CHAPTER XXXIII.

HEAVEN-What It Is-Where It Is.

Heaven is the abode of God, His angels, and the home of blessed and saved human beings, the participation of the divine beatitude.

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

"And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also," said Jesus in John 14:2, 3.

Paul, the Apostle, was caught up to the third heaven, “to Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." 2 Cor. 12:1-4.

In the twenty-first chapter of Revelations, an attempt is made to paint the celestial glory with terrestial primers, blends and delicate shadings, and to describe the infinite with finite language; or with (Browning) "Making finites of delight through the heavenly infinite."

Think of a city lying in a perfect square, about fifteen hundred English miles to each side. Its walls seventy yards high. Its foundation consisting of twelve sorts of precious stones, and the walls of jasper, having twelve gates, three on each side, and each gate a genuine pearl.

But the most remarkable thing about this city, the new Jerusalem is that it forms an actual cube; for its width and breadth and heighth are the same, namely twelve thousand furlongs.

Note-A furlong is one-eighth of an English mile, hence eight furlongs to the mile.

Think of a city fifteen hundred miles square, and its buildings fifteen hundred miles high, and constructed of pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the street of the city was pure gold. as it were transparent glass.

"And the city had no temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple in it.

"And the city had no need of sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light of it.

"And the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.

"And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there

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“And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they that are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Heaven is a state, a condition, not a privilege, or a permission or a favor.

Misconception of Heaven. The idea, cherished by many, is that God is good, God is merciful, God is love, therefore he could not be so hard-hearted as to shut out or deny entrance to his man

sions in heaven to a poor, weak sinner when he dies.

Now, it is not so much the question here of any shutting out as it is a question what the poor, weak, unconverted, unreconciled sinner would do with himself if admitted into heaven.

My reader, how would you fare if you got into a wedding feast and discovered that you were barefooted?

How would you fare if you were overpowered and brought into a wedding feast wholly undressed?

Just so will an unconverted, unreconciled soul fare in heaven, in the presence of God, His angels and all the saints. Heaven is and will be worse than hell to such a sinner. He would get out of heaven as quickly as possible.

A Sinful Life Exposed.

What is memory? "Memory is the power of retaining knowledge in the mind.' (Hamilton) Mind is like a negative plate in a camera, receiving impression from everything exposed to it, memory is the mind reader, the observer, the meditator. Looking over your past life, how you remember every little thing all the way from your childhood. But a number of things have happened which you paid no attention to; these, however, are all impressed, retained and legible in your mind.

God Reads Our Hearts As An Open Book. Everything that you have ever done, everything you have seen, everything you have heard, everything you have said, everything you have thought, every emotion of your heart-hate, passion, lust— all, all, is impressed on your mind and retained there forever; and it is all legible to the piercing eyes of God. Yes, beloved friend, God reads it all, even the most minute impressions, such as thought, passion and lust impressions, as readily as your memory reads the impression of your mother's face and tears, or faces of your schoolmates, and incidents of your childhood.

A World of Realities.

That other world is a world of realities. The piercing, penetrating light of heaven, of eternity, will expose and bring into view even the minutest shade of things, just as our large telescopes expose and bring to view the most distant nebula, and discover suns and systems of suns, where we see only a faint mist or nothing at all.

Therefore there, in that world beyond, we are seen, viewed, exactly as we are. No mystery, no secrets, no deception, no pretention, no hypocrisy is possible over there. The photograph of your mind and life, your emotions and impulses-your inner life, your soul—as well as your deeds, deportment and associationeven your secret paths-all, all, is impressed on that photograph, all is plainly recognizable, all is exposed to the view of all.

You have many photographs in your abum, and your own among the rest. But suppose that album also contained a true photograph of your soul, revealing and exposing your secret sins and your secret paths.

How would you feel to see that album in the hands of friends and distinguished visitors, turning over leaves and examining every page? Wouldn't you blush?

But in that other world, your own mind, your own conscience, your entire being will appear like the transparent camera negative plate held up against the light, with every delineation, every delicate line and the dimmest shading plainly visible, and exposed to the view of everybody.

Photograph and Finger-Tip Prints.

Prison authorities have found that finger-marks are surer for personal identification than even a photograph. And so varied are the lines and curves on people's fingers and thumbs, that if hundred thousand left impressions, one by the other, in one place, there would be a recognizable difference between them all. And by this means criminals are identified. And the criminals, the unconverted sinners, are identified before the judgmentseat of God in very much the same way. They have left too many finger-prints, thumb-prints, foot-prints, tongue-prints, mind-prints, heart-prints on their way, and these have been gathered up, and the criminal is identified by them, and convicted with no possibility of escape.

The Indictment.

My unconverted friend, dearly beloved, listen attentively to the indictment, issued from the impanelled jury at the high court of heaven. It is better for you, and for all of us, that the truth be announced and known, that within legal limits petition may be taken to the mercy seat of God for pardon.

Here is indictment: "There is none righteous, no, not one; "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

"They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

"Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; "Destruction and misery are in their ways;

"And the way of peace have they not known.

"There is no fear of God before their eyes." Rom. 3:10-18. Here it is, what do you think of it? This is the true description of an unconverted sinner, by the Spirit of God, the searcher of hearts and the counselor and comforter among men. John 16:7-11.

How do you think that such one would fare in heaven, even if he were admitted? It makes absolutely no difference what we think about it, whether we feel or pronounce it reasonable or unreasonable, God Almighty, who has power to save or command the sinner to hell, He will have the last word about it anyway. This distinction is clearly illustrated in the Gospel by:

Three Parables.

1. The Wedding Garment. Matt. 22:2-14: "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment;

"And he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

"Then said the king to the servants: Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"For many are called, but few are chosen."

Now notice this man: He had gotten into the wedding feast, but his garment detected him; he was not dressed like the other guests. And now he became conscious of that fact himself.

The king approached him very kindly, addressed him as a friend, and asked him how he got into the wedding feast without a wedding garment.

But he was speechless. Why didn't he explain? Why didn't he defend himself? Why did he not ask for mercy, and appeal to the love he had talked so much about? He could not for now he was convinced of the truth which he had ignored or set aside by subterfuges.

He was ashamed. And the wedding guests were ashamed of him. For he had:

(1) Defied the ordinances of the king; and he

(2) Disregarded the bridal party and the other guests;

(3) He disturbed the harmony in the wedding feast preparations and their effects;

(4) And, worst of all, he discovered, what he would not admit before, that his garment was not only out of trim but soiled, filthy; a stench and an annoyance to the bridal party and the guests. Then how much more so to the king, who had taken great pains in the preparation of all details to the delight and honor of the objects of it all.

The Day of Grace, and possibility of repentance had passed. Mercy had been bestowed in the invitation and urging to come, and to honor the host, the king, and the lovely twain at their ceremony, a matrimonial ceremony for a life co-partnership. The kind consideration of the king had also been shown in submitting the ordinance with the invitation, which plainly stated that wedding garments would be furnished all invited guests, according to the custom and usage in Oriental courts in olden times.

So the thoughtful host, the king, had not only prepared and arranged everything for the wedding feast, but he had prepared and arranged for all the guests as well; and in all this preparation and arrangement, the comfort and enjoyment of his guests, the regard and honor to the betrothed, now to be married, had been the high aim and purpose in it all; and now comes this contemptible idiot and spoils it all. What do you think of that kind of a fellow, anyhow? Did the king do the right thing in having him thrown out?··

Be careful now, dear friend. Let us examine your own case to ascertain whether you are safe. Have you actually accepted God's invitation to accept Jesus Christ as your own Savior? Have you the assurance of the forgiveness of your sins? Remember the photograph of our minds and hearts, as referred to above. Your heart and mind in combination is the negative from which has been printed a photograph in the glaring light emitted by the Sun of Righteousness, and filed together with your records in heaven. Now, the thing necessary to be done for you and in your case

is:

(1) To get your record in heaven entirely obliterated, and that photograph removed and destroyed;

(2) To have the negation impressions in your mind and heart cleared, else new photographs may be printed, or rather; the pictures and marks and records on your mind and heart negative are legible and damnable all the same, and equivalent to the "garment" of this unfortunate guest at the wedding feast. Therefore, a radical change is absolutely necessary; and this change comprises, or embraces your photograph and record in heaven before God and His angels and the negative in your own heart and mind which your memory reads very distinctly, though not in every detail now as you will do in that other world.

The Sinfulness of Sin.

If you had seen a poisonous snake, dangerous to yourself and family enter your house, you would search every nook and corner to find it, and finding it you would instantly kill it. Now sin is like a poisonous snake; its recognized presence terrifies, its bite stings and kills.

If you or anyone in the family were attacked by some dangerous contagious or transmissible disease, you would send for a doctor, carefully apply the remedy, attentively listen to and follow instructions in the matter of treatment and nursing. Sin is a contagious disease, it is the leprosy of the soul, and brings death, unless cured by that divine HEALER who is the Savior of both soul and body.

The acknowledgment and realization of the sinfulness of sin brings the sinner into a state of a broken heart and a contrite spirit into repentance and confession, into supplication and asking forgiveness.

A Heaven to Gain; A Hell to Escape.

A heaven to gain and a hell to escape. That is the all important question. When you gain the one, you escape the other; and when you escape the one you gain the other.

Escape and Gain. Escape disease, you gain health; step out of the world, you gain entrance in the kingdom of Christ; denounce allegiance to the devil and swear allegiance to Jesus Christ. Stop association with the ungodly, and associate yourself with the soldiers of the cross and enlist under the banner of the Prince of Peace. Do this, and you will experience a peace that exceeds all