The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-05-23
The Brightest Gem OF Earth and
the Brightest Jewel OF
Heaven
the Tear OF a Sinners Repent
ance-He Holds Them
All.
Changed Into Pearls-set I'm the Crowns
and Robes Of the Ransomed-Dr.
Talmage's Sunday
Sermon.

BROOKLYN, N. " May 1s-The fol.
lowing sermon was delivered in the Brook
yn Tabernacle this morning by Rev
T. Dewitt Tslmsge. bis Subject wa
''Lschrymsls:"
TIxr:-Put Thou My Tears Into Thy Bottle.
Palms lvi., s.
Within the past century travellers and
sntiquarians have explored the ruiz Of
many of the ancient cities, and from the
very heart of those burial splendors Of other
days have been brought up evidences OF GUS
toms that long ago vanished from the world
From among tombs of those ages have been
brought up lachrynsatories or lachrymals,
which are walls made of earthenwsre. 1t
was the custom of the sncients to catch the
tears that they wept over their dead in a
bottle and to place that bottle in the graves
of the departed, and we have many speci-
mems of the ancient lachr matories or tear
bottles in our museums. The text intimates
that God has an intimate acquaintance and
perpetual remembrance of all our griefs
and vial or lschrymstory or bottle in
which He catches and saves our tears.
and l bring to you the coincidence of
this Christian sentiment. But why talk
CT human griefs when we have but to
look out and behold the largest prosperity
great harvests in all the land; multitudes
of men with no cares save how they may
alu i'm THAR Ia 1ot To-
in the city mansion and mountain cabin:
oy among the lumbermen of Maine as they
shove their RATS into the water; Joy among
the emigrants far out upon the vast prairies
Joy, joyl Why talk about grieff Alas,
the world has its pangs, and now, while 1
speak, there are before me thick darkness
OF soul that need to be lifted. 1 stand in
the presence of some who are about to break
under the assault of temptation, and, per-
chance, if no words appropriate to their
case be uttered today they perish forever.
! l come upon no FOOLS errand. / put upon
your wounds no sslve compounded by hu-
man hands; but, pressing straight to the
mark, hail you as vessel mid-ses cries
to passing craft, "Ship shoyi" aad invite
you on board a vessel which has faith for a
rudder and PRAYER for sails, and Christ for
captain and Heaven for an eternal harbor.
Catherine Rheinfeldt, Prussian, keeps 8
boa. with which she rescues the
drowning. When a storm comes on
the coast and other people go to
their teds to rest she puts out in her boat
for the relief Of the distressed, and hundreds
of the drowning has she brought safely to
the beach. In the life boat of the Gospel
put out day, hoping, by Gods help, TO
bring ashore
AT LEAST ONE SOUL
that may now be sinking in the pillows of
temptation and trouble. The tears that
were once caught in the lachrymatories
brought up from Herculaneum and Pom
peii are all gone, and the bottle is as dry as
the scoIis of the volcano that submerged
them. Not so with the bottle in which God
gathers all our tears.
First-I remark that God keeps perpetual.
ly the tears of repentance. Many man
has awakened in the morning so wretched
from the nights debauch that be has soboed
and wept. Pains in the head, schingin the
| eyes, sick at heart and unfit to step into the
light. He grieves no, about his misdoing,
but about It's consequences. God mskes no
record of such weeping. Of sll the million
tears that have gushed as the result of such
misdemeanor, not one ever got into God 9
bottle. They dried on the fevered cheek,
or we're dashed down by the bloated hand
or fell into the red wine cup as it came to
the lips foaming with still worse intoxIca-
tions. But when a man is sorry for his
past and tries TO do better; when he means
his wasted advantages, and bemoans Lis re-
ection of Gods mercy, cries amidst the lac
eratons OF an aroused conscience foT help
out of his terrible predicament, then God
IseNr n
tiers OF pardon are extended from the thrones;
then his crying rends the heart of heavenly
compassion; {. en- his tears are caught N
Gods bottle. You know the story of para
disc and the peri. l think it might be put
to higher adaptation. An angel starts
from the throne of God to find what thing
it can on the earth worthy OF being
carried back to Heaven. l. goes
down through the gold and silver wings of
earth, but finds nothing worthy of .rsnpor-
tation to the celestial city. 1t goes down
through the depths of the sea, where the
pearls lie, and finds nothing worthy of be-
ing taken back TO Heaven. But coming to
the foot OF q mountain it sees wanderer
weeping over his evil ways. The tears of
the prcdigsl start, but do not fall TO the
ground, for the angels wing catches them,
| and with that treasure speeds back to Heav-
en-. God sees the-angel coming and says:
BEHOLD the brightest gem of earth and the
brightest jewel of Heaven
THE TEAR OF SINNERS REPENTANCE
Oh, when see the heavenly Shepherd
bringing lamb from the wilderness, when
l hear the quick tread ofthe ragged prodigsl
Fastening home TO find his father, when
see sailor boy coming on tho wharf and
hurry ing away to beg his mothers pardon
for long neglect and unkindness, when l see
the housele.s coming to God for shelter and
the wretched ard the vile and the sin-burn-
ed and the passion loated appealing for
mercy to compassionate God, then / ex-
claim in ecstacy and triumph, 'More tears
for Gods bottle"
i Again, God keeps q tender remembrance
of all your sicknesses. How many of you
are thoroughly sound in body2 Not one out
Of tenI / do not exaggerate. The vast ma
jority of the race are constant subjects of
ailments. There is some one form of dis
ease that you are peculiarly subject to. You
have weak side or back or are subject to
headaches or faintnesses CT lungs easily dis
tressed. II would not take very strong
Iblow 10 shiver the golden bowl d