Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-04-25

t"SiNc. IicaT III All tne earth ana all
the heavens. Twelve gates.
| admit this is rather hard on sharp
sectirilhlSms. If a Presbyterian is
biSotcd lie brings his Westminster as
scmbly catechism and he makes a
gateway out of that and he SAYS to
the world: You 90 through there OF
stay out. If u member of the Re
formed church is bigoted he makes Il
gateway out of the Heidelberg cate
cllism. and says: You 90 through
there or stay OUT If Methodist is
bigoted he plants two posts. and he
says: Now you crowd in between
those two posts or stay out" Or. per-
lmpS an Episcopalian may say: Here
is II liturgy out of which | mean to
make gateway; go through it or
stay out Or Baptist may say:
Here Is water gate: you go through
there or you must stay out" And so
in all our churches and in all our de-
nominations there are men who make
one gate for themselves and then de-
/ mand that the whole world 90 through
1t. abhor this contractcdneSS in re-
| ligiouS views. oh. small-soulcd man.
when did God give you the contract
for making gates: ] tell you plainly
] will not go in that gate. | will go
in nj any one of the twelve gates /
choose. Here is Il man who says: II
can more easily and more closely APP
preach God through Il prayer book. :"
say: My brother. then use the
\ prayer book Here is man who
I says: 81 believe there is only one
mode of baptism. and that is INNER
SION 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.
irincd to death. They have been try
ing To find ont all about Gods de.
crees. and they want To know who
are elected to he saved and who are
prohatrd To be damned. and they are
keeping discussing that subject when
there are millions of souls who need
to have the truth put straight at them.
They sit counting the number of teeth
in the jawbonc with which Samson
slew the PhilStnes. They sit on
the beach and sec a vessel goin. 10
pieces III tlit anu llls>ltitu Oh get
ting into boat and puliiu. away for
the wreck. they sit diso usSing the diff
fcrcnt kinds of oarlocks. God intend
ed us to know some things. and intend
cd us not to know others. | have
heard scores of sermons explanatory
OF Gods DEGREES. but came away more
perplcNed than when Went. The
only result of such II great discussion
is Il great fog. Here are two truths
which are to conquer the world: Man
Il sinner-ChriSt. a Savior. ANY MAI,
who adopts those two theories in his
religious belief shall have my ri@h,
hand in warm grip of Christian
brotherhood.
A man comes down to a river in
time of freShct. He wants 10 &c,
across. He has to swim. What does
he do? The first thing is to put off his
heavy apparel. and drop evprythin.
he has in his hands. He must go emp
ty handed if he is going to the Other
bank. And / tell you when we have
come down to the river of DEATH anG
find il swift and raging. we will have
TO put off our SectarianiSm and lay
down all our cumbrouS creed. and emp
~ handed put for the other shore
What. say YOU. would YOU resolv,
all the Christian church into one kind
of Church: Would YOU make all Chris
tendon worship i'll one way. by til,
same FORMS" oh. no. You might a.
we'll decide that all the people shall
eat the same kind of food without
reference To appetite. or Wear the Salnc
Kind of apparel without reference I,
the shape of their body. Your an
ceStry. your temperament. your sur
rOundngS. will decide whether YOU 60
to this or that church and adopu thi.
or that church creed. one church viii
best get one man to heaven. and aroth
err church another man. | do not care
which one of the gates YOU go through
If yon will only 70 through one of rht
twelve gates that Jesus lifted.
Well. now see all the redeemed ol
of earth coming up toward heaven
DO YOU think they will get in: Yes
Gate the first; the MoravianS com,
up: they believe in the Lord Jesus
they pass through. Gate the second
the Quakcrs come up; they have re-
ceived the inward light: they have
trusted in the Lord: they pass through
Gate the third; the Lutherans come up
they have the same grace that mad,
Luther what he was and they pass
through. cate the fourth: the E}ap
fists pass through. Gate the fifth: the
Free-will Eaptists pass through. Gate
the sixth the Reformed church passes
through. Gate the seventh the Con
gresationalists pass through. Gate
the eighth: the Episcopalians church
passes through. Gate the ninth: the
MetllodistS pass through; Gate the
tenth: the SabbatharilnS pass through
Gate the eleventh.: the Church of the
Disciples pass through. Gate the
twelfth: the Presbyterians pass
through. But there are a host of 9th.
err denominations who must come III
and great multitudes who CONNECTED
themselves with no visible church, but
felt the power of godliness in their
heart and showed it in their life
Where is their gate? Will You shut
all the remaining host out of the city
No. They must come in at our gate
Hosts of God if you cannot get admis.
sion through any other entrance. come
in at the twelfth gate. Now they min
gle befor the throne.
Looking up the one hundred and for
ty and four thousand. you can not tell