Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-11-12
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON
AGAINST ALL ODDS.

There is a profound satisfaction in the
completion Of any undertaking. We put up
the CapStone with exhileration, while on
the other hand there is nothing more dis
heartening than TO toll on in some direction
and find 1t is fa 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:
II have finished the work which thou gayest
me TO do.n
Alexander the Great was wounded, and it
was supposed that he was dying, and the
physicians were powerless But in his dream
Alexander thought be saw a certain plant
with very peculiar flower, and that the
Hover was brought and put upon his wound
and it entirely cured him. AMAZING from
his sick dream he told his doctor, and the
,.Iysician sent out to find the flower that
Alexander had described, and 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 hffhau race was suffering with the
worst of all wounds the ghaStiest 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 ire
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: 81 have
finished the work which thou gaVest me to
do.n
Eir,t ~ oil ty,o,,a ,,,os HE worldly oocrr.
tion. He had to earn his living by carpentry,
a trade always respected and always honored
for its usefulness. But you know very well
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 carr entry were ahindrance, must
have been hindrance to this work Of Christ
know we read a great deal about what men
nave 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 we'll as
] do that a fatigued body is a poor
adjunct to a tOiliug mind. Here came Christ
forth to do, whati To upbuild a kingdom,
to introduce a new code OF morals, to start
religion which was to revOlutionize all ma.
lions. You know as well as l know that if
we are going to accomplish anything in thu
world we must concentrate upon one 5ject
Yet here Christ had all the fatigues Of car
pentry, while at the same time He had this
tremendous mission, and the fact that he had
70 much worldly work to do must have been
q hindrance. In His fathers carpenter shop
He had only to talk with men who brought
things to mend, or who wanted some
article for agriculture manufactured,
and it was worldly conversation;
and right out from this carpenters shop
Christ is called to b a pubic speaker, to
stand in the face of The mobs while some
blasphemed and some shook their fists at
Him. To address an orderly and respectful
aSsemblage is not as easy as some might sup
pose, but to speak to an exasEeratad mob,
what courage, what concentration were de-
manded 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 had SOME
thing in their apparel to indicate
that they were distinguished - some
epanlet, something in their robe, some
adornment of apparel, SO those people see
ing such an one coming would say: MAKE
way for him; here comes a 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 find that after He had worn ia 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 and l might wear, and He
went out like an ordinary man, olttimes,
on what seemed en- ordinary mission.
Then His diet was against Him. No
cupbearer brought in a golden chalice, the
wine for Him to drink. He blelkfasted on
the seashOre, first having broiled the fish.
He went out not entertained. | now think
Of only one case where He was a. banquet,
and that was far from mLtuous, because, TO
relieve the awkwarkness Of the host, one Of
Ehn OpctS had N 1,1,pyi Ia ryi fSr IA
company. Other kings rode; He walked.
Others had heraldi ahead and applauiing
subjects behind He went among those who
were not influential. Other kings slept I'M
der an embroidered canopy; He on shelter
less hill. He rode but once--on a colt, and
against him. 1t takes money to es-
tablish institutions; it takes money to
forward revolutions, whether for good or
for bad. Here is penniiess Christ. When
His tax was due He had to perform miracle
in order to pay the tax. The piece of money
found 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-
Ggion! Who is to charter the ships
that are to carry the missionaries
Who is to pay the salaries Of the
teachers. What pull down an established
religon9 Can it be done by penniless pro-
jectorp More than that | want YOU to
notice the fact that the consideration that
He had never graduated from any school
was against Him. If man has come with
diploma from college, or q certificate from
a seminary or has Travelled through foreign
lands, we say to ourselves: He ought tc
know great deal, anyhow he ought to have
inflammation u Put harp ct
who had no diploma. He had not attended
any academy where he could have learned
the alphabet of the language He spoke The
Jews were sensible when they cried out
'How hath this man letters, having never
leaTned2' And yet, here, with no philosophy
backing at ell, He just comes out and He
expects these white haired these gray
bearded men who had studied theology al
their lives long to bow before him. We have
learned in our day that man may be as ig
norant with diploma as without it, and
that college canno5 turn q sluggard into
philosopher, and that q seminary cannot
teach fool to prearh. An empty head after
the laying on Of the b Is of the PresbyterJ
is empty still. Eut it choked all the prsiu
dices of those people in olden times that a
man without any scholastic opportunities
should come forth to teach a new theology
: and new religion, and by itreyolutionize,al
nations. Beside that my friends, we wan
to notice that the brevity of His life wa
against Him. You must remember that H
did not live to oven what we call mid life
At thirty-three years of age he expired
Well, now, but very few men accomplis
much for the churcn or for the world befor
thirtythree years Of age. The first fftee
years are given TO the nursery and the school
then perhaps six years to getting into som
trade, business or occupation. That bring
you to twenty-one Then after that if in tel
years yol correct all your early mistakes am
get thoroughly established, you are the ex
ception. The men who are thoroughly eS