The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-25
WELCOME TO HEAVEN
AN ABUNDANT ENTRANCE AWAITsI
THE TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.

Dr.. Talmage Tells What May Be Exc
pccted In the Next World by Those
Who Faithfully Serve God and Help
Their Fellow Men.
WASHINGTON, Jan. BIN a very nov
ell way DIR. Talnage In this discourse de-
scribes what may be expected in the next
world by those who here bend all their
energies in the right direction; text, II
Peter j, IL, For so an entrance shall be
ministered unto you ab~undantly."
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 n mind wants
to 90 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 as God viii let
MS 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 ard
asked to show our passports. We do not
want the gatekeeper 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 q discord in the eternal harmonieS
or lower the spirit OF heavenly worship.
when the apostle Peter in the text ad-
dresses the people, "For so an entrance
shall be administered unto you abundant
ly," he implies that some will find adj
mission into heaven easy, %rapturous and
acclamatory, while others will have to
squeeze through the gate of heaven, Il
they get in at all. They will arrive anx-
ious and excited and apprehensive and
wondering whether it will be "Come!" or
"Go!" The Bible speaks of such per-
sons as scarcely saved" and in another
place as Saved as by fire." and in an
other place as escaped "by the skin of the
teeth"
Carrying out the suggestion of my text,
i 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 I put that man who gets into the
kingdom Of God at the close of q 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. He carries out his resolution.
He genuinely repents the last day or the
last Jour or the last minute of his life.
He takes the last seat in the last car of
the last train bound heavenward. His
released and immortal spirit ascends. Not
one wing bears down toward him with q
welcome. No sign of gladness at his ar
rival. None there obligated to him for
kindness hone or aims distributed or
spiritual 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
The Mercy of Christ.
Sometimes in -Our PUlpits we give a
wrong turn to the story Of the dying thief
TO whom Christ said. This day shalt
thou be with me 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. l think his pockets were
full of 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
to devote the wondrous equip
ment of brain and nerve and muscle and
bone with which we are endowed, these
miracles Of sight and hearing and speech,
TO purposes unworthy or p~rofane. and
then, through hasty repentance at the
last, enter heaven Cheating God all
ones lifetime and then taking advantage
OF q bankrupt law and made free of all
liabilities. / should think that some men
would be ashamed to enter heaven or
would prefer some medium place in the
wide universe where the palaces are not
so effulgent and the trees bear not more
than six instead Of twelve manner of
fruits and the social life IS hot so exalted.
: Again, the bigot will not have what my
text calls an abundant entrance. He has
his bedwarfed opinion as to what all
must believe and do in order to gain &C.
lestial residence. He has his creed in one
pocket and his catechiSm in another peck
ct, and it may be a good creed and a 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 cone to him through apostolic
succession or be fOrcordaiIed of eternity,
or you are in an awful 4 lie shriycls
up and shriveiS up and becomes more
splenetic until the time of his departure
is at hand. He has enough of the salt Of
grace to save him. but his entrance into
h~eaven~wiil be something worth watch
ing. What DO they want with him in
heaven, where they have all gone into
eternal catholieity, one grand commin-
Cling Of MethodiSts and Baptists and
Episcopaiians and Lntherans anu Cvn-i
gre~gationalists ana prpsbyterians and q
score of other denominations just as good
as any l have mentioned? They all join
in the halleluliah chorus, accompanied by
harpers on their harps aud trumpeters
on their trumpets, Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive blessing and
riches and honor and glory and power"
The bigot ascends with just enough
grace to save him. As he comes up to
the shining gate he sees standing inside
of IL some whom he used to meet every