The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-06-23
At the Beautiful
Gate
By REV. C. A. S. DWIGHT, Phi. D.
Toronto, Can.

women to the inner court. While the
other gates were overlaid with gold
and silver this portal, according to
Josephus, was made "of Corinthian
bronze, and much surpassed in worth
those enriched with silver and gold"
The lame man was perhaps one of the
most unfortunate individuals in Jeru-
salem, having no means of earning a
livelihood, being quite friendless and
certainly forlOrE-yet he was well
placed.
The situation at the door of the
temple was both pathetic and prom
Using. 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 it
was better to be a lame doorkeeper
in the house of God than to dwell
luXuriously in the court of a riotious
Herod.
1t 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 mCney-but if all who are
after money In some shape were ex-
cluded from the sanctuary congrega-
tons today would be much thinner
than in many communities they are
To a degree the lame man needed
coin, and TO a certain extent every
man needs it, but if his thoughts and
desires had been wholly centered up
on money 1t 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 a
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 to give.
1t 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 identifying touch
and hard prosaic lives need 1t most
of all. Even II the lame man could
not enter the temple recesses he could
look up and admire the architectural
beauty about him, and the CLEAN Of
that Corinthian bronze brought a
touch Of brightness into his life. The
geranium plant in the window of the
city tenement. the tree struggling for
stunted growth in city street, all
these are glimpses and gladdenings 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 idealized, the high.
est aims Of the moral nature. The
lame man was deformed in himself.
but he was transformed by his daily
look into the face of the beautiful
above him.
All men. however athletic or vigor-
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
sojourn, opening into fair reaches OF
truth and broad areas of higher ex.
perience
There is first the Beautiful Gate Of
Faith. If the lame man had not in
some degree had faith he would not
have received from the miracle work.
ing apostles what was better than
alms-new health and strength-and
what was better than physical health
and quickening-th recreating of his
spiritual manhood, the renovation Of
his moral nature Without faith II is
impossible to please God. or 70 get
anything worth while done. He who
would be successful in this life must
be much at the Gate of Faith.
There is secondly the Gate of Pray.
err Prayer is faiths voice. Faith finds
its expression through prayer. The
prayerless man is always essentially
weak and resourceless man. The
lame man was weak, but he knew how
to use his voice in prayer, and so he
did not remain weak
There is the Beautiful Gate of Love
The lame man appealed to the love
that was in Peter and John. and did
not fail to receive response. Love
is the very atmosphere of that land
of delight into which the Gate Beau.
tiful opens. When love dominates
and permeates a human life heaven
itself at once begins to be realized
on earth. There is always in love an
inherent beauty, an indescribable
charm, and just because it is so the
devil tries hard to disseminate the
spirit of hate, which tends to pull
down and destroy all Gates Beauti
full everywhere.
BE sure to be often at the Beautiful
Gate-nCt that which long ago fell