The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-04-21
INiscella
REV. I. DEWITT TALMAGE.
rs THE HEART, THE GREAT VI
tai ORGAN, RIGHT.
Aud Does Il Beat In Unison with Divine Com
mandments l---An Important Question Ior
Poor, Wretched Humanity to Deter
mine.
sUBJEcT-'THE HEART"


With mettled horses at full speed for
he was celebrated for fast driving, Johh
the warrior and king returns from BAT
tie. But seeing Jehonadab an acquaint'
ante, by the wayside, he shouts; whoa!
Whoa!" to the lathered span, Then lean
ing over to Jehonadab, John salutes him
In the words Of the text, words not more
appropriate for that hour and for that
place than for this hour and place: is
thine heart right?' Ishould like to hear
of your physical health. Well myself, l
like to have everybody else well, and so
might ask: sis your eyesight right, your
hearing right, your nerves right, your
lungs right, your entire body righlP But
/ am busy today taking diagnosis OF the.
more important spiritual condition. l
should like to hear of your financial
welfare. l want everybody to have plen-
ty Of money, ample apparel, large store
house and comfortable residence, and |
might ask; Is your business right, your
income right, your worldly surroundings
rightP But what are these questions
compared with the inquiry as to whether
you have been able to pay your debts to
God; as to whether you are insured for
eternity, as to whether you are running
yourself by the long credit system Of the
soul. / have known men TO have no
more than one loaf of bread at time,
and yet to own a Government bond Of
heaven worth mora than the whole ma
terial universe. The question | ask you
today is not in regard to your habits. l
make no inquiry about your integrity, or
your chastity, or your sobriety. l do
not mean to stand on the outside Of the
gate and ring the bell; but coming up the
steps, l open the door and come to the
private apartment of the soul; and with
the earnestness of a man that must give
an account for this days work, l cry out;
o, man; O, woman; immortal, is thine
heart right2 will not insult you by an
argument to prove hat we are By nature
wrong. Ifthere be factory explosion,
and the smokestaCk be upset, and the
wheels be broken in two, and the engine
uDjointed, and the ponderous bars be
twisted, and man should look in and
say nothing was the matter, you would
pronounce him fool. Well, it needs no
aCumen to discover that our nature is all
atwist and askew and unjointed. The
thing doesen't work right. The biggest
trouble we have in the world is with our
souls. Men sometimes say that, though
their lives may not be just right, their
heart is all right. Impossiblel A far.
mer never pu the poorest apples on top
of his barrel; nor does the merchant
place the meanest goods in his show
window. The best part of us is our
outward life. l do not stop to discuss
whether we all fell in Adam, for we
have been our own Adam, and have all
eaten of the forbidden fruit, and have
been turned out of the paradise of holi-
ness and peace, and though the flaming
sword that stood at the gate to keep us
out, has changed position, and comes be-
hind to drive us in, we will not go.
The Bible account of US is not exag
gerated when it says we are poor ard
WIetChed and miserable and blind and
naked. PoOri The wretch that stands
on the doorstep on a cold day
is not 30 much in need OF bread as we
are of spiritual help. Blind Why, the
man whose eyes perished in the powder
blast, and who, for these ten ears, has
gone feeling his way from street to street,
is not in such utter darkness as we. Ma
ked? Why, there is not one rag of hoh
ness left to hide the shame of our sin.
Sick Why, the leprosy has eaten into
the he d, and the heart, and the hands;
and the feet; and the marasmus of an
everlasting wasting away has already
seized on some of US. But the meanest
thing man can do is to discourse about
an evil without pointing way to have
it remedied. l speak of the thirst of
your hot tongue, only that l may draw
you the living stream that drops, crystal. |
inc and sparkling, from the Rock of
Ages, and pours river of gladness at
your feet. If l show you the rents in |
your coat, it is only because the door of
Gods wardrobe now swings open, and
here is robe white with the fleece of
the Lamb of God, and Of cut and make
that an angel would not be ashamed to
wear. II snatch from you the black,
moldy bread you are mdnching, it is
only to give you the bread made Of the
finest wheat that grows on the celestial
hills, and baked in the fres ofthe cross,
one Crumb Of which would be enough |
TO make all heaven a banquet. Hear it, |
one and all, and tell it to your friends
when you go home, that the Lord Jesus
Christ can make the heart right. This is
the gospel which isl to soothe all sorrow,
and correct all wrongs, and make the
world what it ought to be. A philan,
thropic and wealthy gentleman, not a
member Of any church, but respecter !
Of everything sacred, offered me $40 ,000I
If | would go through the cities and lee.
ture for forty weeks on the absnrdities
and tdonstrositieB Of modern ,ip6delity, |
The offer was generous and inspired by |
the highest, motives, but it seems to me |
the best way to overthrow ,in6delity is |
by getting the hearts Of men converted
to God in the old fashioned way. A |
genuine Christian Fpsn OF. Christian Wo.
man .is the best reply TO iBfdelity, and
the best argpmebt Ia behalf of Christi
Anity: and 60 Lam at my usual business
Of sou, saving and fhe 3d1estion which
John, aung 0Ut gffhiGchadOt to Jehona.
dab Is TIE auestioneI throw out OF this
pulpit TO you; Isthy heart righL2 'nf S7
First; 1--WE need repenting heart, If
for the last ten, twenty orfOrty years of
life we have been going on in the wrong
way, it is time we turned around and
started in the opposite directions. If we
offend our friends we are plad td annl0.