Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-04-25

- fS"AAs hC kOfClAlACAu Va vi VI
gal boosted of having pearl larger
Than pear. Cleopatra and Philip III
dazzled the worlds vision with precious
stones. But gather all these together
and lift them, and to add to them al
the wealth of the pearl fisheries, and
} set them in the panel of one door, and
1t does not equal this magnificent
gateway. An almighty hand hewed
; this, swung this, polished this.
Against this gateway, on the one
side dash all the splendors of earthly
beauty Against this gate, on the
other side, beat the surges of eternal
glory. Oh, the gate, the gatel 1t
strikes an infinite charm through ev-
cry one that passes it. One step this
side OF the gate and we are paupers.
One step the other side Of the gate,
and we are kings. The pilgrim OF
earth going through seas in the one
Auge pearl all his earthly tears Ia
crystal. Ogate Of light, gate of pearl,
gate of Heaven, for our wear souls 1T
last spring open!
When shall these eyes thy heaven built walls
And pearly gates behold:
my oulwarks with salvation strong
And streets of shining gold?
Oh, Heaven is not dull placed
Heaven is not contracted place.
Heaven is not stupid place. II saw
twelve gates. and they were twelve
| pearls"
In the second place, want you to
count the number of those gates I'M
perial parks and lordly manors are apt
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 all
the Heavens. Twelve gates.
admit this is rather hard on sharp
sectarianisms. If Presbyterian is
bigoted, he brings his Westminster
assembly catechism, and he makes
gateway out of that, and he says to
the world, "You go through there or
stay out" If a member of the Re-
formed church is bigoted, he makes
gate out Of the Heidelberg catechism,
and he says, you go through there or
stay out" If a Methodist is bigoted,
he plants two posts, and he says,
Nov, you crowd in between these
two posts or stay out" Or perhaps an
Episcopalian may say, Here is
liturgy out of which mean to make
gate; 60 through it or stay out" Or
Baptist may say, Here is a water gate;
you go through that or you must stay
out" And SO in all our churches and
in all our denominations there are men
who make one gate for themselves
and then demand that the whole
world go through it. abhor this con-
tractedness in religious views. Oh,
small souled man, when did God give
you the contract for making gates? |
tell you plainly will not go in that
gate. will go in at any one of the
twelve gates choose. Here is man
who says: II can more easily and
more closely approach God through q
prayer book" | say: my brother,
then use the prayer book" Here is a
man who says: Il believe there is only
one mode of baptism, and that is inn
mersion.' Then say: "Let me plunge
you" Anyhow, say, away with the
gate of rough panel and rotten posts
and rusted latch when there are twelve |
gates, and they are twelve pearls.
The fact is that great many Of the
churches in this day are being doc.
trined to death. They have been try
ing to find ont all about Gods DEGREES,
and they want to know who are elect
ed to be saved and who are reprobated
to be damned, and they are keeping on
discussing that subject when there are
millions of souls who need to have the
truth put straight at them. They sit
the number of teeth in the
jawbone with which Samson slew the
They sit on the beach
and see vessel going to pieces in
the offing, and instead Of getting into
! boat and pulling away for the wreck
they sit discussing the different styles
If oarlock. God intended us to know
some things and intended us not to
xnow others. have heard scores of
explanatory of Gods DEGREES,
out came away more perplexed than
when l went. The only result of such
discussion is great fog. Here are two
truths which are to conquer the world
man, sinner; Christ, Saviour.
ANY man who adopts those two theor-
os in his religious belief shall have my
light hand in warm grip of Christian
brotherhood.
A man comes down to river in time I
4 freshet. He wants to get across.
lie has to swim. What does he do?
The first thing is to put off his heavy
apparel and drop everything he has in
lis hands He must 60 empty-handed
+ he is going to the other bank. And
tell you when we have come down to
he river Of death and find it swift and I
aging we will have to put of all our
ectarianism and lay down all our cum I
,rous creed and empty handed put out s
or the other shore. What" say you,
would you resolve all the Christian
hurch into one kind of church? Would S
GU make all Christendom worship in q
he same way, by the same forms9" .
III, no. You might as well decide that t
II people shall eat the same kind Of v
pod without reference to appetite or il
rear the same kind of apparel without t
eference to the shape of their body. S