Sharp County record., 1888-02-09
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Second Discourse of the Series to
the Women of America.
Advice as to this Choice of Hu'band-Au
Uncongen al Marriage Living Death
High, Worldly Marriages Not
Necessarily Happy.

dressed to the women OF America, DeN' l.
Dewitt Ta'mage took for his subject
"Marriage for Worldly Success Without
REGARD to Moral Character" His text
was.
And there was a man in Maon whose posses
sons were in Carmel; and the man was very
great, and he had three thousand sheep ana
thousand goats.-I Samuel, xXv.2.
DR.. Talmage said; My text introduces
us to drunken boat of large property.
Before the day of safety deposits and
government bonds and national banks
people had their investments in flocks and
herds, and this man, Nabal, Of the text,
had much of his possessions in live STOCK
He also came CT a distinguished family
ind had glorious Caleb for an ancestor.
But this descendant was a sneak, churl,
sot and fool. One instance, to Illus
trate: 1t was wool-raising country, and
at the time of shearing great feast was
prepared for the shearors; and David and
his warriors, who had in other days saved
from destruction the threshing floors
of Nabal sent to him ask
ing in this time of plenty, for
some bread for their starving men. And
Nabal cried out: "Who is David~ AS
though an Englishman had said: "Who
is WellingtonW or a German should say:
"Who is Won Moltke" or an American
should say: "Who is WashiDstonW
Nothing did Nabal give to the starving
men. and that night the scoundrel lay
dead drunk at home, and the Bible gives
us full-length picture of him sprawling
and maudlin and helpless.
Now that was the man whom Abigail,
the lovely and gracious and good woman,
married-a tuberose planted beside a
thistle, a palm branch twined into a
wreath of deadly nightshade. Surrey
that was not one of the matches made in
Heaven. We throw up our hands in
horror at that wedding. How did she
ever consent to link her destinies with
such creature Well, she no
doubt thought that it would be an
honor to be associated with an ariS-
tocratic family and no one can de-
spse a great name. Beside this, wealth
would come, and with it chains of gold
and mansions lighted by swinging lamps
of aromatic oil, and resounding with the
cheer of banqueters seated at tables laden
with wines from the richest vineyards
and fru it's from rpest orchards, and nuts
threshed from foreign woods, and meats
smoking in platters of gold set on by
slaves in bright uniform. Before she
plighted her troth with this dissipated
man she sometimes said to herself: "How
can endure him? To be associated for
life with such a debauchee | can not and
will notw But then, again, she said TO
herself: at is time l was married. and
this is cold world to depend on, and
perhaps might do worse, and may be
will make sober man out OF him, and
marriage is a lottery anyhow" And |
when one day this representative Of a
great house presented himself in a |
parenthesis of sobriety, and with an as
sumed geniality and gallantry of man.
ner, and with promises Of fidelity, and |
kindness and self=abnegatiea,~ Nsuae-
morning smiled on March squall, aud |
the great-souled woman surrendered her |
happiness to the keeping of this Infamous |
son of fortune whose possessions were in
Carmel; and the man was very great, and
he had three thousand sheep and one
thousand goats.
Good and genial character in man is
the very first requisite for woman'S
happy marriage. Mistake me not as
deprecative of worldly properties
There is q religious cant that would
seem to represent poverty as virtue
and wealth as a crime. | can take
you through a thousand mansions where
God is as much worshiped as he ever was
in a cabin. The Gospel inculcates the
virtues which tend toward wealth. In
the millennium we will all dwell in
palaces, and ride in chariots, and sit at
sumptuous banquets, and sleep under rich
embroderes, and live four hundred or
five hundred years; for if, according to
the Bible, in those times a child shall die
one hundred years old, the average of hu.
man life will be at least five centuries.
The whole tendency Of sin is toward pow
erty, and the whole tendency of right.
is toward wealth. Godliness is
profitable for the life that now is as well |
as for that which is to come. No inven- |
tory can be made of the picture galleries |
to God, and of sculpture and |
of libraries and pillared magnficence,
and of parks, and fountains, and gardens
in the ownership of good men and women.
The two most lordly residences in which |
was ever guest had morning and
evening prayers, all the employees pres
ent, and all day long there was an air of
cheerful piety in the conversation
and behavior. Lord Radstock carried
the Gospel to the Russian nobility. Lord
Cavan and Lord Cairns spent their vaca-
ton in evangeistic services. Lord Con-
gleton became missionary to Bagdad.
And the Christ who was born in an east
ern caravansary has again and again
lived in palace.
1t is a grand thing to have plenty of
money, and horses that don't compel you
TO take the dust of every numbering and
lazy yehice, and books of history that
give YOU glimpse of all the past, and
shelves of poetry to which you may go
and ask Milton, or Tennyson, Or Spencer,
or Tom Moore or Robert Burns to step
down and spend an evening with you;
and other shelves to which you may go
VIII 10 you feel disgusted with the shams
of the world and ask Thackeray to eX.
press your chagrin, or Charles Dickens to
expose the Pecksniflianism, Or Thomas
Carlisle to thunder your indignation, or
the other shelves where the old Gospel
writers stand ready TO warn and cheer US
VIII 10 they open doors into that city which
i, so bright the ncoaday sun is abolished.
There is no virtue in owning q EorSe