Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-06-09
At the Beautiful
Gate
By REV. C. A. S. DWIGHT, Ph. d.
Toroaso. Can.

/ balen, having no means OF earning
livelihood. being quite friendless and
certainly forlorn-yet he was well
placed.
The situation at the door OF the
ising He could not walk in. but his
thoughts could enter: he might not
join In the praises OF the worshipping
hosts within. but he could catch some
thing OF the enthusiasm which bright
ened their faces as they came out.
While he was outside the circle of
inner. intimate communion he was
yet In the line of blessing and could
make daily proof OF the fact that II
was better to be a lame doorkeeper
\ in the house OF God than to dwell
luxuriously in the court OF riotious
Herod.
II is impossible to tell how pure
were the motives OF the lame man In
habitually frequenting the door step
OF the Lords house. He was certain
ly after money-but II all who are
after money In some shape were ex-
cluded from the sanctuary congrega-
l tons today would be much thinner
than in many communities they are.
/ To q degree the lame man needed
coin. and TO a certain extent every
man needs IL. but IL his thoughts and
desires had been wholly conferred up
on money IL is not likely that Peter
and John would ever have been at.
tracted to him. or been empowered
by the Lord to work In his case
miraculous cure. Let us suppose that
the lame man had some sincere inter.
est In the temple itself as well as in
the tolls which he COLLECTED from the
charitable. and that. while not indif
ferent TO the silver and the gold. he
cared most Of all for the spiritual mes
sage which such men as Peter and
John had 10 give.
II was a fine thing then that the
lame man got as far as the Beautiful
Gate. Rich or poor. men alike need
In their lives the beautifying touch
and hard prosaic lives need II most
Of all Even II the lame man could
not enter the temple recesses he could
{ s@NR W anu
beauty about him. and the CLEAN Of
that Corinthian bronze brought q
touch OF brightness into his life. The
geranium plant In the window OF the
city tenement. the tree struggling for
stunted growth In a city street, all
these are glimpses and giaddenings Of
the esthetic sense-the sense for
color. for proportion. for harmony,
which. often degraded to a goddess
art. are yet susceptible OF serving.
when purified and localized. the high.
est aims Of the moral nature. The
lame man was deformed in himself,
but be was transformed by his daily
look into the face Of the beautiful
above him
All men. however athletic or yiror.
Gus or full Of pride. are at some point
weak-are somewhere in their being
lame and impotent and in need OF
aims. or Of a spiritual uplift far bet.
ter than aims. There are beautiful
gates unto which We all alike need
to come. God has made. not one nor
two nor six. as In the temple OF old
but many such portals. IN different
parts Of the pilgrim country Of mortal
soiourn. opening into fair reaches os
truth and broad areas Of higher e..
perience.
There is first the Beautiful Gate Of
Faith !, the lame man had not In
some degree had faith he would mot
nave received from the miracle work.
ing apostles what was better thar
alms-new health and strength-snd
what was better than physical heaIth
and quickening-the recreatius a, M.
spiritual manhood. the renovation OF
his moral nature Without faith /. "a
impossible TO please God. or TO re,
anything worth while done. He who
would be successful in this life INNS,
De much At the Gate Of Faith.
There is secondly the Gate NJ p,,x.
err Prayer is faiths voice. Faith find.
It's expression through prayer. me
prsyeriess man is always essentially
weak and resourceless man. The
lame man was weak, but he knew how
10 use his voice in prayer. and 50 he
did not remain weak.
Tsere IS the Beautiful Gate n,
Hope. The soul that Is fun OF f.i,h
prayer and love is consequently and
naturally hopeful Hope paints life in
roseaie hues- and while II nav ha
unfoundsc In many cases. il a.,sr
az, when properly based and directed
one OF LIES chisfsst archi,ac,rr.i
forces The Christian man is by "a,
very tern and definition a nan ~
hope The Beautiful Gate OF Hone !.
Snere BE loves Oft 10 Be. and whseh
no e1ange the agurel ever enlz-rsz
AID becomes the more radiant. a. .a
gares apon II until finally /, xs~.x
fairly merged In the Vast exp.n.. :,
The City Celestial
There Is tie Beautiful Gate q. ro,s
Tie LAME nan appealed to tie L..
tn2' vas In Peter and John. ana a.
ros ian 20 receive q response -
Is the very atmosphere Of TIA. l,-S
Of delight Into which the Gate Ps,--
uiM opens When love do-nf,.-s.
ana perueates a human life hesve,
itself a. onee begins 10 Be reaIi,ss
on earth There Is Away. in love =.
innerert beauty. an irdescrihahI.
charm and just because IL Is so tha
devil tries hard TO disseminate IT,
spirr Of hate. Which tends To n-r
Gown and destroy all Gates Beep-i.
fCl everywhere.
Be sure TO be often at the Beaut,s,I
Gaie-not that which long ago fen
INTO ruin az Jeruszlen-hut IT,,
which. even for the loxliest and "a
NEST. crers its Invitation Of suiri-r.I
blessing. and promises a hone ara
healing both heavenly and forever