The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-06-19

ETY. rejects now, may get standing room
in heaven, not high up, but starting
place. If heaven was so rigidly pure,
then death must be great sitter. Look
at the saint of years. How imperfect,
how deficient, how very far down he is.
What man ever walked to the gate of
heaven, and had the angel lay on him
that scale, and say, Center, because
thou art pure ?" Not one, though he
may have been washed by floods of
tears, and sifted by years of trial, and
ennobled by acts of heroism. No !;
heaven was opened by grace-by grace
only, by Love. God lets in whom he
would, and we didn't know his gauge.
Some might say, "Is it safe to hold
such views as these ?" What right had
they to challenge God? He said,
will have mercy on whom L will. God
refused to be questioned on his gener-
osity. If the best went not into heaven
because he earned it, but because of the
act of great love, why might not the
bottomest go in too? So long as man
possessed state of mind that was i'm
provable there was a chance for him,
and the preacher did not believe God
would cast him away. Mr.. Beecher did
not believe there was O person on the
face of the earth who had heard the
Gospel and in whose soul there was any
thing improbable who would not find
an entrance into heaven-low down, it
might be, but the lowest place there
was infinitely better than the highest
here.
We saw ragged lad in the street,
unkempt, untaught, rude, grovelling.
Our Christian sympathy was touched.
Initiating Christ, we set to work to
transform him, and in course of time we
had the satisfaction to see him grow up
and develop into man of intelligence,
worth, and piety. All this was done by
our only initiating the spirit of Christ.
And should we be able to perform more
than the infinite love and tenderness OF
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ ? If any persisted, it was the
perishing of the beast - destruction
Down i'll the South one could see slaves
seventy years of age sitting over theil
books learning A, B, G. And in the
other life we should see slaves of sir
sitting in heaven learning the alphabet
Better to start at the bottom of heaven
than not at all.
How many persons were there, Mr.
Beecher said, who lived in perpetua
sorrow, and went mourning day an(
night because their soma young man
had died without giving evidence of
saving change. Give lost him for
ever" they say. "I don't know how i
is with you" said Mr.. Beecher, with tn
tears choking his voice, "but my SUI
would go out and leave all dark if
thought such thing. The dropping
away of child to join that procession
to enter that life of infinite misery
Every loving parent would be willing t.
say, Would God were accursed from
Christ to save thee, my son ! Wher
there is germ of good in it, don't be
lieve q soul is going to be thrust ava
by that hand that was pierced. 1 don
believe that that love which was show
in Christ is going to throw away on
soul with germ of good in it. And s.
1 hope-I hope"
This subject ought to comfort thos
unable in this world to resist tempta
ton, yet desiring to do so. There wa
hope for them in the future, thong
there seemed none now.
His passions died out. Many ma
calling himself a sinner had that in hir
worth saving, which might have give
him place-not high up-but still
place to grow in heaven.
Let us, then, go to our daily bus
ness, believing that there was gerr
God would not let die out unless W
ruthlessly trod it under foot and put
out. Let us remember that if we boz
up to the throne of God-not that whic
was perfect, but what was worth plan
ing-not one germ would God thro
: away. Let us not think that by an
mystic sorcery or secret change we coul
! become heirs of heaven. There ws
! warning for the over confident, as we
|, as comfort for the imperfect an
! simple.
! A short prayer and hymn closed I'll
! service. Mr.. Beecher spoke with grel
power, and the audience were affecte
, to tears repeatedly. At the close, lad
: who had listened with deep emotion
the discourse, stood up and said alou
, to the preacher with streaming eye
: "God bless you, sir, for that noble Sc
- mon"