The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-12-24
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
ENTITLED land THE TWELVE GATES
WE'RE TWELVE PEARLS"

In Brilliant Language the Rev. DR.. J. W.
Chapman Describes the Celestial CITY,
In Which There 10 Mother Sickness
Nor Sorrow, Death Nor Crying.
NEW York CITY.-The Rev. DR.. j. Will.
bur CHAPMAN, who has recently resigned
the pastorate Of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church in this city in order to devote him.
self to evangelistic work, has prepared the
following sermon for the press: 1t is enti'
tied "And the Twelve Gates Were Twelve
Pearls" and was preached from the text;
"And had q wall great and high, and had
GELS, and names written thereon, which
are the names Of the twelve tribes OF the
children Of Israel" Revelation xxi: Il.
When La Fayette last visited this coun'
try the people gave him royal reception.
A feet of vessels went out to meet him:
the band played Hail to the Chief, and
the national music OF France, and 1t ID told
that he was unmoved.
As he came ashore land and water trcm-
bled with the power OF artillery. Old SOL
diers saluted him rs they shouted his wei
come, and he was still unmoved. With
waving banners and under trinmphal
arches he was taken to Castle Garden,
where most OF the great men OF the nation
inr. and he was still not moved. But when
he had taken his seat in the great amphi.
theatre, and when the curtain was lifted
he saw before him a perfect representation
of the place in France where he was born
and brought up, and when he saw the old
home so filed with tender memories, the
home where his father and mother had
lived and died, It is said that the great
man was touched. and bowling his face in
his hands he wept like child. If could
only draw aside the veil which separates
the seen from the unseen. 80 that you
could behold that city which bath founda-
tions, there wonld be no need for me to
preach, for in the very thought OF heaven
Won would be almost overwhelmed. have
read descriptions OF cities both in ancient
and modern times, hut never such q de-
scription as this; adorned like a bride for
her husband; q city in which there Is
neithe, sickness nor sorrow, death nor cry.
ing; q city OF walls and gates; on the east
three gates. on the west three gates. on
the south three gates, on the north three
gates, and the walls had twelve founda-
fions. and in them the names of the twelve
apostles of the I amb. The angel that
made the revelation had golden rod in
his hand with which he was measuring the
city. and found that the length was equal
40 the breadth, and that the wall was IA
cubits: that the building of the wall was
Of jasper; that the city was pure. gold, and
that the twelve gates were twelve pearls.
It Is said that they were wide open by day
there Is no night there. and in that city
there was no need of the sun, for the glory
Of the Lord did tighten it, and the Lamb
was the light thereof.
It comes to me like an inspiration that
one day I shall enter that city. Can you
say it, Your children are going in, your
parents are going in, your husband is going
It, yonr wife is going in; are you going in!
It Is a great joy to know that the things
that bring US the representations OF heaven
are so substantial. Some people tell us
that heaven is state, not place. What
then did Christ mean when He said. Il go
to prepare a place for you; and what
again when He Uaid. "Iu My Fathers
Is the doctrine OF the resurrection! Is It
that only the spirits of men are raisei?
This is not our teaching. There must be
some place for the resurrected body. When
Christ went out with His aDostles to Beth.
any and a cloud received Him out OF their
sight, He arose bodily from their presence.
It is certain, absolutely certain, that heav.
en- is place. =,
Perhaps some may question. at first, the
meaning Of the text. and yet l am very
sure il we only had the mind OF the Spirit
W. would find in it much Of beauty, sweet
ness and power.
camp and routed the Persians one OF the
soldiers found a bag OF shining leather
filed with pearls. He preserved the bag
because of it's brightness. and threw away
the Jewels, ignorant OF their almost price.
L. In
Scripture are treated in the same way.
There is something for Us all in the fact
that the twelve gates were twelve pearls.
WHAT Is HEAVEN?
It il o place Of overpowering brightness.
Everything chat ever came from thence
tells us 30. Cbariots SO bright that the
only thing to which they could be hkened
was FIRE. Angels with faces shining SO that
men must veil their eyes before them.
Moses and Elias so surrounded with glory
that the three disciples were overcome
with the vision on the mount of trans6g-
uration. The walls are like a great jewel,
the streets of pure gold and every single
gate pearl. You know the brightness OF
one little gem as It sparkles on your
finger. but D! the wonderful thought that
every gate is a pearl, and the day will come
when we may 60 sweeping through the
gates if we will. God has done everything
that He could do. and our entering in now
rests upon ourselves. But the brightness
Of heaven, aside from the presence OF
Christ, il not due to the gates, nor to the
walls, nor to the streets. but to the pres.
I have been told that the deeper the
water the larger the pearl. Whether that
be true or not can not tell, but know
thai from the greatest depths God some
times takes His brightest jewels, 1t is no
cause for discouragement If you have been
a Rreat sinner. Paul was a prosecutor,
Bunyan blasphemer, Newton libertine.
and yet they shine to-day as the jewels OF
Christ.
Geologists tell us that the diamond is
only crystallized carbon, charcoal glorifed.
This book tells US something better than
that, that though your sins be as scarlet.
they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool"
Heaven is q place OF unutterable sweet.
ness. Can you imagine the number Of lit.
tie children there? Can any one describe
the sweetness Of a child's song? And
when YOU remember that your own little
one may be there! What wonderful! sing
ing it is as their lips are touched by the
finger of Christ. and their hearts are
thrilled with His prese-re.
20, the joys that are there mortal eye hath
not seen,
o, the songs they sing there with hosan-
mas between,
o, the thrice blessed song OF the Lamb
and OF Moses,
o, the white tents OF peace where the
rapt soll reposes,
o, the waters so still and the pastures so
green,
There. there they sing songs with hosan-
mas between!"
The boy who was blind makes the best
expression of heaven to me. The doctor
had cut away the obstruction from his