The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-01-18
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE 5YTHE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Entering the Gate-Exultant Ad-
mission Awaits Those Who Have Lived
For Others, while the Bigot and Pen
urious VIII Barely squeeze Through.

way Dr. Talmage IN his discourse describes
what NAV be expected IN the next world
By those who here head all their energies
in the right direction; text, ii Peter j.
II, For so an entrance shall be minis.
tered unto you ahundantly'
Different styles OF welcome ~ the gate
Of heaven are here suggested We al
hope 10 enter that supernal capital through
the grace that j. ready % save even the
chief OF sinners. hut not now. No man
healthy OF body and mind wants TO 60
now. The man who hUr,s himself out of
this life Is either an agnostic or is de-
mented. or finds lfa insufferable. and
does not care where he lands. This is the
best world we ever GOT into, and we want
20 stav here as long a. God will let us stay.
But when the last pace Of the volume of
our earthly life Is ended we want enroll
ment in heavenly citizenship. We want
20 get in easilv. We do. not want 70 be
challenged az the gate and asked 10 show
our passports We do not want the gate
keener in doubt as 10 whether we ought
20 20 in AZ all. We DO not want 20 be
kept in the portico Of the temple until
consultation is made as 20 where we came
fKAL and who we are and whether IL is
safe 20 admit MS. lest we be a discord in
the eternal harmonles or lower the spirit
ot heavenly worship. When the Apostle
Peter IN the text addresses the people
unto Won abundautlv' he iMplies that
some will find admission into heaven easy.
rapturous and aCclamatory, while Others
Will have 10 squeeze through the gate Of
heaven. If they get ia AZ all. They viii
arrive anxious and excited and apprehen-
sive and wondering whether il viii be
Come" or "Go" The Bible sueaks Of
such persons as scarcely saved and ia
another place as Saved as hy fire. and i'm
another place as escaped by the skin Of
the teeth"
Carrying out the suggestion Of nv text.
] propose 10 show YOU what classes Of
Christians will get into heaven with
hard push and those who will bound in
amid salutations infinite In the first
class | put that man who gets into the
kingdom of God az the close of life all
given 10 worldline~S and sin. Years ago
he made the resolution that he would
serve himself and serve the world until
body, mind and soul were exhausted. and
then. Just before going out of this life
would seek God and prepare 70 enter
heaven. He carries ont his resolution.
lie genuinely repents the last day or the
last hour or the last minute of his life.
He takes the last seat IN the last car of
the last train bound heavenwaTd. His re-
leased and immortal spirit asccnds. Not
one wing bears down toward him with a
welcome. No sign Of Cladness at his ar
rival None there obligated 10 him for
Kindness done or aims distributed or splr-
itual help administered. lie will find some
place 70 stay, but ! DO not envy that man
his heaven. He got in, but 1t was not an
abundant entrance.
Sometimes In our pulplts we give
wrong turn 60 the story Of the diving thief
TO whom Christ said: This day shalt
thou be with Ne in paradise We ought
TO admire the mercy Of the Christ that
pardoned him in the last hour but do not
let us admire the dying thief When he
was arrested | think his pockets were full
of stolen coin and the coat he mad on his
back was not his own He stole right on
until he was arrested for his crimes. He
repented, and through great mercy arose
10 paradise, but he was no example TO
follow What a gigantic meanness 10 de-
vote the wondrous equipment Cf brain and
nerve and muscle and hone with which we
are endowncd, these miracles of sight and
hearing and speech. 20 purposes unworthy
or profane and then, through hastv re
pentance al the last enter heaven. Cheat
ing God all ones lifetime and then taking
advantage of a bankrupt law and made
free of all liabilities ! should think that
some men would be ashamed 10 enter
heaven
Again. the bigot viii not have what my
text calls an abundant entrance. He has
his bedwartCd opinion as 20 what all must
believe and do IN order to gam celestial
residence. lie has his creed in one pocket
and his catcchlsm IN another pocket, and
It may be a good creed and a good cate
chlsm, but he uses them as sharp swords !
against those who VIII rot accept his the |
orles You must be baptized in his way
or come TO him through apostolic success !
sion or be tOrcOrdaIned Of eternity or YOU !
are IN an awful way. lie shrivels up and /
81 .fIIa a ID,
until the time OF his departure j. at hand. /
lie has enough OF the salt OF grace to save |
him, but his entrance into heaven viii be |
something worth watching. What do they /
want with him in heaven. where they |
have all gone into eternal cathohcIty, one /
grand commluging OF MethodiSts and |
Baptlsts and EplscoUaiaus and Lutherau- /
and Congregationa!IsJs and Presbyteriau- |
and a score OF other denominations just |
as good as any ! have mentioned? They T.
all JOIN IN the haiIe.ulah chorus, aCCOmpln-
led 10y ha-pers on their harps and trump .
eters on their trumpet> Worthy Is the |
Lamb that was slain TO receive blessing
and riches and honor and glory aud pow
Cr.
Denominations Of Christians on earth
were necessary IN order TO better work
and 20 SUIT preferences, as an army must |
be divided INTO regiments. yet one army, /
as neighborhood must be divided into
families, though one neIgkoorhOod. But
there Is 10 need for such divisions IN heay
en-, and therefore all belong TO one de-
nomination OF santheod What viii be
the bigot's amalement when he sees
seated side by side on the banks of the
river Of life Calvin and Arminius, Arch
bishop Craumer and some dissenting
preacher OF the gospel who never gradu-
ated, one who on earth was a robcd and
surphced ecclcsIastlC, and a bacswOods
minister who IN the log cabin meeting
house preached IN a linen dustert Among
the great surprises Of heaven for the bigot
will be the celestial friendiiness of those
who on earth opposed each other IN wrath
lest poiemics lie will get through the
gate. for he has a spark Of divine grace In
his heart, but there Will not be an inch
Of room to spare on either side of him 1t
will not take long for heaven 20 educate
him into a glorious big heartedness
Again. the penurIout Christian will not
have an abundant entrance Perhaps he
was not converted until al his habits of
tight hstedness were fixed beyond recov-
cry. The people who are generous were
taught 20 be generous IN childhood. You
Fan tel from the way that boy divides the
apple what hls characteristics for gener-
Osity or mcanncss VIII Uc Tor the next
eighty years u he lives so long II he eat
t al himself while others look wistfuiy /
on. be viii be a Shyiock II he give half
Df II 10 some one who has no apple be
will be an ordinarily generous man. II
he give threeiouIths ot % % another be !
wall be a Baron Hirsch or a George Pea
bod,
For thirty years tuls man has been prac
Icing an economy which pTIdei itsef on /
never passing pin without picking it up
Ind % be responded az an .n church /
would put on the collection plate so Insg |