Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-01-18
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
HEAVEN AWAITS TRUE DISCI-
PIES OF CHRIST.
Tells What May Be Expected In tho
Next World by Those Who Faithfully
Serve God and Help Their Fellow Men
Reward OF Self Sacrifice.

Copyright. 1901. by Louis Klopsch. n. -
Washington, Jan. 13.-ln d very novel
way Dr.. Talmage 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, H. Peter j.. II: For so an en-
trance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly'
Different styles or welcome at the
gate of heaven are here suggested. We
all hope 10 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 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 will let us stay. But
when the last page Of the volume OF
our earthly life is ended We want en-
rollment in heavenly citizenship. We
want 10 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 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 a discord in the
eternal harmonies or lower the spirit
OF heavenly worship. When the apos
tie Peter in the text addresses people,
For so an entrance shall be admin
istered unto you abundantly." he i'm
plies that some will find admission into
heaven easy, rapturous and acclama
tory, while other will have to squeeze
through the gate of heaven. if they get
In al all. They will arrive anxious and
excited and apprehensive and wonder
Ing whether it will be Come" or
Go" The Bible speaks of such per-
sons as scarcely saved" and in an
other place as saved as by fire" and
In another place as escaped by the
skin of the teeth
The Mercy of Christ.
Sometimes in our pulpits we give a
wrong turn 10 the story of the dying
thief 10 whom Christ said. This day
shalt thou be with me in paradise" We
ought 10 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
mi hi
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 ex-
ample TO follow What a gigantic
meanness TO devote the wondrous
equipment of brain and nerve and mus
Gle and bone with which we are en-
lowed, these miracles OF sight and |
hearing and speech. to purposes I'M
worthy or profane. and then, through |
hasty repentance at the last. enter |
heaven. Cheating God all ones life
time and then taking advantage of a |
bankrupt law and made free of all liza |
bilities. l 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 not so ex- |
allied
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 celestial residence. He has his
creed in one pocket and his catechism
In another pocket. and it may be a good
creed and good catechism and 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 though apostolic succession or
be foreordained of eterniay, or you are
in an awful way. He shrivels I'D and
shrivels up and becomes more splene-
tic 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 something worth watch
ing. What do they want with him in
heaven, where they have all gone into
eternal catholicity. one grand commin-
Cling of Methodists and Baptists and
and Lutherans and Con-
gregationalists and Presbyter:ans and
a score OF other denominations lust as
good as any | have mentioned? They
all join in the halleluliah chorus, ac-
cOmpanied by harpers on their harps
and trumpeters on their trumpets,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive blessing and riches and
honor and glory and power,"
Necessity OF Denominations.
Denominations of Christians On earth
were necessary in order to better work
and to suit preferences-as an army
must be divided into regiments, vet
one army; as neighborhood must be
divided into families. though one neigh
borhOOd. But there is no need for such
divisions in heaven, and therefore all
belong TO one denomination of saint
hood. Christ said in one of his SER
mons that there would be laughter in
heaven. Blessed are We that weep
now. for We shall laugh" And what
could cause more merriDent among the
glorified than rehearsal OF the early
differences between Christians, differ
ences once seeming of such vast i'm
portance. but differences unknown amid
the heavenly wOrshipers? What will
De the bigot's amazement when he sees
CiA 10 hxrr 10 | 4