Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-08-20

The glories Of alabaster vase aud porphy-
~ pillow fade out before this gateway.
Ii puts cut the spark of feldspar and
Bohemian diamond You know how
one little precious stone on your finger
will fish under the goslight. But oh |!
the brightness when the great gate of
heaven swings. struck through aud drip
ping with the light Of eternal MONDAY
Julius Caesar paid 125, 900 crowns for
one pearl. Government of Portugal
boosted Of having pearl larger than a
pear. Cleopatra and Philip ii dazzled
the worlds vision with precious stones
But gather these all together, and lift
them aud add to them all the wealth of
the pearl fisheries, aud set them 10 the
panel of one door, aud it does not equal
this magnificent gateway, An almighty
hand hewed this. swung this, polished
this. Against this gat 2ay. on the Que
side. dash ali the spleudols of earthly
beauty. Against this gate on the other
side bea, tue surges OF eternal glory. D,
the gate, the gate 1t strikes an inf
nite charm through every one that pass
es it. One step this side that gate and
we are paupers. One step the other
side that gate aud we are kings. The
pilgrim of earth, going through, sees IN
the one huge pearl all his earthly tears
in crystal. o, gate Of light. gate of
pearl. gate of heaven Sor our weary
souls at last swing open
'W hen shall these eyes Thy heAyen-bu:lt walls
Ard Pearly ties behold,
Thy bulwarks with salvation strong,
Aud streets of shining gold p
Oh heaven is no, dull place. Heaven
is not contracted place. Heaven is
not Il stupid place II saw The twelve
gates. and they were twelve pearls
lu the second place want you to
count the number of those gates. In
perial parks aud lofty mauors are apt to
have one expensive gateway, and the
others are ordinary; but look around at
these entrances to heaven. aud count
them Cue, two, three, four. five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
Hear it. all the earth and all the heav
ems. Tw,lvo gates admit this is
rather bard on sharp scctarians. Here is
a big tied Presbyterian, who brings biz
Westminster Assembly catechism, and
he makes gateway out Of that. aud he
says to the world: "You go through
there or stay out" Aud here is big
4 & -.
aud he makes a gate out OF the lIeidel
berg catechisn, and he says: you go
through there or stay out. Aud here
is bigoted Elethodl-t. and be plants
two posts, aud he says: Now you crowd
in between these two posts OF stay ou'.
And here is bigoted Episcopatiaa, who
says: "Here is liturgy out OF which |
mean to make gate so through 1t OF
stay out" ''And here is bigotcd Bap-
list, who says: "Here Is watcr-gate
you go through that or you must stay
out" Aud so GU in all our churches
and III all our denominations there are
men who make one gate tor Intensely s,
aud then demand that the whole world
go through it. / abhor his contracted.
ness in religious views Ga small-soul-
ed mau, when did God give you the
contract for making gates | tell you
plainly will not 60 in at that gate. |
will go iu at any one of the twelve gate
choose. Here is a mau who says: 81
eau more easily and more closely ap
preach my God through prayer book
say my brother. then use the
prayer-kook Here is man who says:
II believe there is only one mode o;
baptism, aud that is immersion Then
say "Let me plunge you'll Anyhow,
| say, away With the gate of rough pam
ell aud rotten posts aud rusied latch. When
thera are twelve gates aud they are
twelve pearls. The fact is that great
many of the churches in this day are be-
ing doctorcd to death. They have been
trying for good many years 10 Gud GU
all about G Od's DEGREES, AMI they want
to know who are elected to be saved aud
who are reprobatod TO be damned and
they are keeping on discussing that SUBJ
iect when there are millions Of souls
whp need to have the truth put straight
at them that uni SIS they repent they will
be damned They sit counting the
number of teeth in the jAwbone with
which they are to shy iuo Phiiisiiaes
when they ought to be welding skllful-
ly the weapon. They sit on the beach
ard see vessel going to pieces in the
olliug, aud instead of getting Into boat
aud pulling away for the wreck. they sit
discussing the different styles Of oar.
locks. God intended US to know some
things, aud intended us Dot to know
Others. | have heard scores Ct sermons
explanatory of Gods DEGREES. but came
away more perplexei than when | went
The only result OF such discussion is
great fog Here are two truths which
are to co, quer the world: Man. SIM
ner; Christ, a saviour. Any man who
adopts these two theories in his religious
belief shall have my right band in warm
grip OF Christian brotherhood.
A man comes down to river in time
of ireshet. He wants to get across. He
has to swim. What does he do? The
first thing is to pu' off his heavy apparel
aud drop every thing he has in his
hands. He must go empty-handed il
he is going to the other bank. Aud