The World's Fair
E J Hayhoe
Table of Contents
Part 1: What Buildings?
WRITTEN ON THE OCCASION
OF THE WORLD’S FAIR HELD
IN CHICAGO IN 1893
THERE they are, the united effort of man. What a length! what a height! what a breadth! Filled with this world’s glory—the works of man, thronged with earth’s wondering multitudes from every nation under the sun! Such are these mighty buildings, whose builder and maker is man.
But what are these compared with that Jasper City, whose builder and maker is God? As to its size we are lost in amazement, 1,500 miles high, 1,500 miles broad, 1,500 miles in length! “The city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, 12,000 furlongs. The length, and the breadth, and the height of it are equal,” (Rev. 21). Man’s buildings filled with his glory after all, only just look over the tops of the trees; but think of God’s building—1,500 miles high. “Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”
The space the holy city contains is astounding; ah! the space of millions, and millions of man’s vast palaces would be found in the glorious building of God. This may give you some idea of the vast dimensions of the great city—the Holy Jerusalem. Suppose the whole human race was assembled within its jasper walls: take an average of 600 millions on the face of the earth, and suppose they were changed every 30 years for 6,000 years, this would give the total of the human race, if all were raised together, a vast multitude numbering 120,000 millions. There would be a space for each, measuring more than 535 yards high, 535 yards broad, 535 yards long. If you doubt this, take out your pencil, and carry out the cube of the city—1,500 miles. Ah! to look down from this heavenly city, man’s massive buildings appear but a speck on this dark world! Why, the height of man’s palaces seems as nothing, even to the space of one of the 120,000 millions! What will it be to be there—no visitors in the Jasper City—heaven is our home! My reader may visit man’s great buildings to return home and die; but in the city of which I speak, there shall be no death there. Does my reader remember the words that Jesus spoke the night on which He gave Himself up freely to die for His people’s sins? “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; that where I am, there ye may be also,” (John 14:2, 3). He died for poor sinners that He might prepare a place for us in the Holy Jasper City of God. Ah! there was no way to the city for us, but through the darkness and death of the cross. Had we never sinned, surely it would have been wonderful to prepare such a place for us. But to prepare such a place for sinners, rebels, enemies—and to die to prepare them for such a place, and to bring them there—I ask, was ever love like this? and was ever madness like that which rejects and despises that love! What an effort many will make to see the world’s fair, if it is only for one short day! But, oh! think of a coming eternity in the glory of that Jasper City of holiness and light.
There is no middle place. It is but a very little while and you will be either in the heavenly Jerusalem—that great and holy city of jasper and transparent gold in the light and glory of God, where no cloud of darkness shall ever be again; or eternally shut out where no ray of light or hope shall ever come. I feel pressed to speak thus plainly, for God hath said, “There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life,” (Rev. 21:27).
Part 2: Are You Going up?
No doubt many from every nation of the earth have thought of going up to see man’s great fair, the most wonderful sight on earth, the nations may be said to have brought their glory and honor into it the works of art, and manufacture, of the whole world. “Are you going up to see it?” Thousands will answer “yes;” and thousands will answer “no;” some will go up and see it, and many will remain behind. There is a striking analogy about what is to take place in God’s great city, and what is now taking place in man’s comparatively little city—I say little, for we found that if even the whole human race were brought into the heavenly city, that there would be far more space there for each, supposing the number to be 120,000 millions, than the space of man’s great fair altogether. This building is not of this world, or on earth—it is the heavenly city whose builder and maker is God. In “the world’s fair,” is the display of all that man can do by the works of his hands. In the heavenly building shall be displayed what God hath done in the wonders of redeeming grace. “Are you going up?” Jesus has finished the work of redemption.—The Holy One of God has died for sin—He has been buried—He is risen—He is gone up on high—He will come again to receive His own to Himself—are you going up to meet Him? Thousands will go up to this world’s fair. Will you be amongst the thousands caught up to meet their Lord? You may say, “Why, not many professors of Christ even think much about going up,” too true, yea, even some scoff at the thought of His coming again. But is not this one of the signs of the last days? “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming!” (2 Peter 3:4). But he who knows Jesus, knows His words are true, he knows that, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner,” (Acts 1:11). Did not believers in the very days of the apostles, “wait for His Son from heaven,” (1 Thess. 1:10). “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord,” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). I do not discuss this as a doctrine, these are God’s words; I believe them. Are you looking for Him? are you going up? It is certain to come! and come when the world least expects it. Yes, even whilst the men of this world are thronging the courts of the world’s fair buildings, even then the saints of God may be caught up in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. We know not the hour, fellow Christian, a few more setting suns at most, and we shall go up, and be forever with the Lord.
Part 3: Have You Taken Space?
As the day of opening draws near, this is an important question to all who wished to have a place in the world’s great show. If space be not taken before the appointed day, it will be too late for the anxious manufacturer to have a place in the world’s great fair to show his wares. And if your space is not secured in the heavenly mansions above, is there not an appointed hour when it will be too late? On what ground can you, my reader, have the certainty that a place is prepared for you in that city whose builder and maker is God? As the officials mark out the space for each and write the name, so it is most important that your name be written in heaven. Can you rejoice that your name is written in heaven? It will not do to say I have fasted and prayed—or I have done penance and repented. The word of God nowhere tells us that these are the price of a place in the city of pure gold—the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. It is quite true that those who have a mace in the World’s fair on earth cannot polish their goods too brightly; but polishing their goods will not buy a space. So with those who have a place in the heavenly mansion—they cannot be too careful to maintain good works. Yea, the brighter those works the greater the reward, as we shall see in our next; but the price of their redemption is a different matter. Those places prepared in the vast city of God for the redeemed, must have remained forever empty, if the Just had not died for the unjust; naught but His precious blood could bring us there, dollars could not buy space there. Oh! who but God can count the price? who but God can tell what Christ suffered for sins? Fearful as was His suffering through the cruel treatment of men – the spitting—the buffeting—the scourging—the nailing—the shame—the derision—yet, these He could bear in silence! But, oh! when the full wrath of God due to sins fell upon Him, then He cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It was this, the darkness and wrath that fell upon His forsaken soul for sins not His own, this alone was the price of each place in the holy courts of God. Yes, “once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” (Heb. 9:26). This precious blood not only secures thy place child of God, but fits thee for it. There is but one price to secure a place in the heavenly city for the lost sinner. It is the blood of Christ.
Part 4: The Judges' Award
Space having been taken, what labor and diligence in preparing goods for exhibition! what attention to quality, style, and finish) each exhibiter anxious to secure the award of merit. There is no confusion in men’s minds betwixt the judge’s award and the sentence of a criminal judge. Simple as this is in itself, yet it illustrates one of the most important distinctions that can be presented to the mind of man—I mean the future award of merit and the future judgment of sin. Nothing could be more distinct, both as to the persons and judgment; and yet it is incredible what an amount of confusion exists on the subject, even in the minds of real Christians. It is most certain the believer’s works done in the body will all be tested before the judgment seat of Christ, and that the award will be given “according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad,” (2 Cor. 5:10), just as the wares of every exhibiter shall be judged and tested by the judges. And blessed it is to know, that Christ will make no mistake. Yet is not this as different as possible from standing before the great white throne of judgment, to be judged for sins? just as different as the two cases, where one man’s wares shall be judged, and the award of merit given; and another man cast into prison, tried for his life, condemned, and executed. True, the exhibiter may fear lest his labor in preparing his goods be in vain, and he lose the reward; but is this the same thing as the dread of a guilty criminal? He dreads the hour of judgment—he dreads the face of the judge. Oh! ponder ye crowds that will revel this year in the sins of America’s great city! ponder well what it will be to stand before the judgment seat! “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation,” (Heb. 9:27, 28). Could the contrast be more striking than these two verses? To the unbeliever, there is death and judgment; to the believer, the coming again of Him who was offered to bear his sins. He comes to such without sin—no question of sin can be raised.
One word more as to the award of merit. When the exhibiter knows that his space is secured, then he may apply with all diligence to prepare his wares to meet the eye of the judges. Just so, if my reader is a believer, knowing that his place is secured in the heavenly crystal mansion by the blood of the Lamb, let him now give all diligence that his works may meet the approval of Christ—if accepted in Him, now labor to be acceptable to Him.
Appendix: "Exhibition of Religions."
Presbyterians, Baptist, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Methodists, Roman Catholics, and, alas! Unitarians, Universalists, Swedenborgians, Buddhists, Mohammedans, Pagans, and Atheists, are all to meet together on one common platform, in the “stately art palace,” Chicago, on Monday, Sept. 11th. Thus their different religions are to be exhibited to the world for 17 days.
Representatives, they tell us, from almost every part of the world have given in their names to attend. “Over 1,600 men eminent in the religious life and work of the world, and representing nearly all the great Christian Churches, and all the leading historic faiths, have accepted places on the advisory council of the Parliament.” (From Review of Reviews, April, ‘93.) “Brotherhood of Human Good” is their motto. All is looked at from the world’s or a human standing point to “Unite the world in the spirit of co-operative unity.” Scripture says: “Now is the judgment of this world,” (John 12:31). “If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him,” (1 John 2:15). It is well to remember there has been such a fact as “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14), says the apostle, by the Holy Spirit. And again: “Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory: that your faith and hope might be in God,” (1 Peter 1:21). But this parliament of religions would put our risen Lord Jesus side by side with corrupt, fallen man, “A leader of men.” The only living and true God is thus insulted. These “raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame.... Having men’s persons in admiration, because of advantage,” (Jude 13:16), are only manifesting their folly. The mass of humanity care but little for these things—man is flattered and exalted, thus falls an easy prey to the snare of the devil. A more shameful, a more openly corrupt principle has never been put forth. Every abominable doctrine side by side with the truth. A chief rabbi suggests as a text for the parliament, “Have we not all one Father.” Jesus said to such: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do,” (John 8:41-44). It is just repeating, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built.... for the honor of my majesty.” Scripture speaks plainly, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” (2 Cor. 6:16-18). “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity,” (2 Tim. 2:19). We who know God in Christ Jesus, are sure, “The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation,” (2 Peter 3:15). We are living in a solemn moment. Jesus, whom God the Father raised from the dead and glorified, is shut outside by this Laodicea. “He patiently ‘knocks’ and says, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” (Rev. 3:14-22). “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away,” (2 Tim. 5). “Ye do well that ye take heed.”
EDWARD J. HAYHOE.
The foregoing was written by E. J. Hayhoe, who died in January, 1913, age 69 years. Before he passed away, he requested that the two last verses of our hymn “The Sands of Time are Sinking” be sung at his funeral.
“Oh! I am my Beloved’s, And my Beloved’s mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner Into His “house of wine”!
I stand upon His merit, I know no safer stand,
Not e’en where glory dwelleth, In Immanuel’s land.
“The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of Grace—
Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land.”
Although my father preached the Gospel for about forty years, he did not go to Heaven on this account, but because he was a poor vile sinner, washed in the blood of Christ.
J. C. HAYHOE.