The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
AGAINST ALL ODDS.

tnOu SaVeSt me 20 no. -Joun XVII, I.
There is a profound satisfaction in the
completion of any undertaking. We put up
the capstone with exhileratlon, while on
the other hand there is nothing more dis
heartening than to toll on in some direction
and find It is ia lure, or to make profit
less investment. Christ came to build a
highway on which the whole human race
might, If they chose, mount into heaven. He
did it. All the foul mouthed crew who trod
on Him could not hinder him from the
sublime satisfaction expressed in the text:
81 have finished the work which thou gavest
me to do"
Alexander the Great was wounded, and it
was supposed that he was dying, and the
physicians were powerless. But in b dream
Alexander thought he saw certain plant
with a very peculiar aower, and that the
flower was brought and put upon his wound
and it entirely cured him. Awaking from
his sick dream he told his doctor, and the
physician sent out to find the flower that
Alexander had described, aud he found the
peculiar plant and the peculiar blossom, and
he brought them home and he put them upon
the wound, and Alexander recovered. Well,
the human race was suffering with the
worst of all wounds, the ghastliest Of all
wounds, the wound of sin. Christ comes to
bring balsam for divine restoration. he
brought it, but in the application Of it, oh,
how many obstacles He found; how much
resistance; what bitter hoStilities; what tre-
mendous opposition. Now, when we have
great enterprise We call our friends around
US and they help US draw out the sketch, and
perhaps they help us in the execution. Christ
all alone started out on His mission with all
the forces of this world against Him, and l
propose this morning, if the Lord will help
me. to tell you some of the obstacles that
Christ had to overcome before He could In
triumph utter the words Of the text: II have
finished the work which thou gavest me to
do"
First of all, there was His worldly occupa-
tion He had to earn his living by carpentry,
a trade always respected and always honored
for its usefulness. But you know very we'll
that in order to succeed in any trade, occu-
patton, or profession, there must be entire
concentration upon that one thing, and these
fatigues Of carpentry were ahindrance, must
have been hindrance to this work OF Christ.
know we read great deal about what men
have achieved in intellectual directions and
in moral reform, who at the same time were
compelled to carry on some worldly occupa-
tion. But you know as well as
adjunct to toiling mind. Here came Christ
forth to do, whatl TO upbuild kingdom,
to introduce new code OF morals, to start
religion which was to revolutlonlze all ia. .
rionS. You know as we'll as l know that If
we are going to accomplish anything in the
world we must concentrate upon one object.
Yet here Christ had all the fatigues of car
pentry, while at the same time He had this
tremendous mission, and the fat that ne had
SO much worldly work to do must have been
q hindrance. In His fathers carpenter shop
Hc had only to talk-with men who brought
things to mend, OF who wanted some
q, ticle for agriculture manufactured,
and it was worldly conversation:
and right out from this carpenters shop
Christ is called to be public speaker, to
blasphemed and some shook their fists at
Him To address an orderly and respectful
assemblage is Lot as easy as some might sup
pcse, but to speak to an exasperated mob,
what courage, what concentration were de-
mandcd of Christ. While the villagers of
Nazareth heard the humping of His ham.
mer, all nations were to hear the stroke of
His spiritual upbuilding. Mighty men
in those times always hal some
thing in, their apparel to indi ate
that they were distinguished - some
epanlet, something in their robe, some
adornment of apparel, so those people see
ing Su n an one coming would say: Make
way for him; here comes dignitary, Or an
officer of the government None of the
Cesars would have dared to appear in ordi-
nary citizens dress. But here comes Christ
in plain coat 1t was far from shabby be-
cause lind that after He had worn it q great
while even then the gamblers thought it
worth rafting about, the question being
whose shall it be. But still it was plain
coat, Just as you aud l might wear, and He
went out like an ordinary man, ofttimes,
on what seemed an ordinary mission,
Then His diet was against Him No
wine for Him to drink. He b! eakfasted on
the seashore. first having broiled the fish.
He went out not entertained. 1 now think
of oSly one case where He was a. banquet,
and that was far from Sumptuous, because, to
relieve the awkwarkness of the host, one of
the guests had to provide some wine for the
company. Other kings rode; He walked.
Others had heralds ahead and applauding
subjects behind; He went among those who
were not influential. Other kings slept un-
der an embroidered canopy; He on shelter.
less hill. he rode but once-on colt, and
that borrowed Aye, His poverty was
against him. 1t takes money to es-
tablish institutions; it takes money to
forward revolutions, whether for good or
for bad. Here is a penniless Christ When
His tax was due He had to perform miracle
In order to pay the tax. The piece Of money
fosnd in the fish. Men of means are afraid
Of a penniless protector lest loan be de-
manded of them Here comes Christ with
out dollar in the world, Christ who was
born in another mans barn, and to be buried
in another mans sepulchre. And suppose
people said: "Who is to pay for this re-
kgion' Who is to charter the shjDa
that are to carry the missionaries!
Who is to pay the salaries of the
religion! Can it bs done by pennileSS pro-
iectorm More than that I want you to
notice the fact that the consideration that
He had never graduated from any school
was against Him. If a man has come with
q diploma from college, or certificate trolu
a seminary OF has Travelled through foreign
lands, we say to ourselves; He ought to
know a great deal, anyhow: he ought to have
some information" But here was Christ.
any O ademy where he could have learned
the alphabet of the language He spoke The
Jews were sensible when they cried out:
siHow hath this man letters, having never
iearnad!' And yet, here, with no philosophy
backing at all, He just comes out and He
expects these white haired these gray
bearded nren who had studied theology all
their lives long to bow before him. We have
learned in our " that man may be as ig-
norant with diploma as without it, and
that college cannot turn sluggard into a
philosopher, and that q seminary cannot
teach fool to preath. An empty head after
the LAYING on OF the hands of the Presbytery
is empty still. Eut it choke1 all the preju-
dices Of those people in olden times that q
man without any scholastic opportunities
should come forth to teach new theology
and new religion. and by it revolaeonize.all
nations. Beside that, my friends, we want
to notice that the brevity Of His life was
against Him. You must remember that He
did not live to e"en what we call mid life.
At thirty-three years Of age he expired.
Well, now, but very few men accomplish
much for the church or for the world before
thirty three years of age. The first fifteen
years al Q given to the nursery and the school
then perhaps six years to getting into some
trade, business or occupation. That brings