Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-01-18

On that he would
lerve the world until
Soul were exhausted, and
BSre going out Of this life,
God and prepare to enter
Tile carries out his resolution.
llhiney repeats the last day or the
u hour or the last minute of his life.
lie 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
welcome No sign of gladness 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 pulpits we give a
wrong turn TO the story of the diving thief
to whom Christ said: "This day shalt
thou be with Me in paradise" We ought
to admire the mercy of the Christ that
hardened 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 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 hone with which we
are endowed, these miracles Of sight and
| hearing end speech to purposes unworthy
| or profane and then, through hastv re-
DE,S>nAat the last enter heaven. Cheat
na,s lifetimet and then taking
| ffy@, aniRt law and made
| heaven.
Again. tlA bigot will not have W.
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
II may be n 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
>tar-com to him through apostolic success.
sion or be- f6reogdained of eternity or You
are in An awful Nay He shrivels up and
shrivels up and becomes more splenetic
until The time of his departure is athand.
He has enough of the salt of grace to save
him, but his entrance into heaven will lie
something worth watching. What do they
want with him in heaven, where they
have all gone into eternal catholicity, one
grand commingling of Metbodists and
BaDtists and Episcopalians and Lutherans
and Congregationalists and Presbyterians
and score of other denominations Just
as good as any have mentioned? They
all Join in the halleuiah chorus, accompan-
led by harDers on their harps and trump
eters on their trumpets, ''Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive blessing
and riches and honor and glory and pow
en-"
Denominations of Christians on earth
were necessary in order to better work |
and to suit preferences, as an army must |
be divided into regiments, yet one army; |
as neighborhood lpslst be divided into
iiaais2es, though or@'i, a'ghbcrhood. But |
On, any therefor all 'elong one de-
the bigot's spazeiSen, when he W." sees |
seated side 10 side OF the banks VI the |
river of life celvin And Arninius, Arch.
bishop Cranmer seS4 some dissenting
preacher of the gospel who never gradu. |
ated; one who on earth wa robed and |
surpllced ecclesiastic, and a hackwoods |
minister who in the log cabin meeting |
mouse preached in linen duster? Anf,og |
the great surprises of heaven t n the bigot
VIII 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
ms heart, but there will not be an inch
OF room to spare on either side of him. IL |
WIZ not take long for heaven to educate
MN into a glorious BIZ heartedness.
Again, the penurio1s TSristian.-sxilll ..At
have an abundant ntronna pouLan. Te
Wy 99I SSSXer5& until all his habits of
were fixed beyond recov.
&e6ple who are generous were
ght to be generous in childhood. You
ten from the way that boy divides the
Ppe what his characteristics for gener-
klty or meanness will be for the next
Ihty years if he lives so long. If he cat
all himself while others look wistfullv
i, he will be Shylock. If he give hall
1T to some one who has no apple he
be an ordinarily generous man. If
Aglye three fourths of it to another, he
will be Baron Hirsch OF George Pea
body.
For thirty years TINS man has been prac-
icing an economy which prided itself on
Alsr passing pin without picking it up,
ne responded az. all in church
1T on the collection plate so insig-
HIoin that he held his hand over
one could discover the small
nomination. Somewhere in
les of his life, during a
he became a Christian.
lnoed in most rasDaofs
lg acquisitiYeness still
xtract from him gift
a churth or a poor
k,eer h,rnf o,,+ - IN | 4