Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-01-18
ENTERING THE GATE.
Or. TALMAGE TELLS HOW HEAVENS
PORTAL WILL OPEN.
ESuitnnt Admission VIII Await
Those Who Have Lived Eor Others,
While the Bigot and the Penuricus
F, Will Barely Squeeze Through.

~
Those Who Have Lived Eor Others.
while the biSot and the Penuricus
VIII Barely Squeeze Through.
WASHINGTON. Jan 13.-In a very
novel way DR.. Talmage in his discourse
describes what may be expected in the
next WORLD by those who here bend all
their energies in the right direction;
text ii Peter |, IL, "For 50 an entrance
shall be miuistered unto you abundant
ly.''
Different styles OF welcome at the
gate of heaven are here suggested. We
all hope to enter that supernal capital
through the grace that is ready to
save even the chief of sinners, but not
now. No man healthy of body and
mind wants to so now. The man who
hurls himself out of this life is either
an agnostic or is demented or finds
life insufferable and does not care
where he lands. This is the best world
we ever got into, and we want TO stay
here as long rs GCd will let us stay.
But when the last page OF the volume
OF our earthly life is ended we want
enrolment in heavenly citizenship. We
want to get in easily. We do not want
to be challenged at the gate and asked
to show our passports. We do not
want the gatekeeper in doubt as to
whether we ought to 60 in at all. We
do not want to be kept in the portico
OF the temple until consultation is
made as to where we came from and
who we are and whether IL is safe to
admit u.s. lest we be a discord in the
eternal harmonies or lower the spirit
Of heavenly worship. When the Apos-
tie Peter in the text addresses the peo-
pic, For so an entrance shall be adj
ministered unto you abundantly," he
implies that some will find admission
into heaven easy. rapturous and ac-
clamatory, while others will have. to
squeeze through the gate of heaven. IL
they get in at all They will arrive
anxious and excited and apprehensive
and wondering whether ii will be
Gomez or "Gor' The Bible speaks
OF such persons as scarcely saved,
and in another place as saved as by
fire" and in another place as escaped
'by the skin of the teeth"
Difficult Entrance.
Carrying out the suggestion Of my
text, propose to show you what class
es OF Christians will get into heaven
with hard push and those who will
bound in amid salutations infinite. In
the first class 1 put that man who gets
Into the kingdom of God at the close of
life oil given to worldliness and sin.
Years ago he made the resolution that
he would serve himself and serve the
world until body, mind and soul were
fpd
out OF this life. would seek God and
prepare to enter heaven. He carries
out his resolution. He genuinely re-
penis the last day or the last hour or
the last minute of his life. lie takes
the last scat in the last car Of the last
train bound heavenward. His released
and immortal spirit ascends. Not one
wing bears down toward him with a
welcome. No sign OF gladness ut his
arrival. None there obligated TO him
Tor Kindness done or aims distributed
or spiritual help administered. He will
ind some place to stay, but do not
envy that man his heaven. He got in.
but it was not an abundant entrance.
Sometimes in our pulpits we give n
wrong turn 10 the story of the diving
thief to whom Christ said, ''This day
shalt thou he with me in paradise.~
We ought to admire the mercy of the
Christ that pardoned him I'm the last
hour, but do not let us admire the dy-
ing thief. When he was arrested. I
think his pockets were full OF stolen
coin, and the coat he had on his back
was not his own. He stole right on I'M
I'll he was arrested for his crimes. He
repcnted and through great mercy
arose TO paradise, but he was no exam
pie TO follow. What n gigantic mean
ness 20 devote the wondrous CONTINENT
OF brain and nerve and muscle and
bone with which we are endowed.
these miracles of sight and hearing and
speech, 10 purposes unworthy or pro-
fame and then, through hasty repent
ance ut the last, enter heaven. Cheat
ing God all ones lifetime and then TAX
Ing advantage OF bankrupt law and
made free OF all liabilities. / should
think that some men would be asham-
cd 10 enter heaven.
Grace Saves the nIgot.
Again. the bigot will not have what
my text calls an abundant entrance.
He has his bedwarfed opinion rs TO
what all must believe and do In order
To gain celestial residence. lie has his
creed I'm one pocket and his catechism
In another pocket, and Il may be n
good creed and good catechism. but
he uses them as sharp swords against
those who will not accept his theories.
You must be baptized In his way or
come TO him through apostolic success
sion or be foreordained OF eternity or
you are In an awful way. He shrivels
up and shrivels up and becomes more
splenetic until the time OF his departure
Is at hand. He has enough of the salt
or grace 10 save him. but his entrance
into heaven will be something worth
watching. What do they want with
him in heaven. where they have all
gone into eternal cathollcity, one grand !.
commingling of Methodists and Bap-
lists ana Episcopalans and Lutherans
and CongregatIonalists and Presby-
terians and n score OF other denomina-
tons just as good as any-l have men,
toned? They all join in the haIleluiah
chorus, accompanied by harpers on
their harps and trumpeters on their
tiumpets. Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain 10 receive blessing and riches
and honor and glory and power"
The bigot ascends with lust enough
grace to save him. AS he comes up to
the shining gate he sees standing in
side of IL some whom he used to meet
fvery Sunday morning on the street
going to some other church OF some
other denomination, and he cries out:
Are you there? / never expected TO
see you in such glorious place. You
were all wrong In your religious theo- |
RES on earth and in your form of |
church government. How did you get |
mr. Saved by grace" is the heaven |
~ reply, saved by grace" The bigot !
Is embarrassed and feels for his creed |
ana his catechism. and. 10, they were !
left on the banks of the river Jordan |
as ne passed through. and he cries out:
az thirIs L