i
t
i
REV. DR. TALMAGR
i
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Son
j day Sermon.'
Subject! "Th Uate of Heaven.'
(
Tmi "On the cast thrfl gates; on th
fcortU thnv gntcK; on thn nouttr three gats;
on thq .wwtthrtfKati-.M liovolation xxi.,13.
I Th Cashmere gate of Ilht, where eon
"rurgtvl n heroism that makes on nerve.
tingle, the Lueknow gate. t ill dented and
eartM with wpoy tmlardnnnit, tho Made
line gnt with ttt wnMaxonry Jn bronzt. tho
hundred gates of Thebes, th wonder of
eeaturle., all go out of sight Uforo tho
irate of my text.
,.)ur "'1,i,tiHviks of a great metropolis,
Xho fxisteneo of which many have doubtoJ.
Standing on the wharf ami looking o.tt upon
th harbor and seeing tho merchantmen com
ing up the bay. the Mags of foreign nations
Mrenming from the topgallants, vou Immedi
ately make up your mlml that those vessels
vomofrom foreign port, and vou say: "That
ia from Hamburg, antl tliat is front Mar
IHrt, and that is from Southampton, uud
that is from Havana," and vour supposition
Is fttvurnttv Hut from the oitv of which I am
now upcakimr no weather-beaten merehant
men or frigates with soarred bulkhead have
ver come. There has been a vast emigra
tion into that oity, but no emigration from
It, so far as our natural vision can descry.
'There U no su 'h city," savs the undeVont
astronomer "I have .stood in high towers
with a mighty telestvpe and have' swept tho
heavens, and I have seen spots on the suu
nud cavern in the moon, but no towers havo
rver risen on my vision, no palaees, no tem
ples, no shining streets, no massive wall.
There U no such city." Kven verv good peo
ple tell me that heaven is not a material or
ganism, but a irrand spiritual fact, and .that
the lUMe descriptions of it are in all eases to
le taken tlcnrativyi I bring in ronlv to
this what Christ said and He ought to know
"I go to prepare" not a theorv, not a prin
ciple, not a sentiment, but "I go to prepare
place for you." The tvsumvted tvdv 1m
Plies tin-. 1 f my fvvt is to bo reformed from
the dust, it must have something' totread on.
It my hand is to be rxwnstruoted.it
roust have something to handle.
It my eye having gone oV;t in
death, is, to l rekindled, I must have
omothing to gare on. Your .id verse thorv
wm to imply that the rosurrrvto J tvdv is
to bo hung on nothing, or to walk in air or
to float atv.sd the intangibles. Von mav Vav
it there bo material oTgatn:ns ,nnt a ul
hvawnviUNor.V ',jHl and hindered in its
nWmats, but I s:iwr, lid not Adam
nd Kvx have plentv of roori in the Harden
f Kvlen? Although or.iy a f-w milos would1
have iltKnlyl the o;rou:uteror.oo of tat
tl.e.thoy had aro.wie rootn. And vou
act vrp pose that God, n th immensities
wuxVvtU a pboo Urge uiough to gxro the
who.era.vroora. ev a though there tv ma
ter..; org.v.s;v.so
llorsvaet looked ;u th- atv-.. V
- Swiss guide puts his Alpine stock liwi
tae g.o;ers and cr,s;s; over f-os c-x..- t -
- . . t . . . . ... .
ma.;, iu tv'5fi p.asxtea nts te'es-vtv K
twoi th worKis and ;ul tron: :a-t sa-
vintil heooul lannou-eto us that W hvo
la a xt cl th ttvtrsf but s:vrst lv s;rtwn
vrith worlds. he pvrs out tr.to '.tr.ro.
Rity until he Sad a region no lawr 'thliTout
poUr s;era in which thr? vJO. worlds
taoviag. Aad rosor lrvc sys that "l-v a
liiosv'phu rtvn;v.g ther r.;u: K oo:o
whrre wv-rkt whtro th?re is r. dAuss.
K;t -eriasti:vg s:xshi:;e, so ihx: 1 d. ni;
l.aow hit that u is sirc.;vy tvv.is W
tK trtsvp jvwvtiul enough th: w. co
not e r.:o th Ur.i bw thr? L
at l ad g:g.h a ghrurs o
th ur.-.tshe.i rua: As a o i
J .ich: to:,? cosj c a -.;oo.n;xlr. f
wiici. tath xs:: ot ir..isra x
w C-.V-: tiiy a;v ;o, A-;;rv a a
thr war hrg-rs toki
vvi .v, bfi.w thy r. thKrtts for
t..i Slg'ht, SV stow. vVCUZg. XS Wn C
our4iri top of rr.rv-;, j co-vi-ts
igs; c iVod to roi"d is sM: tsoucts
ht, Asd Kf o tiy rc:ch th-tie-s
yo.ct: tk oc g-.vvi. Lx.cTkok; th
' ri.s;. oa th? ru:h c.c o
o-th :hro g-i; jkzi s- " -
Ivth trs: r:o I wr; t mx-? th?
fcrv.Tv.wrv . z.-os g-j,; i . ore x n.
jhT1 vf-ry ji,-.
s.?cu . citray, " jv -" -
tcc- g-?s xArvy- ti ccrts.
. kctv.. i-?r idv c 4 crfls
cCjy s'iXC gr -sc.-- " to'
; sv. 0' xg?d o x-wi
t04;,sjc:,x. tT"iOsr5s c.j o4 iisi scTfc
CVV- I-iS -0 TOM
Xl ?07C rvfC? OCttJ?
fjsTr T-" 2. o-it VJotr ;ius gxr? -ry.
! '
ttnrA On VAiif flwri- trill flr.i'i ytrAar tho s-
light. , Bat, oh! tho brightne&s when the
great gate of heaven swings, struck through
and dripping with the light of eternal noon
day. Julius Cn?sar paid 123.000 crowns for ono
pearl. The Government of Portugal boasted
these together and lift thena and aid to them
all the wealth of the pearl fisheries and sat
them in tho panel of one door, and it does
not equal this mogniilcent gateway. An
almighty 'hand hewed this. swunV this,
polished this. Ajrainfct this gateway, on the
one side, ehmh ' m!1 thu unlon.lnM or Pirthlv
' beauty. Ayainst this gate on thj other
i pido beat the! surges of eternal glory,
i Oh, the gate, j the gate! It striken au in
finite charm' thrvHigh every one that passes
j it. One step this side of the gate, and we are
I paupers. One flop the other side of the gate
i and we are kings. The pilgrim of earth
j going through sees in tho one? huge poarl all
his earthly tears in crystal. Oh, gate of
; light, gate of ijenrl, gate of heaven, for our
weary souls at last swing open!
When shall theje eyea thy heaven built walls
I And pearly gates behold;
Thy bulwarks with salvation strong
And streets of shining gold?
Oh, heaven not a dull place! Heaven
Is not a contracted place. Heaven is not a
i stupid place. I"I saw the twelve g;;:os. and
: they weretwelye peiirls."
In the second place I want you to count
; the number of those gates. Imperial parks
; and lordly manors are apt to have ono expen
sive gateway, and the others are ordinary,
but look around at these entrances to heaven
and count them i One.two.three.rour.liveix.
seven, ejght, nine, ten. eleven, twelve. Hear
, it. all tho earth and alt the haaveas! Twelve
gates!
I admit this is rather hnrxl on sharp seotari
, anisms! If a Presbyterian is bigoted, he
; brings his Westminster assembly eaieohism.
and he makes a gateway out of that, and he
ij-sto tho world. -'You go through there or
stay .out." If a member of the Keformed
Church is bigoted, he makes a gate out of
the Heidelberg hitechism. and he says. "You
; fcO through there or stay out." ifa ilethc
T dit is bigoted, he plants two posts, and he
fays, "N'ow, you crowd inK'tween those two
iwsts or stay out." ' Or txrhaps an Episcopa
lian may say: fllervisa litunrv out of which
1 menjto make a gate. Go through it or
rra-? or a Baptist mar sav: Here Is a
w.vter gate. You go through that, or vou
m v st f ay out,"; and so in alt our churches
and in all our denominations there are men
who make one gate for themselves and then
ooxu&ai that the whole world go through it.
I abhor this contract Alness in religious
viewss 0, sxall souki man. when did" God
give you the eentrao-t for making riteJ I
tell you plainly ;I will no: go in thstVateY I
wul g-o ia at ani- one of the twelve" gares I
choose. U?re is a man who says. "I can
!r.ort easily and more cioslv ao-oroaoh GkI
through a prayer Kxk." I sav."Mv brothe
then ustherrayerKxvk Her is a aa
who says. "I KUere there is cnlv one mode
of Kaotis, and; that is immersio'n." Taa I
say . !.-; e plunge you." Anvhow.. I sav
awywth the g: of rouch mneJ and rctten
posts and rastexi Istoh. when there ar
t twelve ga:t? and they are tw?iv pearls.
The fat ts that grea: many of th?
churches in thu day are being doctrinedro
to death. They hav N?n trying nnl out
all Vut God's deoreos. an I thev want to
know who are elected to b- S3v-i and who
&re reproved to h? da-nnd. and thev are
keeping ca disonssing that suh eot when
there are m;II:ons of souls wh n'i tohav
tne tn:th rut s;ra.--t a- rht tv cif
received the Inward light; they have trustad
in the Lord; they paas through. Gate tho
third, the Lutherans come up; they had the
same grace that maie Luther what he was,
and they pass.throu?h. Gate the fourth, the
Baptists pa3 through. Gate, the fifth, the
Free Will .baptists pas3 through. Gate the
sixth, the Reformed Church passes through.
Gate the seventh, the Congregationalists
pass through. Gate the eighth, the German
Keformed Church passes through. Gate
ths 'ninth, the Methodists pass through.
Gate the tenth, the Sabbatarians pass
through: Gate the eleventh, the Church of
the Disciples pass through. Gate the twelfth,
the Presbyterians pa33 through. But there
are a great part of other denominations who
must come in, and great multitudes who con
nected themselves with no visible church,
but felt the power of godliness ia their heart
and showed it ia their life. Whsre is their
gate? Will you shut all the remaining
host out of the city No. They may
come in at our gate. Hosts of Gad. if
you cannot get admission through any other
: cuiroact?, coma ui ai ma sweiim gate. 2iOX7
j they mingle before the throne.
! Looking up at the one hundred and forty
and four thousand, you cannot tell which
j gate they came in. One Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one glassy S3a, one doxologv, one
triumph, one heaven! "Why, Luther, how
did you get in?" 'l caui9 through the third
gate." "Crammer, how did you get in?" "I
came through the eighth gate." "Adoniram
Judson, how did you get through?"" "I came
through the seventh gate." "Hugh SIcKail,
tho martyr, how did you get through?" "I
came through the twelfth gite." Glory to
God, twelve gates, but one heaven!
In the third place, notice the points of the
compass j toward wnieh these gates look.
They are not on on? side, or on t wa sides, or
oh three sides, but on four sides This is no
fancy of knine. but a distinct announcement.
On the north three gates, on the south threa
gates, oh the east three gate, on the west
three gates. What does that mean? Why, it
means all nationalities are included, and it
does not make any di5feren;e from what
quarter of the earth a man comes up; if his
heart jis right, there is a gata oiea before
him. On the north three gates. That means
mercy4 for Lapland and SiDeria and Norway
and Sweden. On the south three gates.
That means pardon for Hiniostan and
Algiers and Ethiopia. On the east three
gates. That means salvation for China
and Japan and Borneo. On the west
three gates! That means redemption for
America, It does not make anv differ
ence how dark skinned or how pale
faced men may be. thev will find a gate
right before them. Those plucked bananas
under a tropical san. These shot across
Russian snows behind reindeer. From Mex
ican plateau, from Roman eamrania. from
Chinese teaneld. from Holland dvke. from
Scotch Highlands they come, thev come.
Heaven is no; a monopoly for a few reoious
souls. It is not & WLids?r castle, t-ailt only
for royal families. It is not a jti'! t-vsrV'
into It! Hear it. O V.-in Li
of eternal winter-on he north
Hear it, O you oronzeS aMtan!
under equatorial heats-on the -
gates! lQe thr
. Bat I notice when John saw tW
they were open-wide open. Th
Kiucica uu an its intended rwi " ut
the children of nS ini
Every crowni taken. E?3ry hi i0
Every throne ; mounted. All th 'L
the universe harvested in th en of
And heaven being made ud of V.,1
gates will be shut. Russia in t?9 tk
cad gate shut. Italy in. and the tHn
shut. Egypt in. and the frmrts &
Spain in. and the fifth gate shut. Fran??1'
anu ine sixtn it c
in. and the seventh rata "cw ?a
way in, j and the -tXC an
Switzerland in . Ft
shuL
shut Hindustan in. aAd the tenth i S5 -vl
Siberia in. and the eleventh gate sht
these gates are closed but on .
America go in with all the islands otZM
and aU the other nations that have 4
all gathered, j The nations aU sav-i ng
flashing splendor of this last pearl be-s. J
put their shoulders to the gate aai hS
to With silvery clang. It is done! It'thn
ders! The twelfth gate shut Una"
nce more I want to show you th9
keepers. There is one angel at ea-h
those gates. 1 You say that is rit" t
course it is. You know that noeatti'rJf
ace or casUe or fortress would be saViST
out.a sentry pacing up and down hrmS
and by day, an I if there were no def w
fore heaven, and the doors set wiie op thv
no one to guard them, all the v'iWo
earth would go no after awhile. aniaU th
abandoned of hell would be up after awV,
and heaven, instead of heinqr a world of kZ
and joy and neaee and blessedness. wjuhC
a world of darkness and horror. Solan
glad to tell you that, while these tV!v pit
stand open to let a great multituie ia" thre
are twelve angels to keip some paopW
Robespierre cannot tro thranrh tbP or,-.- IT-.!
debrand. nOr ero, nor anv of the debaw
of earth who
wicke-iness.
rvv;jcu? numt'r o: ;ee;h ;n the iawbene
with whioh S-imsoA s'ew the Philistines.
They sit en xh tArh and "ka
Tesel g-oing : pieoes in th cfinc
&rsi tnst.Ad o! g?ning into a ivst &ni
vulhuc wrsy for th wr?ck. thv r: discuss
g ;hT d.r;rent scYi,is c f v4rlocks. G-o-i in
t us to kow some thm.es intendM
usno so know i ;h-rs. I hiv bari sevr?
c sermons exrltnarorv of k
."m way c? :xed than "wh-n I
a cz:t resu:r or
r. V . ' i -
jvpaiauon. c-u: oan sit.- it, and
he no ti oed that an angel was mur.:; i:.sni
he measured it this w.v. ;.ni then h? m?.vs
ured i: that wa v, an d woJ .h v-r wav ' h
measured it it was 1500 miles, so that Bibrl
Ion. and Tyre and Nineveh and 6:. Peters
burg and Canton and Fekia and Furis &ni
London and New York and ail the dead eitif
of the past and all the iivinc citie- o th-
present aiic-d together wouldnot equal the
census cf that grear metropolis.
Walking along a street, you can. tv thd
contour of the dress cr cf the fae. ""cuess
where a man w from. Yon at.- That."
is a Frenrnman; that is a Norwegian; that is
an American. " But the ctes thx: gth-r in
the r.ghte u wul brtg trem in' irresr-ertive
c. nationality. Fcreic-ers sometimes .sret
homcsiok. ' Some of tie tenderest x-
t-e-?n tcld of those who
and lonr-ed ?-
tier die-d. But the Swiss, c-emme to the hixa
res-denoe c neiven. wai nx long any nt-ore
tor tn-s Airs. stAnimc amid the -x I
have not reoentei r,f tv,.
If one of those n'ari.viS
who despised God should cn-n t,- th
one of the keepri would put his hani oa ha
shoulder and push him into outer darkcea
There is no place ia that land for thieves aal
liars and whoremongers aai defray iirs, tut
all those who disgraced their ra aal
fought against their God. If a miser shld
get in there, he would pull up the g;Iia
pavement. If a house burner shvi'.l get ia
there, he would set are to the mansion if
libercine should get in there, h? woail
wh'p?r his aiomiaatioas stiuiisg'oa th
white coral d? the seib?a?'x Oalr th
who are blood washed aal praSrr hp--1! will
getthroagn. Oh. my brother." if youshotld
at la?: c-ome no to one of. the gates asi trr
toget throuo-hi suItou hii n-t a t.a wina
by the erashe! hil of the Son of G d.tt
gatekeeper wili, wlih one srlanoe. witia
you forever. J
There wiirb? n. t?2?5rorl a th'r.flf
Fs--eue stones nave
eft their native c
e . -Miis wi not ivt.r atv more Ic-th-
iui-r.ant harrest fell he leo nc'-rtm he
te-irs the hnm and the r-stl cflhe harr?
iight. The rovai en-- f .-
srreau .og. iiere are nr- truths wv; v ar
to ccc-er the world: Iim a sinrer: CirC
nes is his wiicScvis 5"eiie shill hT t
hood.
a ntin xm?s do
everisttnz
eatth will net iong to
irth:y ccurt new th
fjure? cf the sum
m:mt the grows of
tmu t
Co hsci aiin to t-
at they, stand in tie
Those -who ci.v liT-d.
es -a-JLi
tne
. -.
nl-rk v -er cf
ur
.the ct
m to a rrr in time cf
rsr.m. vTnt does hedo,- Tie Irst iin is
to ?u: or ms h-irx x-c, .ireC-in-r rr
.thing he hv Jt.ni.v H -sc ..o
Tty njtx.'.e-i i: r CXtc ;
tn.k. And I teC you irfn
'down to the rltvr o de.x" t-
Jti-. ic,tv we hiv-e to tzt o .
orei mrcy h titled rnt cut foct
3 ' .i;. sav t-c, . Vv
resvr .ill th Chrtsi-.in
oc.- k-.r i o cv-r-" tr - - s i7- "
t - y. niv
J. tv the 3.-
x ,V " -S; tiit a- reo-
ft te sme -t c foci wii --
-T?,v y.ti-oct re; fret. r-- ti- ?
I sr?a.k an ' rriirlmg thronr i
" heivem Do yot knot? wha! thit
: ?omj?sa crowd of souU 35 to ti
; gate, a-ii th?Tf ?v: "I.?t me in; let me ii. I
Ti; very u-eft! on earth. I enlo-el col
j leges. I built hur;h5s aai was fimou5!for
I my ehar.ties. an i harmg don ? so mtiv t:-
! derral thiaj5 for thi?' wrii I f)t5 'uo'ti g?t
i f regard."' AToirj from within s'iri.I
; ?-s you." Another . cr?i: cr.Tl
I comes ao. aai they try to g-it throucn Tif
I say: : "Wo we highly, h on orahie on "eari,
t and the world bowei very lo-sr It before
We were h on ore! on earth, "and now x; ?;n
S to g?c our honors ia heaTen." Ani a v.v
I fromi w.thtn siys. "I n?ver knew tou." A
1 other crowd aiTinres anl siyi, "r? wen
1 very j moral p eople on earth, ver" moril i
dee-i. ani we eon? ut to g-ec atfr:;riit?r?-
CiOgnitic-m' A Toi re answers. "I n;rer kt?f
$ you. i j
Af;er awhile Iseauoth'rthron"" atrovi
! the gate, and cine seems to be 5r-oki-ri2'or
I ail the rest. itho-nroh their v'--i ev-r ail
i noncrj "Amen, amen!" This cue statis
; at the trite ni sirs: L- m in. I 13 a
; w3m2e-?rlromGof. I desetrre to -ii?. 'I
hare oss u; t - this tre, nog besiu? I d
, ?erre m.but brsu?e i have besr 1 tra: there
is x saving porwec'in tie of Jeta.
: TJse rekeer?sy5."Tnit is the tissr;rl.
Ititi.'T o m anirtr-
runs tne-tur:n.anit.-e err is.. -";r:tT ii
-? t1- Jnisjrint ota tro.m rincni, '-nx' -2ii.ims.
from Hocg.Xonr- "rt. tou sat.
cicry IteU yc- the. ti;t is tnol "mCco-
ti i.imr thirwis sls.;n to r?oe;T? t.Rt
. If.. . 1
.xnoy. iut-- tn-jtnt i2 go strtirzt int '
in: nfe. n-i so tne vjlsc maocttv c -
i Ani. to vjst
r'w." t Atr. g-o str-.ght tnto
s-ity rin-rjri.t.;ns htv een IcnTnot
- v-rvi wxs -rr-arex Ikj- .-.v-v '
o-r.i wjm-ost t-z. i
I suini hfr tn h."ur to invot- you istJ
i-tf v tia rr.T v - : io
tmit. :tieji- yjour heii-. -s envurji t m
grir? -o- vr . 1 T;'t. . h
On.
tnre must b t5.oxi en3dr- tn rr 1?
;on rt ihlrecL stmc. o nf "slf
-EV'ra'c --ther rhant drowns ?
tmc ;ct a. t srur'fcouocs hjtrmni :"
ir-s" "vv wh : yotr mrc'trr ti;. ct
c-i-it: yocr i-rhint " surr:tm- , - nls?
you reent cf jynr sin ani tike C-rt for
F -""- .umxr;. tnen. this -n. vr t..." ' xier
vou re to ctii d: wu r 'irrr to th L.rl
Alnughrj fxr 3is diUT-arJCLref "
You won: to! tm. ' go ' voc n:i? " Co: T-3
zv- seme
grod fmemis the
ttreni. Ti-ijr jrn;
r w-. -
t w-.t cKtes,
vcur r om tmt.r tt.it tCtre. To. r
Si.:z hiTf tny ;troitv . g-?wmxg tnr :ri ti
. j ctesv.di.'ti-i!f S.vth kxT t
y-ootots octhucaxro- ttivi.c tri
.v ti-fct c-t.ron rc.ry. Oie- rh i-u wT. iest
)TiV T .1 ei1r V2id .1.
tt? gxres yoxt : go thro-trr t
tmroQg cn-e c'tie- Tior coitus tm
rimrv
T z -tf '-u arres- sav ham-kim
i-- ti- CT j . Or.Xi SCOiZ h-tiT ?C
tii.sswoc
ior ro
tto-r I 4. th ret
mxg x xcwact i-frem.
' " :"iur 'wd'iL. tie twY-iT" artresw
- 0 -occt ca tie thr;n.esv Jl-ct- :
: r- '- --t-oi b- :otz 5i ti-
t "i3sxtis 'r-ar th shrI ie
amt. tie - ..v,. t
IT
50 tz
i
.1
com- tm" vi. vi i';..iT-a 3 .
tie. tr.cr o'i iii.it ..xsn. ti-
i5cc jlt? jJi; ttei rg iio.jr -i'tiro 1 tu
4 - ii-o tie
nt
xd
d 1
p?s
mf
h
In ;
'mi
11
le
us
d
tre
it,
ov
toe
bii
Jiv
k,
Id.
er
is
SO
Idi
iri
In
o
i
tl
ai
Ui
ip
at
V
it
3r
C
t.;cr
1-0 vt
"t't
tiOt!
will
T
fay;
i- n
iij:' "rrt, tti 't.t.
t vie m
tier h-iT
Jk-roa.
-iCT-iis Com- X.Ti ti-x"
. . - "
4-.-. es.i tmro
to fe 5vS
At-
..0 w : jrt.'c ;remo-is '
secern, t-t-e
, . . 'i-es-rt. News. h'
. wor g"sT2S tc fet
-."X X2 vort ,r-n.
( '
"
I . .