Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-01-24
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Entering the Gate-Exu1tant Adj
mission Awaits Those Who Have Lived
For Others, While the Bigot and Pen
urious VIII Barely Squeeze Through.
copyright 1901. ]

[Copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In a very novel
way DR.. Talmage in his discourse describes
what may be expected in the next world
in the right direction; text, III Peter j.,
| IL, "For so an entrance shall be minis
| tered unto you abupdantly."
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 go
| now. The man who hurls himself out of
| this life is either an agnostic or is de-
| rnented. or finds life insufferab bic. and
| does not care where he lands. This is the
| best world we ever got into, and we want
| to stay here as long as God will let us stay
But when the last pare of the volume of
| our earthly life is ended we want enroll
ment 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 gate
| keeper in doubt as to whether we ought
to go 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 it is
safe to admit us, lest we be discord in
the eternal harmones or lower the spirit
| of heavenly worship. When the Apostle
| Peter in the text addresses the people.
''For so an entrance shall be administered
unto You abundantlv," he implies that
some will find admission into heaven easy,
ranturous and acclamatory, while others
will have to squeeze through the gate. of
heaven, if they get in at all. They will
arrive anxious and excited and apprehen
sive and wondering whether it will be
"Come!" or "Go" 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"
! Carrying out the suggestion of my text
| ] propose to show YOU what classes of
| Christians will Get into heaven with a
hard push and those who will bound in
amid salutations infinite. In the first
class l put that man who gets into the
kingdom of God at the close Of life all
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 exhausted, and
then. just before going out of this life
would seek God and prepare to enter
heaven. lie carries ont his resolution.
He 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 heavenward. His re-
leased and immortal spirit ascends. Not
one wing bears down toward him with a
welcome. No sign of pladness at his ar
rival None there obligated to him for
| kindness done or aims distributed or spir-
+ itual help administered. He will find 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 pulnits we give a
wrong turn to the story of the diving thief
to whom Christ said "This day shalt
| L f. w,
| to admire the mercy CT 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
| IF stolen coin and the coat he had 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
| to paradise, but he was no example TO
| follow. What a gigantic meanness to de
! vote the wondrous equipment OF brain and
nerve and muscle and bone with which we
| are endowned, these miracles of sight and
| hearing and speech, to purposes unworthy
or profane and then, through hastv re-
| pentance at the last enter heaven. Cheat
| ing God all ones lifetime and then taking
ADVANTAGE OF bankrupt law and made
| free OF all liabilities. / should think that
some men would be ashamed to enter
| heaven.
Again. the bgot will not have what my
! text calls an abundant entrance. He has
his bedwarfed opinion as to v. nat all must
! believe and do in order to gain celestial
residence He has his creed in one pocket
and his catechism in another pocket, and
it may be good creed and a good cate
chism. but he uses them as sharp swords
| against those who will not accept his the
cries 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 spenetic
until the time of his departure is at hand.
He has enough of the salt of grace to save
him, but his entrance into heaven will be
lomething worth watching. What do they
want with him in heaven, where they
have all gone into eternal catholcity, one
yrand commingling of Methodists and
Baptists and Episcopalians and Luthcrans
md Congregationalists and Presbyterians
ind score Of other denominations lust
rs good as any | have mentioned? They
I'll join in the halleluiah chorus, accompan-
ed by harpers on their harps and trump
.ters on their trumpets, Worthy is the
| Lamb that was slain to receive blessing
md riches and honor and glory and pow
| sr."
Denominations of Christians on earth
we're necessary in order to better work
and to suit preferences. as an army must
| be divided into regiments. yet one army
IS a neighborhood must be divided into
families. though one neighborhood. But
there is no need for such divisions in heav-
en-. and therefore all belong to one de-
nomination of sainthood. What will be
the bigot's amazement when he sees
seated side bv side on the banks of the
river of life Calvin and Arminius, Arch
bishop Cranmer and some dissenting
preacher of the gospel who never gradu.
ated. one who on earth was a robed and
surpliced ecclesastic, and a backwoods
minister who in the log cabin meeting
house preached in linen duster? Among
the great surprises of heaven for the blgot
will be the celestial friendliness of those
who on earth opposed each other in wrath
lest poemics He will get through the
gate, for he has 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 to educate
him into a glorious big heartedness.
| Again, the penurious Christian viii not
have an abundant entrance. Perhaps he
was not converted until all his habits OF
tight fstedness were fixed beyond reeov-
cry. The people who are generous were
taught to be generous in childhood. Iou
1 ~ II Al A. II. L.. l.