Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-12-11
"ThE PEARLLY GATES"
Sunday Sermon By Rev. J. Wilbur
Chapman.
Brilliant DESCRIPTION Of the Celestial City IN
Which There Is Neither Sickness or SOr.
row, Death nor Crying

New YORK CITY.--The Rev. DR., j. Will
bur Chapman, who has recently resigned
The passionate of the Fourth Presby terian
Church in this city in order to devote HIM
self to evangelistic work, has prepared the
following sermon for the press: 1t Is enti-
lied "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: II.
When La Fayette last visited this coun'
try the people gave him royal reception.
A fleet of vessels went out to meet nm;
the band played Hail to the Chief" and
the national music of France, and 1t Is told
that he was unmoved:
As he came ashore land and water trem-
bed with the power of artillery. Old sol
ders saluted him as they shouted his wei
come, and he was still unmoved. With
waving banners and under triumphM
arches he was taken to 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, and when the curtain was lifted
he saw before him perfect representation
of the place in France where he was born
|
home SO filled 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, SO that you
could behold that city which hath founda-
tions, there would be NJ, need Tor me TO
preach, for in the very thought OF heaven
you would be almost overwhelmed. L have
read descriptions of cities both in ancient
and modern times, but never such a de-
scription as this; adorned like bride for
her husband; city in which there Is
neither sickness nor sorrow, death nor cry
ing; 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 Lamb. The angel that
made the revelation had a golden rod in
his hand with which he was measuring the
city, and found that the length was equal
to 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 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.
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
! it. your wife is going in; are you going in!
1t 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 a state, not place. What
then did Christ mean when He said. II go
a,~I ,tak
again when He said, an NY Fathers
house there are many mansions" What
| Is the doctrine OF the resurrection? ls It
that only the spirits of men are raised:
| This is not our teaching. There must be
some place for the resurrected body. When
Christ went out with His apostes 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.
Pcrhap 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.
WHAT IS HEAVEN?
1t is place OF empowering brightness
| Everything that ever came IRON thence
| tells us so. Chariots SO bright that the
only thing to which they could be likened
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 transtg
ration. The walls are like great jewel
lie streets of pure gold and every single
tie pearl You know the brightness o!
,e little gem as it sparklcs on your
/ ger, but o! the wonderful thought that
cry gate is a pearl, and the day will come
zen we may 60 sweeping through the
,..tes if we will God has done everything
that He could do, and our entering III now
rests upon ourselves. But the brightness
Of heaven, aside from the presence OF
| Christ, is not due to the gates, nor to the
! walls, nor to the streets, but to the pres
ence of those who have been redeemed.
/ have been told 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 1t is nc
cause for encouragement If you have beer
great sinner. Paul was a prosecutor
Bunyan blasphemer, Newton a libertne,
and yet they shine to-day as the jewels o.
CHRIST.
Biologists tell us that the diamond is
only crystallized carbon, charcoal glorfcd
! This book tells us something better thar
! 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 a place of nutterable sweet
ness. Can you imagine the number of 1t
tie children there? Can any one describe
! the sweetness of child's song? And
when you remember that your own little
orc may be there! What wonderful sing
ing it is az their lips are touched by the
finger of Christ, and their hearts are
| thrilled with His presence,
90, the joys that are there mortal eye hath
o, the songs they sing there with hosan-
mas between,
o, the thrice blessed song OF the Lamb
and OF Moses,
0, the white tents of peace where the
rapt soul reposes,
o, the waters so still and the pastures so
green,
There, there they sing songs with hosan-
mas between"
The boy who ives blind makes the best
expression 1t heaven TO me. The doctor
eyes. and the Handages placed there were
removed one by one, until after little
| they had all been taken off When he
opened his eyes in silent wonder as if
new world had been opened TO him, he be.
he'd his mother, and yet he did not know
that it was she Finally he heard her fla.
miliar voice asking hn, my son, can you
see:' He sprang into her arms, exclaim.
ing, 90, mother Is this heaven" That is
the best definition. Heaven is seeing eye
| to eye, knowing even as we are known. II
there is one word which better than an.
other will describe heaven to me it is an