What is heaven? Where is it? We know not. And there are many more questions we should like to ask about it, but they cannot be answered. This however we know — heaven is a holy place, a happy place, an eternal resting-place, the abode of God Himself.

It will be a holy place. The Word of God says, “There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth” (Rev. 21:27). No unpardoned one shall be there; no Christless souls; none with unchanged hearts.

This world is under a curse. Sin spoils all our actions. But there will be “no more curse” in heaven. We shall be holy as the angels. We shall be like the Savior. “Beloved,” says John, “now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).

Heaven will be a happy place, too. Where there is holiness there must be happiness. When is it that we enjoy the most peace here? Is it not when we are liv­ing nearest to God, doing His will, and following Him faithfully? Think then how great will be our bliss in heaven, when we shall be holy as He is holy.

There will be nothing to interfere with our joy then. One would think that our happiness would be spoiled by the absence of some whom we loved here on earth, and who will not be there to share our heaven with us. But no; in some way God will pre­vent even this from grieving us. So long as He is glorified, we shall be content. Our song will be, “Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Rev. 15:3).

I hope you can feel that you have many happy moments now. But every moment will be happy in heaven. Now it is only checkered happiness; sorrow creeps in. But then it will be perfect and unmixed. Now you feel peace, when you think of Jesus, and what He has done for you; when your cold heart is warmed with His love, you are happy. But then your heart will be filled full of His love, and your cup of joy will run over.

Heaven is an everlasting resting-place. Oh, what a world of toil and trial this is! Perhaps you have had to work hard all your life, and eat your bread with labor. Perhaps you have also lived hard, and often found a difficulty in getting enough. You have met with many a trial in your day, and this has left its mark on your care-worn brow. But there will be an end of all this in heaven. It has been said, “Earth for toil; heaven for repose.” There the weary rest. The tired limbs will ache no more. The tear will not again trickle down your cheek. There will be no more strife and confusion. We shall be no more tossed about on the troublesome waves of this world. All will be rest.

But it will not be a rest of sloth and idleness. There would be no happiness in that. We shall all serve God day and night. The angels serve Him now; it is their greatest joy to be employed for Him. And so it will be with us. To do His will, will be our con­stant employment, and to sing His praises our great delight. We shall not rest day nor night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.”

Heaven is the dwelling-place of God Himself. We shall be with Him. We shall spend eternity in His presence. What an honor! What blessedness! If we have any dear friend on earth whom we especially love, are we not very happy in his company? What will it be to be near our Lord — to see Him, and be with Him, forever? “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them” (Rev. 21:3).

This, my dear friend, is the prospect before you. Why should you grieve then that your earthly house is tottering and giving way, when you have such a house as this in store for you? Oh, be of good courage. A few more days in this weary world, and then a home of joy forever!

Is this home yours? I hope it is. Jesus has pre­pared it for sinners like you. But remember, you need to be prepared for it. You need to have every sin washed away in your Savior’s blood. You have an evil, wicked heart. Ask God to take it away, and to give you a new and clean heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you, to enlighten you, to show Christ to you, and to make you every day more and more like your Savior. Ask Him to bend your will to His.

It is possible that some reader of these pages may have been traveling all his life long towards hell. He may have followed his own ways and despised the ways of God. He may have loved sin and rejected the Savior. And now he has come to the brink of eter­nity; all before him is dark and hopeless.

Oh sinner, I tremble for you. It is written, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). What is to become of you? You will soon die. And what then? What is there after death? There is the awful judgment, the great white throne, and all gathered before it, and you among the number. The books will be opened, and your sins all written there! And then the sentence — the just and righteous sentence! Oh, who shall stand when He appeareth? Who shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Your case is bad, very bad. Shall I say that it is utterly hopeless? No, I dare not say so. I have seen, on a dark, gloomy day when almost the whole heavens have been covered with a thick mantle of clouds, a little speck of light in the distant sky, which has given me hope. And if you open God’s Word, you may see a little bright opening of hope ever nigh. There is a whisper from heaven to you, more welcome than the gleam of sunshine, which says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crim­son, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18).

You have greatly sinned. You have done much to shut yourself out from God’s mercy. But He has followed you in all your wanderings. He is ready to win you back. He calls to you in words of love and tenderness. He seems now once more to hold the door of mercy open. He seems to say to you, “Why will ye die?” He can pardon even now. Think of the cross. Throw yourself down, as it were, before it. Look there for mercy, and you may yet find it.

Yes, my brother, or my sister, you are late, very late; but your day of grace is not yet past. You may seek Christ, and find Him even now. “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:15).

But if, on the other hand, you are a true servant of Christ, though you feel yourself unworthy to be called His — if, as you have grown in years, you have gone on loving and serving Him more and more­ then you may think of death without alarm; and what is more, you may think of the bright and happy home beyond.

Is there not something very sweet in those words, “my home?” Happy the hardworking laborer, who, when evening comes, has a home to return to! Happy the prisoner, who, when his day of liberty arrives, has a home to receive him! Happy the traveler, who journeys on with the cheering prospect that he is getting nearer home! But still more happy the Christian, whether rich or poor, who, after a long life in this changing world, has a sure and certain hope that he is daily and hourly drawing nearer to his heavenly home! And how sweet the thought of entering that home, never more to leave it! How blessed, when all our trials and all our journeyings are over, to enjoy that rest which remaineth to the people of God! Then we shall be permitted to sing:

It is no longer “going home,”
For heaven is reached at last;
The weary wilderness, thank God,
Is now for ever passed.

I’ve bid the world a glad farewell;
I’ve done with suffering now;
And never more one passing grief
Shall shade my peaceful brow.

I’ve reached at length my native land,
The place I truly love:
Clad in my Savior’s spotless robe,
 I’ve joined the hosts above.

I’ve reached my home, that home so dear
To every pilgrim’s heart;
And never shall my feet again
From its glad walls depart.

I’ve joined that blessed band above
Of brethren kindred dear;
But better far, my Lord I see,
And His loved voice I hear.

I’vereached my home, my happy home,
So holy and so pure;
And (blessed thought!) I know it shall
Eternally endure.

For those whom Jesus died to save,
He ever lives to bless;
Those mansions which His love prepares,
His children shall possess.

And now, dear reader, it is time that I bid you farewell. If I have said one word that has helped you on your way, if you have learned a single truth from this book, if I have given a little spur to your faith, or kindled a spark of love in your soul — if, in short, you are in any way the better for having read these pages — to God be all the praise! We shall both give it to Him throughout eternity.

May you and I, unworthy as we are, be numbered among God’s blood-bought family, among the Savior’s friends! And may we hereafter sit down together in the kingdom of our Father!