Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-22
INSPIRES 400 TO
COME FORWARD
BEAUTIFUL SERMON "HOW TO GO
TO HEAVEN" BRINGS MANY
TO REPENTANCE.
[BY GORDON LATHROP.1

Des Moines, Dec. 19.-Billy Sunday s
. beautiful sermon How to go to
heaven" inspired $50 persons to make
a public declaration of their acceptance
of Christ; to take the initial step in
the course that would lead them safe
ly through this life's perp1exing high
ways and byways and ultimately bring
them to their mansion in the sky"
from the window of which God will
take down the For Rent sign" as Bill
expressed it.
Sunday has sermon that has not
been heard in Des Moines called, How
to go to HE'LL Assuming that he will
stick as closely to his text in this SER
mon as he did in the sermon concern
ing the opposite of hell this specula-
ton is not out of place:
If Bill, by dipping his most delicate
brush into his most roseate tints can
paint a picture of heaven that will
charm 450 hard headed Des Moines cit
liens into taking an option on the
above mentioned mansion, how many
of the same kind of citizens will be
most efficient artist of rough and ready
scared into like activity when that
pigments cuts the fiery back ground Of
his conception of Hell as it is" with
the last bold, black stroke and holds
tho finished product up before the
startling eyes of the fascinated throng
It is wonder.
It was wonderful picture of heaven
that Sunday painted; more than,
worthy the demonstration of It's force
in the number Of converts and in the
breathless attention that was given his
every word. His quaint description of
heaven as a glorified continuation Of
his own and his families domestic life
lost nothing in beauty and force from
implying such an intimate understand
ing with God.
II don't expect to live to be very
old" II expect to continue burning
myself up in the service Of my master,
Jesus. Maybe, though, Nell and thu
children will go first and If they do,
l expect I'll be mighty glad when my
time comes to leave this world
IF that should be Gods will and
should be the last to go, expect when
reached heaven to find Nell waiting
there at the gate for me. Perhaps the
children would be away playing but I'm
sure that my wife would be hanging
around the gate to welcome me.
81 know that if I'd go before Nell
that I'd ask the first thing; Jesus, II
you don't mind I'd like to be right here
at the gate waiting for Nell and the
children. I won't take up much room,
Jesus, but l just want to be the first
to welcome them And I know that
Jesus would answer; All right, Bill,
old scout, you can hang around
Then when Nell and l had kissed
I'd say; Where are the children, Nell
and she'd say; They're out playing
with Jesus, papa. Don't you want to
see our mansion It's a big, fine one
on Grand avenue. One of the finest
in heaven But I'd want to see the
children first and I'd call: Hey, chill.
dren, come children!' and the children
would come and would want to show
me the mansion on Grand avenue but
I'd say:
"You don't need to show me the
house. I can tell by the flowers around
it. l know there'll be flowers around
it: the same kind we love around our
old home and they would cling around
the mansion in the same way they do
around our earthly home.
Then when I'd looked through the
mansion I'd tell the children to go
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