The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-02
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON
AT THE TABERNACLE-"A FAMILY
DIFFICULTY SETTLED"

Alphabet.
BROOKLYN, Nov. 2S.-The Rev. T. Dewitt
Talmage, D. D.. preached in the Brooklyn
Tabernacle this morning on the subject: I'm
Matters Of Church Attendance Should the
Wife Go with the Husband or the Husband
Go with the Wifes' The tabernacle still re-
tains the decoration of Thanksgiving day,
being specimens of American products from
the north, south, east and west. A vast COLI
gregation sang the opening hymn, beginning:
Come, let US join our friends above,
Who have obtained the prize,
And on the eagle wings Of love
To joys celestial rise
For the greater part, the hymns used in
DR.. Talmnges church are old and familiar,
and when the whole audience rises to sing,
led by Professor Ali, the cornetist, and Pro-
fessor Henry Eyre Browne, the organist, the
effect is overpowering.
DR.. Talnnge's text was from Genesis xiii,
S, o. 'Let there be no strife, pray thee, be-
tween me and thee, and between my herdmen
and thy herdmen. Is not the whole land be-
fore theer' DR.. Talmage said:
Uncle and nephew, Abrani and Lot, both
pious, both millionaires, and with such large
flocks of bleating sheep and lowing cattle
that their herdmen got into fight, perhaps
about the best pasture, or about the best
water privilege, or because the COW oil one
got hooked by the horns of the other. Not
their poverty Of opportunity, but their
wealth, was tho cause of controversy between
these two men. To Abranl, the glorious Old
Bedouin sheik, such controversy seemed ab-
surd 1t was like two ships qunrreling for
sea room in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
There was vast reach Of country, corn
fields vineyards, harvests and plenty OF
room in illimitable acreage. "Now," says
Abram: "Let us agree to differ Here are
the mountain districts, swept by the tonic
and sea breeze, and with wide reaching pros
pect, or there is the plain of the Jordan, with
tropical luxuriance. You may have either.
Lot, who was not as rich rs Abran, ana
might have been expected to take the second
choice, made the first selection, and with
modesty that must have made Abram smile,
said TO him: "You may have tue rocks and
the fine prospect; will take the valley oil
the Jordan, with all its luXuriancc Of corn
fields, and the river TO water the tlocEs, and
til" ;;caial climate, AMI the wealth imnleasur-
able" So the controversy was forever
settled, and great souled Abram carried out
the suggestion of the text: "Let there be no
strife, l pray three, between HE and thee,
and between my herdmen and thy herdmen.
Is not the whole land before thee?"
We'll, in this, the last quarter of the Nine
tce:lth century, and il this beautiful land,
which was called America, after Americus
VcSpucius, but ought to have been been
called Columbia, after its discovcrer, Column
bus, we have wealth of religious privilege
and opportunity that is positively bewllder-
ing. Churches of all styles of creeds, and OF
all styles of governments, AND all styles OF
worship, and all styles of architecture. What
opulence of ecclesiastical opportunity! Now,
while in deSolate regions there may be only
one church, and it must be that or nothing,
in the opulent districts Of this country, there
issucE profusion that there ought to be no
difficulty in making Il selection. No light
about vestmcnts, or between liturGlcal or
non-liuurGical uihcreuts, o. as to DaptlSmai
rodts. Or !; handful OF water rs compared
with u riverful. If Abram prefers to dwell
in the heights, where he can only get
srrinkling from the clouds, let him consent
that Lot have ali the Jordan i'll which to I'M
merse himself. "Let there be no strife,
pray thee, between thee and Inc, and between
thy hcr,lnea and my hcrdmen. Is noS the
whole lalrl before thee!"
Especially is it unfortunate when families
allow, ut the breakfast, OF dining, or tea ta-
bic. angry discussion us to which is the best
church OF denomination, one ut one end of
the table saying he could not endure the
= pF .l,,ssE in 'fsnf
the other end responding that she never
cautl stand the forms Of Episcopacy, and one
at onc side of the table saying hc did not
understand how anybody could bear the
noise in the Methodist church, and another
declaring all the Baptists biSotS. There arc
hundreds of families hopelesSly split On eccie'
siaslicisrl, and in the middle OF every discus
sion OIL such subjects there iSa liindling of
indignation, and it needs some Old father
Ablan to come and put his foot on the load
ed tusa before the explosion takes place, and
say: Let there be no strife, | pray thee, be-
tween III" anil thee, aud between my herd
mcn aul thy her;,ncn Is not the whole
land bcfore thee!'
l undertake. q subject never before under
taken in any pulpit, for it is all exceedingly
de!ic:,tc subject, and il not rightly handled
might give serious oiTcnSe; but approach it
without the slightest trepidation, for l am
sure I have the Divine direction in the
matters propose to present. 1t is trenen-
dous question, asked all over Christcndonl,
often asked with tears and sobs and heart
breaks. and involving the peace of families,
the eternal happiness of many souls: In
matters cf church attendance, should tho
wife 80 with the husband, or the husband 60
VITA tir wife:
First, rc.nc:nIcr that all the evangelical
churches have enough truth in them to save
the sn,:l ;,.r prepare us for happiness Oh earth
anl in heaven vii. so with you into any
Wei ,e.e ted theological library. and will
show YOU scrnolr froiA ministers in all de-
nominations that set forth man rs sinner
and Christ It's :, iciivcrci from sill and sorrow.
That is the whole gospel. Get that into your
SOL, and YOU are I.ttcd To-: the here and the
hereafter. The world has twcnty-SX letters
in il. a!p!lal,et, and there are Only two letters
IN tic y,>:,4 al itlan.t-S and c; 5 Standing for
orr sin. G. >t:;u,iiu. for Christ, our rescue,