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IFE’S Tomorrows” is a volume of
sermons by Dr. Junius W. Millard,
published by A. B. Caldwell, of Atlanta;
Ga., and issued from the press of the
American Baptist Publication Society.
The volume contains seven sermons hav
ing for their purpose a discussion of
and inquiry into the nature of death,
the immortality of the soul, a eonsid-
I
eration of the judgment, and a contemplation of the
life after death. In his preface the author says:
“The following pages contain, as nearly as they
can be reproduced, the substance of seven sermons
which were delivered to large audiences, and their
publication is the response to a unanimous demand
that they be put into this permanent form.
“The author makes no claim to originality. As a
busy pastor, he has gathered from various sources
and hereby gladly acknowledges his large indebted
ness to many mem The effort lias beeii to rob
death of its teti'ot and make the life beyond a real
fact iii the everyday thinking of the Christian.
There is no subject of deeper human interest than
the future of the soul, and no question of pro
founder personal concern than this: ‘My life and
the future —what?’ ”
We never yet had access to a series of sermons
which deal in such a satisfying way with the great
problem of existence here —and its ultimate con
tinuance in a future life. There is no human
breast which has not at times been agitated by the
question which is the main thread in these sermons.
To the Christian they abound in sweet hope and
encouragement. To the honest doubter they should
bring much to settle the controversy waging within
his own mind. No more just review of the work
could be made than would be conveyed by a sermon
selected out of the seven. We choose the sermon
which comes third in the book, its subject being:
“Shall We Know Each Other There? An inquiry
into heavenly recognition. ” Lack of space forbids
our giving the sermon entire, but we feel that the
message is preserved in what we quote.
1. The universal longing and belief of the hu
man race may be urged in proof of the doctrine
that we will know each other in heaven. All men
have believed in a conscious life of mutual recog
nition beyond the grave. In the “Odyssey,” Ho
mer represents Odysseus as visiting the shades
of the dead, and there meeting and talking with
many whom he had known on earth. There he
saw Elpener and Ajax. Patroclus and Achilles,
friends on earth, were friends still after death,
and walked arm in arm through that nether
world. Socrates said, “Who would not part with
a great deal to purchase a meeting with Orpheus,
Hesiod, and Homer? What pleasure will it give
to live with Palamedes and others who have suf
fered unjustly, and to compare my fate with theirs.
What an inconceivable happiness will it be to con
verse, in another world, with Sisypus and Odysseus,
especially as those who inhabit that world shall die
no more.”
But it is not necessary for us to go to ancient
or medieval times to find this belief. It is in the
world today, inspiring the hearts of Christians as
well as pagans, and far stronger in Christtan than
in pagan lands. It is stronger with saints than with
sinners, and increases in individual lives as they
severally grow in grace. It is strongest of all in
times of deepest sorrow. No nation or denomina
tion, no tribe or people, no country or age in all the
history of the world, but has had this longing for
recognition in the world to come, and belief in its
truth. It is a spontaneous feeling, a consciousness,
a desire. It is on a par with the sense of sin, belief
in God and the immortality of the soul, and the
efficacy of sacrifice.
Now, error is sectional, truth is catholic, and any
want or feeling of universal humanity may be looked
upon as a prophecy of the truth.
2. Belief in heavenly recognition also follows
from the nature of the redeemed. He that be
lieves on Jesus Christ, we are told, “hath eternal
LITE'S TOMORROWS
The Golden Age for March 19, 1908.
fuhiua tV* Millard
life.” Self-consOiousnOss is characteristic of life>
aiid there can' be nb consciousness of self without
the fconsciousriess of others. The very iheaiis which
enable us to identify Onrseltes will enable us to
identify our fellow-meil. Self-consciousness is the
ability to say “t/ 7 and to say that is to project one
self over against one’s fellows. And all admit that
in the world to eoine we shall know God and his
Son, and that is unthinkable unless we shall also
know each other.
We shall take memory with us into the World
to Colne, for it was to that faculty that Abrahain
in the parable appealed when he said to Dives,
“Soil, remember.” If We Carry memory j thert wO
carry power to recollect many of our earthly rela
tions, or else we shall forget all origins, fail to
recognize the force of our own redemption, and
lose out own identity. In Ilevelatioil we learn
that the redeemed praised the Lamb for their
redemption. What is redemption if it be hot a
comparing of what one is in heaven with what one
was without divine grace?
It needs the future recognition to complete
what is here interrupted or incomplete. The man
who did you such a great favor died without your
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REV. JUNIUS W. MILLARD.
being aljle to tell him how much you owe to him.
Thousands have helped you, and you have not
acknowledged the indebtedness. How good it is
that there will be a time when you can fulfill this
neglected task. Paul suggests this when in 1
Thessalonians, second chapter, he says, “What is
our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not
even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?”
His converts could not be his glory and rejoicing
in the day of Christ’s second appearing if it is to
be understood that he was not even to know them
and they could not even know and recognize him.
Such a thing is not supposable.
3. This reference to the words of Paul sug
gests another proof of the doctrine, and that is
that it is taught in Scripture. The ancient Jews
referred to their dead as being “gathered to their
fathers,” a phrase that would have no meaning if
the fathers into whose presence they were gath
ered did not know them at their coming. In
keeping with this belief are the words of David
the king, as upon the death of his child he said,
“I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
He was comforted when he felt that he would see
his child again.
In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus pic
tures heaven as a family life in the Father’s house,
where there are many mansions, and all of us will
be thei'e xVifli Jesus himself, who is now preparing
a plaCe for liis owii. Will the host of redeemed ones
speiid etbriiity together, and yet Hot know each
other l
Agaiil, he speaks of heaven ufider the figure of
a feast, many reclining with Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob. Shall the inhabitants of heaven feast
together and yet not know each other? And if
there is no such thing as recognition there, how
Will they eVen kiloW Abraham and Isaac and Jacob?
In 1 Thessalonians, fourth chapter and eight
eenth verse, Daul writes: “Wherefore comfort
one another 'with these Words.” How? Where
is the cOmfort? Hi the fact of the resurrection?
No, they had long believed in that, as all of the
early Christians did, artd they seemingly expected
it to occur dfiring their day. There was some
thing new in What Paul had just written to them
which Was to bring them comfort. Believing in
the resurrection, and looking for it every day,
they were nevertheless grieved about their loved
ones who had already failed asleep. They feared
that when Christ should come, these departed
brethren would miss his appearing. No, Paul
teaches them they would not miss it, for them
would Christ bring with him, and all would be
joined together with Christ for ever. There was
the comfort. Thev would see their loved ones
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again, and they themselves and their beloved dead
would share a common fate, and spend eternity
together. How careful should we be in forming
our ties on earth.
4. There are certain objections which it would
be well for us to notice before our study is ended.
It is urged that death is such a great change
that recognition of earth relations is not to be
supposed as continuing into the life that is be
yond death. There is a great change which oc
curs at death, but it does not consist in altering
or adding to, but in perfecting that which already
exists. It is to be an evolution rather than a
transformation. Paul does say, “And we shall
be changed.” But he goes on to explain that the
change is to be for the better. “For this cor
ruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality.” The changes which
he suggests are from the lower to the higher—
all of them.
5. We have tried to prove that there will be
recognition in heaven. As to the extent of it
we have not yet inquired. While earth’s friend
ships will continue into the world to come, we do
not think that earth’s kinships will be exactly the
same in heaven, for they will be swallowed up in
the higher affections of the spiritual world.
Spiritual ties will be the strongest. And we shall
see and know our loved ones who have gone on
before, and who will follow after.
Some few years ago a fine young man sud
denly died. He was a believer in the Lord Jesus,
a college student, a lover of music, altogether a
young man of extraordinary promise. When the
body was about to be placed in the casket, his
mother went into the room to see that all was
as she would have it. Her grief was pitiable.
She stroked the hands, laid her fair head upon
the broad chest of her firstborn, and said amid
her tears, “I shall not see my dear boy again.”
“Oh, yes,” said her husband; “this is only for a
little while, until the resurrection!” It seems that
the idea had not occurred to her before, though
for years she had been a Christian. Turning to
her husband quickly, she asked, “Only until
then?” “Yes,” he replied. “Then,” said she,
“I can stand it. Good-bye.” Again, in the car
riage, on her way to the cemetery, her grief was
assuaged by that idea of the coming reunion, and
she kept saying to herself, “I can wait until then.”
Ah, sirs, have ye not some loved ones who have
passed on before? What are you doing to prepare
to meet them in the days to come?
(Note.) The volume can be secured from Mrs.
W. J. Northen, Atlanta, Ga., for 75 cents.
