Spring once more returned with its green fields and bright sky. The
little birds were beginning to raise their earliest notes, as if telling
one another how happy they were that winter, with its snow and its
storms, was again over, and that the fresh buds were beginning again to
appear. The small, old‐fashioned lamp, too, which was filled every
Saturday, so as to be ready for the Sabbath evening, was, from the long
twilight, no longer required. As the last rays of the setting sun were
falling through the latticed window, Emma was found once more at her
grandmother’s side.
“I think, my dear,” said the latter, laying aside her spectacles, and
drawing her grandchild nearer her—“I think I left off speaking last
Sabbath when we were just beginning to talk of the most wondrous and
glorious of all Bible subjects.”
“Oh yes,” replied Emma, “you had told me about the doings of the great
Day of Judgment, and you were commencing to [Sidenote: Of Heaven.] speak
about the glories of heaven, when you thought it would be better to wait
till now.”
“Truly, my child,” said her grandmother, “I would require rather to wait
till that heaven itself begins, in order to give you any idea of its
happiness. We are told that ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared
for them that love Him.’”
“I was reading a little ago, when sitting at the window,” said Emma,
“the description of this glorious heaven given us in the last chapters
of the Bible, where it is said to be a [Sidenote: How described in
Revelation.] great city, with streets of gold like transparent glass,
walls of jasper, and foundations of precious stones. And here, too, is
another beautiful verse, grandmamma,” continued she, as her eyes glanced
over the 21st chapter of Revelation: “‘And the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did
lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.’ And here yet another
lovely description,” she added, “I love so to read it: ‘And he shewed me
a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on
either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations.’”
“I have not interrupted you, my dear child, in reading these beautiful
verses,” said the aged lady; “they give us a bright and glowing picture
of happiness and glory, which our minds can in no other way conceive.”
[Sidenote: To be understood figuratively.] “But will there _indeed_ be
golden streets, and crystal walls, and all these precious stones that
are here spoken of?” inquired Emma.
“There will be far greater magnificence, and far purer happiness,”
replied her grandmother, “than all the gold and gems this world could
give. These are just figures or emblems employed by God in His Word to
convey to us some idea of the vast glory of heaven. No earthly words, or
thoughts, or language, could describe this; and therefore, as men
consider gold and precious stones the most costly and valuable things in
the world, they are used as pictures to give us some feeble
representation of heavenly blessedness.”
“What, then, dear grandmamma, will heaven really be? What kind of a
place is it? and how are the righteous employed when they get there?”
[Sidenote: The Scenery of Heaven.] “I cannot tell,” replied the other,
“what character of scenery there will be in heaven, nor in what
particular spot in the universe this happy place is prepared. The Bible
does not gratify our curiosity about this. For anything that is known to
the contrary, there may be much there that we love and admire in this
world. There may be beautiful skies, and clear rivers, and gushing
fountains, and lovely flowers, and sweet music. But still, as I have
said already, regarding all these the Bible says nothing.”
“What, then, _will_ heaven consist in, grandmamma?” inquired Emma.
[Sidenote: Negative and Positive Blessedness.] “I was just going to say,
my child, that there are many things we know will _not_ be there, and
many things we know _will_ be there. Does little Emma think she could
tell me any of the things we have in this world that we shall _not_ have
in heaven?”
“Oh yes,” replied the little girl, “I think I know. We shall have no
_sin_ there, and no _sorrow_ there, and no _death_ there.”
[Sidenote: Negative.] “Quite right, my child,” said her grandmother.
“This is a world of sin, and therefore it has become a world of pain,
and sickness, and sorrow, and death; but in heaven all these will be
unknown. I thought I saw you, my dear, but yesterday seated in the
churchyard on little Robert’s tomb; and when you came home, I observed
by your eyes that you had been weeping for the loss of your little
brother. In that happy heaven I am speaking of there will be no graves
and no tears, for there will be no sin and no death to cause them.”
“But then, dear grandmamma, will there be no other joys in heaven?”
[Sidenote: Positive.] “Yes, yes, my child,” replied the aged lady; “I
have only spoken to you of what is _not_ in heaven. I have yet to tell
you what _is_ there. Can little Emma answer this question too, as well
as the last?”
“I shall meet all my dear friends there,” said Emma—“my father and
mother, who were both taken from me when I was so young, and little
Robert, and you too, grandmamma, who have so kindly led me on in the way
to that happy place, and told me often how I am to get there.”
“My dear child,” said her grandmother, “all that you have said about
meeting departed friends there is true. All who are the friends of Jesus
will meet in that happy home. I _believe_ it to be true,” she repeated,
the tear filling her eye as she spoke. “Parents will know their
children, and children their parents; and brothers and sisters will meet
never to part any more. But this is but a very small portion of the joy
of heaven. Can you not think of a far greater joy in that bright world
than even the meeting of the dearest earthly friends?”
“Oh yes,” replied Emma, “we shall meet God!—we shall see Jesus face to
face! [Sidenote: Vision of God.] This will be the greatest, surely, of
all the glories of heaven—to dwell for ever with God, and discover more
of His grace and love!”
“Yes, truly, my child,” said the other; “this is to heaven what the sun
is to the universe. All the other glories we can speak of are only, by
comparison, like the light of the stars to that sun, or like little
streams to the great ocean. We shall ‘see God;’ and what, perhaps, is
more wondrous still, we shall be _like_ God. Along with the holy angels,
we shall have no higher delight than doing His will. We shall feel that
in His presence ‘there is fulness of joy.’”
“But shall we indeed _see God_?” inquired Emma; “the thought seems so
wondrous. How can this be?”
[Sidenote: How God will be Manifested.] “Here again, dear child,”
replied her grandmother, “we must not try to be wise beyond what the
Bible has told us; for it is there said, that ‘He dwells in light that
is inaccessible and full of glory, whom no eye hath seen, neither can
see.’ That there will be some bright and glorious manifestation of His
presence I cannot doubt; but what the [Sidenote: The Presence of Jesus
in the midst of the Redeemed.] nature of this will be I cannot tell.
This we know, however, with certainty, that Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,
in His glorified human nature, will be seen and adored by the countless
multitudes of His ransomed people.”
“I saw,” said Emma, “a verse immediately following the words I a little
ago read, which speaks of this. Here it is: ‘And _they shall see His
face_, and His name shall be in their foreheads.’”
“Yes, my child; and you may perhaps remember some other passages which
tell the same blessed truth. Do you remember what made John so happy in
the prospect of heaven?”
“Oh yes,” replied Emma, “I recollect now. He says with such joy, ‘We
know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall _see
Him as He is_.’”
“Quite right, dearest,” said her grandmother; “I shall just remind you
of one more. It is the Saviour’s own last prayer for His people—‘Father,
I will that they also whom Thou hast given me be _with me where I am_,
_that they may behold my glory_.’ Do you remember the name by which
Jesus is spoken of again and again in the book of Revelation, describing
to us how He now appears in glory?”
“Yes,” replied Emma; “I have often been struck with the title there
given to Him. He is called ‘the _Lamb that was slain_.’ I often wonder
why He should be called so, now that He is in heaven, seated on His
throne, with all His sufferings at an end.”
“It is, my dear child,” answered the aged lady, “a very precious name.
It tells that He continues, and will continue, to wear His glorified
_human_ nature there, and that, too, through all eternity. It tells us
also that the redeemed will never cease to remember that it was to the
shedding of His precious blood that they owe every gem of their crowns.”
“And doubtless,” said Emma, “the happy company of the saints will for
ever delight to think more and more of the love of Jesus?”
[Sidenote: Their Contemplation of Christ’s Love.] “You are right,” said
the other. “It will assuredly be one of the greatest joys in heaven to
comprehend with all saints what is the height and depth, and length and
breadth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. They
will ever be trying to know more and more of this love; but they will
never be able to understand all its meaning.”
“I daresay, too, much that we cannot now understand will be cleared up?”
said Emma.
“Yes, my dear,” replied her grandmother; “God’s wisdom and faithfulness
will then be as fully revealed as His love. There is much that takes
place on earth which is perplexing [Sidenote: Providences Explained in
Heaven.] to us—what we call ‘dark dealings,’—as, for example, when good
and useful lives are taken away, and evil and worthless lives are
spared; but Jesus, you remember, said, ‘What thou knowest not _now_,
thou shalt know hereafter.’ I believe we shall then not only ‘_know_,’
but _see_, that ‘all things have been working together for good to them
that love God.’ Sore trials and afflictions will then call forth loud
songs of praise; and it will be made manifest that the Judge of all the
earth had done right.”
“And will all these blessed saints,” inquired Emma, “be equally holy and
happy?”
“They will all, my dear, be _holy_,” said the old lady, “for ‘without
holiness no one could see God,’ far less enjoy Him; and they will all,
too, be _happy_—not one tear will be in their bright faces. But I
believe, too, that some [Sidenote: Degrees of Bliss in Heaven.] will be
happier than others. _All_ will be like vessels full to the brim with
glory and happiness; but some vessels will be larger than others, and
able, therefore, to contain more happiness. We read that they shall
differ ‘as one star in the firmament differs from another star in
glory.’ Some stars are of a larger size than others; some are nearer the
sun than others: so those who have lived nearer Jesus on earth, and
loved Him with larger hearts, will be nearer Him in heaven. While _all_,
therefore, who are believers will be happy, those will be happiest who
are walking closest with God now. If you will turn to the twelfth
chapter of Daniel, you will find there a striking verse, telling of
different degrees of coming happiness. Here it is,” continued the old
lady, pointing her little grandchild to the third verse: “‘They that be
wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn
many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.’”
“Oh! what a glorious, happy prospect, dear grandmamma! Would that I
could feel sure of being one even of these feeblest stars!”
[Sidenote: How Heaven is Obtained.] “There is but one way, my child,”
replied the other, “of joining that bright company of which we have been
speaking. It is the blood of Jesus alone that can open these glorious
gates. But that blood _has_ opened them, and keeps them open still, to
the chief of sinners. That blessed Redeemer seems still to stand at the
gate of heaven, and say, ‘I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved.’
“But I feel, my dear Emma, that my strength is failing, and I am unable
to speak more to you this evening. Give me your Bible, and I shall
double down the leaf at my favourite description of the joys of heaven.”
She accordingly took her little grandchild’s Bible, and putting a mark
with her aged finger at the seventh chapter of Revelation, thirteenth
verse, returned it to her again, saying, “Should you, my child, be with
me at my dying hour, when my tongue is too feeble to speak, remember to
read to me that sweet passage. I have often wished that I might have
some one to read to me these words when I pass through the Dark Valley.”
[Sidenote: Conclusion.] Little did Emma suppose that the words which now
fell upon her ear would so soon come true. A few weeks only passed by,
when her grandmother was laid upon a bed of sickness and pain, which
soon proved a bed of death. The aged saint bore up under her sufferings
with calmness and fortitude. She was kept in perfect peace, for her mind
was stayed on God. Her dear little grandchild was her faithful companion
during her last hours. The night before her death, when she was fast
sinking, and her lips getting paler and paler, Emma remembered
faithfully the request made to her. The tear started to her eye as she
opened her Bible, and saw the leaf still folded down. She read it with a
trembling voice. The poor old sufferer was able to do no more than clasp
her withered hands as the happy sentences fell on her ears. When she had
fallen asleep in Jesus, and was laid in the churchyard which she had so
often looked to from her window, Emma delighted to go with her Bible in
her hand, and, sitting on the green turf which covered her grave, to
read the well‐known passage: “And one of the elders answered, saying
unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence
came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are
they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His
temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun
light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the
throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
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