Our Departed Friends: Or Glory of the Immortal Life ... - Jane E. Stebbins - Google Books

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CONTENTS.

UNIVERSAL BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY IN ALL TIME.

PAGE

Prevalent Ideas of the Future in the Early Ages. - Power of persistent Self-

Inquiry.-Confession of Lord Bolingbroke. - Argument of Dick.-Homeric

Views.- Poets of Antiquity. - Mountain Illustration. - Socrates. - Opinions of

Philosophers of different Nations.

THE DESIRE OF CONTINUOUS LIFE AN INHERENT PRINCIPLE OF

Yearnings of Childhood. The Soul's Thirstings. -Fear of Socrates.- - Cicero's

Instructions to his Pupils. - Dying Testimony of Franklin. - Of Byron. - Univer-

sal Action reveals Desire. Perpetual Longings. Inferences..

ASPIRATIONS FOR MENTAL AND MORAL PERFECTION.

Nature of the Soul.- Opinions of different Nations and Writers.

over Matter. Influence of Disease. Varied Capacity of Mind.

never satisfied. - Influence of Science.- Obstacles to Intellectual Greatness.-

Limitless Objects..

MORAL PERCEPTIONS PRESUPPOSE A FUTURE.

Man as an Intellectual Being.- Heart-Culture. - Flowers and Icebergs.- The Inner

Light. The Moral Virtues. - Influence of Love. - Of Friendship. - Examples

of Moral Heroism. - Strong Presumption of the Continuance of Moral Powers in a

more perfect State.

FOREBODINGS OF RETRIBUTION.

Sphere of Conscience. - Belshazzar.- Testimony from Profane History.- Webster,

the Murderer.-Moral Convictions answering to Moral Laws. Society without

Virtue. Force of Moral Obligation. - Tendency toward Perfection. - Its Indi-

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CONTENTS.

INEQUALITIES OF THE PRESENT LIFE.

Teachings of Nature. Character of God. - Virtue and Vice unrewarded here.-

Waldensian Persecution. Scenes in the Reign of Louis XIV. - Days of Martyr-

dom. - Mysterious Providences. — Life apparently a Season of Discipline. . . . . 93

MIND, FROM ITS VERY NATURE, IMPERISHABLE.

Brahminical Philosophy. - The Poet's Soliloquy.- Sleep and Death.- - Argument

of Descartes. Infidel Theory of Annihilation. Nature never warrants it. -

Changes in Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms. Flavel and Hall. - Physiological

INEXPLICABLE MYSTERIES ATTEND THE DENIAL OF A FUTURE.

The Coliseum. — Earth a Tomb. - Meditations on the Supposition of no Future.—

Birth of Error. — Waste not in God's Plan. - Immortality a desirable Fiction, if

ELEMENTS OF PRESENT HAPPINESS A WARRANT FOR THEIR

Analysis of present Life the only Basis without Revelation.. -Nature as a Guide.

Abundant Provision for Happiness. - Organs of Sense. Social Joy. The

Mourning Exile. - Sympathy. — Imagination. Genius. -Restoration of Order.

-Truth gilding the gloomy Picture. . .

GLORY AND CERTAINTY BEAM FROM REVELATION.

The sure Guide. - Revelation a Sun. - Harmony between Nature and Revelation.-

Bible not dealing in direct Assertions. - Patriarchs influenced by the Belief of

endless Life.- Prophetical Writings.- Christ.- The Apostles.- Vision of John. 160

WISDOM CRIES, A WORK TO BE DONE.

Time with Reference to Eternity. - Strange Indifference of the Worldling.- Direc-

tion of Human Effort. - Cardinal Wolsey.-The Excursion.- Blessedness of

immortal Life. -The Heathen Philosopher.

DEATH THE PORTAL TO THE UNSEEN.

Sentence in Eden..

Nature of the Change. - Valley and Stream unknown.- Heathen

Notions of Death. - Sounds from Hindoo Shores. - Sceptical Ideas.- Effect of

Christ's Mission. Luther and Melancthon.- - Christian Views.- No Death in

Grave faithful to its Trust.-Associations of Jesus' Grave. Voice issuing from

it. The Grave as regarded by heathen and unchristian Nations. - Christian Views.

-As a Home. - A Harbor.-A Resting-Place. -As the Threshold of Heaven... 211

THE RESURRECTION.

Life's Epochs.- Insufficiency of Human Philosophy. - Analogy of Nature. Scrip-

ture Declarations. Christ's Resurrection a Pledge to Believers. Whately's

Opinion.-Thompson's.- Bible Evidence sufficient. -Souls will sparkle as Gems

in the Redeemer's Crown at the Last.

THE INTERMEDIATE STATE.

The Soul of infinite Moment.-Votaries of Science. - Dying Thief. - Moses and

Elias on the Mount. - Premonitions of Conscience. -Joys of Believers. Early

Church History.- Opinion of primitive Fathers. - Hades. - Pneumatology of

Paul.-Views of Whately....

THE FUTURE THE SOUL'S ETERNAL HOME.

Universality of Home Influence. - Providential Designs.-The eternal Home.

Views of Reason and Imagination.- Character given to a future Home by these.

-The only true Picture found in the Gospel. A little While and the Christian

will reach the blessed Mansions.

THE NEW JERUSALEM.

Necessity of Heaven to Pagan Minds.-The various heavenly Creations. - The

New Jerusalem of the Bible. - Heaven prefigured by Paradise and Canaan. —

Locality of Heaven. - Opinions of various Writers.-Inspired Declarations. —

Inconceivable Glories...

HEAVEN AS A PLACE.

Natural Ideas associated with Place. - Analogies. - Christ's Teachings. - Spiritual

Discernment.-Jewish Faith.-The Soul's Constitution demands Place. - Opinions

of Harbaugh.-Bliss of Heaven sufficient to satisfy the Soul's utmost Demands.. 201

HEAVEN AS A STATE.

Man never satisfied with Revelation. - Platonic Notion.-Senses the natural Chan-

nel of Activity.-Heart-sentiment superior to Place. - Illustrations drawn from

the Blind and Deaf.- Poet Imagery. - Heaven to be sought.

Jewish Emotions at beholding Canaan.

Power of first Glimpses. Living Illus-

trations. Pilgrim on the Mount. - Foretastes at the Close of Life. - - Hall,

Payson, and Janeway. - Triumphant Death of youthful Disciples.

open Grave. Pisgah Views frequent among the Faithful.

THE HEAVENLY INHERITANCE A PECULIAR GOOD.

Emotions at earthly Acquisitions. - Superiority of heavenly.-The first Paradise.

The second eclipsing it. Perpetual Youth. Sinlessness the crowning Glory.

-The Faith-inspired Soul rich.- Watchfulness necessary. .

NEGATIVE BLISS OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.

Relations of Negation and Affirmation. Bible Representations mainly negative. —

Characteristics.- No Curse, no Death. - No Danger, no Sorrow or Mourning.—

Blessedness of those who enter. Perfect Vision. The whole Being complete.. 350

POSITIVE BLISS OF THE HEAVENLY WORLD.

Whisperings of Prophecy. - Music an Element of heavenly Bliss.-Joy of actual

Service. - Varied Affirmations. — The scaled Brow.- Wondrous Light. Rest.-

Exemption from painful Sensation. The Way open through the Atonement. —

Human Conception inadequate to the Formation of so perfect a Heaven in

OCCUPATIONS OF THE BLEST.

Eternal Life a Continuation of this. Future physical Economy unknown. — Ac-

tivity a Law of all Being.- Memory survives. Study of Science. - Redeem-

ing Love the grand Theme. — Praise. Cultivation of Virtue. - Heaven a glad

SOCIETY OF HEAVEN.

Beautiful Elements in Nature.. Man communicative and receptive. - Jesus loved

Society. -Soul made for it. - · Degrees in Heaven. - Society of Angels, of

Christ. Love the prime Characteristic. - Perfect Appreciation found only in

Guardian Angels. The Good and Evil.- Angel Organism. Their Appearance

to Patriarchs and Prophets. - Swift-winged. Their appropriate Office. - Silent

Ministration to Christians. The Relation of the Earthly and the Heavenly.... 443

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RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS IN HEAVEN.

Complex Nature of Man.- Friendship a divine Institution. - Views of the Ancients

concerning heavenly Recognition. - Modern Christians. Scripture Facts.-

Christian Anticipation. - New and constant Acquisition of Good.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

CHILDREN IN HEAVEN.

Childhood and Innocence. - Power of infant Smiles.-The Convict. Lord Byron. -

Children an Attraction of Heaven. - Saved by Grace. Theory of Augustine. —

The early Reformers.-Zwingle. - Calvin. Christ's Love to little Ones a Pledge. 477

THE BODY GLORIFIED.

Rich Endowments of Immortality. - Conflicting State of Body and Spirit here.-

The glorified Body powerful. Glorious and honorable. Incorruptible and

spiritual. Blessedness of the Combination. - Holiness and Perfection the End

of true Self-Discipline.

THE SPIRIT GLORIFIED.

The Attributes of God's Nature warrant Glorification to the Christian. -

expected from the Union of Love and Power. - The Senses glorified. - The

mental and moral elevated. Mutual Interest of the Saints.- Glory waits for

PERPETUITY HEAVEN'S CROWNING GLORY.

The Christian absorbed in "Forever.”—A Terror to the Guilty. - Permanence

necessary to Enjoyment.-Earth transient.. Heaven permanent.

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Home Preparations always cheerful.- Soul-Education the Work of Life. - Enjoy-

ment proportioned to Cultivation. The Sea Captain. The ripe Christian. - The

glorious Destiny of Believers. - Passing away not a gloomy Thought to

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