The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-12-12
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
ENTITLED AND The TWELVE GATES
WERE TWELVE PEARLS"
In Brilliant Language the Rev. DIR. J. w
Chapman Describes the Celestial City,
In which There IL Neither sickness
Nor Sorrow, Death Nor Crying.


bur Chapman, who has recently resigned
the pastOrate Of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church in this city in order 10 devote him
SELF 10 eyangelistlc work, has prepared the
following sermon for the press. II i enti.
tied And the Twelve Gates Were Twelve
Pearls" and was preached from the text
And had wall great and high, and had
twelve gates, and at the gates twelve an
gels, and names written thereon, which
are the names OF the twelve tribes Of the
children OF Israel" Revelation xxi: y.
When La Fayette last visited this cOun-
try the people gave him a royal reception.
A feet Of vessels went out 10 meet him,
the band played Hail to the Chic" and
the national music o. France, and IL IS told
that he was unmoyed.
As he came ashore land and water trem-
bled with tha power OF artillery. Old SOL
diers saluted him as they shouted his vel
come, and he was still unmoyed With
waving banners and under triumphal
arches he was taken 70 Castle Garden,
where most Of the great men OF the nation
were gathered together TO give him greet
ing, and he was still not moved. But when
he had taken his seat in the great amphi-
theatre, aud 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 20 filled with tender memories, the
home where his father and mother had
lived and died, II is said that the great
man was touched. and bowling his face IN
his hands he wept like a child. Ii could
only draw aside the veil which separates
the seen from the unseen. so that you
could behold that city which hath founda-
tions, there would be no need for me 70
preach, for in the very thought OF heaven
you would be almost overwhelmed ] have
read descriptions OF cities both In ancient
and modern times, but never such a de.
scription "a this; adorned like a bride for
her husband; a city in which there Is
neither sickness nor sorrow, death nor cry
ing; a 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-
tions, and in them the names Of the twelve
apostles OF the | amO. The angel that
made the revelation had a coldeA rod IN
his hand with which he was measuring the
city. and found that the length was equal
10 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.
1t ia 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
1t comes TO me like an inspiration that
one day | shall enter that city. Can you
say it? Your children are going in, your
parents are going IN, your husband IS going
IL. your wife IL going in; are you going in
1t is a great Joy to know that the things
that bring us the representations OF heaven
are 40 substantial. Some people tell IA
that heaven is a state, not a place What
then did Christ mean when He said, 81 20
10 prepare a place for YOU" and what
again when lie said. "In NY Fathers
house there are many mansions" What
Is the doctrine Of the resurrection? Is II
that only the spirits of men are raisedy
This Is not our teaching. There must be
some place for the resurTected body. When
Christ went out with His apostes 10 Beth
any and a cloud received Him out OF their
sight, He arose bodily from their presence.
II is certain, absolutely certain, that heav-
tn is place
Perhaps some may question, at first, the
meaning of the text. and yet | am very
sure if we only had the mind OF the Spirit
we would find in it much of beauty, sweet.
ness and power.
When the army Of Galerus sacked the
camp and routed the Pcrsians one Of tho
soldiers found bag of shining leather
filled with pearls. He preserved the bag
because of its brightness. aud threw away
the jewels, ignorant Of their almost price.
less value. In many cases passages OF
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?
1t is a place of overpowcring brightness
Everything that ever came from thence
tells us so. Chariots so bright that the
only thing to which they could be likencd
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 transhg
uration. The walls are like great Jewel
the streets of pure gold and every single
gate pearl. You know the brightness of
one little gem as lt sparkles on your
finger, but o! the wonderful thought that
every gate is a pearl, and the day viii come
when we may, 60, sweeping through the
gates If we will. God has done everything
that He could do, and orr entering In now
rests upon ourselves. But the brightness
cf heaven. aside from the presence OF
Christ. is not due to the gates, nor 10 the
walls nor TO the streets, but to the pres
ence Of those who have been redeemed.
| have been tod that the deeper the
water the larger the pearl. Whether that
be true or not | can not tell, but | know
that from the greatest depths God some
times takes His brightest Jewels IL Is no
cause for encouragement II you have been
great sinner. Paul was a prosecutor,
Bunyan a blasphemer. Newton a libertne,
and yet they shine to-day as the jewels OF
Christ.
Biologists tell us chat the diamond is
only crystallized carbon, charcoal Qlorlied.
This book tells us something better than
that. that though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool"
Heaven is 4 place of unutterable sweet
ness Can YOU imagine the number of lit
tie children there? Can any one describe
the sweetness OF a chld's song And
when YOU remember that your own little
one may be there What wonderful sing.
inc it Is as their lips are touched by the
finger of Christ, and their hearts are
thrilled with His presence.
60, 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 20 me. The doctor
had cut away the obstruction from his
eyes. and the bandages placed there were
removed one by one, until after little
they had all been taken off When he
openci his ewes in silent wonder as n a
new world had been opened 10 him, he be
held his mother, and vet he did not know
that it was she Finally he heard her IA
rniliar voice asking him. MY son, can you
seew He sprang into her arms. exclaim.
ing. 20, mother. is this heaven That .
the best definition. Heaven Il seeing eve
70 eve. knowing even a. We are known. II
49,. =. 80 nod which bntfpr than ~.