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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY,. JUNE 8, 1907.
HEAVEN—II
’ •««#«„„„
By REV. RICHARD ORME FLINN,
Pastor North Avenue Presbyterian Church
To th'ose who accept what the Bible
teachea, and who look eagerly for
ward toward a heavenly Inheritance,
the promlae of thla hope becomea a
mighty inapiratlon and a strong con-
eolation.
Such a forward look haa been a
characteristic of all the great spiritual
leadera of the ages, and has been the
aecret of their calm, endurance, their
noble patience and their Indomitable
energy. Thus In the lives of each of
these you will And that heaven has not
only been a fact, but a factor. Like
the Lord Himself, they have "en
dured their cross, despising the
shame,” because they have had "re
spect to the recompense of the re
ward." ,
Here In Colosslans Paul Is speaking
to this very point, and in our text Is
acknowledging how practical the hope
of salvation has proven .to these Chris
tians whom lie addresses, as evidenced
by the fruitage It has borne la their
lives since It became a reality to them.
This Is a practical age and many
have little patience with any other than
practical themes. It Is important, there
fore, that we realise that heaven fur
nishes such a theme and that though
a consideration of It projects our
thought Into what may appear to’be
the remote future, yet It exerts a very
real Influence upon us In the present,
or, as Paul has said, "It brlngeth forth
fruit."
What Christ Teaehes,
Christ Himself taught that medita
tion about heaven was of practical-
yea, of paramount Importance. For
Instance, consider what He says In
Luke 10:20. His disciples bad been
sent nut by Him on an evangelistic
tour. In which they had been won
derfully successful. When they re
turned they told Him of their stimu
lating accomplishments. They had
been able to bring things to pass.
Their efforts had been worth while.
They had gotten results—results which
counted for time and which counted
for eternity, and they were very happy
about it. An they made their report
to Him He could not but notice how
elated they were and how much they
rejoiced In their munlfest success, nnd
It In said He. too, "rejoiced In that
hour." But His reply was this: "Not
withstanding In thin rejoice not, that
devils are subject to you: but rather
rejoice because your names are writ
ten In heaven."
Abounding as this answer of the
Master does In suggestiveness. It In-
REV. RICHARD ORME FLINN.
eludes three cardinal assertions:
First. Heaven is a fact. Such a
fact as outranks In Importance even
the . facts of experience. I
Second. Our Interest In heaven may
be a fact; our hope may amount to a
certainty.
Third. The fact of heaven and the
fact of our interest In It furnishes a
ground for Joy more real and enduring
than any returns which may be se
cured from the output of our life ef
fort, no matter how ample and grati
fying these returns may be.
God’s Plan.
It Is often God’s plan for a man to
toll without seeing any visible re
sults. Some of the noblest services
thut have ever been rendered tbe race
have been rendered by men who have
labored on without any manifest re-
wurd: they have reaped no returns.
Therefore, he who depends chiefly upon
seeing things come to pass for his In
spiration Is by no means the strongest
kind of man: nor can visible results
be the surest source of Joy. . _ But,
however things may go, the man who
Is assured that heaven Is a fact and of
his personal Interest In this fact has In
this hope ah unfailing source of Joy.
Well may we sing:
“When I can read my title clear
To mansions In the skies,
rn bid farewell to every fear
And wipe my weeping eyes.”
Can We Know About Heaven?
But some ask, can we know about
heaven? And If so. can we have such
knowledge as will prove definite enough
to be of any practical purpose? Such a
question seems to Imply that whatever
we believe about heaven must be large
ly a matter of mere speculation, and
there are a number of professing Chris
tians. some of whom are active work
ers In the churches, who, If we may
Judge by what we hear, hold to such an
opinion and have only a very haxy Idea
of heaven, and, moreover. If we may
reckon by what we see, these same are
making but little effort to come to any
clearer knowledge.
Besides thla fact there are some who
go so tar as to assert that we can know
nothing certainly about heaven and
that It Is a waste of time to speculate.
A Hope that Makes Character.
There la a great deal said In Scrip
ture about the practical Influence of a
heavenly hope. For instance. In John
Sit we are told, “Every man that hath
this hope In him purlfleth himself, even
as He Is pure.” Thus those who have
such a hope will find that It Inspires
them to live a heavenly life, and en
ables them even In time to enjoy a
heavenly experience.
The Influence of such a hope is
spoken of again In Heb. 8:18-19 as an
"anchor of the soul,” nnd we are told to
"lay hold on this hope that Is set before
us." that It may strengthen and estab
lish us amid the tempests of life. .
A Hope that Tests Character.
Not only so, but this hope of heaven
Is a means of testing character. Doubt
less everyone who believes at all de
sires to enter heaven when they die. but
the nature of their expectation an<J the
Influence this has upon them marks the
difference between Christ's true disci
ples and the sinner.
There are some who hope to go to
heaven when they <lle, who haVe abso
lutely no reasonable ground for that
hope, seeing that their present Inclina
tions and aspirations are anything but
heavenly. Indeed, these people would
be eternally uncomfortable If their hopo
was realized. The people In heaven are
utterly different from the people they
prefer and choose as their associates.
and It Is certain that they are utterly
.different .from the people who ore asso
ciated together In heaven.
Heaven Better Than Hell.
Mr. Moody has said, “The true Chris,
tlan and the unregeuerate man look at
heaven very differently. The unsanctl.
fled man dimply chooses heaven In
preference to hell. He thinks that If he
must try either he would rather try
heaven. It Is like a man with a farm
who has a place offered him In another
country where tbere is said to be a gold
mine. He hates to give up oil he has
and take the risk, but If he Is going to
be banished nnd must leave, an/ has
his choice of living In a wilderness and
digging In a coal pit, or else take a gold
mine, then there Is no hesitation.
"The unregenerate man likes heaven
better than bell, but he likes this world
best of alL
"When death stares him In the face,
then he would like to go to heaven. The
true believer prefers heaven above
everything else.”
Can Know Much About Heaven.
The fact Is, Instead of being unable
to have anything more than a misty and
Intangible conception, there Is a great
deal that we can be sure of concerning
heaven. Of course there Is a very great
deal more we do not know because In
our present state we are not capable of
understanding it. Paul, who, In his
vision, saw the third heaven, sold he
was unable to tell of much that was
revealed to him—there was nothing to
whlc> he cpuld liken It—but what we
do know Is certain and sufficient.
Legend of Joseph.
There is an old Rabbinic legend
which says that Joseph during the
years of famine In Egypt, when he was
prime minister, as he dealt out the
wheat to the starving people, caused
the chaff from the granaries to be cast
upon the Nile, and as this chaff floated
down the current to regions below those
who were starving there and who knew
nothing of the rich supply of food that
was !al<( up In store, seeing the chaff,
knew that there must be grain further
up the stream, and so they plodded on
until at last they found plenty and life.
And even so It seems to us this won
derful Imagery in Revelation, though In
Itself It seem empty—as but husks, if
you please—yet It is an earnest of the
splendid reality that awaits us, and In
spired by It ns It Is swept down upon
the current of the ages, we are encour
aged to press on toward tbe plenty It
pledges. (
WHEN PAT CALHOUN FOUGHT
A DUEL WITH WILLIAMSON
Went in Private C
to Field of
Honor.
tllnr* Patrick Calhoun, former Atlantan
ntitl now millionaire trartlon owner of Hnn
Prnnriaco, ban been to protrJMMtly named
In the fnmoUR bribery charge*, older Inhabi
tant* are recalling the dnel fought In 1887
between Mr. Calhoun nnd John D. William-
non. then nrealdent of the old Chattanooga.
Home aud Columbus railroad, since made
tbe rtnittnnnocu division of the Central.
John D. Wtllininaon built the first horse
ear tinea In Home, and afterwaraa liecamc
president of the Chattanooga. Home ami
Columbus In Its constructive day*. He was
widely known throughout this section as a
prartleal railroad man nnd financier.
Mr. Calhoun was at that time a prominent
official of the Piedmont Air Line. At u
meeting of railroad men lu Atlanta In the
winter of 1887 hot words passed between
Williamson and Calhoun, and the lie passed.
Calhoun ehnllcngcd Williamson to a pistol
duel, according to the code, and tho chal
lenge was accepted.
Williamson accepted and named Jack
King, then a prominent bunker of Home, as
hi* second. .Calhoun named ns Uls second
Captain Henry Jackson, of Atlanta. The
ST *
. _ en for tbe duel was on tbe line of
the old Home and Decatar. now a brunch of
the Kbutliern, at ft point near tho Georgia
Alabama line.
A Sumptuous Duel.
Williamson went from Home In his pri
vate ear No. 40t), said to have been the most
sumptuous private car then In the Month.
On the car with him was hi* second. Jack
m Darby,
surgeon.
ptnln Jackson, and a surgeon. This
went arouud through Alabama, ami met
Williamson's private car at the apisdnted
place.
The duel was to 1m*gin promptly nt sunset.
Williamson won the toss, and selected Ids
station nt the edge of a wood with the
light liehlnd him. The agreement was for
each to fire five shots, or until one of them
fell. The seconds lM*emne luvolved In a
a i
F time.
— -ulhoun stood unharmed, nnd
Williamson cniudy awaited the flro of his
opponent.
**l have fife bullets here, with any one of
which I can take your Ufa" said Calhoun.
•‘Kir*, air; I am ready to receive what
Cornea,’* was Williamson's reply.
Calhoun Fired in Air.
Then a remarkable thing occurred. Cal-
| Dinkelspiel on Wedding Speeches j
PATRICK CALHOUN."
Former Atlantan now promt
nent in the San Francisco bribery
cases.
houn slowly raised his weapon until It
pointed directly over Ids head, and emptied
very chamber. Amated by the mngnanlm
Uy of his enemy, Williamson moved toward
Calhoun with outstretched bands, and they
cl:is|M*d bauds warmly. The two returned
to Home on Williamson's private car, aud
—ere fast friends.
KU Ilrnffey, one of the beat known newa-
paper men In Atbmtn. witnessed the duel,
in! wrote a graphic futl-page story of It.
Of those who participated In that fanioua
affair only a few survive. Williamson went
to New York aud engaged In Wall atreeL
He died there several years ago. Jack King,
hi* second, died three'years ago. William
Darby, his secretary, was drowned in the
Oostnnanla river near Home a few years
ago while ont with a pleasure party. Olar-
Wood Is an Kphwonsl minister la a
church In tba Hast.
Calhoun went to the Pacific const.
Ing to the old code duello.
••••••••••••••••••<
By GEORGE V. HOBART.
(Copyright, 1907, by Amerlcan-Jour-
nal-Examlncr.)
Home, Die Veek.
Mein Llebcr Looey:—Vc haf recetfed
your letter from Looeyville, Ky„ und
ve vas glat to hear dot you like der
city vlch I. your namesake.
Ve vos all veil at home mlt der eggs-
ceptlon dot your cousin. Chake Bcrg-
thaler, vas marriaged to Lena Muller
last Tuesday efenlng und for der ved-
dlng supper dey hat der finest plgs-
knuckles vot It has efer been my goot
fortune to haf an appetite for.
Many friends vas present und much
enchoyment vas der result, mlt der
eggsceptlon dot Rudolph Schmlts
tried to mix Bcotch highballs mlt
draught beer und den -tried to kiss der
bride, vlch resulted In Rudolph leaving
der room.
-He vent by der vay of der vindow
und a foot belonging to der bride’s hus
band accompanied hint as far as der
vindow sill.
Uddervlse it vas a nice, sociable,
peaceful time mlt der eggsceptlon dot
Leopold Uauerschmldt, after singing
•Vails Me Arount Again, Vlllle,” aluuld
tventy-slgs times, tried to turn der
Idea Into a human moving picture mlt
der result dot he upset der sideboard
und vasted enough beer to dampen der
firsts of all dose present.
Den your cousin Chake made
speech nnd I vlll try to mention to you
vot he set, up to der time I left der
room.
"Ladles und rhents,” set Chake, vav-
ing his arms like he hat stepped Into
a hornets' hotel, “die Is der talrst time
I haf efer been marriaged und possi
bly I may be a lecdle ofer enthusiastic
abnuid It.” (Loud cries of "Possibly!'
from Oscar Schmidt, whose vlfe Is wls.
Itlng In Chlnchlnnatl.)
"Ladles and chents, 'all marriages
vas made In Heofen, hut der* local
factories vos turning ould a pretty good
Imitation.
"Vot Is der key to a happy married
life? Der latchkey—und permission to
use It late at night.” (Loud shrieking
of approval from Oscar Schmidt, who
nsfer stayed ould later den 10 o'clock
at night since he vos marriaged eigh
teen years since.)
“Ladles und chents, all men can
make delr married life happy If dey
obserf der golden rule—doan’ed ar
gue!
“Be kind und consideration, but
doaifd argue!” (Cries of “l am und I
doan’ed!" from Oscar Schmidt, who
nefer spoke a cross vord to his vlfe in
his life, because she vould ren f>-„ his
block on der Instant.)
"Ladles und chents, If your vlfe mlt
harsh vords und bitter reproachmenta
demands a new dress grab der broom
stick und hand her vun—doan’d ar
gue!
“Alvays let your vlfe haf der last
vord. No matter If It happens to be
der last vord In der house, let her haf
It.” (Cries of “Dot Is my system!"
from Oscar Schmidt, because If he dit
uddervlse be vouldn’t haf any system
left).
“Ladles und chents, doan'd argue.
If you vake up In der night und And
your vlfe going through your pockets,
yust roll ofer und laugh In der pillow,
because you left all your money at a
saloon.” (Cries of "I doan’d drink!”
from Oscar Schmidt, vlch doan'd mean
he nln’d t'lrsty, by any means).
“Ladles und chents, If der dinner
aln’d cooked Just as you vould like it,
doan'd argue. Break all der dishes,
upset der table und spill soup on der
cat, but doan'd argue!
"Ladles und chents. If your vlfe vakes
you up In der night und tells you to
valk der floor mlt der baby, doan'd
argue. Go ould In der yard und sleep
in der dog house, und let her valk her
own baby, but doan’d argue." (Loud
cries of “Ve ain't got no dog house,
un vy should ve ven ve ain’t got no
baby!" from OBcar Schmidt).
ILadles und chents, doan'd nefer
argue abould anydlng. If der vater
pipes eggsplode und your Vlfe sends
for der plumber, doan'd argue. Hit der
plumber ofer der head mlt der monk, y-
wrcnch, but doan'd argue. If you vos
arrested say you t'ought der plumber
vas trying to take your money—he vas.
"If your vlfe’s mother moves In to
manage your household, doan'd argue.
Yust grab your hat, rush down to der
nearest ocean und chump oferboaril.”
(Loud tears from Lena's mother und
an offer from Lena’s father to change
der style of Chake’s face If he doun'd
apologize, vlch resulted In der speech
coming In a climax).
Mlt dis eggsceptlon It vas a very
pleasant efenlng, und In my heart I
dlnlc dot eight bottles of beer hat more
to do mlt Chake’s sentiments In der
speech den anydlng else.
From vat I know aboud Lena, I dink
dot vlll be Chake’s faint und lost dec
laration of Independence.
Vea I left der veddlng party dot night
Chake vas trotting In Oscar Schmidt's
class und going slow. Yours, mlt luff,
D. DINKELSPIEL,
(per George V. Hobart)