The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-12
their gates, or stay out of heaven.

their gates, or stay out Of heaven.
Let me help you to step in some of
the gates through which we may enter
heaven. I should say to you, some of the
Christ-gates, for II Is OF Him l wish to
speak. He said to His disciples: II am
the way" He said again: II am the
door. by Me, II any man enter in, he shall
be saved. Now let your thought travel
on to the vision Of the text to the many
open doors. and the lesson may be APP
piled to the ampleness of the entrance
to heaven through Christ. lie is not
alone the one way, but file Is all ways.
Ask n score OF people in this audience
what Christ Is to them, and their an
swers will be as varied as would he
their description of summer sunset
To some heart He is a tender friend
to another he has come as a healer of a
broken heart-to another He is a deliverer
from sin. In short we look upon Christ
through the necessities of our life. AS
one who forgives, as one who heals, as
one who comforts, as one who brings
joy-this is your open gateway-enter in
end be ye saved.
THE GATEWAYS TO HEAVEN.
There are twelve gates to the eternal
city-three gates on a side. Hardly man
of us will have the same experience that
has been the lot of some other man.
There is only one name given under
heaven whereby we must be saved--mark
you, IL does not say only one way. Christ
is the way, and his gateways are as
many as the needs of the race.
l want to declare to you men and wo-
men that the door is right before your
face-believe and enter in. The gates of
heaven are so many and they are on so
many sides, and so many on a side,
that you don't have to go away round
the city to get in-you don't have to
come in through some other mans ex-
perience-you don't have to be struck
down as Saul was struck down by the
red lightnings of God. You feel q need
of Christ, that is your open gate. You
want to lead better life. that is your
open gate. You are sorry for sin, that
is your open gate. You are tired of the
useless sort of life you have been living,
that Is your open gate.
The lesson is plain. Whatever may be
your ideas of Christ, however you may
conceive him-begin right there to thread
your way in and at last the glorious sun
of Righteousness will burst in upon your
souls
When 1 ask you to accept the Lord
Jesus as your only Saviour does 1t seem
to you a wrong thing? Is 1t a thing
that your conscience would dsapprove?
Is 1t a matter that would merit the dis
pleasure of your intelligence? / think no
one of you would ever answer in the af-
firmative. Your very unbelief Is an open
gateway-the very fact that you believe
as l have indicated and are still out
of the kingdom, that makes an open door
way right before you. Look straight be-
fore you and at the end of your vision
is the city with twelve open gates. De-
termine here and now that you will fol-
low Christ in what He asked you to be
and do that for you Is the open gate.
First we have seen that heavens gates
are open; second, we have studied the
accessibility of heaven through Christ the
many opened gateway. Let me take
your thought on to the last conSidera-
tion.
Who may enter?
If / leave no other thought with you
this hour, let me impress you with the
fact that the teaching here set forth is
not my own. 1t is not for any man to
say who shall go in through the gates
| into the city. Christ said it. Christ had
been on this earth. he had suffered death
| at the hands of the mocking generation
| whom He came to serve-he had come
| forth victor from the darkness of the
grave, He had climbed the heavenly
| sleeps and He is the speaker in the vision
| before John.
GATES ARE ALWAYS OPEN.
"And there shall in no wise enter into
| 1t anything that defileth." These gates
| are open-always open-heaven Is not
| er enters-the description of the city is
that it had wall great and high, and
| had twelve gates, and at the gates
| twelve angels"
The hands of those angels will be lifted
| against the soul unclad of the wedding
| garment-He who gave the wedding gar
| ment-He who will give the wedding gar
ment this night, reigns within. but there
| are no wedding garments inside-they
| are all outside the gates.
There are men down here who dis
| grace the sanctity of home, the sacred
| ness Of every high altar of worship is
| to them nothing more than the common
| refuse of the street-men who trample
| in the dust all laws of God and man, and
| then bewail because there are no more
| statutes to break. Such men would dc
| violence to the city of eternal righteous.
| ness-the gates therefore open always tc
all who have right to enter, are guard
ed against the football of the intruder
and the unclean.
| No man of us, no woman of us need
ask here this hour, will they recognize
| me at the gates? You can tell right
here and now. Are you clean? Is YOU
soul pure? Have you been washed In
the blood of the Lamb? 1t will moi
| avail when you stand by the gates tc
plead, l was generous while on earth
gave to the poor. 1 helped to endow col
| leges. 1 aided in the support of the
church. 1t will not avail you that mer
| thought well of you and courted YOU
favor. 1t will not avail you that yol
were so moral down here that you passed
| as a brother-iu-law to the church. No
No! None of these things win let yo,
| through. But are you clean? "Thert
shall in no wise enter anything that i.
| unclean."
You want to go in through the gates
Is not that the hope of you all? On'
| thing alone will hinder eI-uncleanness, Yol
have had friends who have gone OF
before you, they were ready, the ange! a
the gate said to them a glad good morn
ing, and the flashing glory of the pearl.
struck new beauty on the face yol
loved here. "And the twelve gates wer,
| twelve Dearls-and the patas ~ tho cit,