Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-07-17
DR.. TALMAGES SERMON.
AN ISLAND VISION.


people focking from all the surrounding
country. Fully 1000 persons were present
and listened with rapt attention to the rever
end gentleman.
TEXTS: 81, John, was in the isle that Il
called Patmo5.-Rev. j., 8. "And the twelve
gates were twelve pearls REV. xxi, 21.
Sabbath finds us among the Thousand
Islands of the st. Lawrence" began the
preacher. 'Amid the enchantment of the
scenery some of us are like Paul when he
said:'Whether in the body or out of the body
cannot tell: Not having read the biologists
account of how this region was formed, !
may surmise that after tho st. Lawrence be-
gan its majestic roll these islands were
dropped into it out of the heavenly land
s.ape. Islands above u.s. islands below US,
islands all around us. l am reminded how
much the islands of the world have had to do
with sacred and pofane history. Elba,
from which Napoleon started for his
last struggle; and st. Helena, where
he ended it: island of Guernsey.
where the great soul of Victor Hugo chafed
in exile until republicanism in France drove
back despotism; Isle of Borneo, where
Adonlram Jud on stood, o flaming evangel
the island of Caprera, where Garibaldi
rested after the emancipation of Italy; island
OF Cypress. where Blrnabas preached island
OF Me.ita, on which Paul was shipwrecked,
and, last of all, but mightier than all and
Lnoio impressive Gnan all, Ine island Oh
1atmos, of which my text speaks and from
which st. john the exiled Ephesian Gospel
izer, saw the twelve pearline gates. If God
will help us we can, from these Thousand
Isles on this Sabt ath morning, see the same
glittering porta s.
Our subject speaks of great metropolis,
the existence of which many have doubted
There has been vast emigration into that
city, but no emigration from it, SO far as our
natural vision can descry. There is no such
city, says the undevout astronomer Il have
stood in high towers with mighty telescope
and have swept the heavens. and have
seen spots on the sun and caverns in the
moon, but no towers have ever risen on
my vision, no palaces, no temples, no
shining streets, NJ massive wall. There
is no such city, Even very good people
tell me that Heaven is not material organ
ISM, but grand spiritual fact, and that
the Bible descriptions of it are in all cases to
be taken flguratively. bring in reply to this
what Christ said, and He ought to know: I
go to prepare, not theory, not principle,
not sentiment, but Il go to prepare place
for you The resurrected body implies this
Ii my loot is to be reformed from the dust it
must have something to tread on. If my
hand is to be reconstructed it must have
something to handle. Ifmy eye, having gone
out in DEATH is to be rekindled, must have
something to gaze on. Your adverse
theory seems to imply that the resurrected
air, or to float amid the intangibles. You
may say: If there be material organisms,
then soul in heaven will be cramped and
hindered in its enjoyments; but l answer:
Did not Adam and Eve have plenty of room
in the garden of Eden? Although only o
few miles would have described the circum-
ference of that place. they had ample ROOM
And do you not suppose that God in the i'm
nensities can build place large enough to
give the whole race room, even though there
be material organisms9
HAs conquering army, marching on to
take city, comes at nightfall to the crest of
mountain from which in the midst of the
landscape they see tho castles they are to
capture, and rein in their war chargers and
halt and take good look before they pitch
their tents for the night; SO now, coming as
we do on this mountain top of prospect, I
command this 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 l want
you to examine the architecture of those
gates. Proprietors of large estates are very
apt to have an ornamented gateway. Some
times they spring an arch of masonry; the
posts of the gate flanked with lions in
statuary; the bronze gate representation of
INTERVIEWING foliage, bird-haunted, until the
hand of architectural genius drops exhausted
all its life frozen into the stone. Babylon
had hundred gates, SO had Thebes. Gates
all the old cities. Moslems have inscribed
upon their gateways inscriptions from the
Koran. There have been a great many fine
gateways, but Christset his hand to the work,
and for the upper city swung gate such as
no eyes ever gazed on untouched of inspira-
tion.. With the nail of his own cross he cut
into It's wonderful traceries stories of past sui.
fer1ng 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 un
from Ceylon banks and another piece from
the Persian Gulf and another from the island
OF MargaretGe; but one solid pearl picked uU
from the beach of everlasting light by heav.
emily hands, and hoisted and swung amid the
shouting of angels The glories of aabaster
vase and porphyry pillar fade out before this
gateway. It puts out the spark of feldspar
and Bohemian diamond. You know how one
little precious stone on your finger will fash
under the gaslight. But, oh, the brightness
when the great gate of heaven swings, struck
through and dripping with the light of eter.
nal MONDAY.
Julius Cesar paid 125, 900 crowns for one
IearL The government of Portugal boosted
of having pearl larger than pear. Cleo
patra and Philip IL dazzled the worlds
Vision with precious stones. But gather all
these together and lift them and add to them
all the wealth of the pearl fisheries and set
them IN the panel of one door and it does not
equal this magnificent gateway. An Al
mighty hand hewed this, strung this, polished
this. Against this gateway on the one side
dash ali the splendors of earthly beauty.
Against this gate on the other side beat
the surges Of eternal glory. Oh the
gatel the gatel It strikes an infinite charm
through every one that passes it. One step
this side of that gate and we are paupers,
One step the other side of that gate and 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, for our weary
souls at last swing open.
When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls
And pearly gates behold,
Thy bulwarks with salvation strong
And streets of shining golds
Il want you to count the number of thosp
gates. Imperial parks and lordly manors are
lpt to have one expensive gateway and the
others are ordinary; but look around at these
Entrances to heaven and count them. One.
two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight nine.
Ten, eleven, twelve Hear it all the earth and
Ill the heavensl Twelve gatesl admit this
IS rather hard on sharp sectarianisms. II a
Presbyterian is bigoted he brings his West
Minister Assembly cathechism and he makes
I gateway out Of that, and he says to