Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-01-14
ENTERING THE GATE.
DR.. TALMAGE TELLS HOW HEAVENS
PORTAL WILL OPEN.

While the BIgOt ana the
VIII Barely Squeeze Through.
WASHINGTON, Jan BIN 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 i, II, For so an entrance
shall be ministered 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 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
enrolment in heavenly citizenship. We
want to 1T III 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
he
tie Peter in the text addresses the peO-
pie, For so an entrance shall be ad-
miniStered unto you abundanty," he
implies that some will find admission
into heaven easy, rapturous and ac-
clama tory, while others will have to
squeeze through the gate of heaven, if
they get in at all. They will arrive
anxious and excited and apprehensive
and wondering whether it will be
Gomez or Cor 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
A Difficult Entrance.
Carrying out the suggestion of my
text, l propose to show you what class
es of Christians will get into heaven
with a hard push and those who will
bound in amid situations infinite. In
the first class 1 put that man who gets
into the kingdom of God at the close of
a 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 We're
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 re
penis 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 released
and immortal spirit ascends. Not one
wing bears down toward him with a
welcome. No sign of gladness at MS
arrival None there obligated to him
for kindness done or aims distributed
or spiritual help administered. He will
find some place to stay, but 1 dc 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 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 dy-
ing 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 I'M
til he was arrested for his crimes. He
repented and through great mercy
arose to paradise, but he was no exam
pie to follow. What a gigantic mean
ness to devote the wondrous equipment
of brain and nerve and muscle and
bone with which we are endowed,
these miracles of sight and hearing and
speech, to purposes unworthy OF pro-
fame and then, through hasty repent
ance at the last. enter heaven. Cheat
ing God all ones lifetime and then TAX
ing advantage of a bankrupt law and
made free of all liabilities. l should
think that some men would be asham-
ed to enter heaven.
Grace Saves the BigOt.
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 q good catechism, but
he uses them IS 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 shriyels
UP and shrivels 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 heaven will be something worth