The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-27
TALMAGE AT THE ACADEMY.

Gospel Archcry-What Is Required OF
the Church-Ralph Waldo Emerson's
Religion q Philosophic Icicle.
Mr.. Talmage preached yesterday morning on
"Gospel Archery" from the text "He was
mighty hunter before the Lord" referring to MINI
rod. The Academy was crowded. In the course OF
his sermon the preacher said:-Oh, how much
awkward Christian work there is done in the
world! How many good people are driving souls
away from Christ instead Of bringing them to Him.
All their fingers are thumbs--religOus blunderers.
who upset more things than they set right. The
gun has crooked barrel, and kicks as 1t goes OFF;
and they are like q clumsy c0mrade that goes
along with skilful hunters-at the very moment
he ought to be most quiet cracking the
alder or falling over o log and frightening away
the game. How few Christian people have ever
learned the lesson OF which read ut the beginning
of this service-how that the Lord Jesus Christ
went from talking about cup of water to the
most practical religious truths which captured
the woman's soul for God and for heaven What
an art AZ.
THIS GOSPEL ARCHERY
The archers of olden time used to study their art
the old books gave especial directions as to how
archer should 60 and as to what an archer should
do But how clumsy about religious work |
How little skill and care we exercise; how often
our arrows miss the mark! on, that
there were lay colleges established In all
the towns and cities Of land, where
archery that they might be- Known as
''mighty hunters before the Lordl' IT, you want to
be eifectua in spiritual archery you must be very
sure OF your weapon. There was something fas-
cinating about the archery of the olden time. The
chief battles fought By ths English
were WIN ane long pow But we nave m Gns,
n r. Sharp arrow straight arrow III is ieathered
from the wing OF the dove of Gods Spirit; 1t nies
IA Af I'M hAf A0
far as can calculate, it has brought down about
seventy-fve millions OF souls. II 1t strikes q
y strikes sne h nead in t kS bee turns his
step; II it strikes him in the heart he throws up his
hands, as did one OF old when wounded IN the bat.
tie, crying, .'Oh, Jesus, thou hast conqeered."
There is nothing proposed by men that can do any
thing like the Gospel.
THE RELIGIoN OF RALPH WALDO EMERSON
that many people liked, is merely a philOsophic
icice the religion Of Theodore Parker was
srocco OF the desert covering up the soul with dry
GERS is merely pedestal on which human phOsO-
ply sits shiverng in the night the soul looking up
s e eS ep to Tine wse4e @
is man who has rejected that Gospel for
another who Is thoroughly satisfied and
and will take tomorrow morning and ride
500 miles to see him. But ne Is not to be found.
II you want TO be skillu in spiritual archery you
Why does the hunter go for three or four days in
the Pennsylvana forest IL Is the. only way to do:
tell you that many Of the souls that will be of most
worth to Jesus secluded, and you have gO5 to
hunt where they are Theya down IN that cellar,
far away IRON u door OF that church. The Gospel
arrow has not been shot at them. The trouble is,
we are waiting for the game to come to us. What
the Church wants to do to lit its feet from
the damask ottoman and put them In the stirrups.
The Church wants not so much cushions as saddle.
bags and arrows tell you, in the service OF God
we have got to
COME OUT AND ROUGH IT.
hear to-day, surging up from that lower depth
or Brooklyn, grOan that comes through our Chris
tian assemblages and through our beautiful
churches, and 1t bloJs out all this scene from my
eyes to-day as by the mists the great Niagara,
and sometimes tear that just as God blotted o1t
the Church OF COrlnth, because OF its selfshness
and stolidity, He would blot out American and
English Christianity, and then would raise on the
ruins q deawake missionary Church that could
take the full meaning OF that command $50 into
the world and preach the gospel to every creature;
he that believeth aud Is baptized shall be saved
but he that believeth not shall be damned'-a
command, you see punctuated with the throne OF
heaven and dungeon OF hell