Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-29
CHURCH AND THE FAMILY
TALMAGE CHAMPIONS DENOMl-
NATIONAL LIBERTY.

Mana sinner and Christ a De iverer
the Basis of Ecclesiastical Theology
sLet There be no Strife Between Me
and Thee"
BROOKLYN, n. Y. Nov. 28.-Rev. It.
Dewitt Talmage, D. D., preached in the
BROOKLYN Tabernacle this morning on the
subject: sin Matters of Church Attend
ance Should the Wife Go with the Hus-
band or the Husband Go with the Wife"
The Tabernacle still retains the decora-
ton of Thanksgiving day, being speci-
mems of American products from the
North, South, East and West. A vast
congregation sang the opening hymn,
beginning:
Come. let US join our friends above
Who have obttined the prize,
And on the eagle W ngs OF love
To joys celestial RISE"
For the greater part, the hymns used in
DIR. Talmage's church are old and
familiar, and when the whole audience
rises to sing, led by Prof. Ali, tue cor
netist. and Prof. Henry Eyre Browne, the
organist, the effect is overpowering.
DR.. Talmage's text was from Genesis
xiii, and parts of the eighth and ninth
verses: "Let there be no strife. l pray
thee, between me and thee, and between
nv berdmen and thy herdmen. Is not
the whole land before thee" DR.. Tai
mage said
Uncle and nephew, Abram and Lot,
both pious, both miiliOnaires, and with
such large flocks or beating sheep and
lowing cattle that their herdmen got into
fight perhaps about the best pasture. or
about the b st water privilege. or because
the cow of one got hooked by the horns of
the other. Not their poverty of oppOrtu-
nifty, but their wealth, was the cause OF
controversy between these two men. To
Abram, the glorious old Bedouin sheik,
such controversy seemed absurd. IL was
like two ships quarreling for sea room
In the middle OF the Atlantic
ocean. There was a vast reach of
country, corn fields, vineyards, harvests
and plenty of room in illimitable acreage.
snow" says Abram. "iet us agree to
differ. Here are the mountain districts
swept by the tonic sea breeze and with
wide-reachlng prospect, or there IS the
plain Of the Jordan with tropical luXu-
rance. You may have either" Lot, who
was not as rich as Abram and might have
been expected TO take the second choice.
made the first selection, and with mod
esty that must have made Abram smile,
said to him: "YOu may have the rocks
and the fine prospect; l Will take the val
lev of The Jordan with all its iuXuriance
OF cornfields. and the river to water the
docks, and the genial climate, and the
wealth immeasurable." So the cOntro-
yersy was forever settled and great
souled Abram carried out the suggestion
of the text: Let there be no strife, |
pray thee. between me and thee, and be-
tween my herdmen and tiny herdmen. is
not The whole land before Jhee?"
IA oil in Ef
nineteenth century, and in this beautiful
land. which was called America, after
Americas Vespucius, but ought 10 have
been called Columbia, after Its dlscoverer.
Columbus, we have wealth OF religious
privilege and opportunity that is posi-
lively bewiIdering. Churches OF all styles
of cTeeds. and OF all styles or government,
and all styles of worship, and all styles of
architecture. What Opulence of eccesi-
astical opportunity Now, while in desc
late regions there may be only one church,
and it must be that or nothing,
in the opuient districts OF
this country there is such profu-
sion that there ought to be no difficulty in
making a selection. No light about vest
ments, or between liturglcal or nom
liturgicsl adherents, or as to baDtismal
modes, or a handful OF water as COM
pared WITH river full. If Abram prefers
to dwell 10 the heights. where he can only
get a sprinkling from the clouds, let him
consent that cot have all the Jordan in
which to immerse himself. "Let there be
no STRIFE, pray thee, between thee and
me, and between thy herdmen and my
berdnen. Is not the whole lana before
tbeep'
Especially is it unfortunate when
families allow, at the breakfast, or dining,
or tea table, angry discussion as to which
is the best church or denomination, one
of hn 4nh Inn hsAn Id
never endure the rigid doctrines OF Pres.
byterianism, one at the other end re.
spending that she never could stand the
forms OF Episcopacy, and one at one side
OF the table saying he did not understand
how anybody could bear the noise in the
Methodist Churcn. and another declaring
all the Baptists bigots. There are hun.
dreds OF families n0pelesslv split on
ecclesiasticism, and in the middle OF every
discussion on such SUBJECTS, there Is 9
kindIing ofindlgnatIon, and IL needs some
old father Abram to come and put his foo
on the loaded fuse before the explosion
takes place, aud say: Let there be NJ
strife, pray thee, b.tween me aud thee
and between my herdmen and thy herd
men. Is not the " hole land before thee?
Iundert axe subject never before un
dertaken III any pulpit, for 1t ls an eX
ceedingly delicate subject, and if no
rightly banded might give serious
offense, but l approach 1t without the
slightest trepldatlou, for lam sure nav,
the Divine direction in the matters pro
pose TO present. IL Is a tremendous ques
tion, asked ali over Chrstendom, Otter
asked With tears, and sObs. and heart
breaks, ana involving the peace OF iami
lies, the eternal happiness of many souls
In matters of church attendance should
the wife go with the husband, or tn,
husband go with the wiief
First, remember that all the evangeli
cal churches have enough truth in then
TO save the soul, and prepare us Tor hap
piBess on earth and in Heaven. will x
with you into any well selected theology
cal library, and will show you sermout
from ministers in all denominations tina
sell Iorlh m IN as sinner and Christ as
deliverer from sin and sorrow. That II
the whole gospel. Get that into YOU
soul and you are fitted for the here anC
the hereafter. Tle worlG has TWEEN y-slx
letters IN its alphabet, and there are only
two letters in the gospel alphabel-S anC
g; 5 standing Tor our sin, Z standing fol-
Christ, our rescue, blessed be HIS glorious
name lOreverl In any churcn where you
can thoroughly learn these two letters
and all tht y sand for, you ought TO be
edited and happy. There are differences
We admit, and some denominations We