The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-11

Brooklyn, Dec. There was unusual interest
felt In the services at the Tabernacle 10 day for
several reasons II was Communion Day, q large
number Of new members were 10 be received, and
1t was known that DR.. Talmage would announce
his decision In the matter Of the Trustees OF the
Tabernacle for withdrawal from the Presbytery
because Of is persecution Of the pastor and his
people. After the opening services DR., Talmage
replied to the petition Of the Trustees In a few
sentences. He admitted the outrages complained
Of were gTievous and hard to bear, but expressed
his love for and devotion to Presbyterianism,
advised delay, and expressed his willingness to
remain provided the prosecutions cease. The
following was theEermon in full
sUBJECT-DmPOsITTo OF CHRIST.
TEXT-Philipplans H., 8: Let this mind be in
you which was also In Christ Jesus"
There is nothing more desirable than pleasant
disposition, Without 1t we cannot be happy our.
selves and we cannot make others happy When
we feel that we have be vexed and have lost
Ourtemper, or have been impatient under some
light Cross, we wake up TO new appreciation Of
proper equipOise Of nature. We wish that we had
been born with self balance. We envy the bear
ing Of that man who is never thrown into pertur
bation We live under the feeling that as years
pass along our character will be mellOwed and
ripened and we will become more selfcontrOlla
BILE, forgetful Of the fact that an evil left In our
nature uneradieatGd grows to more offensive pro.
portions, and that a transgresson not cast out
may become the grandfather ofa great generation
Of antiquities II is possible to have our dispoSl-
tions all made over again. Because we do not
believe this our dispositions do not improve
man says, II am irascble and Lcau't help H." or
II am reveDgeful and l can't help 1t" or II am
impulsve and can't help It," You can help 1t.
We may have our dispositions made over again
evil uprooted rlgt implanted II tits ever done
at all, my friends, 1t will be by having the dlSpo.
sition Of Jesus Christ set down In our nature. l
shall this morning discourse to you about the dis.
position Of the Lord Jesus
In the first place, the spirit OF Jesus was spirit
Of gentleness. know that sometimes he made
wrathful utterances against the hypocrlte and the
Pharisee but for the most part His words and His
demeanOr we're gentle and loving and kind and
patient and inoffensive and pleasant When you
consider the fact that he had an omnipotence
with which he might have torn to pieces the as
sailerB OF His character, 1t makes His gentleness
seem more remarkable, Little children, who
always shy of from rough man, rushed into His
presence and clambered on Him until people had
To tell them to stand back. Invalids 30 sore with
disease that they shuddered 10 have any one come
near them, asked Him 10 put His hand on their
wounds, 1t was 20 very soothing. There was not
q mother, with 20 sick and delicate babe, that
she was afraid to trust 1t In the Savior'B arms.
His Eootstep was so gentle 1t would not wake up
the fRinteBt slumber Some rough people hustled
q bad woman into his presence and said, DE
nounce heIl Blast heIl Kill herl" Jesus looked
at her and then looked at the assailans and said:
"Let him that Ia without sin cast the first stcne."
When a blind man sat by the wAyside making a
great ado because he had no vision, the people
told him to hush up that he was bothertng the
Master; but hTist came TO where he was and said
TO him what wilt thou that do unto thee2"
Gentleness OF voice, genteness OF hard genteness
OF foot We all admire II though We may not
have 1t. The rough mountain blud. the great
SCARED headland loves 10 look down into the
calm lake at its feet the stormies winter loves to
merge into the sunshiDy spring, and the most i'm.
pulsive and preciptate nature must be attracted
by the geItleness of Christ. The calmness Of his
look shamed bOisterOus Gennesaret into plscidity
How little Of that gentlenese you and have. Let
us confess 1t. 1t is tendency OF out door life to
stroke our dispositions the wrong way. The thun.
der OF the worlds scorn sourB the milk Of human
kindness. The treachery, the extortion, theigno
bleness OF mean men take the smoothness out Of
our nature, and we become suspicious and hypo.
critical, and stuck all over with nettles, and
frownB come 10 the brow, and hRrshness to the
voice. and hluntness to the manDers What an
utter and almost universal lack Of gentleness. so
that we do not know how to talk TO the sick, to
the troubled nor care for the poor, We have our
words Of sympathy pitched on the wrong key.
had q sister whose arm was put out Of joint, and
the neighboTs came, and they seized hold Of the
arm and pulled nightly and pulled until her
anguish was great, but the bone went not into the
socket. After while surgeon came In and with
one touch II was all right, So we 20 down to our
Christian work with 20 rough hand and 30 un.
kind and unsympathetic nature that we miser.
ably fail, while some gentle Christian soul comes
along and with one touch the torn Hgam0nts are
healed and the disturbed bones are rtjointed. o,
for something Of the gentleness Of Christ There
Is more power In such Rentleness, than In life
time Of high pTetention. The dew Of one summer
night does more good than ten Caribbean whirl-
winds.
Still further: The Spirit OF Christ was a spirit
Of self sacrifice, No young man ever had opening
before him brighter opportunities than opened
before Christ. II He had chosen TO follow q
worldly ambition He might have gained fortunes
Of wealth In the time he spent tending the SICK,
With His power to attract men and pOpulaIize
Himself He might have gained any official posi-
tion: No orator ever won snch plaudis he might
have wOn from BanhedTim and Synagogue and
vastRseemblages on the seaside. No physician
ever acquired such reputation for healing power
as Christ might have acquired II He had per.
formed his wonderful cures in the presence of
the Roman Aristocracy. recite these things to
you 70 show what Paul meant when he said: HE
pleased not Himself" and 10 show you the splen
dor OF His self sacrifice. No human power could
have thrown Christ into the manger II he had not
chosen TO go there; no Satanic strength could
have lifted Christ Onlhe cross II he had not elect
ed himself 10 the torture. To save our race from
the raBpings and turmoils Of is guilt He faced the
- 9Th md q ha 30 hall
erly fatherly, brotherly lial Belfsacrihce paling
into nothing before this extreme Of Divine gen.
erobity. Suppose you, my hearer, by straight
course OF conduct could win palace, while by
another, conrse Of conduct you might advantage
your fellow men, but finally would have to come
to assassinati0n-wh would You choose the
palace or assassination Christ chose the latter.
Oh, how little selfsscridce we have What ia III
Why, 1t is taking from my comfort and add ng to
yours: II is walking long journey to save you
from fatigue II ia lifting heavy weight in order
that you may not be put 10 the strain. II Is the
substraction Of my ease and prosperity that there
may be an addition to your ease and prosperity.
How little Of that spirit any Of US have Two III.
tie children, on q cold day, were walking down
the street the boy With hardly any garments at
ALL aud the girl In a coat that she had outgrown,
and the wind was 30 sharp she said, Johnnie,
come under my coat" He said, 1t Ia too short"
"0h," she said, ut will stretch" But the coat
would not stretch enough 10 she took II of and
put II on the boy. That was telttacrihce, There
was Christ taking oR His robe for you and me,
beggared for eternity without Him, When the
plague was raging In MArpeilles, and they were
dying by scores aud hundreds ffoEn IT, the College
OF Surgeons decided that lherO must be post.
mortem examination IN order that they might
know how TO meet And arrest that awful disease.
And there was silence In the College OF Surgeons
till Dr. Guon rose and said: Il know II ls certain
death to dysect one Of thofe bodies, but some
body must do II. and shall. In the name Of God
and humanity will do the work" He went
home, made out his will then went to the dissec-
tion, and in twelve hours died. That was self.
sacrifice that the world understands. Oh, the
more wonderful sacrifice OF the Son Of God, H9
walked to EmmRus. He walked from Capefnaum
to Bethany. He walked from Jerusalem TO Cal
vary. How far have you and walked for
Christi His head ached, His back ached, His
heart ached for us How much have we aohed
for Him2 Let us this morning look over all the
years OF our life and see the patry list OF our self
sacrifices, Not one deed In my life or In your life
worthy the name,
Still further: Thespirit OF Christ was spirit OF