leggett, on "Eeiinion Above." 
 
 If yon bright stars, which gem the night, 
 
 Be each a blissful dwelling-sphere. 
 Where kindred spirits reunite, 
 
 Whom death hath torn asunder here. 
 How sweet it were at once to die, 
 
 To leave this blighted orb afar,— 
 Miit soul and soul, to cleave the sky. 
 
 And soar away from star to star ! 
 
 But, ! how dark, how drear and lone. 
 
 Would seem the brightest world of bliss, 
 If, wandering through each radiant one. 
 
 We faUed to find the loved of this ! 
 If there no more the ties shall twine. 
 
 Which death's cold hand alone could sever. 
 Ah, then those stars in mockery shine. 
 
 More hateful as they shine forever ! 
 
 It cannot be! — each hope, each fear. 
 
 That lights the eye or clouds the brow. 
 Proclaims there is a happier sphere 
 
 Than this bleak world that holds us now. 
 There is a voice which sorrow hears. 
 
 When heaviest weighs life's galling chain. 
 'Tis heaven that whispers, ♦« Dry your tears ; 
 
 The pure in heart shall meet again. 
 
 • •: V . • 
 
 • I 
 
 
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 • 1 1 I 
 
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 III* 
 
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VII. 
 
 NO MORE SEA. 
 ** And there was no more sea." — REVELAnoN xxi. 1. 
 
 This remarkable declaration has excited the atten- 
 tion and curiosity of many of the readers of the 
 Apocalypse. The inquiry has been made, why a 
 circumstance like this should appear in a heavenly 
 vision, and be deemed of sufl&cient importance to be 
 recorded by an inspired pen. In the hints and 
 descriptions which are given of the future world, it 
 is not always easy to determine what is to be taken 
 literally, and what figuratively; and this difficulty 
 has occasioned, in a great measure, the diversity of 
 opinion which prevails respecting the meaning of 
 various passages relating to this subject. 
 
 But, whatever may be the precise import of these 
 words, they suggest to the mind several features of 
 " the new heavens and new earth,'' upon which we 
 may meditate with pleasure and benefit. 
 
 In the first place, we learn from this language, 
 that there will be, in that blessed abode, no changes 
 or vicissitudes in the condition of the saints. 
 
148 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 The sea is the emblem of change. It is never 
 perfectly at rest. The ebb and flow of the tides, 
 the various currents passing thi-ough it, the changes 
 in the temperature of the atmosphere, keep it con- 
 stantly in motion. It fluctuates with every passing 
 breeze, yields to every impression, and is disturbed 
 by a thousand different causes. At one moment it 
 lies perfectly calm and placid, with not a ripple 
 upon its bosom ; — its silvery surface reflects every 
 object along the shore. It is a mirror to tlie skies, 
 to the pale moon, the stars, and the clouds. It 
 seems, at such an hour, the emblem of peace ami 
 security. It in\-ites the voyager to tmst to its 
 waters, and to float quietly upon its placid bosom. 
 But soon a change steals over the scene. The 
 breeze springs up, and slightly agitates the waters. 
 A dark cloud is seen rising in tlie distant horizon. 
 The muttering of an approaching storm is heard. 
 Dim shadows begin to fdl the air, and the howl 
 of the tempest breaks the silence of the Iiour. 
 How rapidly, now, does the beauty of tlie scene 
 change to wild sublimity ! How sudden the trans- 
 ition from security to the most imminent danger, — 
 from feelings of delightful aihuiration to indescrib- 
 able terror! 
 
 As such, the sea affords a viAid picture of human 
 life. Change, instabiUty and disappointment, are 
 inscribed upon everything peri;aining to our earthly 
 
 so MOKE SEA. 
 
 149 
 
 existence. The hopes and prospects of the individ- 
 ual fluctuate. A thousand invisible influences are 
 working upon hiui, aflccting his character, mould- 
 ing his opinions, and strengthening or weakening 
 go'^d principles. The Christian is at one time on 
 the mount, in the enjoyment of perfect serenity. 
 The pure atmosphere around liim diffuses tlirough 
 liis system the glow of spiritual health. He gazes 
 with delight upon the wide and beautiful prospect 
 that opens before him. But the next hour he is 
 in the valley, oppressed with cruel doubts and dis- 
 tressing fears. His bright hopes have aU fled. The 
 beautiful prospect is shut out from his view, and 
 the niountaias, that had lifted him to the skies, 
 become a dark rampart around him. 
 
 FamUics, too, arc subject to constant changes. 
 Not a day nor an hour passes in which some circle 
 is not broken by death. The tonderest ties are 
 severed ; the fondest anticipations of happiness are 
 suddenly blasted. The father who but yesterday 
 gazed with pride and affection upon his fair boy, 
 participating in his sports, and rejoicmg in his 
 progress and culture, to-day follows his cold remains 
 to the silent grave. The wife, by one fatal stroke, 
 is deprived of her companion and protector, and is 
 left to battle life's stem reaUties alone. 
 
 Communities and nations are constantly changing. 
 From our churches, from the marts of business, and 
 13* 
 
150 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 the halls of pleasure, multitudes are daily withdraw- 
 ing, while others are stepping in to take their places. 
 Upon the throngs that we encounter in the streets, 
 upon the crowds that gathered to listen to the elo- 
 quence of the orator or the sweet strains of music, 
 upon the mightiest armies and most densely popu- 
 lated cities, there is written, "passing away." 
 
 The continents are covered with the monuments 
 and burial-places of dead empires. As one wave 
 follows another upon the sea, so generation follows 
 generation, each in its turn breaking and dashing 
 upon the shores of eternity. 
 
 The moral condition of the world has been 
 emphatically one of change. It has been like a 
 restless, boisterous ocean, with its dangerous cur- 
 rents, its quicksands, fatal rocks and fearful whirl- 
 pools. Strong temptations, violent passions, and the 
 influx of various forms of error and infidelity, have 
 spread their disturbing influences over the entire 
 moral world. 
 
 But, in the vision that St. John had of the new 
 heavens and the new earth, he tells us " there was 
 no more sea." All there is permanent, and unalter- 
 ably settled. Not a wave or ripple ever agitates 
 the surface of celestial purity and felicity. The 
 saints, having passed through their last great change, 
 know no other change but progress in hoHness a'nd 
 happiness. Their mansions are neither built upon 
 
 NO MORE SEA. 
 
 151 
 
 the sand nor float upon treacherous billows, but 
 rest upon the solid rock. No more doubts shake 
 their faith ; no more currents of worldly influences 
 impede their progress in the divine life ; no more 
 weary watchings for the beacon-lights of hope are 
 endured. The dim visions of future happiness have 
 opened into glorious reaUties. The voyage of human 
 life is passed, and the happy spirits have reached 
 the haven of rest. They enjoy the protection and 
 blessing of the " Father of lights, with whom is no 
 variableness, neither shadow of turning." 
 
 In the next place, the sea reminds us of priva- 
 tions, trials and hardships, none of which are experi- 
 enced in the heavenly world. What multitudes, 
 upon the ocean, are cut off from the refined enjoy- 
 ments of social life, the blessings of domestic inter- 
 course, and the privileges of Christian worship. No 
 sacred temples line the pathways upon the ocean ; 
 no Sabbath church-bell summons the mariner to the 
 holy sanctuary. The voice of the preacher, the stir- 
 ring notes of praise, the swell of the organ, reach 
 not" his ears. Arduous duties may claim his atten- 
 tion, or great dangers may surround him, during the 
 hallowed hours of public prayer and worship. Thus, 
 deprived of the religious advantages and aids enjoyed 
 by othei-s, he often has no God to worsliip, no altar 
 before which he bows, no Saviour in whom he trusts, 
 no Holy Spirit to enlighten, comfort and bless him. 
 
152 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 Nor is he any more Hivorod in iiitelleetu«al advan- 
 tages. Xo institution of learning offers its treasures 
 of knowledge to those whose home is on the sea. 
 There is, indeed, upon the ocean, an education that 
 is in many respects peculiar, and in some sublime. 
 The dark, rolling waves, as they rise from their 
 unfathomed cavern homes, tell of Ilis power *'who 
 hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand.'' 
 The wide expanse, stretching in every direction as 
 far as the eye can reach, teaches the infinitude of 
 the divine Being. The midnight tempest announces, 
 in solemn and awful tones, that there is a Sovereign 
 above, in whose estimation *'the nations are as a 
 drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust 
 of the balance.'' Everjrthing around the mariner 
 teaches him of the power and majesty of Jehovah ; 
 and would he but listen, he might hear voices that 
 would instruct him in his duty and his destiny. But 
 there are other educational influences that too often 
 obtain the mastery over him. Confined to a com- 
 panionship that is hostile not only to mental devel- 
 opment, but to moral culture, — deprived of those 
 healthful stimulants and religious restraints that sur- 
 round others, — he has but little chance of escaping 
 the debasement of his intellectual powers, and the 
 destruction of his moral principles. 
 
 These privations and dangers, inseparable from a 
 life at sea, occasion the deepest anxieties, and often 
 
 NO MORE SEA. 
 
 153 
 
 keenest sorrows, upon the land. Here is a mother 
 whose son is far away upon the mighty deep. With 
 what strong affection and intense solicitude does she 
 follow her boy, in his pathless track upon the waves ! 
 Perhaps he is an only child, and one in whom all 
 the hopes of a fond mother centre. In the quiet 
 hours of night, when past scenes crowd around the 
 memory, and stand before the mind as present reali- 
 ties, she thinks of him, prays for him, pleads with 
 the God of the ocean to protect him. She reflects 
 upon the care with which he was cherished in 
 infancy, — the interest w^ith which she w^atched his 
 opening faculties and powers, — the toil and patience 
 expended in planting in him right principles, and 
 qualifying him for usefulness and happiness. All 
 the incidents of his departure rise up before her 
 imagination. His preparation for the voyage, his 
 enterprise, his noble bearing, liis last farew^ell, — the 
 tear of affection, that, in spite of his efforts, started 
 in his eye, as he grasped a mother's hand, — come 
 thronging around her memory ; and in that hallowed 
 hour she tries to picture to herself his situation. 
 Perhaps he is exposed to powerful temptations, and 
 all her care and labor to fortify him, in early life, 
 against such assaults, are to be sacrificed in one fatal 
 hour. Perhaps he is lying in his narrow, gloomy 
 apartment, prostrated by severe sickness, with no 
 kind friend to cool his fevered brow, no mild voice 
 
154 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO MORE SEA. 
 
 155 
 
 to whisper words of encouragement and hope. Per- 
 haps he is encountering his first storm at sea, and 
 his young heart throbs as its fierce howl sweeps by 
 him. Perhaps he is aloft, striving with one hand 
 to lash to the yard the fluttering sail, while with the 
 other he clings for his life to the treacherous rope. 
 He is, at least, far away ; and, whatever dangers 
 may surround him, she cannot go to him, — cannot 
 help him, except by her prayers. 
 
 How many have fathers upon the sea, whom they 
 revere and love, — whose toils they would gladly 
 lighten, whose dangers they would gladly share ! 
 When bowing around the family altar, they remem- 
 ber him. Wliile engaged in their daily duties, they 
 tliink of his kindness, and of the tokens of his love 
 that he has brought from distant climes. In every 
 disaster or ship^vreck of which they read, their 
 thoughts revert to him, with the hope that he is 
 safe. The possibility tliat he is exposed to dangers, 
 — that they may never see liim again, — may no 
 more experience his warm greetings, — comes like 
 an arrow to the heart. 
 
 How many have beloved companions upon the 
 ocean, concerning whom the deepest anxiety is felt ! 
 For a long time, no tidings of the absent have been 
 received. Days, weeks and months, drag heavily 
 on, leaving behind them only hope. A heart full 
 of affection is kept in cruel suspense. A wreck has 
 
 I 
 
 been seen. Perhaps it is all that remains of the 
 missing ship and its gallant crew. The e\idences 
 for and against this opinion are weighed with scru- 
 pulous exactness. Every circumstance is examined 
 with the most intense and painful interest. And 
 not unfrequently the mind for years is kept in a 
 state more agonizing, and more wasting to the 
 spirits, than would be produced by a knowledge of 
 the certain death of the departed. 
 
 How little, after hearing of a wTCck, and of the 
 sad fate of all on board the ship, do w^e realize that 
 there were sons, fathers and husbands, in that strug- 
 gling, gasping group, — that those lifeless forms 
 were bound to friends by ties as strong and tender 
 as those that unite us to the dearest objects of our 
 affection ! How little do we think of the families, 
 in different towns and villages, to whom the an- 
 nouncement of the wreck comes as a thunderbolt, 
 — whose sighs, and tears, and habiliments of mourn- 
 ing, tell where the lightning of affliction has struck ! 
 
 Is there not a depth and intensity of meaning, to 
 such, in the declaration of St. John, that in the 
 lieavenly world there is no more sea, — no more 
 separation from dear friends, — no more nights of 
 weary watchings and deep agony, — no more start- 
 ling intelligence of the loss of those we love? 
 
 The sea is the emblem of all life's trials. Its 
 ceaselessly rolling billows shadow forth the agitations 
 
156 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 of many hearts. Its roar is the echo of the groans 
 of an afflicted world. Its perils are emblematic of 
 the moral dangers that sun^ound the soul of man. 
 We are all upon the ocean. EA'ery human being 
 has his voyage to make, his dangers to encounter. 
 Many a dark wave lies between us and the haven 
 of rest. We have barks freighted with more precious 
 substances than silver or gold. The merchant may 
 lose his ships. The sea may engulf his property, 
 and leave him a bankrupt. This is a calamity. But 
 greater calamities threaten many voyagers now sail- 
 ing upon the ocean of life. They are attempting to 
 make the pjissage without noticing the compass, 
 whose needle points to the throne of God, and with 
 no pilot at the helm. They seldom consult their 
 chart, that marks out the only course by which they 
 can reach the celestial city, — that indicates the 
 rocks and dangers of the way. They heed not the 
 beacon-lights held forth by patriarchs, prophets and 
 apostles. Though the forms of these holy messen- 
 gers may be seen moving along the shore, with 
 torches in their hands, — though their voices may be 
 heard amid the roar of the waters, warning the care- 
 less mariner of the dangers that surround him, plead- 
 ing with him to escape the wild breakers that have 
 swallowed up thousands of hiunan beings, — yet he 
 heeds them not. Bent upon his pleasures, absorbed 
 by his schemes for transient good, he thinks that it 
 
 NO MORE SEA. 
 
 157 
 
 -will be time enough to arouse himself when the 
 peril is more apparent. He sees that his ship is 
 strong. Every timber is sound ; every plank is 
 bolted with iron. He looks above, and every mast, 
 spar, sail and rope, is in its place. What need of 
 alarm, when everything appears so secure ? Thus 
 reasons the man in health and prosperity. But 
 suddenly the alarming tidings ring through the 
 cabin, that the ship has struck, and is fast upon the 
 rocks. Now, in the panic of the hour, the voyager 
 runs to liis chart ; but tliis cannot help liim. He 
 looks at his compass ; but it points whither he can- 
 not go. He seizes the helm ; but its power is gone. 
 He pleads for deliverance ; but there comes from the 
 shore a voice, "Too late." He lifts his agonizing 
 cry to God for mercy ; but he hears the dreadful 
 response, " Ye have set at naught all my counsel, 
 and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh 
 at your calamity ; I will mock when your fear 
 cometh." 
 
 ! is it not a blessed announcement, that there 
 is a world where no such moral danger will sur- 
 round the soul, — where no waves of temptation 
 will roll over us, and no sea of sorrow endanger our 
 hopes or our happiness? 
 
 In the next place, we are assured, by the declar- 
 ation before us, that no storms will arise in the home 
 of the blessed. 
 
 14 
 
158 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO MORE SEA. 
 
 159 
 
 The sea is emphatically the theatre of storms. 
 Here they rage with their greatest fiiry, and pro- 
 duce the most marked and terrific results. How 
 frail an object is the stoutest ship, when in the fatal 
 grasp of an ocean tempest ! With what speed it is 
 driven before the resistless force of the wind ! How 
 easily the billows sport with it, tossing it from wave 
 to wave, as though it were but a feather! The 
 stroke of a single surge makes every timber tremble, 
 and causes the vessel to quiver like an aspen-leaf. 
 I need not describe a storm at sea. Its violence, 
 its awful grandeur and disastrous effects, have oft 
 been told. The piercing, maddened winds ; the 
 Avild, foaming surges ; the lurid lightning, the crash- 
 ing thunder, the reeling of the ship like a dnmken 
 man, the strained and cracking ropes, the bending 
 masts, falling spars, rent and torn sails, the cold 
 mist that fdls and darkens the air, the consternation 
 of rapidly-beating hearts, the dread, horrible sus- 
 pense of the hour, — all these are familiar to the 
 reader. I have read of Christian voyagers who 
 have said that they never knew the full meaning 
 of the apostle's declaration until they had experi- 
 enced a storm at sea. And not a few, going down 
 into the dark waters, have derived great comfort 
 from the assurance that in the heavenly world there 
 is no more sea. There, serene skies, an unclouded 
 atmosphere and perfect peace, forever reign. The 
 
 I 
 
 saint, instead of gazing upon a wild waste of waters, 
 is surrounded with the splendors of celestial cities. 
 Instead of the roar of midnight tempests, the music 
 from angelic choirs, and from the worshipping mul- 
 titude around the throne, thrills his soul. 
 
 Yet these storms have their mission. Kightly 
 viewed, they are the messengers of Jehovah, sent 
 to proclaim his indignation towards our sinful race. 
 They indicate that this panting, groaning earth, 
 lies under the curse of its Creator. They are 
 designed to restrain man in his wickedness, — to 
 remind him of the laws of the supreme Sovereign, 
 which he is so ready to break, and to warn him of 
 more terrible disasters that await the impenitent in 
 another life. 
 
 Were it consistent with the principles of God's 
 moral administration, he would not inflict upon one 
 of his creatures the slightest pain or sorroAV. Not 
 a storm would arise ; not a wreck would be found 
 upon the sea ; no calamity would be experienced. 
 But his authority has been resisted ; his laws have 
 been broken and trampled under foot ; and by storms, 
 earthquakes, pestilence and death, he is teaching 
 the world that he is still a sovereign, — that he has 
 not abdicated his throne, and has no intention of 
 abdicating. He is endeavoring to convince man that 
 it is not for his interest to provoke his wrath ; but 
 that it is the part of wisdom to yield to his author- 
 
1 
 
 i 
 
 160 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 ity, and seek his favor. He also assure*? n«! that it 
 is his ardent desire to receive his children to the 
 happiness and glory of heaven, as soon as it can he 
 done consistently with the claims of justice, and tlio 
 interests of his moral kingdom. He infinitely prt*- 
 fers to treat us as a kind Father, than to do;d witli 
 us as an arbitrary Sovereign ; and, in the fulness of 
 his love, he makes proclamation that there is a world 
 where there is no more pain or son-ow, — where 
 "all tears shall be wiped away." 
 
 The last point that we would notice is, that in 
 heaven there is no sea to furnish a burial-place for 
 the dead. Since the beginning of the world, what 
 vast multitudes have been deposited in the scamnn's 
 church-yard! Though no tolling bell has called 
 together sympathizing friends, though no green sod 
 has opened to receive them, and no quiet grove 
 im-ited them to rest beneath its shadows, yet they 
 have had their funeral services. The winds have 
 sung their requiem, the waves have furnished a 
 winding-sheet, and coral monuments mark their rest- 
 ing-places. Generation after generation have sunk 
 in the dark waters, and now wait the summons of 
 the last trumpet-peal. Multitudes more will follow 
 them, and go down to sleep beside them. 
 
 Mrs. Ilemans has beautifully described a wreck 
 and death at sea, in the following toucliing words : 
 
 NO MOKE SEA. 
 
 All niglit the booming minute-gun 
 
 Had pealed along the deep, 
 And mournfully the rising sun 
 
 Looked o'er the tide-worn steep. 
 A bark, from India's coral strand. 
 
 Before the raging blast, 
 Uad veiled her topsails to the sand, 
 
 And bowed her noble mast. 
 
 The queenly ship ! brave hearts had striven 
 
 And true ones dieil with her ! — 
 We saw her mighty cable riven. 
 
 Like floating gossamer. 
 We saw her proud flag struck that morn, 
 
 A star once o'er the seas, — 
 Her anchor gone, her deck uptorn, 
 
 And sadder things than these. 
 
 We saw the strong man still and low, 
 
 A crushed recti thrown aside ; 
 Yet, by that rigid lip and brow. 
 
 Not without strife he died. 
 And near him on the sea-weed lay, — 
 
 Till then we had not wept, — 
 But well our gushing hearts might say. 
 
 That there a mother slept ! 
 
 For her pale arms a babe had pressed. 
 
 With such a wreathing grasp. 
 Billows had dashed o'er that fond breast. 
 
 Yet not undone tlic clasp. 
 Her very tresses had been flung 
 
 To wrap the fair child's form, 
 Where still then wet, long streamers hung. 
 
 All tangled by the storm. 
 
 And, beautiful 'midst that wild scene. 
 Gleamed up tlic boy's dead face, 
 
 14* 
 
 161 
 
i 
 
 162 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 Like slumbers trustingly serene. 
 
 In melancholy grace. 
 Deep in her bosom lay his head. 
 
 With half-shut \iolet eye ; — 
 He had known little of her dread. 
 
 Naught of her agony ! 
 
 O, human love, whose yeaminf:^ heart. 
 
 Through all things vainly true, 
 60 stamps upon thy mortal part 
 
 Its passionate adieu. 
 Surely thou hast another lot, — 
 
 There is some home for thee, 
 "Where thou shalt rest, remembering not 
 
 The moaning of the sea ! 
 
 Yes, there is a home, far above all ocean tempests, 
 — a home where the death-chill from cold waters 
 will never be experienced ! 
 
 At the appointed hour, the sea shall give up its 
 dead. Coral tombs, and "the giant caverns of the 
 unfathomed ocean,*' will resign their charge ; and 
 this corruption shall put on incorruption, and this 
 mortal be clothed with immortality. Then may the 
 glorified saints, having reached the haven of peace, 
 cast their anchors within the vail, and feel secure 
 from all danger. 
 
 "0, for a breeze of heavenly love. 
 To waft my soul away 
 To the celestial world above, 
 Where pleasures ne'er decay ! 
 
 From rocks of pride on either hand, 
 From quicksands of despair, 
 
 NO MORK SEA. 
 
 O, guide me safe to Canaan's land. 
 Through every fatal snare ! 
 
 Anchor me in that port above. 
 
 On that celestial shore. 
 Where dashing billows never move, 
 
 Where tempests never roar !" 
 
 163 
 
VIII. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 *'And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the 
 Lamb are the temple of it." — Revelation xxi. 22. 
 
 A TEMPLE on the earth is the sjnibol of \vorshi[). 
 It indicates that God is not forgotten, and that the 
 apostasy of mankind is not universal. Though tlie 
 dark clouds of sin have long overshadowed many 
 nations; though the multitude have said in their 
 hearts " There is no God ;'' though crime, treachery, 
 cruelty and oppression, have fdled the earth, — yet, 
 in all ages, some have retained the spirit of worship, 
 and adhered to the principles of a true and liviri"- 
 faith. They have had their altars, upon which they 
 have- offered the sacrifice of broken and contrite 
 hearts; their sanctuaries, where they have often 
 knelt in prayer, and poured forth the song of praise ; 
 their temples, with whose services the sweetest 
 hours and tenderest associations of life are con- 
 nected, f 
 
 " Speak low ! the place is holy to the breath 
 Of awful hannonief^, of whispered prayer ; 
 Tread lightly ! for the sanctity of death 
 lirooda with a voiceless influence on the air ; 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 165 
 
 Stem, yet serene ; a reconciling spell. 
 Each trouble<l billow of the soul to quell. 
 
 Leave me to linger silently a while ! 
 
 — Not for the light that pours its fervid streams 
 Of rainbow glory down through arcli aiul aisle. 
 
 Kindling old banners into haughty gleams, 
 Flushing proud shrines, or, by some warrior's tomb. 
 Dying away in clouds of gorgeous gloom ; 
 
 Not for rich music, though in triumph pealing. 
 Mighty as forest sounds when winds are high ; 
 
 Nor yet for torch, and cross, and stole, revealing. 
 Through incense-mists, their sainted pageantry ; — 
 
 Though o'er the spirit each hath charm and power. 
 
 Vet not for these I ask one lingering hour ; 
 
 But by strong sympathies, whose silver chord 
 Links me to mortal weal, my soul Ls bound ; 
 
 Thoughts of the human hearts that here have poured 
 llieir anguish forth are with me and around. 
 
 0, that within my heart I could but keep 
 
 Holy to Heaven a spot thus pure, and still, and deep ! " 
 
 To the ancient Jews, the temple at Jerusalem 
 was an object of the most profound veneration. It 
 stood, not only as the s}Tnbol of their faith, but as 
 the monument of their exalted privileges, and the 
 pledge of the special favor and protection of Heaven. 
 Its towers greeted the sun in his rising, and flashed 
 back the tints of a gorgeous western sky. Its light 
 streamed over the mountains and plains of Judea, 
 and gaiided the tribes of Israel, as they came up, 
 from distant cities and villages, to worship. To the 
 
160 
 
 EMBLEMS OF JIEAVEN. 
 
 faitliful, it was the gateway to the celestial city. 
 Its music prepared their spirits for the melody of 
 angels, and the songs of the redeemed on high. Its 
 ceremonies shadowed forth the more splendid and 
 august services of heavenly w^orship. Generation 
 after generation passed by it, on their way to the 
 eternal world, catching the spirit of its devotion 
 and hallowed associations, and receiving the impress 
 of its faith. From the portals of the holy city there 
 went forth constantly a voice, "Pray for the peace 
 of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee.'' 
 And as the tribes took their departure, they echoed 
 back the benediction, "Peace be within thy walls, 
 and prosperity within thy palaces. Because of the 
 house of the Lord our God, we will seek thy good.'* 
 But, costly and splendid as was this temple, 
 imposing as were its services, and delightful and 
 hallowed as were the associations that clustered 
 around it, yet the Messiah came to make known a 
 purer worship, even, on the earth. In his conversa- 
 tion with the Samaritan woman he said, " The hour 
 cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor 
 yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. For God is 
 a spirit, and they that worship him must worship 
 him in spirit and in truth.'' The Samaritans had 
 erected their temple upon Mount Gerizim, and they 
 contended that from this spot, w^orship should be 
 rendered to Jehovah. When they, morning and 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 16' 
 
 evening, offered prayer, they turned their faces 
 towards the sacred mountain, deeming this essential 
 to the acceptimce of their devotions. Indeed, we 
 may regard the mountains of Canaan as the conse- 
 crated temples of Jehovah ; for upon their summits 
 God met his devoted serv^ants, and made to them 
 the most brilliant and magnificent displays of his 
 power. Perhaps he selected them because their bold 
 features, and striking grandeur, rendered them fit 
 places for worship, and because they would ser\'e as 
 monuments to perpetuate his visits, and the revela- 
 tion of his will to man. Their solitude, also, — 
 ])eing far removed from the noise of business, the 
 hum of human voices, and the tread of human foot- 
 steps, — rendered them suitable for communion with 
 the Great Spirit that hovered around them. 
 
 *« Spirit ! whose life-sustaining presence fills 
 Air, ocean, central depths by man untried, 
 Thou for thy worshippers hast sanctified 
 All place, all time ! The silence of the hills 
 Breathes veneration ; founts and choral rills 
 
 Of thee are murmuring ; to its inmost glade 
 The living forest with thy whisper thrills, 
 And there is holiness on every shade.** 
 
 Among these natural temples, Mount Sinai stands 
 conspicuous, lifting its majestic form towards the 
 skies, and echoing, to this hour, the solemn voices 
 that Moses heard upon its summit. As a temple 
 
168 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IX HEAVEN. 
 
 169 
 
 standing alone in the wilderness, and as an historic 
 monument that marks an important epoch in the 
 pilgrimage of God's chosen people, is it an object 
 of thrilling interest. Its awful worship broke the 
 silence that for ages had reigned over the desert. 
 Its deep music startled the multitude whose white 
 tents filled the suiTounding plains and valleys. 
 They came forth to gaze, and wonder, and worship. 
 ^Vmid the imposing services of the hour, they per- 
 ceived the approach of Jehovah, to communicate 
 his laws to uumkind. Ilis tread causes the moun- 
 tain to tremble, and fills with awe and dread the 
 vast throng of vrorshippers. They perceive the 
 lightning fiashes of his eye, and hear, with faint 
 hearts, the thunder of his voice. A cloud envelops 
 lum, and rests upon the dome of the great temple. 
 As the peals of thunder cease, and their echoes die 
 away amid the distant hills, — as the silence of 
 death spreads over the people, — a voice proceeds 
 from the cloud, and the great Preacher utters his 
 commands, aud reveals his will to mankind ! 
 
 Mount Moriah is also a temple consecrated to wor- 
 ship ; for thither the patriarch Abraham went to ofler, 
 as a sacrifice, his son, in obedience to the divine com- 
 mand. Upon it he erected a rude altar, every stone 
 of which was a witness of his faith and his confi- 
 dence in Jehovah. The passing breeze carried the 
 tidings of his devotion to the sun^ounding nations. 
 
 And though, by the timely interference of an angel 
 messenger, his son was spared, yet he virtually 
 oflered upon that altar the warm affections of a 
 father's heart, and the fond expectations which he 
 had cherished, that in his seed all the nations of 
 the earth would be blessed. In after ages, the tem- 
 ple of Solomon arose, under the shadow of the sacred 
 mountain ; and though that splendid structure has 
 fulfilled its mission and passed away, — though the 
 holy city, with its ancient palaces and towers, has 
 crumbled, — yet this temple remains an enduring 
 monument of the patriarch's faith. 
 
 Mount Carmel is also associated with worship, 
 and with the manifestations of Jehovah's power. 
 Upon this proud eminence, the prophet Elijah minis- 
 tered at an altar dedicated to the true God. Having 
 assembled a vast multitude, who had denied the 
 faith of Israel, and bowed the knee to Baal, he 
 appears to vindicate the claims of Jehovah to their 
 reverence and worship. With his venerable form 
 wrapped in his mantle, with a countenance beaming 
 with devotion, and with a heart full of confidence 
 in God, he enters upon the ser^dces of the hour. 
 lie lifts up his voice in earnest prayer, "Lord God 
 of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob, let it be known 
 this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am 
 thy servant, and that I have done all these things 
 at thy word. Hear me, O God, hear me, that this 
 
 15 
 
170 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 people may know that thou art the Lord God, and 
 that thou hast turned their heart back again.'* This 
 supplication the God of Israel hears and answers ; 
 and as the fire descends and consumes the sacrifice, 
 the vast audience respond, " The Lord he is the 
 God; the Lord he is the God." 
 
 There are other mountain temples scattered through 
 the Holy Land, which are intimately associated with 
 the worship and faith of past ages. But our great 
 High Priest has appeared, and declared 'Uhat the 
 hour cometh, and now is," when neither in the 
 mountain, nor at Jerusalem, shall men worship. For 
 God is a Spirit, everywhere present, "and they that 
 worship him, must worship him in spirit and in 
 truth." 
 
 The ancient dispensation, with its rites and cere- 
 monial forms, existed but to prepare the way for a 
 new and more spiritual system. And Christ appears 
 to introduce this system, — to prepare us for the 
 purer and nobler worship of that celestial city, con- 
 cerning which St. John declares, ''I saw no temple 
 therein ; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, 
 are the temple of it." 
 
 In considering this announcement, we would in- 
 quire why the apostle, in the New Jerusalem of 
 which he had so splendid a vision, saw no temple, 
 since, in the holy city, with which he had been so 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 171 
 
 long familiar, the temple was the most conspicuous 
 object. 
 
 One reason which we would assign is, that the 
 worship in heaven is universal, while that upon 
 earth is limited and local. Here, such is the power 
 and extent of human wickedness, that the Deity 
 can make only occasional and local manifestations 
 of his glory. Of the multitudes who have crowded 
 this planet, but few, comparatively, have had any 
 knowledge of the true God, or any desire to worship 
 him. At the time that John wrote, from among 
 all the cities of the earth, but one was formally and 
 specially set apart for the worship of the true God. 
 The great majority were given over to idolatry, 
 Anth its debasing rites and revolting superstitions. 
 From among all the temples erected upon the 
 earth, for religious services, but one was consecrated 
 as the residence of the Deity. Amid the darkness 
 that covered the earth, and the gross darkness that 
 enveloped the people, there was but one divine 
 Shekinah, — one spot bright with the divine efiul- 
 gence, and radiant with the divine glory. But in 
 heaven all is light, and beauty, and splendor. The 
 glories of the Deity are confined to no locality, are 
 limited to no class ; but spread over every city and 
 kingdom in the vast empire of Jehovah. There 
 is one universal " Holy of holies." 
 
 Yet, we cannot but view the Jewish temple with 
 
I 
 
 172 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 "1 ^o 
 
 iO 
 
 emotions of thrilling interest and profound venera- 
 tion. As the residence of the Deity ; as the 
 depository of the great truths uttered by patriarchs 
 and prophets, and of the historical records of the 
 church ; as the focus towards which all the divine 
 attributes converged, and from which streamed forth 
 the divine light that saved the world from a total 
 eclipse, under the vast systems of idolatry and athe- 
 ism ; as the type of a more spiritual system, yet 
 to be developed ; as shadowing forth, in its cere- 
 monial services, a purer and loftier worship in the 
 future world, — it is entitled to our highest rever- 
 ence and warmest admiration. We do not wonder 
 that, to a Jewish mind, it w^as associated with every- 
 thing sacred, venerable, and honorable. Wlierever 
 the Hebrew^ might wander, he carried with him the 
 image of the temple imprinted on his heart ; and 
 in his hour of prayer, he would turn towards it, that 
 his supplications might ascend, w^ith the incense of 
 its devotion, to heaven. If he desired intimate 
 communion with Jehovah, he sought it in his holy 
 temple. If his heart was filled wdth gratitude for 
 mercies received, he went up to the temple with his 
 offerings to the Lord. To its sacrifices he looked 
 for the expiation of his guilt. Upon its priests he 
 depended for wise counsel, and for the messages of 
 Jehovah. 'When contemplating his exalted privi- 
 leges, and the glory of his religion, his enthusiasm 
 
 I 
 I 
 
 would find utterance in the exclamation, "Beauti- 
 ful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount 
 Zion.'' When impressed with the stability and per- 
 petuity of his faith, he would break forth in the 
 language of the Psalmist, "Walk about Zion, and 
 go round about her ; tell the towers thereof. Mark 
 ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces. For 
 tliis God is our God forever ; he will be our guide 
 even unto death.'* 
 
 But how shall we describe, or even conceive of 
 the worship above, of which this temple, with its 
 lofty architecture, and gorgeous decorations, and 
 imposing solemnities, is but a faint shadow ? How 
 shall we climb to the summits of the mountains that 
 are round about the New Jerusalem, and gaze upon 
 the worship of a city that has no temple, — a city 
 that needs "no candle, neither the light of the 
 sun,'' but is filled with the effulgence of the Deity ? 
 How can we gain a position w^here we can hear 
 the peals of its organs, and the melody of its choirs, 
 and the adoring voices of thronging worshippers ? 
 
 We are told, indeed, that " the Lord God Almighty 
 and the Lamb are the temple of it." But who will 
 interpret this language for us, and bring to light its 
 hidden meaning ? K to the Hebrew the Holy of 
 holies was a mysterious and inaccessible solitude, — 
 if, though within a step of the awful sanctuary, its 
 lustre and mysteries were as much veiled from his 
 
 15* 
 
f 
 
 174 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 175 
 
 view as the profoundest depths of infinite space, — 
 how can we expect to pass the gate of the heavenly 
 Shekinah, and penetrate the mysteries and gaze 
 upon the splendors of a divine temple, whose columns 
 consist of the attributes of the Godhead, whose light 
 is the glory of God, and whose incense is the essence 
 of Deity? As the Hebrew worshipper must wait 
 until the veil was rent, before the mysteries of the 
 Shekinah could be seen, and the excellences of a 
 new dispensation, and the beauties of a spiritual 
 worship, be appreciated, so must we wait until the 
 veil of mortaUty is rent, before we can see the 
 beauties and glories of celestial worship. Then may 
 we understand the language, ''The Lord God Al- 
 mighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.'' Then 
 shall we view a city whose worship is universal ; 
 whose every tower, mansion, palace and throne, is 
 bathed in holy light ; whose myriads of worshippers 
 have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost; a 
 city, through the streets, and avenues, and halls, and 
 arches of which, will roll the music of a thousand 
 choirs, and the melody of ten thousand anthems of 
 praise. Then shall we hear a new song, sung, not, 
 indeed, by a few, but by an "innumerable multi- 
 tude, that no man can number,'' — " Worthy is the 
 Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, 
 and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, 
 and blessing." And, from still greater throngs of 
 
 holy and resplendent beings ; from loftier heights 
 and the most profound depths ; from " every creature 
 which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the 
 earth," will come echoing back the response, " Bless- 
 ing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him 
 tliat sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for- 
 ever." 
 
 Another reason why the apostle saw no temple 
 in heaven, corresponding to that upon earth, was, 
 because in that world there is no Sabbath distinct 
 from other portions of time ; no season specially 
 set apart for religious services ; but one eternal 
 Sabbath and perpetual worship. The vision was 
 that of a city 
 
 " Where congregations ne'er break up. 
 And Sabbaths have no end." 
 
 By this view, we would not be regarded as 
 advancing the idea, that worship will be the only 
 employment of the saints in glory. We firmly 
 believe that they will have other duties to dis- 
 charge. Perhaps, even weighty responsibilities may 
 devolve upon them, and interests of vast moment 
 may claim their attention, and require the exercise 
 of their strongest energies. It is not at all improb- 
 tible, that every virtue which we are required to 
 cultivate here, will be employed on that higher and 
 wider theatre of action. We readily subscribe to 
 
17G 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 the doctrine advanced by the acute author of 
 "Physical Theory of Another Life/* in tlie follow- 
 ing language : " We may conceive of a state of 
 things in which there may be services to be per- 
 formed, enterprises to be undertaken, and a promotion 
 to be aimed at, such as none but the bold and the 
 strong shall be equal to, and none but the aspiring 
 dare to attempt. These services may involve encoun- 
 ters with powerful and crafty opponents, or thoy 
 may demand sudden exertions of intelligence, and 
 a ready recurrence to resources, under circumstances 
 that would amaze and baffle all but the calmly cour- 
 ageous. And there may be high advantages to l)e 
 snatched by the few whose flight can be long sus- 
 tained, and is the most steady ; there may be domi- 
 nations to be exercised which those shall secure to 
 themselves who can prove, by service done, that 
 they are equal to the weight of the sceptre. It is 
 surely a frivolous notion (if any actually entertain 
 it), that the vast and intricate machinery of the 
 imiverse, and the profound scheme of God's govern- 
 ment, are now soon to reach a resting place, where 
 nothing more shall remain to active spirits, through 
 an eternity, but recollections of labor, anthems of 
 praise, and inert repose. No idea can do more vio- 
 lence to all the principles on which we reason than 
 this does. ***** wi the practical skill we 
 acquire in managing afl'airs, — all the versatility, the 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 I t 
 
 sagacity, the calculation of chances, the patience 
 and assiduity, the promptitude and facility, as well 
 as the higher virtues, wliich we are learning every 
 day, — may well find scope in a world such as is 
 rationally anticipated, when we think of heaven as 
 the stage of life that is next to follow the discipline 
 of this." 
 
 While this may be true, we may with propriety 
 affirm, that the worship of heaven is unceasing. 
 For the spirit of adoration is in every inhabitant, 
 and the utterances of devotion and loyalty are upon 
 every tongue. Every beating heart in the vast 
 multitude is a holy shrine, every worshipper is him- 
 self a temple, and every mansion and palace is vocal 
 with the praises of the gi'eat King. We are 
 informed that the resplendent beings around the 
 throne '* rest not day and night, saying. Holy, holy, 
 holy. Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and 
 is to come." The angels, the four and twenty 
 elders, and the hosts of the redeemed, are repeat- 
 edly represented as employed in worshipping ' ' him 
 that liveth for ever and ever." 
 
 How delightful to the Christian, to think of enter- 
 ing a heavenly city, over which reign the serenity, 
 light and beauty, of an eternal Sabbath ! Though 
 no temple-bells call the inhabitants to worship, yet 
 there is a Sabbath in every soul, songs upon every 
 tongue, and pure and ardent worship in every heart. 
 
I 
 
 178 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 179 
 
 ** Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love, 
 But there 's a nobler rest above ; 
 To that our weary souls aspire. 
 With ardent hope and strong desire. 
 
 No more fatigue, no more distress. 
 Nor sin, nor death, shall reach the place ; 
 No groans shall mingle with the songs 
 Which warble from immortal tongues. 
 
 O, long-expected day, begin ! 
 Dawn on these realms of woe and sin ; 
 Fain would we leave this weary road. 
 And sleep in death to rest with God." 
 
 The worship of the earthly temple was also inter- 
 rupted by the incursions of the enemies of the Jews 
 and of the God of Israel, and in this respect failed 
 to be a perfect type of the worship of heaven. But 
 thirty-three years after it arose in its splendor, it 
 was plundered by Shishak, King of Egypt. Subse- 
 quently, it was profaned by the feet of the spoiler, 
 and conquering troops swept through its sacred 
 courts and along its aisles. At length, it was com- 
 pletely laid waste by the King of Bal)ylon, having 
 stood more than four hundred years. After lying 
 in ruins for half a century, the foundations of a 
 second temple were laid, and, after various reverses, 
 the whole stmcture was utterly demolished. It was, 
 indeed, with the keenest sorrow, and most bitter 
 anguish, that the Hebrews looked upon their proud 
 temple, torn, pillaged, and swept before their impi- 
 ous foes. Nobly did the hosts of Israel stand their 
 
 4 
 
 i 
 
 ground upon Mount Zion, to defend the sacred soil 
 and the religion of their fathers. Bravely did they 
 receive upon their own persons the blows that were 
 aimed against the temple, that structure that was 
 dearer to them than life. As their war-cry rung 
 through the streets of Jerusalem, and the banners 
 of Israel floated in the breeze, — as they thought 
 of the magnificence and splendor of their city, of the 
 vast throngs that had come up to worship, — they 
 resolved to defend the objects of their religious 
 enthusiasm, or to perish in the effort. But, being 
 overpowered by the hosts of the enemy, they were 
 forced to surrender, and Jerusalem, with its palaces 
 and temples, fell. "A multitude of captives graced 
 the triumphal entrance of the victors into Babylon, 
 and the city shook to the shouts of welcome. But 
 the pageantry was soon forgotten, and the prisoners 
 became objects only of idle curiosity, as they moved 
 sadly along the streets, or sat in groups under the 
 trees of the public walks. Methinks I see that little 
 band, as, strolling one day through the city, they 
 sat down by its fountains, and listened to the mur- 
 mur of the streams that swept by. The scene was 
 beautiful, and it reminded them of the hill of Zion, 
 where they had so often strayed, — the home of 
 their hearts, never to be seen again. As they thus 
 sat, and conversed in their native tongue, filled with 
 sad remembrances, their neglected harps hanging 
 
180 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 181 
 
 on the ^villo^YS, the heartless and curious passed 
 by, and stopped to view their strange apparel, 
 and listen to their still stranger language. As they 
 saw their harps hanging beside them, they asked 
 for a native song. The hearts of the captives were 
 sad enough before, but this sudden recalling of the 
 joys of the past was too much for their overburdened 
 feelings, and a burst of tears was the only answer, 
 as they shook their heads in mournful silence. 
 
 " That day of bitterness they could never forget ; 
 and whenever memory recalled it, the heart seemed 
 to live over again its hour of woe, and they said, 
 ' By the rivei^ of Babylon there we sat down ; yea, 
 we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our 
 harps upon the wallows in the midst thereof. For 
 there they that carried us away captive required of 
 us a song, and they that had wasted us asked for 
 mirth, saying. Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
 IIow^ shall Ave sing the Lord's song in a strange 
 land ? If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right 
 hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember 
 thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, 
 if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.* They 
 did not forget her, and the city of David once more 
 rose over the hill of Zion, and the banner of Israel 
 again floated from its heights ; for God had remem- 
 bered her tears, and forgiven her sins.''* 
 
 * Headley. 
 
 I 
 
 b 
 
 Thus inteiTupted and fluctuating was the worship 
 of a temple *'made with hands." The Hebrews, 
 being surrounded by bitter enemies, were liable, at 
 any moment, to have their religious services sus- 
 pended, or their holy sanctuary demolished. But, 
 in that glorious city, of which God Almighty consti- 
 tutes the temple, the worsliip can never be inter- 
 rupted. He who is the temple thereof *'doeth 
 according to his will in the army of heaven and 
 among the inhabitants of earth." Before him, " the 
 nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted 
 as the small dust of the balance. And Lebanon is 
 not suflicient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient 
 for a burnt offering." His power, his majesty, his 
 glorious attributes, wiU be the pledge of the perpe- 
 tuity of heavenly worship. No song wiU there be 
 broken or suspended. No tidings of an approaching 
 enemy will ever alarm a single worshipper. No 
 hostile cry will disturb the devotions of the celestial 
 auditory. Age after age, will the anthems of praise 
 roll from city to city, and rank to rank, fiUing the 
 universe with their melody, and thrilling, with their 
 rich tones and tiiumphant accents, myriads of hearts. 
 Immortal worship ! What intense meaning, what 
 awful grandeur, in the words! How they swell 
 with solemn import, as we look doAvn the long vista 
 of eternity, and attempt to realize the successive 
 developments that wiU be made of the splendors and 
 
 16 
 
m 
 
 182 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 183 
 
 raptures of a heavenly worship, and the glories of 
 an infinite Deity ! 
 
 And can we, frail, imperfect beings, aspire to a 
 participation in such services and in such joys ? Can 
 we, whose affections are so languid, whose hearts 
 are so cold, and who live at such a distance from 
 the Supreme Father, ever gain admittance to this 
 celestial temple ? 
 
 (( 
 
 Forgive, Father ! if presumptuous thought 
 
 Too daringly in aspiration rise ! 
 Let not thy child all vainly have been taught 
 
 By weakness and by wanderings, and by sighs 
 Of sad confession ! — lonely be my heart, 
 
 And on its penitential altar spread 
 The ofiferings, worthless till thy grace impart 
 
 The fire from heaven, whose touch alone can shed 
 Life, radiance, virtue ! — let that vital spark 
 Pierce my whole being, 'wildered else and dark ! 
 
 Tliine are all holy things ; — 0, make me thine ! 
 
 So shall I, too, be pure, — a living shrine 
 
 Unto that Spirit which goes forth from thee, 
 Strong and divinely free. 
 
 Bearing thy gifts of wisdom on its flight, 
 
 And brooding o'er them with a dove-like wing, 
 Till thought, word, song, to thee in worship spring, 
 
 Lnmortally endowed for liberty and light."* 
 
 Another reason for the absence of a temple is 
 found in the fact, that there will be no more need 
 
 * Mrs. Heraans, to whose incomparable pen I am indebted for several 
 of the most touching and exquisite poetic quotations in this volume. 
 
 4 
 
 of sacrifices, or of the ministrations of an appointed 
 priesthood. The ofiering of sacrifices for sin, was 
 an important part of the temple ser^^ice. Though 
 these sacrifices had no efficacy, in themselves, to 
 purify the heart, and secure the favor of Heaven, — 
 though the sacrifice which God required was " a 
 broken and contrite heart,*' — yet they were neces- 
 sary as figures and types of the great sacrifice that 
 was to be made. They were to the Hebrews a con- 
 tinual prophecy of the coming of the Saviour of the 
 world. But Christ having appeared, and suffered 
 and died upon the cross, and his great scheme of 
 redemption having attained to a glorious consum- 
 mation, in the establishment of celestial worship in 
 his Father's kingdom, there is no longer any need 
 of sacrifices or altars, or of a select priesthood. All 
 the redeemed are "made kings and priests unto 
 God." They constitute "a royal priesthood, a holy 
 nation, a peculiar people.'' Instead of worshipping 
 through the medium of ordinances and sacraments, 
 tliey are permitted to stand in the immediate pres- 
 ence of the Deity, and are surrounded with the 
 manifestations of his glory. Instead of ministering 
 at rude altars, stained with the blood of victims, — 
 instead of seeking pardon through a human and 
 imperfect priesthood, — instead of standing before a 
 veiled and inaccessible Shekinah, — they will wor- 
 ship in a holy sanctuary, a celestial cathedral. 
 
184 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEX. 
 
 radiant with the beauties of the divine character, 
 and gorgeous with the heavenly light that streams 
 through its richly painted windows ; a cathedral 
 whose dome represents the divine majesty, whose 
 arches rest upon the eternal attributes of the God- 
 head, whose walls are supported by omnipotence, 
 and whose gates are everlasting praise. 0, what 
 will be the grandeur and sublimity of those services, 
 conducted by an assembly, all the members of which 
 are "kings and priests unto God'*! What will 
 be the rapture and glory of that worship, for which 
 the universe cannot furnish the temple, but of whicli 
 the God of the universe is the temple ! How far 
 surpassing our loftiest conceptions — how much 
 beyond the reach of the telescopic power of the 
 most vivid imagination — must be that divine sanc- 
 tuary, of which the most gorgeous material edifice, 
 brilliant with the light of a thousand stars, is but 
 a faint and imperfect symbol ! 
 
 If, however, in this worship, altars, sacrifices and 
 n limited priesthood, are abolished, there is one 
 ofiice which will remain. " Seeing, then, that wo 
 have a great High Priest, that has passed into the 
 heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our 
 profession.'* The crowning glory of heavenly wor- 
 ship will be the fact, that Christ, as " a great High 
 Priest," will conduct its services, and lead its devo- 
 tions. He will appear before "the general assembly 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 185 
 
 and church of the first bom," as "a minister of 
 the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the 
 Lord pitched, and not man." 
 
 While upon the earth, the Saviour combined 
 many offices and characters in his sacred person. 
 He was a prophet and a fulfiller of prophecy, a 
 priest and a sacrifice, a king and minister, a medi- 
 ator and a ransom, a redeemer and sanctifier, — the 
 Prince of peace, and the bright and morning star. 
 But he passes into heaven as our "great High 
 Priest." Having worked out the salvation of our 
 race upon Calvary, through a baptism of blood and 
 the agonies of the cross; having led the hosts of 
 the redeemed from the darkness and despair of sin, 
 to the light and blessedness of heavenly hope ; 
 having kept in operation a system of influences 
 and instrumentalities for the sanctification of his 
 people, — he now stands in the midst of the vast 
 throng of the church triumphant, to lead their wor- 
 ship and to receive their anthems of praise. And 
 constantly are accessions made to this immense audi- 
 tory, from the church militant, as one and another 
 Christian hero lays down his armor, and enters upon 
 his reward. 
 
 Nor are we obliged, with such an High Priest 
 and Minister of the celestial sanctuary, to limit the 
 services of that worship to acts of adoration and 
 songs of praise. Wc may reasonably suppose that 
 
 16* 
 
186 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 he who on earth spake as never man spake, — who 
 here availed himself of every opportunity to impart 
 instruction and wisdom to his followers, — is not 
 silent in that august and glorious assembly. If he 
 took occasion to expound the Scriptures in the 
 Jewish temple, to a company but poorly prepared 
 and little disposed to receive his teachings, how 
 much more will he be ready to unfold the mysteries 
 of revelation and the glories of redemption, to audi- 
 tors whose enlarged capacities and increased intel- 
 lectual powers eminently qualify them to receive 
 and appreciate the truth from his lips ! If he could 
 here stand upon a mount, and utter a discourse full 
 of the most precious doctrines and sublime precepts, 
 and glowing with sentiments of surpassing beauty 
 and excellence, will he not stand upon the celestial 
 mountains above, and thrill the resplendent and holy 
 throngs around him, with the strains of his divine 
 eloquence, and impart to them a clearer insight into 
 moral truth, and loftier conceptions of the divine 
 character and government, than they could obtain 
 
 on earth ? 
 
 When we consider how full the Bible is, to us, 
 of inexplicable difficulties and incomprehensible doc- 
 trines ; when we consider how '' great is the mystery 
 of godliness, — God manifest in the flesh;'' and 
 when we meditate upon the dealings of Divine 
 Providence, and remember "how unsearchable are 
 
 NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 187 
 
 his judgments, and his ways past finding out," we 
 must believe that these dark mysteries will one day 
 be elucidated, and the obscurities of divine truth be 
 clearly unfolded. We must believe that when we 
 " come to Mount Sion, and unto the city of the 
 living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an 
 innumerable company of angels, to the general 
 assembly and church of the first bom, and to Jesus, 
 the mediator of the new covenant," we shall rejoice, 
 as the broad fields of moral truth are thro^vn open 
 before us, and the clouds vanish from before those 
 sublime doctrines that are here veiled from our 
 view ! 
 
• ••• 
 
 • * 
 
 
 • • 
 
 • • • 
 
 IX. 
 
 THE ANGELIC INHABITANTS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 " Praise ye him, all his angels.'* — Psalm cxlviit. 2. 
 
 " And all the angels stood round about the throne." — Rev. vii. 11. 
 
 ** Low warblings, now, and solitary harps, 
 
 Were heard among the angels, touched and tuned 
 
 As to an evening hymn, preluding soft 
 
 To cherub voices. Louder as they swelled, 
 
 Deep strings struck in, and hoarser instruments. 
 
 Mixed with clear silver sounds, till concord rose 
 
 Full as the harmony of winds, to heaven ; 
 
 Yet sweet as nature's spring-tide melodies 
 
 To some worn pilgrim, first, with glistening eyes. 
 
 Greeting his native valley, whence the sounds 
 
 Of rural gladness, herds, and bleating flocks. 
 
 Blent with the dulcet distance-mellowed bell, 
 
 Come, like the echo of his early jojns. 
 
 In every pause, from spirits in mid air. 
 
 Responsive still were golden viols heard, 
 
 And heavenly symphonies stole faintly down." 
 
 Having considered, in the preceding articles, the 
 evidences of a future life, and viewed heaven under 
 various scriptural emblems, — having inquired into 
 the likeness of the redeemed to Christ, and exhibited 
 the social enjoyments connected with the recognition 
 of friends in heaven, and the blessedness of spiritual 
 worship in a divine temple, — we come now to speak 
 
 
 iJ 
 
• • 
 
 • • • 
 
 • • , 
 
 • • •• 
 
 • •• 
 
 • • 
 
 'f*f 
 
 *t* 
 
I I 
 
 I • I • 
 1 • « 
 1 ' ■ • 
 
 
 . • .' 
 
 , , 1 1 • • 
 
 « • 
 
 • 1 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 189 
 
 of those holy and resplendent beings who crowd the 
 courts, and palaces, and cities, of the great King, 
 and who continually surround the eternal throne. 
 
 For a knowledge of their existence, character 
 and employments, we are indebted solely to the 
 sacred Scriptures. The light of nature furnishes no 
 evidences respecting them, although analogy renders 
 it probable, since there are successive gradations of 
 being below man, that there are higher orders of 
 intelligences above him. While we find every depart- 
 ment of nature which we have explored instinct 
 with life and crowded with animate existences, we 
 cannot suppose that man constitutes the boundary 
 line on the ascending scale. From the investigations 
 and discoveries of modern science, we learn that 
 even far below the last range of beings visible to the 
 naked eye, there are countless myriads of animal- 
 culoe, more than a million of which find ample 
 accommodation in a single drop of water. Indeed, 
 we are told, what is hardly conceivable, that '' within 
 the narrow space of a grain of mustard-seed, eight 
 millions of living active creatures can exist, all 
 richly endowed with the organs and faculties of ani- 
 mal life." In taking one and subjecting it to a 
 careful microscopic examination, it displays a nice 
 and complicated organization, consisting of bones, 
 muscles, sinews, lungs, and all the parts of a perfect 
 and active being. Within this little form are found 
 
190 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 the sensibilities, emotions, instincts and desires, that 
 belong to higher orders of animate existence. Those 
 that inhabit, as myriads do, delicate flowers, are 
 environed with beauties and splendors, that to them 
 constitute a glorious paradise. *'A distinguished 
 botanist, on subjecting a flower, from which he heard 
 a soft murmuring sound, to the microscope, observed 
 that it was filled with minute insects, who were 
 sporting among the narrow pedestals that supported 
 its leaves. Amid the beauties and fragrance of 
 their little world, he could distinctly observe their 
 movements and enjoyments. The base of the flower, 
 under the influence of the microscope, extended itself 
 to a vast plain ; the slender stems of the leaves 
 became trunks of so many stately cedars ; the threads 
 in the middle seemed columns of massive structure, 
 supporting at the top several ornaments, and the 
 narrow spaces between them were enlarged into 
 walks and terraces. On the polished bottoms of 
 these, brighter than Parian marble, walked the winged 
 inhabitants, which from dusky insects, as they ap- 
 peared to the naked eye, rose to beautiful glittering 
 animals, stained with living purple, and with a glossy 
 gold that would have made all the labors of the 
 loom contemptible in the comparison." For several 
 days the botanist viewed the scene with unabated 
 wonder and admiration. 
 
 Another remarks: "I have never made observa- 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 191 
 
 tions of the corolla, simply of the smallest flower, 
 without finding it composed of an admirable sub- 
 stance, half transparent, studded with brilliants, and 
 shining in the most lively colors. The beings that 
 live under a reflex thus enriched must have ideas, 
 very diflerent from ours, of light and the other 
 phenomena of nature. A drop of dew, filtering in 
 the capillary and transparent tubes of a plant, pre- 
 sents to them thousands of cascades ; the same drop, 
 fixed as a wave on the extremity of one of its 
 prickles, an ocean without a shore ; evaporated in 
 the air, a vast aerial sea. It is credible, then, from 
 analogy, that there are animals feeding on the leaves 
 of plants, like the cattle in our meadows, and on 
 our mountains, which repose under the shade of a 
 dome imperceptible to the naked eye, and which 
 from goblets formed like so many suns quaif nectar 
 of the color of gold and silver." 
 
 If, with so lavish a hand, the Creator has thus 
 crowded every leaf, flower and drop of water, with 
 sportive and happy beings, can we suppose that 
 the formation of man has exhausted his power, and 
 that in regions above, there are vast moral wastes 
 which were never occupied by higher orders of 
 intelligences ? Is there given to these minute insects 
 a paradise of the richest lustre and variegated splen- 
 dor, —is every flower a world, with its costly archi- 
 tecture, its beautiful scenery, and its various orders 
 
192 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 of busy inhabitants, — while in GocVs mighty spirit- 
 ual kingdom there are none to admire his works, or 
 render to him homage, except the comparatively 
 few that have been here redeemed from the dominion 
 of sin ? We cannot for a moment entertain such a 
 thought ; and yet, as we have already remarked, our 
 only positive and reliable source of evidence upon 
 the subject is the Bible. To the unprejudiced and 
 believing mind, however, the proofs from this source 
 are abundant and satisfactory ; for the existence of 
 holy angels is recognized by nearly all the inspired 
 writers. The resplendent beings are represented as 
 surrounding the throne of the Deity, as engaged 
 in acts of worship, as moving amid the splendors 
 of a celestial paradise, and as employed on mis- 
 sions of high importance, and on errands of benev- 
 olence. The early Hebrews and the patriarchs 
 were favored with visits and communications from 
 them. They appeared sometimes in visible forms, 
 and at other times in dreams and visions. During 
 the period of the Judges, and about the time of 
 the Babylonian captivity, they are introduced to 
 our notice. Previous to the introduction of Chris- 
 tianity, they were seen gathering around the earth, 
 hovering over the Holy Land, and giving to the 
 devoted servants of God intimations of the Messiah's 
 approach. But the period most distinguished for 
 their appearance and agency was that marked by 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 193 
 
 the mission of our Saviour, and the labors of the 
 apostles. Then they came not only as interested 
 spectators of the thrilling scenes which were trans- 
 piring, but to aid in carrying out the benevolent 
 designs of Heaven toward an apostate world. As 
 a celestial convoy, they accompanied the Saviour in 
 his journeys and visits, watching over him in times 
 of peril, strengthening him when weak, and com- 
 forting him in his trials and sorrows. 
 
 But, beside Jewish and Christian wTiters, those 
 of other nations have entertained and advanced 
 opinions, respecting orders of intermediate spirits, 
 corresponding somewhat to those recorded in the 
 Scriptures. The Egyptians and the Greeks, accord- 
 ing to the testimony of their eminent philosophers, 
 believed in the existence of spirits, and in their 
 agency in the affairs of mankind. They thought 
 that the immense interval between their own souls 
 and the infinite Deity could not be, reasonably, re- 
 garded as a vast waste, but must be filled with 
 orders of spiritual existences, of various degrees of 
 power and perfection. Plato, Aristotle and the 
 Stoics, all admitted this doctrine, although they dif- 
 fered in their views respecting some branches of it. 
 
 \Yhen Christ was upon the earth, the Sadducees 
 were regarded as holding a fundamental error, in 
 denying the existence of angels, and contending that 
 the language used in the Old Testament, in reference 
 
 17 
 
194 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 195 
 
 to them, was to be taken figuratively. Several dis- 
 tinguislied modern infidels have adopted and advo- 
 cated the same opinion. Others have erred in the 
 opposite direction, by assigning to the angels too 
 exalted a character, and rendering to them super- 
 stitious worship. 
 
 As a subject of purely scientific inquiry, the doc- 
 trine of angelic existence has claims upon our 
 attention. But that which specially awakens our 
 interest in it is the fact, that we look to this order 
 of intelligences for our companions and instructors 
 in the future life. Besides anticipating the joyful 
 recognition of our pious friends in the spirit world, 
 the true Christian aspires to a companionship with 
 those holy beings, who for ages have been studying 
 the works and perfections of the Deity, and minister- 
 ing at the altars and worshipping within the courts 
 of the celestial temple. If, therefore, we can learn 
 somewhat of the bright inhabitants of those distant 
 realms, ere our departure thither, — if we can he 
 convinced that we shall be welcomed to the upper 
 kingdom by orders of intelligences that in purity, 
 power and splendor, far surpass our loftiest concep- 
 tions, — our zeal to make preparation for that world 
 will be quickened, and our views of its blessedness 
 will be greatly elevated. 
 
 Our investigations will respect the origin^ nature^ 
 character and employments^ of the holy angels. 
 
 With regard to their origin, the sacred writers 
 give us no definite or satisfactory information. 
 Moses, in his historic records, treats of the creation 
 of our globe .and of man, without reference to other 
 orders of intelligences, or to what transpired pre- 
 vious to these events. St. Paul, indeed, declares, 
 that God created all tilings that are in heaven and 
 in earth, "visible and invisible, whether they be 
 thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers." 
 Consequently, he created angels ; at what period, 
 however, or under what circumstances, we have no 
 data upon which to form an opinion. 
 
 Various views have been expressed, by distin- 
 guished writers, respecting the time of their crea- 
 tion, many of Avhich arc entitled to but little 
 consideration. Some have held, that they were 
 created after man, as God, in the Mosaic account 
 of the creation, proceeded from the lower and inferior 
 of his works, up to the higher. This opinion was 
 advocated by Gcimadius,* in the fifth century, and, 
 in modem times, by Schubert, of Hehnstadt. It 
 was, however, opposed by Augustine, who, with 
 Theodoret, Peter of Lombardy and others, main- 
 tained, that angels were created on the first of the 
 six days, and were interested spectators of the 
 sublime manifestations of divine power that were 
 subsequently made. But the opinion that seems 
 
 * See Knapp's Theology, translated by President Woods, pp. 208, 209. 
 
 t 
 
196 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 most in accordance with reason and the Scriptures 
 is, that they were created before the visible world, 
 and acted an important part in the affairs of the 
 universe, for ages previous to the creation of man. 
 This view was taken by many of the fathers of the 
 church, and is advocated by distinguished modern 
 theologians. 
 
 Nor is it an idea altogether fanciful, that they 
 may have passed through, upon material worlds, a 
 state of probation bearing some analogy to our ow^n ; 
 and that they may have been subjected, in the 
 infancy of their being, to a course of moral disci- 
 pline that fitted them for their present high station 
 and important duties. The law of discipline under 
 which man lives, and makes progress, and attains 
 to virtue and holiness, may be the universal law of 
 sentient beings. We cannot, indeed, conceive of 
 one's acquiring force of character and strength 
 of religious principle, without the exercise of resist- 
 ance ; nor can we conceive of the exercise of resist- 
 ance without temptation, or evil in some form, to 
 resist. If temptation could reach those angels 
 " which kept not their first estate, but left their 
 own habitation," and if our first parents were so 
 early called to meet it, it may be a force that every 
 intelligent being, in some stage of his existence, 
 must resist. But it is needless to pursue a point 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 197 
 
 upon which we can only give conjectures, and con- 
 cerning which both nature and revelation are silent. 
 With regard to the nature of angels, we can only 
 conceive of them as spiritual beings, possessing men- 
 tal endo^vments like our own, although in a much 
 higher state of perfection. Our knowledge of being, 
 in general, and of the possible varieties and capa- 
 bilities of different orders of intelligences, is exceed- 
 ingly limited. For even our ideas of God, we are 
 dependent upon the consciousness we have of our 
 own mental attributes, states, and feelings. We 
 conceive of him as a being having our spiritual 
 attributes, in an infinite degree. We can in no 
 other way, with our present organization, form 
 notions of him ; and notions thus formed must 
 necessarily be crude and imperfect. 
 
 Thus, in our conceptions of angels, we picture 
 to our minds beings in nature like ourselves, though 
 far surpassing us in every intellectual and moral 
 attribute. Their range of knowledge, their power 
 of investigating and discerning truth, their capa- 
 bilities of managing great enterprises, and discharg- 
 ing the duties of lofty and responsible positions, 
 greatly transcend these advantages and qualities in 
 man, in his highest state of culture. 
 
 The question, whether angels have a bodily 
 organization, is one that we shall not attempt to 
 decide. The Bible is silent upon this point, and 
 
 17* 
 
198 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 199 
 
 i 
 
 the arguments a priori which are sometimes adduced 
 in favor of the idea prove nothing. The assertion, 
 that if angels were pure spirits they could not act 
 upon the material world, is entitled to no considera- 
 tion, from the fact that it can neither be sustained 
 nor refuted. The early fathers who were iiid)ued 
 with the Platonic philosophy, — Justin, Clement of 
 Alexandria, TertuUian, and others, — regarded all 
 spirits as inhabiting subtile bodies, which are imper- 
 ceptible to any of our senses. This opinion was 
 opposed by many of the schoolmen, who maintained 
 that angels had no bodies, although they had the 
 power of assuming a bodily form, corpora extraordl- 
 naria, when it was necessary for the accomplishment 
 of a particular mission. 
 
 While, however, the Scriptures are silent upon 
 this and some other points, they teach that there 
 are various ranks among these angelic intelligences, 
 po<=;o<5sing different degrees of diirnity, power, and 
 excellence ; con*esponding, in some measure, to the 
 gradation which exists in human society. 
 
 This fiict is clearly brought to light in the writ- 
 ings of Daniel and Zechariah, and was recognized 
 by Christ and his apostles. The angel who appeared 
 unto Zacharias said unto him (Luke i. 19) : "I am 
 Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am 
 sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad 
 
 tidings. 
 
 9f 
 
 He thus distinguishes himself from angels 
 
 of an inferior rank, and was one of the favored 
 number who were admitted to the presence of the 
 great King, and intrusted with embassies of the 
 highest importance. As the prime minister of an 
 eastern monarch was admitted, at all times, to the 
 presence of his sovereign, while those of an inferior 
 rank were excluded, so Gabriel had the high honor 
 of entering into the presence and standing before 
 the Sovereign of the universe. 
 
 Michael is also spoken of as one of the chief 
 princes of the heavenly hosts. He is referred to 
 several iinies, in the Old Testament, as a beino; of 
 exalted rank, and as destined to perform an import- 
 ant part in the final consummation of all things. 
 In the revelation made to St. John, he appears as 
 the leader of the celestial warriors who fought against 
 the dragon and his hosts. His special official duty 
 seems to ])e, to guard the citadels of heaven against 
 the assaults of their foes, and to watch the move- 
 ments of those fallen spirits who are in rebellion 
 against their Sovereign. 
 
 The term nrcliangel occurs but twice in the Bible ; 
 once as applied to Michael, and again in 1 Thess. 
 iv. IG: "lor the Lord himself shall descend from 
 heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the arch- 
 angel, and with the trump of God.'' 
 
 Many have supposed that the cherubim* mentioned 
 
 * The Hebrew plural of cherub. 
 
200 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 201 
 
 !i! 
 
 in the Old Testament constituted a class of angels ; 
 but they were originally hieroglyphic figures, com- 
 posed of various creatures, — a mingling of man, 
 an ox, an eagle, or a lion. They are first men- 
 tioned by Moses (Gen. iii. 24), as stationed at the 
 east of the garden of Eden, with a flaming sword, 
 to cut off all access to the tree of life. They were 
 inwrought in the tapestry of the ark, and also placed 
 a^ figures over the ark of the covenant, in the 
 tabernacle, and afterwards in Solomon^s temple. 
 
 In the vision of Ezekiel, the cherubim appear 
 in a new form, and are described with great distinct- 
 ness. They are instinct with life, move in a whirl- 
 wind, and are emblematic of the divine majesty and 
 glory. They are also represented as appearing in the 
 clouds, and bearing the Deity (Psahn xviii.) through 
 the skies with great magnificence and grandeur. 
 They are referred to by Josephus, and by the 
 oriental writers generally. 
 
 Milton, in his sublime language, thus describes 
 
 them : 
 
 Forth rushed, with whirlwind sound, 
 
 The chariot of Paternal Deity, 
 
 Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel, undrawn. 
 
 Itself instinct with spirit ; but conreyed 
 
 By four cherubic shapes. Four faces each 
 
 Had wondrous, as with stars their IxKlies all ; 
 
 And wings were set with eyes ; with eyes the wheels 
 
 Of beryl, uiid careering fires between. 
 
 The seraphim were evidently an order of angelic 
 
 beings of a very high rank. The original Hebrew 
 word* signifies to buruy and a Jewish commentator 
 says that the name was given on account of their 
 shining, fiery appearance. 
 
 They are alluded to but once in the Scriptures, 
 and then by the prophet Isaiah, in his sublime 
 description of the manifestation of Jehovah to him, 
 Isaiah vi. 2 — 6. In the vision, God is represented 
 as seated upon a throne, high and lifted up, sur- 
 rounded with the emblems of dignity and majesty, 
 and attended by ministers called seraphim. He is 
 clothed with a robe of royalty, the train of which 
 fills the temple. These ministering spirits, in an 
 attitude of the most profound veneration, are solemnly 
 engaged in the worship of the great King. So 
 awful and sublime are the services, that the pillars 
 of the edifice tremble, and the whole interior is filled 
 with a cloud, the symbol of the di\ine presence. 
 The spirits reverently veil their faces in the presence 
 of the Infinite, and, w4th the deepest awe, cry, 
 "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts." 
 
 We would next inquire into the character and 
 attributes of the heavenly inhabitants. The Scrip- 
 
 * Some commentators and critics, and among them Gesenius, suppose 
 that tl^e name is derived from a word signifying to be noble, or excellent, 
 ind hence applied to the nobles and princes of heaven. Without burden- 
 ing our pages with a discussion of the question, or a quotation of the author- 
 ities on both sides, it is sufficient to remark, that the evidence prepon- 
 derates in fa.vor of the opinion that we have expressed. 
 
 -i 
 
202 
 
 EMBLEMS OP HEAVEN. 
 
 tures teach us that they are distinguished for their 
 intellectual faculties and attainments, their power, 
 holiness, benevolence, and great personal glory. 
 
 While we conceive of them as richly endowed 
 with intelligence and wisdom, w^e would be cautious 
 not to ascribe to them divine attributes. However 
 elevated and superior a created intelligence may b(% 
 the distance between him and the Creator is still 
 infinite. And though he continues to advance from 
 one height to another, as the ages of eternity roll 
 on, yet there remains a vast gulf which he can never 
 pass. There are regions above, stretching awfiy 
 into measureless distnucos, which he can never reach. 
 
 The boundaries, however, of angelic intelligence 
 and knowledge, we cannot accurately define. It is 
 evident that there are subjects whicli are beyond 
 their comprehension. Connected with the scheme 
 of redemption, there are deep my;=5tones "which the 
 angels desire to look into.'* The hour of the destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem, the Saviour declares, " knoweth 
 no man, no, not the angels of heaven.'* And in the 
 book of Job, we are told that God charged his angel>^ 
 with folly. Yet their intellectual power, their vast 
 stores of knowledge, the wonderful discoveries that 
 they have made, are such as surpass all human 
 comprehension. For ages, they have been studying 
 the works of God ; searching the profound depths of 
 the divine wisdom and goodness ; penetrating into 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 203 
 
 the qualities and essence of matter and mind ; 
 exploring the physical, intellectual, and moral uni- 
 verse ; having a range of inquiry and research 
 extending from the throne of God down to the 
 minutest atom ; and, consequently, their powers 
 and acquisition vastly transcend our loftiest concep- 
 tions. In anticipating companionship with such 
 beings, we may indulge the expectation of deriving 
 the highest intellectual benefits from their society. 
 We may reasonably hope that communing with their 
 spirits, or listening to their discourses, will greatly 
 stimulate our own minds, and will enrich our under- 
 standings with the most precious treasures of knowl- 
 edge. A thousand difliculties will be solved. Per- 
 plexing mysteries will be cleared up. Scientific 
 and moral truth will be clothed with fresh charms, 
 under their instmctions ; and the soul will kindle 
 into a glow of intense enthusiasm, at the thought 
 of the splendid fields of knowledge that are yet to 
 be traversed, and of the facilities and aids to be 
 enjoyed in exploring them. 
 
 The power of angels is represented as immensely 
 great. This is indicated in the appellations given 
 to them in the Scriptures, — They are called Jv 
 rdueti, Powers ; ©gorot, Thrones ; 'E^ovaiat, Authori- 
 ties ; At/^to'rr, If 5, Dominions; ^'g/«/. Principalities, etc. 
 
 David exclaims, " Bless the Lord, ye his angels, 
 who excel in strength.'' Several instances are given 
 
204 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 in the Scriptures of the exercise of their power. 
 In one night, an angel destroyed, of the anny of 
 Sennacherib, an hundred and fourscore and five 
 thousand men. As though by a single stroke, this 
 vast multitude were stretched dead throughout the 
 camp. The sentinels, as, early in the morning, they 
 passed from tent to tent, were appalled at the sight 
 of their prostrate fallen warriors, who but yester- 
 day were in the full glow of health and courage, 
 and stood ready for the fiercest conflict. 
 
 The slaughter of the first-born, in Egypt, wfis 
 accomplished by one angel, within so short a period 
 that the w^ild lamentations of bereaved parents burst 
 at once from their habitations. Every house was, 
 in an instant, a scene of indescribable consternation, 
 and every street was lined with the habitations of 
 death. 
 
 To effect the destruction of Jerusalem, on account 
 of the sin of David, in numbering the people, but 
 one angel w^as sent forth. " And David lifted up 
 his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord stand 
 between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn 
 sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.*' 
 How terrible and sublime was the scene ! Around 
 the offending monarch lay the holy city, metropolis 
 of the religious world, with its inhabitants slumber- 
 ing in supposed security. The pale moon was 
 throwing its silver beams upon the tuiTets and bat- 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 205 
 
 tiements, and upon the domes of the highest palaces. 
 The stars were calmly looking down upon the plains, 
 mountains and gardens, of Judea. Directly over 
 the city was this bright and pow^erful being, grasp- 
 ing a glittering sword. A single movement of the 
 fatal weapon, and death might enter every hab- 
 itation. A single stroke, and that magnificent city 
 might become a vast tomb, with no beating heart, 
 no sign of life, within its walls. Do we wonder that 
 "David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed 
 in sackcloth, fell upon their faces " ? Do we wonder 
 that they pleaded earnestly with God, that that 
 dreadful sword might be returned into its sheath? 
 In the glorious visions that passed before St. 
 John, as described in the Revelation, angels are 
 represented as clothed with vast power, as control- 
 ling the physical elements, holding the four winds 
 of heaven, and executing the judgments of God 
 upon his guilty subjects. In the descriptions, given 
 in this book, of the angels, there is a mingling of 
 beauty and sublimity, of majesty and ten-or, of thrill- 
 ing eloquence and awful grandeur, that cannot be 
 surpassed. While the heavens were covered with 
 scenes descriptive of the glory of Christ, of the 
 prosperity of his church, and of the triumphs of his 
 kingdom, — while important events in the history of 
 the world's renovation and redemption crowded upon 
 each other, in their struggle to manifest themselves, 
 
 18 
 
206 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 20' 
 
 — the apostle sees seven mighty angels standing 
 before God, with seven trumpets in their hands. As 
 one startling peal follows another, the most terrible 
 woes descend and burst upon the world. The sky 
 is darkened by fearful storms, and the deep, heavy 
 thunder, and lurid lightning, tell that the day of 
 God's wrath has come. The guilty stand aghast, 
 and gaze with horror upon the scene. Chariots of 
 fire are seen coursing through the heavens, and 
 bearing the messengers of the divine vengeance. 
 Burning mountains are hurled to and fro, and con- 
 sume everything within their reach. Stars fiill, 
 the sun becomes darkened, and the moon refuses to 
 shed its light. ''And I beheld, and heard an angel 
 flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a 
 loud voice. Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the 
 earth, by reason of the other voices of the tmmpet 
 of the three angels, which are yet to sound ! '* In 
 the midst of these wild commotions and terrible 
 calamities, an announcement comes to the apostle, 
 in a voice of thunder, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 
 that great city, because she made all nations drink 
 of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.*' He 
 hears the crash of her falUng palaces and towers, 
 and sees the smoke ascending from her ruins. The 
 shrieks of her guilty inhabitants rend the air. Iler 
 haughty kings are laid low, and their sceptres, 
 crowns and thrones, are buried beneath the ruins of 
 
 the city. They experience the fulfilment of the 
 terrible prophecy, " If any man worship the beast 
 and his image, and receive his mark in his fore- 
 head, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the 
 wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out 
 without mixture into the cup of his indignation." 
 
 The apostle also has a view of a great battle 
 between the holy angels and the enemies of Jeho- 
 vah ; Michael and his hosts are arrayed against the 
 dragon and his angels ; the two parties virtually 
 representing the principles of redemption and holi- 
 ness on the one hand, and the elements of wicked- 
 ness and rebellion on the other. A fierce struo-de 
 takes place, in which each contends for the victory. 
 The holy angels are nerved for the conflict by the 
 consciousness that they are defending the citadels 
 of heaven, protecting the throne of Jehovah, and 
 guarding the interests and happiness of millions of 
 obedient subjects, against the destructive purposes 
 of intruders and rebels. Thus animated by the 
 purest motives and loftiest purposes, and sustained 
 by an Almighty arm, they overcome and subdue 
 their foes. 
 
 These judgments, thus brought upon the enemies 
 of God, all the holy angels are represented as ap- 
 proving. " After these things, I heard a great voice 
 of much people in heaven, saying. Alleluia : salva- 
 tion and glory and honor and power unto the Lord 
 
208 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 our God, for true and righteous are his judgments.'* 
 And again, " I heard as it were the voice of a 
 great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, 
 and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, 
 Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.*' 
 
 Eminent holiness is also a characteristic of the 
 celestial inhabitants. This is abundantly evident, 
 from the nature of their abode, their proximity to 
 the Holy of holies, the Biblical representations of 
 their character, and the services and worship in 
 which they are constantly engaged. On the morn- 
 ing of the creation, they are introduced as employed 
 in acts of worship. As the beauties of the new- 
 made earth appear, and planets and suns burst forth 
 from chaos and darkness, at the summons of Om- 
 nipotence, '' the morning stars sang together, and 
 all the sons of God shouted for joy.*' 
 
 As the Lord of Glory leaves his throne, and 
 comes upon his sacred mission, a multitude of heav- 
 enly hosts attend him ; and as the royal retinue draw 
 near to earth, they are heard by pious shepherds 
 "praising God, and saying. Glory to God in the 
 highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." 
 Their holy character may be inferred, too, from the 
 fact that "There is joy in the presence of the angels 
 of God over one sinner that repenteth.*' The news 
 that one wanderer is returning to his Father's house, 
 that one spirit is breaking away from the dominion 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 209 
 
 of sin, sends a thrill of joy through their shining 
 ranks ; it flies from host to host, rolling up a wave 
 of exultation, and causing heaven to swell with new 
 anthems of praise, and fresh songs of triumph. 
 
 The holiness of angels is indicated in their cheer- 
 ful and uniform obedience. They are often spoken 
 of as being sent by God upon various missions to 
 tlie earth. "My God hath sent his angel, and hath 
 shut the lions' mouths that they have not hurt me," 
 Dan. VI. 22. "In the sixth month the angel 
 Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, 
 named Nazareth," Luke i. 26. " Now I know of 
 a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath 
 delivered me out of the hand of Ilerod," Acts xii. 11. 
 
 Thus we find that the angels are ever ready to 
 obey their Sovereign, and execute his will. Their 
 l)lans and purposes are in unison with the Divine 
 jNlind. They have no selfish ends in view, no 
 unholy desires to gratify. They have no higher 
 ambition than to execute, with fidelity and success, 
 the commands of their King. They delight in serv- 
 ing. They glory in their loyalty. They covet no 
 other state, for they have reached the highest attain- 
 able by created intelligences. They can go no 
 highpr, without being infinite. They can occupy no 
 loftier positions, without being gods. 
 
 They know, too, that holiness and happiness are 
 inseparably connected. One sinful act, they are 
 
 18* 
 
210 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 aware, would banish them from royal courts, strip 
 them of all honors, plunge them from light into 
 darkness, from celestial lieights and pleasures into 
 the regions of despair. Hence, they arc held by 
 the strongest motives to their aUegiance to God. 
 They feel that their interests are identified with 
 the interests of God's holy kinirdom, and that their 
 happiness depends upon the perpetuity of the di\ iiH» 
 government, and the supremacy of the divine will. 
 
 IIow^ delightful to contemplate these pure and 
 bright l)eings, whose thouglits, i)urposes and deeds, 
 are resplendent with holiness, whose characters are 
 free from the least imperfection, and over whose 
 spirits no sliadow of sin or evil ever passes ! Their 
 very names give to us exalted conceptions of their 
 purity, dignity, and elevated position. They are 
 cnlled Sons of God. They bear the image of tlie 
 Father, are the members of his family, the recipi- 
 ents of his wann paternal afTections, and they return 
 to him the love and services of o1)edient children. 
 They are Living Ones ; beings instinct with life, full 
 of animation, in whom are condensed all the attri- 
 butes of intelligence, and the perfections of moral 
 worth. Their powers have developed and expanded 
 under the genial influences of heaven, and amid 
 beauties and splendors that have left their images 
 impressed upon them. They are Burning Ones ; 
 beings that shine with celestial lustre, with the 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 211 
 
 brightness of "morning stars.'' They reflect the 
 beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and are radiant 
 with the beauteous tints of the rainbow. "I saw," 
 says John, "another mighty angel come down from 
 heaven, clothed with a cloud ; and a rainbow was 
 upon his head, and his face was, as it were, the 
 sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.*' And again, 
 "After these things I saw another angel come down 
 from heaven, having great power : and the earth 
 w^as lightened with his glory.*' His very presence 
 illuminated the mountains, and valleys, and plains, 
 and spread over the wdiole scene a heavenly lustre. 
 Another characteristic of the celestial inhabitants 
 is their pure benevolence. Although they are often 
 represented as executing the judgments of Jehovah, 
 as in the sublime visions that passed before John, 
 yet they delight in missions of love. With what 
 alacrity did an angel hasten to Ilagar in the wil- 
 derness, to relieve her distress, and afford her comfort 
 in her loneliness and soitow ! What earnestness did 
 the angels manifest to save Lot and his family from 
 the ruin in which Sodom and its guilty inhabitants 
 were to be involved ! In the quiet of evening they 
 approached the house, to warn them of their danger, 
 and afford them time to prepare for their flight. 
 Patiently they wait for the slow hours of night to 
 bring the dawn of the morning. As soon as the sun 
 rises, and its rays gild the towers and turrets of the 
 
212 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEX. 
 
 city, the angels, with their charge, are seen huiTying 
 towards the gates. Having reached the plain, they 
 observe, in Lot and his family, indications of a 
 reluctance to proceed. With the deepest anxiety 
 apparent in their countenances and manner, they 
 cried out, " Escape for thy life ! look not behind 
 thee, neither stay thou in all the plain ; escape to 
 the mountain, lest thou be consumed!'' 
 
 A very touching example of angelic tenderness 
 and love is furnished in the case of the prophet 
 Elijah. This seiTant of the Lord, after a most tri- 
 umphant vindication of the sincerity of his faith, and 
 the truth of his religion, upon Mount Carmel, had 
 escaped from his persecutors, and reached the wil- 
 derness, weary and exhausted. Reclining under a 
 juniper-tree, and pleading, almost in despair, for 
 death, he fell asleep. An angel w^as sent to him, 
 and, bending over the unconscious slumberer, is 
 impressed with the prophet's destitute and sad condi- 
 tion, lie who, but a short time previous, had called 
 fire from heaven, and confounded vast nmltitndes of 
 people, — who had defied and slain four hundred and 
 fifty of the prophets of Baal, — was now a solitary 
 fugitive in a desert, homeless, friendless, and ready 
 to die. The angel prepares his food, and, touching 
 him, ''said. Arise and eat." Having obeyed, he 
 again laid down. The angel addressed him the 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 213 
 
 second time, and besides giving him food, he cheered 
 and strengthened him. 
 
 But the most beautiful and affecting instances of 
 the love of angels are furnished in their ministra- 
 tions to our Lord, while he was upon the earth. Tu 
 Ids inf{incy they watched over him, with the utmost 
 solicitude. When a cruel tyrant, thirsting for his 
 blood, formed a conspiracy to destroy him, an angel 
 said to Joseph, " Arise, and take the young child and 
 his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there 
 until I bring thee word." It was not enough that he 
 warned him to escape, but such is his tender care, 
 that he tells him not to stir from his retreat, until 
 he brings him word. He wishes to guard every 
 avenue through which the treachery or hatred of 
 Herod could reach the infant Saviour. 
 
 As the Messiah grew up, he was constantly 
 watched over and guarded by the bright squadrons 
 that were sent from his Father's kingdom. In every 
 stage of his progress he was emphatically ' ' seen of 
 angels." They witnessed his humility, strict obe- 
 dience, conflicts, and bitter trials. When severely 
 tempted by Satan, and left upon the pinnacle of the 
 temple, "angels came and ministered to him." 
 
 In that ten'ible scene in the garden, when he 
 struggled with " the mlers of the darkness of this 
 world," when his mysterious and awful agony forced 
 the blood through the pores of his skin, and he was 
 
214 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 ready to faint from exhaustion, " there appeared an 
 angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him/' 
 "With the most intense sympathy, with a spirit alive 
 to every want, pain and groan, of the Saviour, the 
 celestial messenger delights to soothe his anguish and 
 support his burdens. 
 
 AVhen betrayed by Judas, and about to be seized 
 by the cruel mob, Christ said, " Thinkest thou that 
 I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall pres- 
 ently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? " 
 So ready was the Father to send them, that a word 
 only Avas necessary to secure the presence of a force, 
 that would instantly disarm every foe. We may 
 almost see the legions pressing forward for the con- 
 flict, their swords flashing amid the darkness of that 
 cruel night, their countenances burning with zeal to 
 rescue the Lord of glory. But they are held ])ack 
 by the arm of Omnipotence. No legion is sent out, 
 no celestial warriors engaged in the conflict. 
 
 The victory of the Messiah over death and hell, 
 the angels come to celebrate. Their arrival is 
 announced by the shock of an earthciuakc. "And 
 behold there was a great earthr^uake ; for the angel 
 of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and 
 rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 
 His countenance was like liglitning, and his rainuMit 
 white as snow ; and for fear of him the keepers 
 did shake, and became as dead men." How much is 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 215 
 
 compressed within this short description ! What 
 benevolence, purity and glory, beam forth from this 
 mysterious messenger! Behold him, sitting in dignity 
 and conscious strength, upon that stone. The Lord 
 has risen, and departed. The sentinels lie apparently 
 dead at his feet. Ilis robes are of the purest wdiite- 
 ness. His countenance shines with an effulgence 
 ihat can only be compared to the lightning. The 
 pious women, who came to the tomb seeking their 
 Lord, he endeavors to soothe. lie bids them hasten 
 and assure his disciples that he has risen from the 
 dead. 
 
 But our limits will not allow us to refer to all 
 tlie instances of angelic sympathy and love, recorded 
 in the Scriptures. We have said enough to show the 
 nature and character of the inhal)itants of that bright 
 Avorld, to which the saints are soon to be introduced. 
 We have seen that holy angels occupy the highest 
 rank in the scale of created intelligences ; that 
 tliey are endowed with brilliant powers, vast capaci- 
 ties, an intense desire for knowledge and love of 
 truth ; that they possess every virtue that contributes 
 to form an elevated and holy character ; that there is 
 a grandeur connected with them, that is calculated to 
 excite our highest admiration, and warmest affection. 
 To dwell with such bright, pure spirits forever, — to 
 enjoy their society, listen to their discourses, walk 
 with them amid the bowers, streams and fountains, of 
 
216 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 the celestial paradise ; worship with them in tlie 
 temples of the New Jerusalem ; soar with them 
 amid the worlds and systems that float around the 
 throne of their great King, to bow with them in deep 
 reverence before the Eternal,— how blessed and 
 glorious such anticipations! How rapidly will our 
 social nature be developed and strengthened, under 
 circumstances so favorable ! With what delight shall 
 we look upon their white robes, their celestial forms, 
 their dazzling countenances, their eyes beaming with 
 true aftection, their lips uttering words of wisdom 
 and love ! 
 
 With what rapture shall we listen to their songs 
 and praises ! As we approacli the eternal city, we 
 may hear, bursting from every inhabitant, tlie loud 
 chorus, '' Glory to God in the hiiiJKv^t, and on earth 
 peace, good will towards men ! " As we draw nearer 
 the cry from the heralding angels reaches us : '' Lift 
 up your heads, ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye 
 everlasting doors ; and the King of glory shall come 
 
 m I 
 
 The choirs from within are heard anxiously 
 in(iuiring, " Who is the King of glory ? '' The shout 
 of the approaching hosts answers, " The Lord, strong 
 and miglity; the Lord, mighty in battle." 
 
 Again the summons peals forth from the glowing, 
 resplendent legions, — '' Lift up your heads, 3'^e 
 gates!'' The same inquiry comes from within the 
 city, " Who is this King of glory ? '' The innumer- 
 
 THE HOLY ANGELS. 
 
 217 
 
 able hosts, now burning with devotion, and wrought 
 up to the highest degree of enthusiasm, thunder out, 
 in peals that almost shake the walls and gates, 
 '' The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory ! '' The 
 Lord of cherubim and seraphim, angels and arch- 
 angels, of the redeemed multitudes gathered out of 
 every nation, tribe and kingdom, '^he is the King 
 of glory !'* 
 
 And when we are admitted within the city, and 
 
 the full splendor of angelic worship bursts upon us, 
 
 we can only give vent to our overpowering emotions 
 
 in the sublime language of St. John: "I heard 
 
 the voice of many angels round about the throne, 
 
 and the nundjer of them was ten thousand times ten 
 
 thousand and thousands of thousands ; saying with a 
 
 loud voice. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to 
 
 receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, 
 
 and honor, and glory, and blessing." 
 
 19 
 
 
X. 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 
 
 " They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with 
 power and great glory." — Matthew xxiv. 30. 
 
 •* Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name 
 which is above every name." — Puilippians ii. 9. 
 
 Heaven without Christ would be like the firma- 
 ment without a sun. We should have, indeed, the 
 stars, angelic spirits, whose light and beauty would 
 cheer us ; but there would be no bright luminary to 
 pour its effulgence upon the cities, and gardens, and 
 kingdoms, of the celestial world. Many advantages, 
 as we have seen, would be enjoyed by the saints, 
 in the society of the holy angels ; but '* the chiefest 
 among ten thousand," the " one altogether lovely,'' 
 would be absent. 
 
 As Christ is the central power, the vital ani- 
 mating principle, the " all in all,'' of the churcli 
 militant, so he will be the object of the highest 
 admiration, and most intense delight, of the church 
 triumphant. The redeemed will gaze upon hiiii 
 with emotions that will thrill every sensibility, and 
 stir the deepest and holiest feelings of the soul. 
 They will recognize in him '« the author and fin- 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 219 
 
 isher of their faith;" their "great advocate" at 
 God's right hand; the "bright and morning star;" 
 the "only-begotten of the Father;" the "Emman- 
 uel, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, who is 
 exalted far above all principality, and power, and 
 might, and dominion." That which will strike the 
 saints with amazement and delight, will be the 
 contrast between the Saviour's circumstances in 
 heaven, and those that surrounded him upon the 
 earth. Instead of a rude and comfortless structure 
 for the resting-place of his infant form, instead of 
 wandering homeless and friendless upon a bleak 
 and desolate world, he will be surrounded with the 
 magnificence of royal palaces, and the splendor of 
 heavenly cities. Instead of being an object of 
 scorn and hatred, driven from village to village, a 
 " man of soitows and ac(|uainted with grief," he will 
 be attended with myriads of celestial beings, who 
 will regard him with the most intense affection, 
 JMid who will bow before him, in obedience to the 
 royal edict, " Let all the angels of God worship 
 him." Instead of meeting a few humble disciples 
 in an obscure room, he w^ill stand in the midst of 
 "a great multitude, which no man can number, of 
 all nations and kindred and people and tongues, 
 clothed with white robes and palms in their hands." 
 Instead of perfonning here and there a miracle, 
 before a company of the idle, the curious and the 
 
220 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 221 
 
 sceptical, he will present to the universe the miracle 
 of a world redeemed from the power of sin, — a 
 world raised from darkness and wretchedness into 
 the regions of light, purity, and blessedness. The 
 same being who was rudely seized, in the night, by 
 an armed mob ; hurried away to a mock trial ; 
 scourged, spit upon, crowned with thorns that 
 pierced his fevered brow ; driven towards Calvary 
 amid the jests and wild clamor of an infuriated 
 rabble, — who, exhausted from fatigue and torture, 
 w^as nailed to the accursed tree, and expired, amid 
 rending rocks, opening graves, a darkened sky, 
 and the shouts of merciless foes, — shall be seen 
 exalted ftir above all principalities and powers, and 
 receiving the homage and enthusiastic praises of 
 the hosts of heaven. 
 
 His glory w^ill appear in the new and wonderful 
 developments that will be made of his character. 
 While upon the earth, his virtues shone with all 
 the beauty and lustre that could be conveyed 
 through the medium of a human body. Though 
 incarnate, he was yet, here, " the brightness of the 
 Father's glory, and the express image of his per- 
 son.'' The glory of the Father shone through him, 
 and he revealed its excellences, just as light, 
 shining through a prism, develops its beautiful 
 colors. In his whole life he reflected the virtues 
 and holy principles of heaven. Not a cloud of 
 
 en-or ever cast its shadow over his pure spirit; not 
 a sinful word ever escaped his lips; not a selfish 
 motive influenced his conduct. He was the She- 
 kinah of the temple of humanity. From his sacred 
 person streamed forth a divine light, that relieved 
 the darkness of the world. He was the " Holy of 
 holies" of a spiritual temple, in which all the nations 
 of the earth will, one day, assemble for worship. 
 
 He was also a force for immeasurable good among 
 the guilty children of men. Ills mission constituted 
 the epoch, in the world's history, towards which all 
 previous events, prophetic utterances and revela- 
 tions, converged, and from which flowed the influ- 
 ences and moral agencies that are revolutionizing 
 and blessing the nations. He was, in fact, himself, 
 history; the only history that embodies the records 
 of what is imperishable in the career of man; the 
 only history that infallibly indicates the destiny of 
 the race, and that will, in future ages, be studied 
 with absorbing interest. For in him centred the 
 hopes, happiness and glory, of all future generations. 
 As the second Adam, he came as the progenitor 
 of a new, more elevated, and spiritual race. As a 
 king, the sceptres of all other kings must grow 
 we^k before his increasing powxr. As the founder 
 of an empire, all other empires must break up, 
 that from their ruins may rise, in its beauty and 
 majesty, the kingdom of Christ. As the author 
 
 19* 
 
 m 
 
'>>99 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 
 
 22b 
 
 o 
 
 i 
 
 of a new system of faith, he must advance until 
 the human mind is purged IVom all error ; until 
 infidelity lays down its arms, in meek submission ; 
 until every idol falls, every heathen temple is de- 
 serted, and every priesthood is merged in the office 
 of the one great High Priest. We speak of Christ 
 as a revelation from the Father. We should rather 
 speak of him as having planted the seeds of a 
 divine revelation, that a progressive Christian civil- 
 ization is opening to the world. For Christendom 
 to-day, in its refinement, intellectual culture, social 
 elevation and happiness, presents an array of evi- 
 dences in favor of "the truth as it is in Jesus," 
 that no unprejudiced mind can resist. And in the 
 progress of civilization over the world, we have a 
 new or third book of Revelation opening for our 
 inspection and study. Every great improvement in 
 liunian society, every important invention in the 
 arts, or valuable discovery in science, is a miracle 
 that attests the truth and divine origin of Christian- 
 ity. Our Christian nation, with its system of educa- 
 tion, its social order, peaceful Sabbaths, industrial 
 enterprises, its prosperity, power and happiness, is 
 a fulfilled prophecy. It is a witness before the 
 world that "godliness is profitable unto all things, 
 having promise of the life that now is.'* And as 
 new chapters in' this book of Revelation open to 
 mankind in coming time, they will see, with in- 
 
 creased distinctness, the excellences and glories of 
 that system, which to the narrow-minded Jew was 
 a stumbling-block, and to the proud Greek, fool- 
 ishness. We do not, indeed, wonder, that these 
 bigoted cotemporaries of our Saviour failed to dis- 
 cern the excellences and forces of a system that 
 requires ages for its development, and a world for 
 the theatre of its operations. 
 
 But, notwithstanding Christ manifested and ac- 
 complished so much, yet human nature, in its best 
 state, is comparatively an imperfect medium, through 
 which to exhibit the power and lustre of divine 
 vii-tues. When Christ visited us, we are informed 
 that he laid aside his glory and the robes of royalty, 
 and " made himself of no reputation, and took upon 
 him the form of a servant.'' The act of appearing 
 in a lonely condition, how^ever, we do not regard 
 as of great moment, while contemplating the mission 
 of the Redeemer ; for all the honors of princes, and 
 the splendor of earthly palaces, and the brilliant 
 insignia of worldly distinctions, were as nothing, 
 compared with the glory that he had with the 
 Father. Ilis becoming incarnate, whether he ap- 
 pears as a servant or a king, required him to lay 
 asidp the peculiar splendor of his person ; and had 
 he come forth from a princely court rather than a 
 manner, he would still have humbled himself. The 
 widest distinctions in human society are so narrow 
 
224 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 and insignificant as not to ontor into the account, 
 when wc speak of the incarnation of so exalted and 
 illustrious a Being. Neither do these distinctions 
 furnish any basis to aid us in our endeavors to 
 measure the height of his heavenly glory. As tlie 
 most distant points in the earth's wide orbit around 
 the sun seem to be in the closest proximity, when 
 the astronomer attempts to make the intervening 
 line the basis of mathematical in([uiry into the dis- 
 tance of a fixed star, so the wide distinctions among 
 men dwindle into insignificance, when w(^ attem[)t 
 to measure and comprehend the exaltation of Christ 
 in his celestial state. Ilis object in coming to our 
 world was to enter the heart of humanity ; at what 
 point was a matter of Imt little consequence. He 
 doubtless had good reasons for selecting the lowest 
 rank. lie may have seen more worth, more stern 
 integrity and warm affection, there, than in higher 
 ranks. He may have perceived in this class ele- 
 ments of character upon which he could rely in the 
 hour of trial, — a strength of principle having force 
 adequate to smite the giant systems of iniquity and 
 hypocrisy against which he must contend. He cer- 
 tainly found more sympathy, more real friendship 
 and devotion, there, than elsew^here. 
 
 Besides, the object of Christ's mission was not 
 to benefit a few, in select and exclusive circles, but 
 to bless the mass of mankind. He came to address 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 225 
 
 man as man, — to lay down rules for his govern- 
 ment in all the varied circumstances and conditions 
 of life. He came to throw into society elements 
 and principles that would elevate the whole people, 
 that would revolutionize the sentiments and hopes 
 of the race, that would work society clear of every 
 form of vice, every system of error and oppression, 
 and establish the reign of right, humanity, and holi- 
 ness. Nor was he content with simply giving to 
 the world principles for the government of their 
 conduct. He gave to them a life. He exhibited 
 to them principle and truth, in action ; living, mov- 
 ing and breathing, in an example. He not only 
 pointed out the way to heaven, but he showed men 
 how to walk therein. He not only warned them 
 against temptation, but taught them how to grapple 
 with it, and how, in the fiercest conflict, to obtain 
 the mastery. He not only said, "Love your ene- 
 mies, bless them that curse you, do good to them 
 that hate you,'' but he gave the most iUustrious 
 example of these precepts that the world ever beheld. 
 He not only told us to make preparation for death, 
 but he showed us how to die, and by his resun'ection 
 and ascension he ''brought life and immortality to 
 light.'* As we may learn more of the nature and 
 glory of light from the sun, than from the clearest 
 and most accurate definitions of the word which 
 lexicographers can furnish, so we may learn more 
 
22G 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 of virtue, of theology and of moral truth, from the 
 life of Christ, than from the most elaborate and 
 voluminous systems of divinity. And if the excel- 
 lences of his character shone so brightly in this 
 dark world, — if they were fraught with so many 
 blessings, amid circumstances so adverse to their 
 influence, — how glorious must be the developments 
 of his divine attributes in that celestial abode, where 
 he has a name that is above every name, where he 
 is exalted far above all principalities and powers! 
 If here his purity, holiness and benevolence, were 
 so conspicuous, and excited such admiration and 
 o-ratitude in the hearts of his disciples, with what 
 rapture will the redeemed in heaven gaze upon the 
 full opening of his divine nature, and the splendors 
 of his exalted and matchless character! Language, 
 indeed, fails us, in our attempts to describe the 
 emotions of the soul, when it shall view for the first 
 time the Saviour, radiant with the glory of his 
 divine person. 
 
 " 0, could I speak the matchless worth, 
 0, could I sound the glories forth, 
 
 Which in my Saviour shine ! 
 I'd soar and touch the heavenly strings, 
 And vie witli Gabriel, vrhile he bings. 
 In notes almost divine. 
 
 I*d sing the precious blood he spilt, 
 My ransom from the dreadful guilt 
 Of sin, and wmth divine ; 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 227 
 
 I*d sing his glorious righteousness, 
 In which all-perfect, heavenly dress. 
 My soul shall ever sliine. 
 
 I 'd sing the characters he bears. 
 And all the forms of love he wears. 
 
 Exalted on his throne ; 
 In loftiest songs of sweetest praise, 
 I would to everlasting days 
 
 Make all his glories known. 
 
 Well, the delightful day will come. 
 When my dear Lord will bring me home. 
 
 And I shall see his face ; 
 Then, with my Saviour, brother, friend, 
 A blest eternity I'll spend. 
 
 Triumphant in his grace.** 
 
 Although our clearest conceptions of Christ in 
 glory must be necessarily partial and obscure, and 
 our delineations must foil vastly below the reality, 
 yet w^e would, in dependence upon divine aid, 
 examine separately some of the attributes which 
 in combination give such perfection and lustre to 
 the Saviour's character. 
 
 Conspicuous above all other virtues will appear 
 his love. This will be the most brilliant star in the 
 whole constellation, and will excite among the 
 redeemed around his throne the most profound grati- 
 tude and intense delight. It will be seen that all 
 the other attributes are tributary to this ; that the 
 omnipotence of Christ has been employed in opening 
 channels through which his love might flow forth 
 
228 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 to the sentient creation; that his wisdom has been 
 exercised in devising means for reaching every 
 heart that was willing to be the recipient of its 
 blessings, and that the eternity of his being gives 
 perpetuity to the manifestations of his benevolence. 
 It will be seen, while contemplating the dignity 
 and glory of Christ, how great was the love that 
 prompted to such sacrifices as were necessary to 
 effect the redemption of the world. This subject 
 will fill the saint with amazement, with infinite 
 wonder. It will swell and expand before his imag- 
 ination, the more he meditates upon it. It will 
 spread out before him as an ocean, boundless, 
 fathomless ; an ocean which none but an immortal 
 being, with the ages of eternity before him, can 
 traverse. He will see that, as the system which 
 Christ established upon the earth requires centuries 
 for its full development, and the growth of its rich 
 benefits, so this attribute of divine love, though it 
 opens with such brilliancy before the redeemed, 
 will yet require the ages of eternity for the mani- 
 festation of its various elements, and the full display 
 of its surpassing glories. Long will be the period 
 before he will ''be able to comprehend, with all 
 saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, 
 and height : and to know the love of Christ, which 
 passe th knowledge.*' 
 
 Yet even now he can scarcely believe that such a 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 229 
 
 being took upon him our nature, and was made in 
 the form of a servant. "What ! '* he exclaims, "was 
 he whom I now behold encircled with such honors 
 
 — receiving the worship of myriads of intelligences 
 
 — once a babe in Bethlehem, the object of a tyrant's 
 hatred and the public's scorn ? Was he once hunted, 
 like a wild beast, from village to village, by blood- 
 thirsty enemies ? Was he ' a man of sorrows, and 
 acquainted with grief? Was it this glorious per- 
 sonage who hung upon the cross, whose hands and 
 feet were lacerated by the nails, whose side was 
 pierced, and who expired amid tortures and insults 
 that the heart sickens to contemplate ? 
 
 "0! as I look from these heights down upon 
 that dark world, — that abode of misery, theatre of 
 crimes, wars, oppression, pestilence and death, — I 
 can scarcely believe that it w^as ever visited by 
 so pure and resplendent a being. The mystery of 
 godliness — ' God manifest in the flesh ' — is in- 
 creased, rather than diminished. 
 
 "I had hoped to have unravelled this mystery, 
 but it grows upon me. The more I attempt to grasp 
 it, the more it spreads out and extends beyond my 
 comprehension. At every attempt to fathom it, it 
 becomes deeper and deeper. ' God manifest in the 
 flesh ! ' 0, let the words be inscribed upon every arch 
 and column in the holy city ! Let them be engraved 
 upon every redeemed soul! Let them constitute 
 
 20 
 
130 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 the chorus of every anthem, and inspire every heart 
 with the spirit of enthusiastic devotion ! Let them 
 thrill the universe with gratitude and praise ! 
 
 "And to remember that these sacrifices were 
 made and sufferings endured for me, that I miglit 
 be redeemed from the curse of the law, — that T, 
 a guilty wanderer, might be brought back to my 
 Father's house ! 
 
 ** • O, for this love let rocks and hills 
 Their lasting silence break ; 
 And all harmonious human tongues 
 The Saviour's praises speak I 
 
 Angels, assist our mighty joys, 
 
 Strike all your harps of gold ! 
 But when you raise your highest notes, 
 
 His love can ne'er be told.'" 
 
 As the ages of eternity roll on, new features of 
 this attribute, as we have already intimated, will 
 be developed. Fresh coruscations will burst forth, 
 and shed their radiance upon all surrounding objects. 
 
 Its blessings, too, will be experienced in a fur 
 higher degree there than they could be on earth. 
 With glorified bodies, with enlarged capacities, with 
 pirified hearts, we shall be fit receptacles for tlie 
 holy influences and rich benefits imparted by this 
 benevolence. There will be no obstacles, as there 
 were-! upon earth, to impede the flow of the mighty 
 tide. ! Among thei vast multitude, there w^ill be no 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 2ol 
 
 blind waiting to receive their sight, no sufferer 
 needing immediate relief, no sick to be healed, no 
 dead to raise, no sceptic to convince, no foe to dis- 
 arm ; but all will be prepared to receive the full 
 and repeated impressions of this love. Having 
 reached a world where there is no more pain, sick- 
 ness or death, where there is no night of sorrow, 
 where there is " a rest for the people of God," 
 they will experience more fully the blessedness, and 
 drink more deeply from the fountain, of this love. 
 And Christ will be able to accomplish his ardent 
 wish, expressed on earth in the following language : 
 ''That the love wherewith thou (the Father) hast 
 loved me may be in them, and I in them." His 
 desire was, that the infinite love that the Father 
 entertained towards him should be in all his follow- 
 ers, and that he might himself dwell in them. It 
 was not enough that they were near him, and looked 
 upon him, and felt the power of his example, and 
 experienced the benefits of his affection ; but he 
 wished to be in them, to have his image stamped 
 upon them, to have them united to himself as the 
 ])ranches are united to the vine. He desired to 
 establish a divine unity that w^ould embrace all his 
 followers, — a unity, not only of spirit, sentiment 
 and life, but of being. " Holy Father, keep through 
 thine own name those v»hom thou hast given me, 
 that they all may be one ; even as thou art in me, 
 
232 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." 
 This wish the Saviour dwelt upon, with peculiar 
 emphasis, in his farewell address to his disciples, 
 and in the fervent prayer which he afterwards offered 
 up in their behalf. He comforted them with the 
 assurance that this union should be consummated 
 in heaven, and that they should there behold his 
 glory, and experience the full blessedness of his 
 love. -Father, I will that they also whom thou 
 hast given me be with me : that they may behold 
 my glory.'' 
 
 The wisdom of Christ will constitute an element of 
 his glory. Of this wisdom we obtain some glimpses 
 here, from the plan of redemption, the manner of 
 its execution, and its application to the condition 
 and necessities of man. But our knowledge of God 
 — of his divine government, of the nature and con- 
 sequences of sin, and of the realities of the future 
 life — is too limited to allow us to obtain adequate 
 conceptions of the wisdom of Christ. Even inspired 
 men do not attempt to unfold it. In their compre- 
 hensive and sententious language, they speak of 
 Christ as one "in whom are hid all the treasures 
 of wisdom.'' He is called, too, -the wisdom of 
 God;" not simply wise, or a striking manifestation 
 of wisdom, but the very essence and substance of 
 wisdom. We may weU suppose that, to carry into 
 successful operation a plan such as he formed, of 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 233 
 
 taking his stand between the divine government 
 with its rigid laws and fearful penalties, on the one 
 hand, and the rebellion and awful degeneracy of 
 mankind, on the other, and attempting to reconcile 
 the two, and bring into harmony the opposing par- 
 tics, required a degree of wisdom of which no finite 
 mind can conceive. To be stationed between such 
 forces, for the purpose of hushing the storm of battle, 
 breaking every hostile weapon, bringing order out 
 of confusion, loyalty out of rebellion, was an under- 
 taking that required, not only infinite love, but 
 boundless wisdom, — wisdom adequate to such a 
 distrilnition and adjustment of influences as would 
 accomplish the design. The wisdom required in 
 creating a world, or in constructing the human 
 frame, or the more delicate piece of workmanship, 
 tlic mind, is of an inferior character to that demanded 
 by this enterprise. For this is a moral enterprise, 
 one with which physical force has nothing to do. 
 It pertains to a moral government, and moral sul)- 
 jects. The government above must be sustained, at 
 all hazards. That cannot be lowered. Its requi- 
 sitions admit of no compromise. In the maintenance 
 of its stability and authority, is involved everything 
 that is dear to God, or valuable to the universe. 
 The honor of the Deity, the highest happiness of 
 his holy subjects, the accomplishment of his eternal 
 designs, are all connected with it. Better that 
 
 20* 
 
234 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 heaven and earth pass away — better that all tlint 
 is material, and visible, and finite, be swept from 
 existence — than that one jot or tittle of that law 
 remain unfulfilled. 
 
 On the other hand, the free agency of man must 
 be preserved. However desperate his wickedness, 
 or fierce his passions, or corrupt his heart, he nmst 
 be reached, if reached at all, by mornl means, lie 
 cannot be dragged by force out of the deep j)it 
 into which he has plunged hhnself. His sensibilities 
 must be affected, his heart must bo moved, his 
 sense of gratitude must be touched. 
 
 Besides, the balance of influences between the 
 myriads of worlds that are scattered through im- 
 mensity must be preserved. It becomes a matter 
 of nice calculation how much moral influence can 
 be employed by the Supreme Executive, consistently 
 with other claims, to overcome the wickedness and 
 apostasy of man. This scheme of redemption is 
 no secret matter. It is no private or local enter- 
 prise. It is open to the gaze and scrutiny of all 
 intelligences. Angels desire to fathom its myste- 
 ries, desire to solve the problem how God can be 
 just, and yet justify them that believe. All the 
 subjects of God's government are interested in the 
 bearings of this scheme upon the administration, 
 upon the claims of strict justice, and upon their 
 own relations to the Deity. It nmst, therefore, be 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 235 
 
 conducted w4th infinite wisdom, and with a full 
 knowledge of all the influences that may flow^ from 
 it, — all the springs of action, among myriads of 
 intelligences, that it may touch. 
 
 In the execution of the plan, the principles of 
 worldly ^visdom and the elements of worldly power 
 are entirely disregarded. At the first opening of 
 the enterprise, it appears to human view a failure. 
 The great agencies of influence, kings, governments, 
 priests, the learned and wealthy classes, are against 
 it. Its hero succeeds in gathering a few disciples 
 from among the obscure and illiterate, but upon 
 others his mission makes, comparatively, a slight im- 
 pression. After various reverses, the whole scheme 
 ends in, apparently, a total defeat. The Messiah, 
 who but recently was so full of promises to his 
 followers, hangs dead upon a cross. His few friends 
 have scattered, and the affairs of the world go on 
 as usual. The inhabitants of Jerusalem pursue their 
 avocations, as though nothing of marked import- 
 ance had occurred. 
 
 But, lo ! this mysterious being emerges from the 
 tomb, and the apparent defeat is in reality a tri- 
 umph. That which seemed a failure is success. 
 ThQ very opposition, ignominy, suffering and death, 
 are to the Messiah the sources of his power. The 
 wickedness of the world furnishes him with weapons 
 with which he may make successful war upon wick- 
 
236 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 edness. Every blow that fell upon him was an 
 earthquake shock to the citadel of inii^uity. Every 
 insult was an assault upon the kingdom of dark- 
 ness. Every mocking word that was uttered against 
 him, foretold the downfall of the powers of sin. 
 
 Such was the consummate wisdom with which this 
 drama was conducted, that it was made to bear 
 with equal power upon the government above, and 
 the rebels below. It satisfied the law, rendorin<r 
 it consistent for the Supremo Judge to pardon the 
 penitent believer; and it was calculated, above all 
 other means, to make a salutary moral impression 
 upon mankind. Its apparent weakness constituted its 
 strength. Its ignominy was the source of its glory. 
 Christ crucified was ''the power of God and the 
 wisdom of God.'' The arm that quivered upon 
 the cross upheld the moral government of the 
 universe. The heart that bled was destined to 
 send its pulsations through the human family, and 
 affect all succeeding generations, down to the end 
 of time. 
 
 But the wisdom of Christ can be fully developed 
 and seen, only with the full development of this 
 mighty scheme upon a wider and loftier field than 
 this. When redemption shall have worked out its 
 sublime results here, rolled from the earth the dark- 
 ness and gloom of heathenism, lifted the nations from 
 their degradation and moral debasement, and then 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 237 
 
 breaks forth, with still more glorious achievements, 
 upon the plains of the celestial kingdom, then will 
 the wisdom of Clirist appear in its full perfection. 
 It will be seen that, instead of destroying the law, 
 he has fulfilled all its re(|uisitions, and rendered it 
 honorable. Instead of weakening the divine gov- 
 ernment, he has added to its strength and authority. 
 He has furnished the most abundant evidence and 
 the most impressive illustrations of the justice, as 
 well as the mercy, of God. He has exalted the 
 divine character in the estimation of all sentient 
 creatures, and his great atoning sacrifice has served 
 to consolidate the administration of Heaven, and 
 has thrown a lustre and glory over the entire moral 
 universe. 
 
 Another feature in Christ's glory, which will stand 
 out with distinctness and prominence, will be his 
 power. Besides his infinite love and boundless wis- 
 dom, the manifestations of his power will excite the 
 admiration of the saints. " They shall see the Son 
 of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, vnth power, 
 and great glory." Indeed, seven hundred years 
 before Christ's advent upon the earth, Isaiah proph- 
 esied, " His name shall be called the Mighty God." 
 And a thousand years previous, David, in referring 
 to his coming, after speaking of his beauty and 
 eloquence as a king, exclaimed, " Gird thy sword 
 upon thy thigh, most mighty, with thy glory and 
 
238 
 
 EMBLEM? OF HEAVEN. 
 
 thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, 
 because of truth and meekness and righteousness : 
 and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things." 
 Upon this passage, Bishop Home forcibly remarks, 
 *' The Messiah is, in these words, magnificently de- 
 scribed, as making his progress among the nations, 
 seated in his triumphal chariot, adorned with all 
 the regal virtues, achieving the most astonishing- 
 victories, and, by the irresi«:tible might of his power, 
 subduing idolatry and iniquity to the faith and 
 temper of the Gospel.'* The Psalmist continues, 
 " Thy throne, God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre 
 of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.'' After describ- 
 ing his battles and victories, the Messiah is pre- 
 sented as seated upon a throne that shall endure 
 forever, and as swaying a sceptre pledged to an 
 administration of righteousness. St. John also refers 
 to him as a conqueror : " I saw, and behold a white 
 hoi-se ; and he that sat on him had a bow, and a 
 crown was given unto him ; and he went forth con- 
 rpiering and to conquer." Just before his ascension, 
 he said to his disciples, "All power is given unto 
 me in heaven and in earth." And in many pas- 
 sages of Scripture we find the attribute of omnipo- 
 tence ascribed to him. 
 
 While he was upon the earth, his power was 
 manifested in various ways. By his miracles he 
 demonstrated his control over the elements and laws 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 
 
 239 
 
 of the physical world — over diseases and death. 
 He also showed that the evil spirits were subject 
 to his power, and that all the holy angels were 
 under his authority. Behold him, calming the 
 troubled sea, hushing the winds to rest, and walk- 
 ing upon the waves. Behold him, at one time, 
 turning water into wine ; at another, feeding thou- 
 sands with a few loaves and fishes ; at another, 
 withering, by a word, a fig-tree. Behold him 
 passing through Galilee, " healing all manner of 
 sickness, and all manner of disease among the peo- 
 ple." Wherever he moves, "the blind receive their 
 sight, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the 
 dead are raised up." So charged and impregnated 
 is he with power, that there is healing virtue even 
 in the hem of his garment. Nor are these the first 
 manifestations of his omnipotence. St. John de- 
 clares, that " all things were made by him, and 
 without him was not any thing made, that was 
 made." The language of St. Paul, upon this 
 point, in his epistle to the Colossians, is most 
 decisive and unqualified. After speaking with 
 enthusiastic eloquence of the efficacy of Christ's 
 atoning sacrifice, he says, " For by him were all 
 things created, that are in heaven, and that are in 
 earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, 
 or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all things 
 were created by him and for him ; and he is before 
 
240 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 all things, and by him all things consist, and he is 
 the head of the body, the church : who is the beghi- 
 ning, the first born from the dead : that in all things 
 he might have the preeminence/' 
 
 Future events, also, are subject to the power of 
 Christ. His word will startle the dead from their 
 tombs: ''AH that are in the graves shall hear his 
 voice, and shall come forth.'* The trumpet-peal 
 will roll over the islands, and oceans, and continents 
 of the earth. It will break the long silence of 
 the tomb, be heard in the caverns of the deep, 
 reverberate over the fields of battle, and sunmion 
 the multitude, who have crowded this planet, to 
 judgment. The work of judging the world, and of 
 rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked, 
 w411 be performed by him. lie is repeatedly repre- 
 sented, by the sacred waiters, as seated upon his 
 throne with all nations gathered before him, and 
 rewarding each individual according to their deeds. 
 
 His power is also exhibited in other forms in 
 the Scriptures. He is spoken of as "mighty to 
 save," as " able to succor them that are tempted,'' 
 as ''able to save to the uttermost" all who may 
 come to him and put their trust in him. In his 
 conflicts with his enemies he is exhibited as subdu- 
 ing them, as treading them beneath his feet, as 
 breaking thorn with a rod of iron, as dasliing (h«'iu 
 in pieces like a potter's vessel. Thus, though with- 
 
 THE GLOllY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 241 
 
 out the external marks of authority, — though he 
 moved about as a servant among the princes of the 
 earth, — though he was poor among the opulent, and 
 a despised Nazarene among the proud and haughty 
 Pharisees, — yet within his sacred breast slumbered 
 a power that held a universe within its grasp ; a 
 power acknowledged by all ranks of spiritual exist- 
 ences, from the highest archangel down to the 
 lowest of the fallen spirits. And when Christ shall 
 appear in his exaltation, then will this attribute be 
 seen in it« full majesty and glory. All the inspired 
 utterances that w^e have quoted will be luminous 
 with new meaning. The saint will understand the 
 import of the declaration " all power is given unto 
 me in heaven and in earth." He will see that this 
 power extends over every world and system, and 
 through all ranks of intelligences. He will see 
 that the authority of Christ is acknowledged by 
 every holy being in the universe ; and he will be 
 ready to join in the ascription, " Unto him that 
 loved us and washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood, and hrith made us kings and priests unto 
 Ciod and his Father, to him be glory and dominion, 
 for ever and ever." 
 
 It will also serve to increase the admiration of 
 the saints, as they gaze upon the Saviour's glory, 
 to learn by what gracious instrumentalities, and fre- 
 quent manifestations of his power, he has carried 
 
 21 
 
242 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVKN. 
 
 them safely through the temptations of life, and ena- 
 bled them to reach their everlasting home. 
 
 Previous to Christ's departure from earth, he 
 made to his followers the promise, " Lo, I am with 
 you ahvay, even unto the end of the world." He 
 also assured tlioni that he would send the Comforter, 
 who would teach them all things, and bring to their 
 remembrance, and forcibly impress upon their minds, 
 the precious doctrines which he had taught them. 
 The holy angels he sent forth " to minister to them 
 who shall be heirs of salvation." Thus every heav- 
 enly agency was employed in promoting the sanc- 
 tification of the church, and advancing believers in 
 the divine life. God the Father, and God the Son, 
 and God the Holy Spirit, angels and archangels, 
 are concentrating their influences upon the Christian, 
 to spiritualize him, and fit him for the joys and 
 duties of an immortal state ; and were we to be 
 suddenly endowed with powers of vision that would 
 enable us to discern spiritual objects, w^e should 
 behold multitudes of " ministering spirits," who 
 were sympathizing with the saints in their trials 
 and discouragements, engaging with them in their 
 conflicts with sin, and aiding them in wrestling 
 " against principalities and powers, and the rulers 
 of the darkness of this w^orld." We should ))ehold 
 the blessed Comforter strengthening the weak, 
 sustaining the faint-hearted, and inciting all to 
 
 THE GLORY OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN. 243 
 
 watchfulness, self-examination and prayer. An 
 omnipotent Saviour would be seen entering his 
 temple, the soul of the believer, seeking to purify 
 its atmosphere, decorate its walls, strengthen its 
 columns, quicken its devotion, and bring every 
 thought, desire and purpose of the soul, to the 
 altar, to receive consecration at his hands. 
 
 " Lo, I am with you alway." What is the full 
 import of these words ? By what secret avenues 
 does the Saviour gain access to our spirits ? How 
 does he touch the springs of action, — how does he 
 excite holy desires, protect us from the adversary, 
 incline our feet heavenward, " work in us both to 
 w^ill and to do of his own good pleasure"? We 
 know not now, but we shall know hereafter. And a 
 knowledge of what has been done to promote our 
 sanctification, a knowledge of the vast moral ma- 
 chinery that has been kept in motion to sustain 
 our faith, suppress the risings of a sinful nature, 
 preserve the supremacy of moral principle in the 
 soul, and carry forward the work of a thorough 
 spiritual renovation, will excite the highest gratitude 
 and most intense admiration. The Christian will 
 see that his pathway here was lined with invisible 
 agencies, more potent than the highest visible means 
 of grace ; that he was instructed by more eloquent 
 messengers than ever addressed him from the pulpit ; 
 that he was " surrounded with a great cloud of 
 
244 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 witnesses/' who watched with intense anxiety his 
 progress, and stimulated him to " run with patience 
 the race set before'' him. lie will see what solic- 
 itude and effort it has cost the ** author and finishcn- 
 of his faith" to perfect his sanctification, and fit 
 him for his present exalted position, and rapturous 
 
 joys. 
 
 "0, for a sight, a pleasing sight, 
 Of our Almighty Father's throne ! 
 There sits our Saviour, crownc<l with light, 
 Clothed in a budy like our own. 
 
 Adoring saints around him stand. 
 And thrones and powers before him fall ; 
 
 The God shines gracious through the man, 
 And sheds sweet glories on them all. 
 
 0, what amazing joys they feel, 
 
 While to their golden harps they sing. 
 
 And sit on every heavenly hill, 
 
 And spread the triumphs of their King ! 
 
 When shall the day, dear Lord, appear. 
 That I shall mount to dwell above. 
 
 And stand and bow and worship there, 
 And \iew thy face, and sing and love?** 
 
 XI. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 "I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face 
 the earth and the heaven fled away." — Revelation xx. 11. 
 
 Our views of the heavenly world would be incom- 
 plete, unless we consider the moral government which 
 God has estal)lished over his kingdom. This is pre- 
 sented to us, in the passage which we have quoted, 
 under the emblem of "a great white throne." The 
 whiteness of the throne indicates, not only its purity, 
 but its brilliancy. Yet the lustre is not so dazzling 
 as to prevent the apostle from beholding the Being 
 who is seated upon the throne. Aided by super- 
 natural powei^ of vision, he sees Jehovah in his 
 majesty, before whom the earth and the heavens 
 flee away. Such is the intensity of his glory, that 
 the universe is represented as dissolving before it, 
 and the laws of nature as being suspended. Similar 
 expressions are found in the Psalms of David, and 
 in the writings of the prophets. At the appearance 
 of Jehovah, the earth trembles, the mountains melt, 
 the seas retire. " The mountains quake at him, 
 the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his pres- 
 
 21* 
 
246 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 247 
 
 ence ; yea, the world, and all that dwell therein." 
 The throne of Jehovah is often refen^ed to, in the 
 Scriptures, as the symbol of regal authority, and the 
 seat of sovereign power. The Psalmist declares, 
 " The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, 
 and his kingdom ruleth over all.'' The propliet 
 Isaiah says, "I saw the Lord sittiiii:- ujion a tliroiH^ 
 high and lifted up, and his train Idled the temple." 
 Daniel, iu describing the vision he liad of tlie 
 "Ancient of days,'' says, " TFis throne was like the 
 fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. Thou- 
 sands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times 
 ten thousand stood before him." 
 
 This emblem is referred to, with great frequency, 
 by St. John. Indeed, as the panorama of heavenly 
 glories passed before him, the throne was a bright 
 and conspicuous object, in ahnost every scene that 
 presented itself. When the first trumpet sounded, 
 and "a door was opened in heaven," he perceived 
 in the distance a throne, and one that sat thereon ; 
 and, as the celestial vision was drawing to a close, 
 and its brightness fading from the view, this was 
 one of the last objects to sink and disappear below 
 the horizon. At one time, it appeared encircled 
 with a gorgeous rainbow, and lightnings nnd thun- 
 derings proceeded out of it, and seven brilliant lamps 
 threw their lustre upon it. At another time, he 
 saw a golden altar before it, and the incense from 
 
 the censer of the angel ascended, and enveloped the 
 throne. At another, it was surrounded with a sea of 
 glass, and "a pure river of water of life, clear as 
 crystal," flowed from it ; and the invitation was given, 
 "Let him that is athirst come ; and whosoever will, 
 let him take the water of life freely." If the apostle 
 hears " the voice of many angels," they are around 
 the throne. If he beholds, in another scene, a great 
 multitude, stretching away as fixr as the eye can 
 reach, they are "before the throne." 
 
 An emblem thus conspicuous, and appearing as 
 the central object in so many celestial views, must 
 be full of important meaning. May we be aided by 
 divine assistance in our endeavors to interpret it ! 
 
 The fact, that the throne was constantly kept 
 before the mind of the apostle, indicates the 
 supremacy and perpetual authority of God's moral 
 government. It teaches mankind that this govern- 
 ment should occupy a prominent place in their esti- 
 mation ; that its principles should be the object of 
 frequent meditation, and careful study ; and that, 
 jimid the most glowing anticipations of heavenly 
 ielicity, the Christian should never forget that he 
 owes allegiance to an infinite Sovereign, and is 
 under laws that require of him perfect obedience. 
 
 The origin, nature, extent and glory, of this 
 government, are points worthy of our consideration. 
 
 A supreme moral government grows, naturally, 
 
248 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 249 
 
 out of the existence and character of God, and the 
 nature of his moral kingdom. The primary concep- 
 tion, in the human mind, of the Deity, is that of 
 a being who has power over his works, and authority 
 over his creatures. To suppose a Supreme Being 
 to create matter or mind, without inherent laws to 
 govern them, or without the purpose to subject them 
 to his authority, is to invalidate our essential ideas 
 of God. Besides, the creation of an intelligent 
 being, without principles of action, would subserve 
 no good purpose, — no more than the creation of 
 worlds, or a material universe, without physical 
 laws. Indeed, we can no more conceive of a rea- 
 sonable being, without law, than we can conceive 
 of a sun without light, or an atmosphere without 
 oxygen, or a planetary system without the principle 
 of gravitation. Those, therefore, who come to God, 
 believing that "he is,'* must also believe "that he 
 is a re warder of them that diligently seek him;'' 
 that he has established over his sentient creation a 
 moral government, involving a system of rewards 
 and punishments ; and that he has so ordered his 
 administration that rich blessings shall flow from 
 ob(Klience, and disastrous consequences follow a 
 coui'se of disobedience. 
 
 This government grows, too, out of the infinite 
 and perfect attributes of the Deity. It flows from 
 him, as the pure river of the water of life flows 
 
 from his throne. Every perfection of his nature 
 contributes to its purity and excellence. His bound- 
 less goodness prompts him to frame a government 
 best suited to the wants of his subjects, and adapted 
 to secure their highest happiness. His infinite wis- 
 dom enables him to make such a selection of laws, 
 and so arrange the forces and influences of his gov- 
 ernment, as to attain, in the most perfect manner, 
 the ends of his administration. Had we the ability 
 to go beyond the external and visible features 
 of this government, and penetrate into its hidden 
 and complicated machinery, and perceive the work- 
 ings of the influences and motives wliich are employed 
 to develop and control the energies of its subjects, 
 we should see that divine wisdom was stamped upon 
 every part of the system. We should see that, what- 
 ever imperfection or disorder may have crept into 
 certain portions of God's vast empire, his govern- 
 ment was adapted and designed to secure the per- 
 fect holiness and happiness of every sentient being 
 in the universe. This, in my view, is a fundamental 
 truth, which is not to be disturbed, and need not, 
 if we are honest, be disturbed, by any speculations 
 or theories that we may entertain upon other points, 
 connected with, or growing out of, this moral govern- 
 ment. Wien the infinite Jehovah, with the solem- 
 nity of an oath, declares, "As I live, I have no 
 pleasure in the death of the wicked," I listen as a 
 
250 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 believer in the truth of the declaration, and in the 
 sincerity of its author. And when I view the wise 
 adaptation of God's government to his moral king- 
 dom, I feel the force of the inquiry, " ^Vhat could 
 have been done more to my vineyard, that I have 
 not done in it?" 
 
 The infinite knowledge of Jehovah qualifies him 
 to administer this government to the best advantage, 
 and with reference to the interests of all ranks of 
 intelligent beings. Having spread out before him 
 the character, history, position and circumstances, 
 of every individual subject ; possessing the faculty 
 of attending, at the same time, to the interests of a 
 world, and the Avants of the humblest of his crea- 
 tures ; capable of grasping, at a glance, everything 
 that is transpiring in the millions of worlds that 
 float around his throne ; capable of reading the 
 thoughts, and scanning the motives, of every mind, 
 — he is prepared, as no other being in the universe 
 is, to administer a moral government. His govern- 
 ment, therefore, exists as an absolute necessity. We 
 cannot contemplate it, in its connection wdth a single 
 divine attribute, without having it forced upon us, as 
 essential to the very existence of a moral kingdom. 
 Let it be crushed, and the moral universe must be 
 crushed with it. The two stand or fall together. 
 
 We do not wonder, therefore, that, in the visions 
 that passed before the apostle John, a throne should 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 251 
 
 have been so often seen. We do not wonder that, 
 in the revelations that the Deity made of himself 
 to the ancient prophets, he should so often appear 
 surrounded with the splendors of royalty, and the 
 emblems of absolute sovereignty. 
 
 The divine holiness is another attribute from 
 which a moral government springs. God's sense 
 of right and justice prompts him to establish these 
 principles over his creatures. K his subjects are 
 made in his likeness and image, they must be gov- 
 erned by the laws that govern him. As a holy 
 being, he cannot approve of anything but holiness 
 in his kingdom. He cannot, either, avoid doing all 
 in his power to secure universal holiness. To sup- 
 pose otherwise, is to suppose that he can act against 
 the dictates of his own nature, and in violation of a 
 principle that is dearer to him than the universe. 
 It is true that evil exists under this government; 
 but this is a foreign and antagonistic element, 
 airainst which the whole force of the administration 
 is arrayed. To affirm, as some writers have done, 
 that sin is necessary to the system, or in any man- 
 ner receives the divine approbation, is to insult the 
 Deity, and throw into inexplicable confusion all our 
 moral conceptions. Against such an idea the human 
 reason and the divine revelation utter their solemn 
 and unqualified protest. The divine will is fully 
 expressed in this law : " Thou shalt love the Lord 
 
252 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 
 and with all thy might.'* And this law is binding, 
 and always was, and ever will be, upon every indi- 
 vidual subject. It has never been repealed, or quali- 
 fied, or suspended ; and it never will be, while God 
 remains a holy being. Every instance of its violation 
 dishonors God, weakens the government, and entails 
 upon the transgressor, and upon all who come under 
 his influence, disastrous consequences. 
 
 Our next inquiry respects the nature of this gov- 
 ernment. It is styled a moral government, because 
 it is a system established by a moral governor over 
 moral subjects. It respects the actions of free 
 agents, and aims at controlling them by the power 
 of motives. Physical force cannnot enter into it, 
 for the obvious reason that its subjects are by nature 
 susceptible only to the power of moral influences. 
 The physical universe is so constituted as to be 
 governed by physical laws, and by no others. The 
 revolution of the planets could be no more produced 
 by moral influence, or simple authority, than the 
 obedience of a free agent could be secured by physi- 
 cal force. In the material, animal and moral king- 
 doms of God, each department is governed by laws 
 adapted to the nature of the sulyect. The animal 
 creation are governed by the laws of instinct, and 
 hence are not capable of moral action, nor susceptible 
 to the power of influence. But intelligent beings. 
 
 THE TURONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 253 
 
 made in the image and likeness of God, endowed 
 with the powers of reason, judgment and free action, 
 must be under a moral system. They must be gov- 
 erned by the influence of divine authority, acting, 
 through the susceptibilities and reason, upon the will. 
 The idea of a forced obedience is an absurdity. Holi- 
 ness of character produced by omnipotence is, in the 
 very nature of things, an impossibility. Obedience 
 is the voluntfiry action of a free agent. The homage, 
 worship and services, that are rendered in heaven, 
 by the saints and angels, are all the voluntary offer- 
 ings of loyal subjects. They are the expressions of 
 gratitude and love, awakened by a view of the 
 excellences of the divine character, and an experi- 
 ence of the divine love ; and their virtue consists in 
 their being voluntarily rendered to the Author of all 
 good. Beings that are not capable of volition, that 
 have not the power of choice, are not capable of 
 rendering worship. 
 
 Such, then, was the government that was symbol- 
 ized in *'the great white throne'' that appeared 
 before St. John, — a government suited to the nature 
 of intelligent moral beings, and adapted to secure their 
 highest and lasting happiness. And in this vision 
 we are presented with the sublime spectacle of vast 
 multitudes of holy and resplendent beings, surround- 
 ing the throne, and freely rendering to the "King 
 of kings and Lord of lords " the enthusiastic homage 
 
 22 
 
254 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 of grateful and loyal hearts. They are heW in alle- 
 giance to that throne by the power of benevolence. 
 The divine love manifested towards them draws out 
 their love towards the Sovereign, and every affection 
 of their heart becomes a tie that binds them to him. 
 And this privilege, of rendering to the infinite Je- 
 hovah voluntary worship and services, will not only 
 contribute to the glory of the Sovereign, but will be 
 a prominent source of the felicity of the saints. It 
 will be a living and perpetual fountain of blessedness : 
 a fountain increasing with the development of our 
 being, and with the growth of our capabilities to 
 love and serve God ; a fountain that will not only 
 send forth streams, but will swell into an ocean of 
 
 happiness. 
 
 This government, while it is thus adapted to the 
 nature of its subjects, is entirely independent of them. 
 In this respect, it differs from all human govern- 
 ments, which, to a greater or less extent, are derived 
 from the consent of the governed. It is an absolute 
 and unlimited sovereignty, all the elements, princi- 
 ples and laws of which, have come directly from the 
 Deity. The creature has no more contributed to its 
 excellence and glory, than he has contributed to the 
 essence of God. It is as much above the skill and 
 wisdom of finite beings, as the Creator is above the 
 creature. It stands out alone, a vast moral system, 
 bearing the impress of divine wisdom and goodness. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 255 
 
 It is an embodiment of the eternal principles of right, 
 justice and holiness, — principles that have dwelt 
 forever in the divine mind. God had before him 
 every possible form of government that could be 
 established ; and he selected this, not only as the 
 best, but as the only perfect government that could 
 be framed. Its independence, therefore, is an abso- 
 lute necessity. The governor could no more have 
 consulted his subjects as to the kind of government 
 that he should establish over them, than he could 
 have consulted them as to whether they would have 
 a sun in the heavens. From his very nature, and 
 his relations to his creatures, he must give laws, 
 and not receive them ; must establish principles, and 
 not derive them from any external source. '' Who 
 hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or, being his 
 counsellor, hath taught him ? With Avhom took he 
 counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him 
 in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, 
 and showed to him the way of understanding ? All 
 nations before him are as nothing ; and they are 
 counted to him less than nothing, and vanity." The 
 Deity can be the recipient of nothing from without, 
 for the w^hole universe is but the manifestation of 
 himself. He has written his omnipotence upon the 
 stars, and his wisdom upon the movements of planet- 
 ary systems, and the forces and laws of nature. He 
 has created light as the symbol of his love, and 
 
256 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 25' 
 
 spread out the ocean as the emblem of his infinity. 
 Yet all that is ^dsible and known to us is but a faint 
 expression of Ilim who is seated upon the throne of 
 the universe. From regions far beyond the stars, 
 there comes to us a voice, " AVho l)y searching can 
 find out God ; who can find out the Almighty unto 
 perfection ? " 
 
 " Where art Thou ? Tiiou ! source and support of all 
 That is, or seen, or felt ; thyself unseen, 
 Unfelt, unknown, — alas ! unknowable ! 
 I look abroad among thy works, — the sky. 
 Vast, distant, glorious with its world of suns, 
 Life-giving earth, and ever-moving main. 
 And speaking winds, — and ask if these are Thee ! 
 The stars that tAvinkle on, the eternal hilLs, 
 The restless tide's outgoing and return, 
 The omnipresent and deep-breathing air. 
 Though hailetl as gwls of old, and only less. 
 Are not the Power I seek ; — are thine, not Thee ! '* 
 
 Such a being must be a sovereign of absolute 
 and unlimited authority. By virtue of his divinity, 
 he has the right to make laws for all his creatures. 
 Yet this sovereignty is not, as we have seen, a 
 tyranny. It has not been established to gratify the 
 mere love of power. It is not administered, as 
 many human governments are, on the principle of 
 sacrificing every interest to the arbitrary will of 
 the despot. It exists for the happiness of the 
 subject, as well as the glory of the Ruler. We 
 cannot examine one of its elements, or principles. 
 
 i 
 
 without perceiving its benevolent design. The 
 divine goodness is as conspicuous in it as the 
 divine sovereignty. Indeed, the sovereignty in the 
 government is the executive power that gives effi- 
 cacy to the goodness. A finite being might, in 
 his compassion, desire the w^elfare of others, with- 
 out having the power to secure it. But God, by 
 virtue of the attribute of sovereignty, is enabled 
 to accomplish his wishes in regard to the happiness 
 of his obedient subjects. He is not only a being 
 " gracious and full of compassion," but " he doeth 
 according to his will, in the army of heaven, and 
 among the inhabitants of the earth ; and none can 
 stay his hand, or say unto him. What doest thou? '* 
 
 In the series of views that we have presented, 
 in this volume, of the blessedness of heaven, we 
 have abundant proof of the beneficial results of 
 the combined action of the divine sovereignty and 
 goodness. We see them in the preparations that 
 are made for the saints ; in the rewards that are 
 promised to the faithful ; and in the glories and 
 honors that the holy angels have for ages enjoyed. 
 As we look down the long vista of an immortal 
 state, they crowd upon the vision, inspiring confi- 
 dence as well as hope ; giving us the assurance 
 that the great Ruler *' is able to do exceeding 
 abundantly above all that we ask or think.'* 
 
 Our definition of the nature of this government 
 
 22* 
 
258 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 would be incomplete, without remarking that it is a 
 system of law^s to which are attached severe penalties. 
 The throne which appeared to the apostle John was 
 surrounded not only with the emblems of the purity 
 and love of the Deity, but also with the symbols 
 of his justice. Thunderings and lightnings were 
 seen to proceed from the throne. And the apostle 
 adds, " I saw the dead, small and great, stand 
 before God ; and the books were opened : and tlui 
 dead were judged out of those things which were 
 w^ritten in those books, according to their works ; 
 and whosoever was not found written in the book 
 of life, was cast into the lake of fire/' It has not 
 fallen within the scope of the topics which we have 
 been considering, to refer, except incidentally, to 
 the condition of those who pass from this world in 
 a state of impenitence and unbelief; and we would 
 gladly have confined our thoughts to the briglit 
 visions of the future life which are found in the 
 Holy Scriptures. But, in contemplating that stu- 
 pendous moral government which the infinite Jehovah 
 has established, we cannot avoid seeing its dreadful 
 penalty. In viewing God as the sovereign of the 
 universe, we cannot fiiil to perceive that '' clouds 
 and darkness are round about him;'* that "right- 
 eousness and judgment are the habitation of his 
 throne.*' Being himself a God of strict justice and 
 perfect holiness, he must punish the wicked, as 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 259 
 
 well as reward the righteous. And fearful as is 
 the penalty with which the transgressor of his law 
 is threatened, we affirm that it is as fully sustained 
 by the divine benevolence as by the divine justice. 
 For the Deity, as a benevolent being, as a ruler 
 who is anxious to secure the greatest amount of 
 obedience and happiness in his kingdom, is called 
 upon to make the most emphatic manifestation of 
 his abhorrence of sin that it is possible to make. 
 He is called upon to show to his moral universe 
 the absolute supremacy of his authority, his right- 
 ful claims to the services and affections of every 
 subject, and his entire disapprobation of every form 
 and degree of sin. He must therefore attach to 
 the transgression of his law a penalty, that will 
 carry with it the greatest possible moral influence. 
 Any penalty that is limited or fmite obviously fails 
 to do this. And should God fail to express, in 
 the strongest manner, his hatred of sin, — should he 
 fail to present to his subjects the strongest motives 
 to induce them to obey him, — how could we prove 
 his infinite benevolence ? 
 
 It is true, that the punishment announced in the 
 Scriptures against the wicked is in the highest 
 degree terrible. The mere thought of an immortal 
 spirit lost forever is inconceivably awful. But 
 it should be remembered that the sin against 
 which this penalty is threatened is a terrible evil, 
 
2C0 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 an infinite evil, an evil that threatens the over- 
 throw of God\s government, the annihilation of his 
 authority, and the destruction of his moral universe. 
 It is a foe, which, if allowed to exert its full 
 force, and send out all its destructive influences, 
 would defeat the benevolent designs of God, and 
 involve the whole universe in one general ruin. 
 This evil must, therefore, from the very necessity 
 of the case, be held in check by the strongest 
 barriers that onmipotence can raise. It must bo 
 crushed by the most potent forces that can be 
 brought against it. The honor of God, the stability 
 of his government, and the interests of his obedient 
 subjects, demand this. Every man feels the import- 
 ance, in human governments, of maintaining the 
 majesty of law, and punishing transgressors. The 
 welfare of society, the authority of the government, 
 and a just regard to the rights of the innocent, rec^uire 
 it. Now, if this must be done in limited and local 
 communities, and where only temporal affairs and 
 interests arc involved, how much more necessary is 
 it that the authority of God's government be sus- 
 tained, — a government that extends over millions 
 of worlds, and that embraces within its sway the 
 thoughts, motives and deeds, of countless myriads 
 of subjects ! 
 
 In this connection, the inquiry presses itself upon 
 our attention, If there is so nuich sin in that portion 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 261 
 
 of God's kingdom with which we are acquainted, 
 notwithstanding the severity of the penalty of the 
 law, what w^ould be the effect, Avere the penalty 
 removed ? Suppose, for a moment, that there were 
 no restraining influences arising from the fear of the 
 evil consequences of disobedience, have we not reason 
 to believe, from the present moral condition of man- 
 kind, that wickedness w^ould greatly increase, and the 
 authority of God be, to a greater extent than it now 
 is, set at defiance ? We have given prominence, in 
 the views already advanced, to the power of the 
 divine love ; but we would not overlook the fact, 
 that there is such a principle as divine justice. We 
 may delight ourselves with the contemplation of the 
 beauties and glories of the heavenly world, but we 
 would not keep out of sight the great truth, that 
 *' justice and judgment are the habitation" of God's 
 throne. 
 
 The next point deserving of our attention is the 
 extent of the divine government. Reason and reve- 
 lation both teach us that God's authority is coexten- 
 sive with his sentient creation. It reaches to the 
 remotest bounds of the habitable universe. Every 
 angel in heaven, every inhabitant of earth, the mil- 
 lions of beings that people the w^orlds that are above 
 and around us, are all subjects of the divine authority. 
 '* Ilis kingdom ruleth over all.*' Every human mind 
 is conscious that it is subject to the requisitions of 
 
262 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 law. This consciousness it cannot shake olT. It is a 
 part of its nature. It is as indestmctible as its own 
 being. The sense of right and wrong that is phmted 
 in every breast, the obligation under which one feels 
 to follow the dictates of an enlightened conscience, 
 the self-approbation that flows from right conduct, 
 and the remorse that the transgressor experiences, 
 all spring from this government. If a person follows 
 a vicious course of conduct, it is not necessary to 
 bring him to a formal trial, in order that the ends 
 of justice may be attained. lie is aiTested by his 
 own conscience, is summoned before a judge within 
 his own breast, is tried by a jury impanneled from 
 his sense of right and justice, and condemned to the 
 loss of peace of mind and the favor of Heaven. And 
 reason teaches us that the power of this internal, 
 self-working government, is felt by every intelligent 
 being in the universe. No angel is so exalted as to 
 be beyond its influence, and no being has fallen so 
 low as to have had its lineaments effaced from his 
 memory. The principle termed conscience, which is 
 planted in every soul, is the viceroy of heaven's 
 King, appointed to guide the subject in the path of 
 duty, to warn him of danger, and to enable him to 
 secure the high rewards that are promised to the 
 obedient. 
 
 We speak of this government as coextensive with 
 God's moral kingdom ; but this language, obviously, 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 26^ 
 
 o 
 
 fails to convey to our minds adequate conceptions 
 either of the government or of the kingdom over 
 which it is established ; for modern science has 
 thrown open to us an extent of empire that is beyond 
 the grasp of the mightiest and loftiest of human 
 intellects. With the aid of telescopic power, we 
 discover that immensity is crowded with worlds and 
 systems, of wdiich, before, we had no knowledge ; and 
 that this earth, instead of being a central and import- 
 ant portion of God's dominions, to w^hich all that is 
 A'isible in the heavens is tributary and secondary, is, 
 in fact, but one amid myriads of worlds, that vastly 
 surpass it in magnificence and splendor. We dis- 
 cover that the universe is of such an extent that this 
 world, with its islands, continents and oceans, is but 
 a speck in the view of beings at comparatively no 
 remote distance from us ; — a speck, the loss of which 
 would be no more felt than the fall of a leaf in a vast 
 forest, or the removal of a single grain of sand from 
 the sea-shore. In our attempts to comprehend the 
 extent of this empire, we are not only utterly baffled, 
 but we perceive it stretching away, in every direc- 
 tion, towards a mysterious infinity ; and the impres- 
 sion is ma<le upon the mind, that it is absolutely 
 boundless. The idea has been advanced, that it may 
 be the Creator's design to excite the wonder, and 
 sustain the adoration, of his subjects, by views of the 
 magnitude of a kingdom the boundaries of wliich no 
 
264 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 finite mind will ever reach. An eloquent writer* 
 has said that there is '' an unsealed barrier, l)eyond 
 which no power, either of eye or of telescope, shall 
 ever carry us ; that, on the other side, there is a 
 height, and depth, and length, and breadth, to which 
 the whole of this concave and visilde firmament dwin- 
 dles into the insignificance of an atom ; and though 
 all w^hich the mind of man can take in, or his fimcy 
 grasp at, were swept aw\ay, there might still remain 
 as ample a field, over w^hich the Divinity might 
 expatiate, and which he might have peopled with 
 innumerable w^orlds. Though this earth wore to be 
 burned up, though the trumpet of its dissolution were 
 sounded, though yon sky were to pass away as a 
 scroll, and every visible glory wdiich the finger of 
 Divinity has inscribed cm it w^ere to be put out for- 
 ever, — an event so awful to us, and to every world 
 in our vicinity, by w^hich so many suns would bo 
 extinguished, and so many varied scenes of life and 
 of population would rush into forge tfulness, — what 
 is it in the high scale of the Almighty's workman- 
 ship ? — a mere shred, which, though scattered into 
 nothing, would leave the universe of God one entire 
 scene of greatness and of majesty.'* 
 
 If such is the immensity of the Creator's dominions, 
 — an im.monsity so vast that the solitude created by 
 the destruction of all that is visible would be l)ut " a 
 
 ♦ Clialmers. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 265 
 
 small, unoccupied point,'' to the infinite mind, — if 
 the nebuhe consist of clusters of stars, and those stars 
 swell to the magnitude of brilliant suns, and those 
 suns present themselves to our view as the central 
 orbs of vast planetary systems, that are filled wdth a 
 Inisy and innumerable population, — what must be 
 the grandeur of that divine government, that spreads 
 its protecting shield over so vast an empire, and 
 requires the homage and services of the countless 
 myriads of its inhabitants ! What must be the attri- 
 butes of that monarch, who, while presiding over 
 such a kingdom, and taking within his compre- 
 hensive grasp the interests of various ranks of intelli- 
 gences, as numerous, perhaps, as the worlds around 
 us, at the same time can notice every thought that 
 enters my mind, every motive that influences my 
 conduct, and every circumstance that contributes to 
 form my character, and decide my destiny ! We 
 gaze with wonder and admiration upon a government 
 that, wdiile its sway is universal, at the same time 
 finds its reflex in the consciousness of every indi- 
 \4dual subject ; a government the grandeurs of which 
 bafile our powers, and yet the workings of which are 
 discoverable in the moral history of the humblest of 
 its subjects. 
 
 An administration thus universal, and embodying 
 the eternal principles of right, justice and benevo- 
 lence, must be in the highest degree powerful and 
 
 23 
 
266 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 glorious. Although no physical forces can enter into 
 its operations, yet it has a moral power, a divine 
 energy, that is felt in every part of the habitable 
 universe. All the influence of the divine character, 
 and the force of the divine authority, are infused 
 into it, and are among its constituent elements. It 
 is penetrated and permeated by the infinite attributes 
 of the Deity, and must partake of the power that 
 belongs to God. It is a revelation and embodiment 
 of the moral qualities of the Deity, just as the mate- 
 rial universe is a revelation and embodiment of the 
 divine omnipotence. 
 
 Its chief force is derived directly from the character 
 of its author. To aid us in conceiving of the moral 
 power of the Supreme Intelligence, we need only 
 reflect upon the capabilities for exerting influence 
 with which even his finite creatures are endowed. 
 Every human being is so constituted that he cannot 
 fail to send forth an influence. While he is a focus 
 towards which the power from all other beings con- 
 verges, there emanates from him a moral force that 
 reaches, for aught we can tell, the utmost boundaries 
 of social existence. Though man is finite and depend- 
 ent, — the creature of yesterday, — still, he cannot 
 isolate himself. The power inherent in his being 
 streams forth from him, as light pours from the sun, 
 or heat from the internal fire of the earth. He is, 
 in one sense, a sovereign who cannot abdicate. He 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 267 
 
 is a force for evil or good, in the moral universe, 
 which cannot be annihilated. Every action that he 
 performs lives, — becomes an imperishable monu- 
 ment. Every word he utters goes forth as a winged 
 messenger, upon an immortal mission. Every thought 
 leaves an indelible impression upon the universe. In 
 remarking upon this subject, a distinguished writer 
 says, " It is as if each man had his foot upon the 
 point where ten thousand telegraphic wires meet from 
 every part of the universe, and he were able with 
 each volition to send abroad an influence along these 
 wires, so as to reach every created being in heaven 
 and in earth. It is as if we were linked to every 
 created being by a golden chain, and every pulsation 
 of our heart, or movement of our mind, modified the 
 pulsation of every other heart, and the movements 
 of every other intellect." 
 
 Now, if such be the power of a creature, what 
 must be the power of an infinite Creator ? If such 
 are the relations that finite beings sustain to each 
 other, and the force that they necessarily exert one 
 upon another, — if there are lines of influence passing 
 between them, as rays of light pass from star to star, 
 or sun to sun, intersecting each other at almost every 
 point, — what must be the moral power that flows 
 from the Creator to his creatures — from him in 
 whom " we live and move and have our being " ? 
 United as we are to the moral Governor of the uni- 
 
2G8 
 
 EMBLEMS OF HEAVEN. 
 
 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. 
 
 2G9 
 
 verse by ten thousand ties ; dependent upon him for 
 every benefit that we receive, our obligations increas- 
 ing with every new manifestation of his kindness, 
 and every day's experience of his love, we can- 
 not but feel the influence of his character, and per- 
 ceive the mighty moral forces that are inherent in 
 his government. And as, from age to age, blessings 
 continue to flow from his administration, its power 
 uuist continue to increase ; and since the period can 
 never arrive when the creature will cease to be 
 dependent upon the bounty of the Creator, it follows 
 that the moral power of this government will never 
 cease to increase. It must continue to augment 
 throughout eternity. 
 
 But who can describe, or even conceive of the 
 glory of this divine government, that throws its lustre 
 upon every world, and fills immensity with its splen- 
 dors ? When its grand purposes shall have been 
 accomplished, the sublime spectacle will be presented 
 of a universe crowded with loyal and adornig sub- 
 jects. From every world will ascend, to the infinite 
 Sovereign, anthems of praise, and the incense of holy 
 worship. Every planet will glitter with teni[>les, 
 whose lofty architecture, and s[dendid propoilions, 
 and costly decorations, will indicate the prevalence 
 of devotion, and the homage that is rendered to the 
 divine authority. 
 
 And if we are so happy as to reach the heavenly 
 
 world, the first object upon which the eye will rest 
 will be "the great white tin-one.'* And as wo 
 advance from one stnge of progress to another, and 
 new scenes open before the mind, this throne will 
 a[)pear, as it did to the apostle John, rising in 
 its splendor, conspicuous above every other object. 
 Wherever we may wander, in whatever duties we 
 may be engaged, or whatever studies or pleasures 
 may occupy us, we shall never lose sight of the 
 throne. It will stand forever, to remind us that we 
 are under authority, — that amid our greatest enjoy- 
 ments and highest honors, we yet owe allegiance to 
 an infinite Sovereign, and are subject to the laws 
 of him whose " dominion is an everlasting dominion." 
 It will stand as the eternal bulwark of the holiness 
 and happiness of God's empire, and the pledge that 
 the rewards of heaven are immortal ! 
 
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