The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-09-22
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
4 Hear. ReAching Discourse o.
Ths Vacant Chair" IA

4 Hear. Reaching Discourse on
Ths Vacant Chair" Els
A Subject That Embraces Every Home
Tho Chairs Made Vacant by Absence
and Desth-"Thou Shalt be Missed
Because Thy Seat Will be Empty"
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage preached his
first sermon on his return from his sum-
mer jaunt, in the Brooklyn Tabernacle
from the following text: NNv rr tt
Thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will
be empty-I Samuel, XIX, IS.
Set ON the table the cutlery and chased
silverware of the palace, for King Saul
will give state dinner to-day. A distin-
guished place is kept at the table for his
son-in-law, celebrated warrior, David
by name. The guests, jeweled and
plumed, come in and take their places.
When people are invited to kings ban
quet they are very apt to 60. But before
the covers are lifted from the feast Saul
looks around and finds vacant seat at
the table. He says within himself, or per.
haps audibly: 90 50 ''t.'"
"What does this mean? Where Is my
on-in-law? Where is David, the great
WARRIOR invited him. expected him.
WHAT A vacant chair at kings ban.
quet" . lf
The fact was that David, the warrior,
had been seated for the last time at his
father.in.law's table. The day before
rJonathan had coaxed David to go and &C.
cupy that place at the table, saying to
David in the words of my text:
Thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will
be empty.
The prediction was fulfilled. David was
missed. His seat was empty. That one
vacant chair spoke louder than all the oc.
cupied chairs at the banquet. In almost
every house the articles of furniture take
. living personality. That picture-a
stranger would not see any thi ing remark
able either in its design or execution, but
1t is more to you than all the pictures Of
the Louvre and the Luxembourg. You re.
member who bought it and who admired
II. And that hymn book-you remember
who sang out of 1t. And that cradle-yor
remember who rocked it. And that Bible
you remember who read out of it. Ant
that bed-you remember who slept in it.
And that room-you remember who dice
in It. But there is nothing in all you
house so eloquent and SO mighty .voicet
as the vacant chair. Isuppose that befor
Saul and his guests got up from this ban
quet there was great clatter Of wine
pitchers, but all that racket was drowne'
out by the voice that came up from tn
vacant chair at the table. Many hav
gaEed and wept at John Quincy Adams
| vacant chair in the House of Representa-
tives, and at Mr.. Wilson's vacant chair Il
the Vice. Presidency, and at Henry Clay
vacant chair in the American Senate
and at Prince Albert's vacant chair
Windsor Castle, and at Theris' vacan
chair In the councils Of the French nation
but all these chairs are unimportant to 20
a. compared with the vacant chairs
your own household. Have these chair
any lessons for you to learn? Are we an
better men and women than when the
] 4rst addressed us?.
l. Ipoint out to you the fathers vacan
i chair. Old men always like to sit in th
same place and In the same chair. The
somehow feel more at home, and some
times when you are in their place an
they come into the room you jump u
suddenly and say:
"Here, father; here's your chair"
The probability is 1t is an arm -chair, fc
he is not so strong as he once was, and
needs little upholding. His hair is Iii
tie frosty, his gums little depressed, fe
In his early days there was not much del
tistry. Perhaps a cane chair and oil,
fashioned apparel, for, though you ma
have suggested some Improvement
father does not want any of your nor
sense. Grandfather never had much az
, miration for new-fangled notions. l s,
| at the table Of one of my parishioners in
! former congregation; an aged man was
the table and his son was presiding, an
the father somewhat abruptly addresse
the son, and said:
my son, don't now try to show of b.
cause the minister is here"
Your father never liked any new Gu
toms or manners; he preferred the o.
way of doing things, and he never locke
so happy as when with his eyes closed,
sat In the arm -chair in the corner. Fro
wrinkled brow to the tip of the slipper
D what plecidity! The wave Of the pa
) years of his life broke at the foot of tn,
I chair. Perhaps, sometimes, he was Iii
tie impatient, and sometimes told Il
: same story twice; but over that old cha
how many blessed memories hover!
e hope you did not crowd that old chat
/ and that it did not get very much in Il
8 way. Sometimes the old mans chair &c
G very much in the way, especially if he b
e been so unwise as to make over all b
property to his children with the unde
7 standing that they are to take care of hil
4 have seen in such cases children crow
n the old mans chair to the door, and tn
r crowd it clear into the street, and thu
crowd It into the poor-house, and keep
!. crowding it until the old man fell out of
Into his grave.
But your fathers chair was sacr,
place. The children used to climb up
the rungs Of it for a good might kiss, al
= the longer he staid the better you liked
But that chair has been vacant now
some time. The furniture dealer won
y not give you fifty cents for it, but it is
throne of influence in your domestic CT
Gle.
= saw in the French palace and
), the throne room the chair th
h Napoleon used to occupy. It was bea
. .iful chair, but the most significant part
:, lt was the letter an" embroidered In
: the back Of the chair in purple and gol
20 Ala rour IA kher,s old chair sits in