Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-04-25
GATES OF HEAVEN.
EARTHLY GLORIEs FADE BEFORE
THEIR BEAUTIES.
Composed of Solid Pearl Picked Up
From the Beach of Everlasting
Light by Heavenly IInnds md
Swung Amid the Shouting of
Aui.IIx

MSht 10y heaScnIS hunuS NHu
Swung Amid the Shouting of
Angels.
New York, Special. - The bright
spring weather has brought still larger
crowds to the Sunday afternoon serv-
ices conducted by Rev. DR.. Talmmse.
He took for his subject to-day: "Thc
Gates of Heaven" the text being Rev.
xxi. IL. "On the east three gates: on
the north three gates: on the south
three gates: on the west three gates.
The Cashmere Gate of Delhi, where
convergcd a hcroism that makes ones
nerves tingle: the Lucknow Gate. still
dentcd and SCARED with Sepoy bonn
bardmcnt: the Madeline Gate. with
its cnblaZonry in bronze; the hundred
gates of centuries. all go out of sight
before The gates of my text.
Our subject speaks of great me-
tropolis. the existence of which many
have doubted. Standing OH the wharf
and looking off upon tile harbor. and
seeing the merchantmen coming up
the bay. the flags of foreign nations
Immediately make up your mind that
those vessels come from foreign ports.
and YOU soy: "frhnt is from Ham
burg. and that is from Marsrillrs. and
that is from Southampton. and that is
from Havana" and your superstition
is accurate. But from the city of
which am now speaking no weather.
beaten merchantmen or frigates with
Scared bulkhcad have ever come.
There has been IL vast emigration into
that city. hut no emigration from it
so far as our natural vision can deS-
cry. There is no such city. says the
nndcvout astronomer. II have stood
in high towers With Il mighty tele-
scope. and have swept the heavens.
and have seen spots on the sun and
c;lvcrns in the moon: but no towers
have ever risen on my vision. no pal
aces no temples. no shining streets.
no massive wall. There is no such
city Even very good people tell ne
that heaven is not Il material organ
ism. but a grand spiritual fact. and
that The Bible descriptions of it are
in all eases to be taken tiguratively.
] bring in reply to this what Christ
prepare Il place for YOU" The reSur-
rectcd body implies this. III my foot
is to be reformed from the dust, it
must have something to tread on. If
my hand is to be reconstructed, it
must have Somethin to handle. If
my eye. having gone. out in death. is
to be rckindled. | must have some
thing to gaze on. Your adverse theory
seems to imply that the resurrected
body is to be hung on nothing. or to
walk in air. or to float amid the in
tangiblcs. You may say if there be
material organism then 81 soul in
heaven will be crlmped and hindered
in its enjoymentS: but | answer: Did
not Adam and Eve have plenty of
room in the garden of Eden? Al
though only Il few miles would have
described the circumference of that
place. they had ample room. And do
YOU not suppose that God. i'll the i'm
mensities. can build place large
enough to give the whole race room.
even though there be material organ
iSlne;
AS 81 Swiss guide puts his alpcnslock
between the glaciers and crosses over
from crng to crag. so IlerS,hel planted
his telescope between the worlds and
slidcd from star to star until he could
announce to us that we live in Il part
of the universe but sparsely Strewn
with worlds: and he peers out into
immensely until he finds Il region no
larger than our solar system in which
there are 10000 worlds moving. And
Prof Lang says that. by Il plilosoph-
tt..l 1,.,
where 81 world where there is no dark
ness. but everlasting sunshine: so that
l do not know but that it is simply
because we have no telescope power
full enough that we cannot see into
the land where there is no darkness
at all. and catch Il glimpse of the bur
nished pinnacles. AS a conQuering
army marching on to take city,
comes ut nightfull to the crest OF a
mountain from which, in the midst of
the landscape. they see the castles
they are to capture. and rein in their
war chargers and halt to take a good
look before they pitch their tents for
the night: so now, coming as we do on
this mountain top of prospect. l com
mand this regiment of God to rein in
their thoughts and halt. and before
they pitch their tents for the night
take one good look at the gates of
the great city. "On the east three
gates: on the north three gates; on
the south three gates: and on the west
three gates.'
In the first place ] want You to en-
anime the architecture of those gates.
There have been a great many fine
gateways. but Christ sets his hand to
the work and for the upper city swung
gate such rs no eye ever gazed on.
untouched wiz. inspiration. With the
nail of his own cross he cut into it's
wonderful traceries stories of past
suffering 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. it is all of pearl.
Not one piece picked up from Ceylon
banks and another piece from the Per-
sian gulf. and another from the island
of Marguerite; but one solid pearls
picked up from the beach of everlast-
ing light by heavenly hands and hoist
ed and vung amid the shouting Of
angels. The glories of alabaster vase
md uornhvrv Dill0r fade ont hafora