The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-12-11
I assei the Christian waiting his release,
A halo 'rolrd him, low he answered,
Peace

ASKED the Christian waiting his release.
4 halo 'rolnd him, low he answered,
Peace.
So all may look with hopeful eyes above.
'Tis beauty. glory, JOY, res. peace and
A CITY OF GATES.
There is something significant H. the t
that heaven is city OF gates. The Idea
must be that there is some special way to
get in We can not live just as we please
and at the last enter heaven: we might if
it were not enclosed. The Bible tells us
that we may come in from the north, the
south. the east and west, but we are
obliged to pass through the gates, and it is
not always easy. Straight is the gate and
narrow is the way" one might be liable to
miss it, Strive to enter in" says the
Bible: so one must be very earnest. Christ
said. 81 am the way. the truth. the life
81 am the door and again; No man COM
eth unto the Father but by Me Some
people think that God is so merciful that
after awhile they may stand in His pres
ence, but He is just as well as mercliul.
and He has provided the way by which
every one must enter heaven. 1t j. through
the gate Reformation will not do mora.
ity can not answer; it is giving ND yourself
to Him. putting Your hand in His and let
ting Him lead yol all the journey OF lie.
until YOU pass through the gates. 4
child dying said 10 his father. 4
would 60 with me-" ''Hut" he said, little
one. she can't 60" Tncr the child sad.
Il want you TO GO and he said. my dar;
ling | can't 90" Then wien the child
had prayed to Him who had nrom'sed to
walk through the valley o. tn" shadow.
after a little while he said. II am not
AFRAID now foc Christ has said that lie
will he with me. aud lie will. ~ Lit mp
your heads. OH We gates. lift them Gp. Tor
the time is coming when with Jesus We
shall pass through.
GATES OF PEARL.
I am sure that there is some meaning in
the fact that the gates are OF pearl. Do
YOU know the history OF pearls: Hu"naniy
speaking it is history OF SUFFERING. When
discovered it is at the risk of the pearl
fishers life. 1t is said that pearls are
formed by the intrusion Of some foreign
substance between the mantel OF the mol
lusk and its she'll This is source of irri-
tation. suffering and pain. and substance
is thrown around about that which Is in
truded to prevent suffering and thus the
pearl is formed. D, YOU begin to see the
significance of the fact that the gates are
Of pearl. and not of sod? There was
time when there was no entrance into
heaven for us: sin had closed it: man had
grievousiy sinred he had broken every
law of God. AID there was no hope Tor him
at all Then ii was that the Babe was cra-
died in the manger. became youth. grew.
to manhood endured thirtv-three years of
suffering. eliminating in the agony upon
Calvary. when in the tremendous tension
His heart broke. Then it was He died.
the just for the unjust. the innocent for
the guilty: then it was that He arose from
the dead. went out unto Bethany. assembled
into heavc" to swing wide open the gates.
And thus j; Is they are omen to-day. and
one never hears of the gates of pearl but
he must realize in some measure what SAL
vation cost not so much to You and to me.
but Ia INSTRUMENTATION. sorrow. suffer
ing death. and do yor realize that every
one vino refuses allegiance to Him is ar
raved acairst Him. for Hc said "for are
either for Ne or against Ne. there is no
middle ground?"
TWELVE GATES.
How full the word of God is, In its
teaching beauty and sweetness come from
it with every touch. 1t is rock; You
can not touch it but the water of life will
come forth. 1t is a flower: You can not
come near it without being blessed by its
fragrance. There is something to me even
in the number of heavens gates. The
twelve gates were twelve pearls, three on
every side, and the city lieth four square.
Is this not an indication that God has
made abundant provision for our entrance
into the city above? 1t is man who has
narrowed down the way. The Bible lnvi:
tation is, "Whosoever will. let him come"
The provision is abundant No one can
stand at the Judgment and say anything |
but this, Lord, ! might have entered. but
[ would not" Twelve gates. and if you
are not in it. it is Your fault alone. God |
has done all that He coaid do. The Trim. !
ity has been exhausted almost, on sinful |
world and He will do no more: it is for us !
ourselves to choose to enter in, it Is very !
easy to be saved.
In one OF the schools o; great city by
the falling Of trarsom cry OF fire was |
and the teachers as wei. In rushing from |.
the building many were injured; some |
were killed. When it was found that the |
alarm was false, returning to her room one .
of the teachers found sitting at her desk .
young girl who had not stirred. Wien |
asked the reason for her braveness. she
said. My father is a fireman. and he tod
me il ever there was an alarm of fire IN
the building just to,sit still where / was
ana ne WOulQ save me. NV IalHer is iTe- :
man and he knows, and | just trusted /.
him." That confidence in Jesus Christ
would bring salvation.
Said man in Glasgow to distinguished
evangelist, Il am verv anxious to be
saved: what must ] do!' The evangelist
quoted many passages OF Scripture to him,
among them John iii. 10: For God so
loved the world that He gave His only be-
gotten Son that whosoever believeth in
Him." and when he had gone this far the
man stopped him. saying. But l do be-
lieve." Then the evangelist quoted the
sixth chapter of John and the forty-sev-
enth verse, Christ's own words: Verify,
verify. I say unto you, he that believeth
on Me hath everlasting life" The man
saw it in a moment and cried out rejoic-
ing, ~ have got it, have got it." That
kind of acceptance of God brings everlast-
ing life. Twelve gates. and every gate
pearl. and every gate exactly alike, so al
ter all there Is only one way.
THE GATES ARE OPEN.
I am so glad that the gates arc open to-
day. We read that they shall not be shut
at all by day. and as there is no night
there the conclusion is that they are open