p. 157 | GOING TO HEAVEN by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 1, 1858

GOING TO HEAVEN.

By John Norton Loughborough

MANY in these times are talking of going to heaven, and some undoubtedly will soon be caught up "to meet the Lord in the air, and so ever be with the Lord." By this we are not going to teach the doctrine of going to heaven at death; but the Scriptures clearly represent that the saints will go to heaven at the coming of the Lord. Said Jesus to Peter [John xiii, 36,] "Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterward." Here is the plain testimony of Jesus, that Peter should at some future time follow him to heaven. The testimony of chap. xiv, 1, shows how and when this shall be. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; (take you with me, Campbell's Translation; ) that where I am there ye may be also."

As the time has nearly arrived when Jesus is to return from preparing the "Father's house," this hope of going to heaven brightens up before us. Those who are living godly in Christ Jesus, if faithful to the end will soon be "caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so forever be with the Lord."

Of those who profess to be looking for deliverance from earth to heaven, we should expect works that will be a proper index to their faith. As the church is "the light of the world," and as the world get their light by seeing the "good works" of the saints, so they will most effectually get their light on a preparation to go to heaven by seeing a company act as though they expected in a short time to go thither.

But says one, what shall I do to live out my faith on this point? The "Word is a lamp" to your feet and it points out a tangible work of preparation to go to heaven; and one that you can take hold of as understandingly as you would prepare to go on a journey to England. A slave, whose master had just died, was told by the minister that his master had gone to heaven. The slave said he thought not, "cause always when massa go a journey he get ready, and I haint hear him say anything about goin to heaven." Although this is the testimony of a poor negro, it is fully illustrative of the manner in which the world look on the church to see if they really act as if they believed what they profess. It is all in vain for a man to say with his lips that he is going where

"Sickness and sorrow, pain and death, Are felt and feared no more,"

when his actions show to all that his affections are fully engrossed with the cares of earth.

If an individual should tell us that he was going in a few days to make a final remove to England, we should expect all his movements would correspond with what he said, and his works would show that his testimony was true. If on the other hand we saw from his talk and acts that all his interests were here, and he was laying plans as though he was long going to reside here, we should soon lose all confidence in his declarations of such a move. If persons were really determined to take up a residence in England, every move they made would point in that direction. Their conversation and acts would daily show that their interest was not here, but in England. When others might strive to exalt this land, their conversation would all be for England. They would be disposing of their inheritance here, and substituting for it one in England, or else lay up the avails of it there. Their spare moments would be spent in the study of the laws and customs of England. For they would wish to know how to conduct themselves as good citizens when they should commence their residence there.

A simple testimony to others, that we expect to go to heaven is not all that is required of us; but there is a getting ready marked out in the word of God, which if we obey, will preach louder than the testimony of our lips. When Christ comes he will find a company prepared to say, "This is our God, we have waited for him." Waiting, implies a readiness. The man going to England, referred to above, could not be said to be waiting to go, if his business here crowded him, and kept him in a hurry and commotion up to the hour the ship was to start. Neither is one in this world, who launches out into the cares of earth, increasing his inheritance, and permitting his affections, unrestrained, to settle on the world, of that company whose "loins are to be girded about, and their lights burning; and they themselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately." Luke xii, 35, 36. But before they can do this their hands must be freed from the snares that have held them, and they stand free from, not overcharged with, the cares of this life.

In Luke xii, 34, 35, we see just how they are brought to this position, "Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." "Sell that ye have (see testimony for the church No. 4,) and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." Who can doubt, after reading this testimony in Luke, that this is one of the preparatory steps to go to heaven? As we said before, those who take a journey send their effects before them. And this (allow the homely expression) is the means God has devised by which the saints may transfer their treasure from earth to heaven. What! says one, I can't get my money into heaven! No, we don't want it there; but a chance is offered here for you to make such an investment of your money, that if you live faithful, it will draw, (to compare infinite things with finite,) more than 10,000 per cent from the bank of heaven. It is done on the principle of investing our means in the cause of God, and taking the pledges of heaven as security. "He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given, will he pay him again." Prov. xix, 17. Some have supposed that this all referred to this life. We do not doubt but those who have spent their means to advance the cause of God, will be supplied here from his hand; but this paying them fully we understand is yet future. They are exhorted as they enter upon this work, to provide themselves "bags which wax not old, a treasure in heaven that faileth not." We are to so use what God has committed to our trust, that we shall make friends with it, that shall receive us into everlasting habitations when we fail. See Luke xvi, 9.

But a preparation to go to heaven does not by any means consist simply in a right use of the means God may have committed to our trust as stewards, but there must be an earnest endeavor to form a character that will grace the courts of heaven. A study and practice of the laws of heaven is just as necessary to prepare us to be good citizens there, as a study of English laws and customs is, to prepare us to be respected citizens of England. May we be found with every piece of the armor girded on, and waiting.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

Battle Creek, Mich., March, 1858.