284 Sermon Illustrations on Heaven

The worship there shall be all praise. No prayer shall be there, for there shall be no sense of want. All is praise, for all is manifestation and light; all is praise, for all is triumph; all is praise, for all is blessedness and enjoyment. Whatever the feeling, praise, eternal praise, is the expression of it; from the breathing whisper of adoring love which flits through the prostrate ranks of the redeemed, to the full chorus of praise, — the high, the universal shout of glory and honor and blessing to Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb forever. R. Watson.

He whose mind is here absorbed in the desire for the distant heaven is like a man walking through scenes of exquisite loveliness, and fields of delicious fruit, with his eyes so fixed upon a mirage-scene in the distance, that he sees no beauty on his way, starves amid the exuberant provisions which lie about his path, and reaches what he sees, an exhausted pilgrim, to find the object of his search vanish into air. Infuse, then, the spirit of heaven into thy present life. Moral goodness of soul, springing from faith in Christ, is your way into the present and all the future heavens of your being.

— Dr. Thomas

Heaven is presented to us under the idea of a banquet, and much of its comfort must flow from a knowledge of the guests. Imagine yourselves at a feast, where, though you may have known many who surround the table, you are, by some obliviousness of mind, ignorant of them all: the incertitude in which you are placed robs you of much of your joy; for you are alone. But suppose that the mist rolls away, and that you recognize in the countenances before you the old familiar faces of beloved friends: at once you become conscious of a felicity of which you otherwise would have been deprived. So it will be in eternity. Sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, you will intuitively recognize as your companions those who were the excellent of the earth, and be re-united to those who divided your cares or doubled your joys in this world of mingled sorrows and delights.

Adoration at the throne, activity in the temple,—the worship of the heart, the worship of the voice, the worship of the hands,—the whole being consecrated and devoted to God,—those are the service of the upper sanctuary. Here the flesh is often wearied with an hour of worship: there "they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is, and is to come." Here a week will often see us weary in well-doing: there they are drawn on by its own deliciousness to larger and larger fulfilments of Jehovah's will. Here we must lure ourselves to work by the prospect of rest hereafter: there the toil is luxury, and the labor recreation; and nothing but jubilees of praise, and holidays of higher service, are wanted to diversify the long and industrious sabbath of the skies. And it matters not though sometimes the celestial citizens are represented as always singing, and sometimes as always flying; sometimes as always working, and sometimes as always resting: for there the work is rest, and every movement song; and the "many mansions" make one temple, and the whole being of its worshippers one tune, — one mighty anthem, long as eternity, and large as its burden, the praise of the great Three-One, — the self-renewing and ever-sounding hymn, in which the flight of every seraph, and the harp of every saint, and the smile of every raptured spirit, is a several note, and repeats ever over again, "Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

— Dr. J. Hamilton

When death shall have disencumbered and set us free from all sorts of distempers, and brought us into the state of perfect and perfected spirits, how delectable will that society be when all shall be full of divine light, life, love, and joy, and freely communicate as they have received freely! How pleasant it will be to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God; to converse with angels, those wise, kind creatures, so full of profound knowledge and benignity, instructed by long uninterrupted experience and observation of the methods of the divine government and dispensation; highly pleased with our accession to the general assembly; that rejoiced in the conversion of a sinner, whereby but one was hereafter in due time to be added, much more in the glorification of so many that are now actually added to them! John Howe.

A poor man told Rowland Hill, that the way to heaven was short, easy, and simple; comprising only three steps.—"out of self, unto Christ, into glory."

Heaven is a place of complete victory and glorious triumph. This is the battle-field: there is the triumphal procession. This is the land of the sword and the spear: that is the land of the wreath and the crown. This is the land of the garment rolled in blood, and of the dust of the figs: that is the land of the trumpet's joyful sound; that is the place of the white robe, and of the shout of conquest. Oh, what a thrill of joy shall shoot through the hearts of all the blessed when their conquests shall be complete in heaven; when death itself, the last of foes, shall be slain; when Satan shall be dragged captive at the chariot-wheels of Christ; when he shall have overthrown sin, and trampled corruption as the mire of the streets; when the great shout of universal victory shall rise from the hearts of all the redeemed!

— Spurgeon

HEAVEN, Views of A living divine says, "When I was a boy, I thought of heaven as a great, shining city, with vast walls and domes and spires, and with nobody in it except white tenuous angels, who were strangers to me. By and by my little brother died; and I thought of a great city with walls and domes and spires, and a flock of cold, unknown angels, and one little fellow that I was acquainted with. He was the only one I knew in that time. Then another brother died; and there were two that I knew. Then my acquaintances began to die; and the flock continually grew. But it was not till I had sent one of my little children to his Grandparent.—God,—that I began to think I had got a little in myself. A second went, a third went, a fourth went; and by that time I had so many acquaintances in heaven, that I did not see any more walls and domes and spires. I began to think of the residents of the celestial city. And now there have so many of my acquaintances gone there, that it sometimes seems to me that I know more in heaven than I do on earth."

"I know the way to heaven," said little Minnie to little Johnny, who stood by her side, looking on a picture-book that Minnie had in her hand. "You do?" said little John. "Well, won't you tell me how to get there?"—"Oh, yes! I'll tell you. Just commence going up, and keep on going up all the time, and you'll get there. But, Johnny, you must not turn back."

Won by other arms than theirs, it presents the strongest imaginable contrast to the spectacle seen in England's palace on that day when the king demanded of his assembled nobles by what title they held their lands. "What title?" At the rash question, a hundred swords leaped from their scabbards. Advancing on the alarmed monarch, "By these," they replied, "we won, and by these we will keep them!" How different the scene which heaven presents! All eyes are fixed on Jesus: every look is love; gratitude glows in every bosom, and swells in every song. Now with golden harps they sound the Saviour's praises; and now, descending from their thrones to do him homage, they cast their crowns in one glittering heap at the feet which were nailed on Calvary. Dr. Guthrie.

Beat on, O heart! and yearn for dying. I have drunk at many a fountain, but thirst came again; I have fed at many a bounteous table, but hunger returned; I have seen many bright and lovely things, but, while I gazed, their lustre faded. There is nothing here that can give me rest; but when I behold thee, O God! I shall be satisfied! Beecher.

The wife of the Welsh minister, John Evans, asked her husband, "Do you think we shall be known to each other in heaven?" He replied, "To be sure we shall: do you think we shall be greater fools there than we are here?"

John Newton said, "When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there;—the first wonder will be to see many people there whom I did not expect to see—the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see—and the third, and greatest wonder of all, will be to find myself there."

A little child, when dying, was asked where it was going; "To heaven," said the child. "And what makes you wish to be there?" "Because Christ is there." "But," said a friend, "what if Christ should leave heaven?" "Well," said the child, "I will go with him."

An old Hottentot having been taken ill, was visited by Mr. Reid, a missionary. He said, "This is the message of death! I shall now go and see the other country, where I have never been, but which I long to see! I am weary of every thing here! I commit too much sin here. I wish to be free from it; I cannot understand things well here, and you cannot understand me. The Lord has spoken much to me, though I cannot explain it." # 195. HOLY SPIRIT, AGENCY CONVEI

—A converted heathen, in the infirmities of old age, longed to depart. He told a missionary of an account some one had given him of the wonders of American cities—the handsome buildings, the broad, clean streets, the lovely parks, the fountains, etc. “It was wonderful,” he added, “and as I listened I thought what must Heaven be if America is so grand, but thank God, through the blood of His dear Son, I shall one day see it all for myself.”

It is said that when Cortez led his sailors across the vast continent of South America, after months of toil and sickness, they climbed one of the peaks of the Andes, and saw far away in the distance the glimmering of the sea. It was their native element, their love and their home; and they wept for joy.

The night before Luther died, he was tolerably well, and sat with his friends at the table. The subject was future recognition. Luther insisted that friends would know each other in Heaven, as Adam recognized Eve.

Heaven, to be a place of happiness, must be a place of activity. Has the far-reaching mind of Newton ceased its profound investigations? Has David hung up his harp? Has Paul, glowing with God-like enthusiasm, ceased itinerating the universe of God? Are Peter and Cyprian and Edwards and Payson and Evarts idling away Eternity? Heaven is a place of activity, the abode of never-tiring thought. David and Isaiah will sweep nobler and loftier strains in Eternity, and the minds of the saints, unclogged by cumbersome clay, will forever feast on the banquet of rich and glorious thought. Go on, then; you will never get through. An Eternity of untiring action is before you, and the universe of thought is your field.

A poor blind woman intimated in conversation, “Heaven will be sweet to me, because I have never seen the light of the sun, nor the green fields, nor the human face. And oh, when light bursts on me for the first time, and I see Jesus and the glories of Heaven, it will be sweet to me.”

Of the positive joys of Heaven we can form no conception; but its negative delights form a sufficiently attractive picture: no pain; no thirst; no hunger; no horror of the past; no fear of the future; no failure of the mental capacity; no morbid imaginations; no follies; no insulted feelings; no wounded affections; no despised love; no hate, envy, jealousy, or indignation; no falsehood, dishonesty, dissimulation, hypocrisy, grief, or remorse.

Our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers used to talk much about where heaven was. And some thought it was up above the clouds, and others thought it would be here on earth, after all the wickedness and selfishness were done away. Every one, however, used to think that the New Jerusalem, with its pearly gates and golden streets, was a real place like the cities of to-day. But we think of heaven more as the feeling in our hearts when we are happy from being with our friends, or when we have done right and unselfish things. We know what it is, then, to have heaven on earth. And when we have heaven on earth, we know pretty nearly what the real heaven is like. Let me show you what I mean. Not long ago a speaker in a rescue mission asked the children if they could tell him where heaven was. Immediately a boy from the poorest section of the city sprang up, raised his hand and cried shrilly: "I know; I know." "Well, my boy, where is heaven?" the astonished leader asked. "Back in our street since mother got acquainted with Jesus," was the answer. That boy was on the right track. Whenever Christ comes into the heart there comes with Him love and thoughtfulness of others. And when we do kind things for others, we find happiness for ourselves, and that is heaven. Christ says, "If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me." That means, when we do things that we believe Christ would like to have us do, then He comes in to sup with us. And when we feel Christ as our Companion, then it is heaven. We may go to a beautiful place called heaven when we die, but it will be Christ who will make the place full of joy and gladness. And if we are to see Him in that land and enjoy that heaven, we must first make a heaven here on earth for ourselves and others by trying to please Him and to be like Him every day.

My horse invariably comes home in less time than he makes the journey out. He pulls the carriage with a hearty good will when his face is towards home. Should not I also both suffer and labour the more joyously because my way lies towards heaven, and I am on pilgrimage to my Father's house, my soul's dear home and resting place?

The universe of God is one: heaven and earth are not so separate as unbelief has dreamed. As the Lord hath but one family, written in one register, redeemed with one blood, quickened by one Spirit, so this whole household abides in one habitation evermore. We who are in the body abide in the lower room, which is sometimes dark and cold, but bears sufficient marks that it is a room in God's house; for to the eye of faith, it is often lit up with heavenly lustre, and we, even we, while we are yet here, are by blessed earnests made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. It is the same house, I say, but ours is the lower room, while our glorified brethren are up there in the upper story, where the sunlight streams in everlastingly, where no chilling winds or poisonous breath can ever reach. And, to a great extent, there is a likeness between the lower room and the upper room. As on earth we prepare for heaven, so the state of the saints on earth is heaven foreshadowed. In many respects the condition of the child of God on earth is a type of his condition in heaven; and what the character of the saints is above, that should be the character of the saints below.. We may very safely take for our example those glorified spirits. We need not be afraid that we shall be led astray by imitating them, by learning their occupations, or by attempting to share their joys. Surely the things in heaven are patterns of the things on earth, and as they are before the throne so ought we to be. Nay; so we shall be in proportion as we live up to our privileges and receive the likeness and image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A schoolboy had a blind father; the boy was very keen on games, and his father was in the habit of being present at all the school cricket matches, altho he had to look on at the prowess of his son through other eyes. Then the father died. The day after the funeral there was an important cricket match on, and, to the surprize of his fellows, the lad exprest a strong wish to play. He played, and played well, making a fine score, and carrying out his bat. His friends gathered round him in the pavilion, shaking him by the hand and patting him on the back.

“Did I do well?” he asked.

“Well!” was the reply, “you did splendidly; never better.”

“I am so glad,” the boy said; “it is the first time he ever saw me bat.”

For him, heaven was the place which gave his blind father sight.