Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-11-02
Where the Walls Are of Gems.

the east. II the setting sun striking
IFS light upon its walls turned them
into n flaming mountain Of light, ana
as we approached those walls we
found them mass of precious stones
and the gates Of the city Of pearl, What
would we say? Why. we would ex-
claim: AT last we have reached
,itv where wealth does not consist In
gold and gems. for here they are OF no
more account than to be used for the
decoration of the walls. The treasures
Of this city must be spiritual, not ma
terial" 1t is so in heaven. There Goa
will give true treasure, and that IN III
finite abundance. In heaven the
wealth and the joy and the happiness
are so inexhaustibe that each lnhaD-
liant can have his fill and yet there Is
an ocean of joy left. Like a great
tidal wave. the love and the pardon OF
God have rolled through the Douie-
Yards of the celestial city and over
leaned the walls and left its spray as
glittering gems shining gladsoihe
welcome to all who approach the heaV-
enly capital
Rut there is another fact about those
walls of heaven you must not overlook
The length and the breadth ana the
height OF them are equal. What does
ST John mean when he says the
height is the same as the length ana
the width? Does he mean that the
walls are. as he says. 144 cubits hlgn
"A multiple of twelve? Oh, no. ms
apocalypse has figurative interpreta-
ton. 1t means that the walls OF heaV-
en- are so high that none of the mean
nesses or contemptibilities or evil
| thoughts or sins of earth can ever
overleap them. 1t means that the
walls of heaven are so high that when
! we once enter into heaven all the EVIL
/ desires of our lower natures snail
cease and we shall stand before Christ,
perfect as he is perfect, pure as he Is
pure, holy as he is holy. when you
mass through those gates of pearl you
will never again be tempted to be self
isb. never again be tempted to speak
a harsh word against your nighDors'
never again be tempted to do what you
ought not to do or to leave undone
those things which you ought to do.
Then all bitterness, all envy. all hate'
all evil desires. shall forever pass away
Speed that day, o most mercifui
Father when shall awake IN tiny
glory and my sinful nature shall be
cleansed and purified!
The Breadth of the Walls.
But the most blessed thing to me
about this text have not yet dwelt
unon. That is the breadth Of the walls.
We are not told but | think they are
very broad. When | talk about the
width of the walls, | think there Is a
hidden meaning. If some one shoulo
say. "Why are those walls thickT mosl
would answer, "To give them strength.
That is true. But do not believe tha'
Is the true meaning. Those walls )i
the ancient cities were used for the
most pleasurable Of purposes. UpoI
the tops of their city walls the ol'
Rabylonsh inhabitants used to drive
There the citizens of most OF the east
ern cities used to build many OF thel
, houses. Do you not remember nov
Rahab had her house built upon I'M
, ton of n city wall. where the Hebrew
, snies visited her? And there. upon tn
. hot summer evenings, the people uset
, 70 gather upon the city walls to catcl
, the cool breezes from the mountains
, I-non the city walls those WHIT wer
: expecting their friends to come to =
n them would assemble and watch th
4 approaching cavalcades. Thus' Whe
think of the broad walls of heaye
2 alvavs think of them as crowde
!. with our dear ones. There they arr
o watching ard waiting. Every llttl
n while methinks can hear some
?. them say. do you see him coming
n DO YOU see my boy? Do you see III
v brother? Do you see my husband {
l. wife or sister? 1t is surely time &c
a them to be coming along. on, we nav
+ waited for them so long! DO you thln
,. we are waiting in vain" on, IL
m broad walls of heaven! The crowde
8. walls of heaven! Oh, the multitude
Of dear ones who are today upon u
10 walls watching and waiting for o'
+ arrival. While the multitudes OF OF
- dear ones are watching for us FRO
50 the broad walls of heaven, every oi
oe of the twelve gates Of pearl is stan
IN ing wide open. When | used TO thil
az about these twelve gates of pearl,
n ways thought of the angelic waite
n. men. closing them at nightfall. But
81 John in his apocalypse declares the
5s is no darkness in heaven. He also a.
70 tinctly afirms, "The gates OF 1t sh'
90 not be shut at all, for there shall be
90 night there" What does this mea
ve why. it means that God. is keeping I
,,l nearly gates wide open for all to ent
who will. He is keeping those gat
49, omen now. Are we prepared to en'
Of them?
of ICopyright. 1907, by Louis Kiopsch J