The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-08-04
miscellaneous.
Rev. I. DEWITT TALMAGE.
OBSTACLES OVERCOME.


completion Of anything we have under
taken, We lift the capstone with exult-
alton. While, on the other hand, there
is nothing more exasperting than after a
having toiled in a certain direction TO
find that our investment is protiiless and
our time wasted. Christ came to throw
ND a highway on which the whole world
might, if chose, mount into safety de
didit. The foul.mouthed foes who at
tempted to tread on him could not ex'
tinguish the sublime satisfaction he ex'
pressed when he said, 81 haYe finished
the work which thou gavest me to do"
Alexander was wounded, and the doc
tors could not mediCate the wounds, and
he seemed to be dying, and in his dream
the sick man saw plant with peculiar
flower, and he dreamed that that plant
was put upon his wound, and that i'm
mediately it was cured. And Alexander,
waking from his dream, told this to the
physician, and the physician wandered
out until he found just the kind
of plant which the sick man had describ'
ed, brought it to him, and the wound de-
parted. Well, the human race had been
hurt with the ghastiest of all wounds
that of sin. 1t was the business of Christ
to bring balm for that wound. Divine
restoration. In many Of our plans we
have our friends to help us; some to draw
a sketch of the plan, others to help us in
the execution. But Christ fought every
inch of his way against bitter hostility
and amid circumstances all calculated to
depress and defeat. In the first place
his worldly occupation WAS against him.
l find that he earned his livelihood by
the carpenters trade, an occupation al
ways to be highly regarded and respeCt-
ed. But you know as well as do, tnat
in order to succeed In any employment,
one must give his entire time to it; and
have to say that the fatigues of Carpen.
try were unfavorable to the execution of
mission which required all mental and
physical faculties. Through high, dry,
hard, husky, insensate Judaism to hew
way for new and glorious dispensa-
ton, required a stupendous undertaking
that was enough to demand all the con.
Centrated energies of Christ, We have
great many romantic stories about
what men with physical toll have accom-.
plished in intellectual departments, but
you know that after a man has been toll
ing all day with adze, and saw, and ham.
mer, and plane, and axe, about all he
can dc is to rest. A weary body is an
unfavor BILE adjunct to toiling mind.
You whose life is purely mechanical, if
you were called to the upbuilding of a
kingdom, and the proclamation of new
code of morals, and the starting of a rev.
olution which should upturn all nations,
can get some idea of the inCoherence of
Christ's worldly occupation with his
heavenly mission. In his fathers shop,
no more interview Of men was necessary
than is ordinarily necessary in bargain.
ing with men who have work TO do; yet
Christ, with hands hard from touch of
tools Of trade, was called forth to become
a public speaker; to preach in the face of
mobs, while some Wept, and come shook
their fists, and some gnashed upon him
with their teeth, and many wanted him
out of the way. To address orderly and
respectful assemblages is not so easy as
it may seem, but itrequires more energy
and force and concentration to address
an exasperated mob, The villagers of
Nazareth heard the pounding OF his
hammer, but all the wide reaches of
eternity were to hear the stroke of his
spiritual upbuilding.
So also his habits Of dress and of diet
were against him. The mighty men OF
Christ's time did not appear in apparel
without trinkets and without adornments
More of the Caesars would have appeared
in citizens apparel. Yet here was man;
here was a pretended king, who always
wore the same coat. Indeed, it was far
from shabby, for after he had worn it for
long while the gamblers thought it
worth lsfling for. 1t was a coat that
any ordinary man might have worn on
any ordinary occasion. Neither was
there any pretension in his diet. No cup
bearer with golden ChaliCe brought him
wine to drink. On the seashore he ate
fish, first having broiled it himself. No
one fetcheu him water to drink, but ben.
ding over the well in Samaria, he begged
a drink. He sat at only one banquet, and
that not at all sumptuOus, for, to relieve
the awkWardness OF the host, one of the
guests had to prepare wine for the COM
pany. Other kings ride in a chariot, he
walked; other kings, as they advance,
have heralds ahead and applauding sub
jects behind; ChrisEs retinue was made
up of sunburnt fishermen, Other kings
sleep under embroidered canopy; this
one on a shelteriess hill. Riding but
twice, as far as l now remember-once
Oh phAp3 Dub lhdV DCplOlAlOhJ OuJO Ou u
colt, but that borrowed.
Again: His poverty was against him.
1t requires money to build great enter.
prises. Men Of means are afraid of a
penniless protector lest loan be deman. |
ded. 1t requires money to print books,
to build institutions, to pay instructors. |
No wonder the wise men of Christ's time |
laughed at this dollarless Christ. Why, |
they said, who is to pay for this new |
religionP Vino is to charter the ships
to carry the missionaries2 Who is to |
pay the salaries of the teachers? Shall
wealthy Judaism be discounted by
dollarless Christi" The consequence
was that most of the people who follow.
ed Christ had nothing to lose. Wealthy |
Joseph Of Arimathea, buried Christ,
but he risked no social position in doing
that. It is always safe to bury a
dead mani Well to do ZaCCheus risked |
no wealth or social position in following
Christ, but took position in tree to