Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-03
THE GATES OF PEARL.
MILLIONS PASS IN BUT NO ONE
EVER COMES OUT.

OF Everlasting AAlEnb anu holeEGu hhu
swung Amid the Paeans of Angels
Only the BlOodwashed and Prayer
Ripped Can Enter.
The following is a sermon delivered by
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, d. D., on the
subject Of ''The Twelve Gates" The
text is taken from Revelations xxi, q,
and is as follows "And the twelve gates
were twelve pearls"
Our subject speaks OF a great metropolis
the existence of which many have
doubted. There has been vast immlgra-
fion into that city. but no emigration
from It. "There is ne such CITY," SAYS
the undevout astronomer, 81 have stood
in high towers with q mighty telescope
and have swept the heavens, and / nave
seen spots on the sun and caverns in the
moon but no towers have ever risen on
my vision, no palaces, TO temples, no
shining streets. no massive wall. There
is no such city" Even very good people
tell me that heaven is not a material
organism, but grand spiritual fact. and
that the Bible descriptions OF it are. in
all cases, 10 be taken hgurauYely. l
bring in reply 10 this what Christ said,
and he ought TO know; 81 90 to pre-
pare'-not a theory, not principle, not
8 sentiment-but Ego to prepare place
for YOU" The resurreeted body implies
this. II my foot is TO be reformed from
the dust it must have something 10 tread
on. Il my hand is to be reconstructed It
must have something to handle. Il my
eve, having gone out in death, Is to be re-
kindled / must have something 10 gaze
on. The adverse theory seems 70 imply
that the resurrec ed body is 10 be hung on
nothing. or TO walk in air, or to float amid
the intangibles. You tell US that il there
be material organisms then sonl IN
heaven will be cramped and hindered IN
its eniOyments, but | answer: Dtd not
Adam and Eve have plenty Of room in the
garden of Eden? Although only few
yards or a few miles would have described
the circumference of that place they had
ample room. And do you not suppose
that God in the immensitles can build
place large enough to give the whole race
room even though there be material
OrganismsY Herschel looked into tho
heavens. AS q Swiss guide puts his
alpenstock between the glaciers and
crosses over from crag 20 erag, so Her
schel planted his telescope between the
worlds and glided from star 10 star, until he
could announce to us that we live in
part OF the universe but sparsely strewn
with worlds, and he peers out into i'm
mensity until he finds region no larger
than our solar system, in which there are
$4,000 worlds moving. And Prof. Lang
says that'by philosOphic reasoning
there must be somewhere a world where
there is no darkness but everlasting sun
shine; so that do not know but that it is
simply because we have no telescope
powerful enough that we cannot see into
the land where there is no darkness at all
and catch a glimpse of the FURNISHED
pinnacles. AS conquering army
marching on to take a city comes al
nightfall 10 the crest OF mountain from
which, in the midst of the landscape, they
can see the castles they are to capture
rein in their war chargers, and halt to
take good look before they pitch
their tents for the night, 80 now, coming
as we do on this mountain top OF pros
pect. command the regiment Of God to
rein In their thoughts and halt. and
before they pitch their tents for the night
take one good long look at the gates of
the great city. s'And the twelve gates
Were twelve pearls"
In the first place, want you to exam
fine the architecture OF those gates. PrOpri-
etors OF large estates are very apt to have
an oruamented gateway. Sometimes they
spring an arch Of masonry, the posts OF
the gate flsnked with lions in statuary;
the bronze gas is a representation of in
tertwining foliage. bird haunted until the
hand OF architectural genius drops ex-
hausted, all its life frozen into the stone.
Babylon had q hundred gates so had
Thebes. Gates OF wood and iron and
stone guarded nearly all the old cities
There have been "A great many fine gate
wsys, but Christ sets hand 10 the work
and for the upper city he swung gate
such as no eye ever gaZed on untouched
of inspiration. With the nail of his own
cross he cut into il wonderful traceTies,
stories Of past sufferings and of gladness
TO come. There is no wood or stone or
bronze in that gate. but, from top to base
and from side to side, il is all Of pearl.
Not one piece picked up from Cey-
Ion banks, and another piece from
the Persian gulf, and another piece from
the island OF Marquette; but one solid
pearl picked up from the beach of ever
lasting light by heavenly hands, and
hoisted and swung amid the shouting of
angels. The glories Of the alabaster vase
and the pOrphyry pillar fade out
before this gateway. 10 puts out the
spark OF feldspar and Bohemian dia-
mond. You know how one little precious
stone on your finger will Hash under the
gashght. But Oh, the brightness when
the great gate of Heaven swings, struck
through aud dripping with the light of
eternal MONDAY. julius Cesar paid 1875
900 crowns for one pearl. The govern
ment of Portugal boosted OF having a
pearl larger than pear. Cleopatra and
1uilil IL WNAkltu Tue WOIiO = NlNlDD WHO
precious stones. But gather all these to-
gether and lift them and add to them All
the wealth of the pearl fisheries
and set them IN the panel II
one door and il does not equal
this magnificent gateway. An almighty
hand hewed this, swung this, polished
this. Against this gateway on the one
side dash ali the splendors Of earthly
beauty. Against this gateway on the
other side beat the surges Of eternal
glory. Oh, the gate, the gate! IL strikes
an infinite charm through everyone thai
passes it. one step this side that gate
and we are paupers. One step the other
side that gate and we are kings. TIL
pilgrim OF earth going through secs in the
one huge pearl all his earthly tears in
crystal. Oh, cato OF light, gate OF pearl
gate of heaYenl for our weary souls al
last swing open. Heaven is not dul
place, contracted place, a stupid place
81 saw the twelve gates, and they wcr,
twelve pearls"
In the second place ] want you to count
tho number Of those gates. imperia
parks and lofty manOrs are APT 70 h0v,
one expensive gateway, the others are or
binary; but look around az these en-
frances 10 heaven and count them
Twelve gatesl | admit this is rather hare
on sharp sectarians. Here is "a bigoteC
Presbyterian who brings his Westmn
ster assembly cateehlsm and he makes
UafaWaV ont of that and he save IN tht