ic and
horse-races occupy the time. The Scandinavian's heaven was the hall of
Walhalla, where the god Odin gave unending wine-suppers to earthly
heroes and heroines. The Mohammedan's heaven passes its disciples in
over the bridge Al-Sirat, which is finer than a hair and sharper than
a sword, and then they are let loose into a riot of everlasting
sensuality.

The American aborigines look forward to a heaven of illimitable
hunting-ground, partridge and deer and wild duck more than plentiful,
and the hounds never off the scent, and the guns never missing fire.
But the geographer has followed the earth round, and found no Homer's
elysium. Voyagers have traversed the deep in all directions, and found
no Hesiod's islands of the blessed. The Mohammedan's celestial
debauchery and the Indian's eternal hunting-ground for vast multitudes
have no charm. But here rolls in the Bible heaven. No more sea--that
is, no wide separation. No more night--that is, no insomnia. No more
tears--that is, no heart-break. No more pain--that is, dismissal of
lancet and bitter draught and miasma, and banishment of neuralgias and
catalepsies and consumptions. All colors in the wall except gloomy
black; all the music in the major-key, because celebrative and
jubilant. River crystalline, gate crystalline, and skies crystalline,
because everything is clear and without doubt. White robes, and that
means sinlessness. Vials full of odors, and that means pure regalement
of the senses. Rainbow, and that means the storm is over. Marriage
supper, and that means gladdest festivity. Twelve manner of fruits,
and that means luscious and unending variety. Harp, trumpet, grand
march, anthem, amen, and hallelujah in the same orchestra. Choral
meeting solo, and overture meeting antiphon, and strophe joining
dithyramb, as they roll into the ocean of doxologies. And you and I
may have all that, and have it forever through Christ, if we will let
Him with the blood of one wounded hand rub out our sin, and with the
other wounded hand swing open the shining portals.

Day and night keep your window open toward that Jerusalem. Sing about
it. Pray about it. Think about it. Talk about it. Dream about it. Do
not be inconsolable about your friends who have gone into it. Do not
worry if something in your heart indicates that you are not far off
from its ecstasies. Do not think that when a Christian dies he stops,
for he goes on.

An ingenious man has taken the heavenly furlongs