Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-05-19
What Shall IL Profit a Man II he Gain
TIE xorid and Lose His Own Soul?
Whe Saves his Soul Saves All
WHO Loses it Loses All.
Worldly Possessions Cause Trouble
and parplexity-Heayeniy
Possessions Joy.

Talmage, ID. d., told the congregation at
the tabernacle to-day that a malicious
%falsehood had gone through the country,
saying that at Il recent meeting Of the
officers Of the Thirteenth regiment at his
house, be had set before them four kinds
Of wine. He said: II viii pay a thous-
and dollars to any charitable institution
if il can be proved that one drop Of wine
or any other intoxicating liquor was of
fered in my house thai evening. The
twenty-five gentlemen present may be
called upon for testimony. Any three
respectable clergymCn or lawyers or de-
t%eCtiyes may be selected; they also 30 de-
eide what chaIity shall have the money.
| ask the newspapers all over the land,
which have been misled by the f%alsehood,
20 correct it,
The o%penenins hymn of the service be
gins:
salvation, O, the joyful sound,
It's pleasure 10 our ears
DR.. Talmage announced as the subject
Of the sermon Loss and Gain" and his
text was:
"Whst shall it profit a man, IL he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own sOul!"
Mark, viii, IS.
! am accustomed, Sabbath by Sabbath,
TO stand before an audience of bargain
makers. There may be men in all occu-
pations sitting before me, yet the vast
majority Of them, ! am very well aware,
are engaged from Monday morning to
Saturday night in the store. In many of
the families of my congregation, across
the breakfast table and the tea table are
discussed questions of loss and gain.
VI, ... l,. .rl,.,. ,4,.,,A,1r
"NNhat is the value Of this? What is the
value 0f that" You would not think of
giving something of greater value for
that which is Of lesser value. You would
not think OF selling that which costs YOU
ten dollars for five dollars. II YOU had
property that was worth fifteen thousand
dollars, you would not sell it for four
thousand dollars. You are intelligent IN
all matters of bargain making. Are you
rs wise in the things that pertain TO the
matters OF the soul? Christ adapted his
instructions to the circumstances of
those TO whom He spoke. When lie
talked to fishermen, He spoke Of
the Gospel net. When He linked TO the
farmers, He said "A sower went forth
to SOW When He talked to the shep-
hcrdsHe told them the parable of the lost
sheep. And an ! no. right when speak
ing this morning 10 an audience made up
OF bargain makers, that | address them
in the words Of my text, asking; what
shall il profit "A mau, if he shall gain the
whole world and lose his own sOulr'
| propose, as far as possible, to estimate
and compare the value Of two properties.
OF WORLD.
First. | have to say that the world is a
very grand property. Its flowers are
Gods thoughts IN bloom. lis rocks are
Gods thoughts in stone. It's dew drops
are Gods thoughts in pearl. This world
is Gods child "A wayward child indeed.
it has wandered off through the heavens.
But about eighteen hundred and eighty
eight wears agO, one Christmas night, God
sent out a sister world TO call that wan
derer back, and it hung over Bethlehem
only long enough to get the promise o.
the wanderers return. and now that lost
world. with soft feet OF light, comes
trcading back through the heavens. The
hill. how beautiful they billow up, the
edge of the wave white with the foam OF
%crocusesl How beautiful the rainbow,
tie arched bridge on which heaven
and earth com and talk to each other in
tears. after The storm is over, How MIN.
bic the feet Of the lamp-hghters that IN q
few minutes set all the dome of the night
ablaZe with brackets of fire, How bright
the oar OF the saffron cloud that rows
across the deep sea of heaven, How
beautiful the spring. with bridal blossom
i'm her hair! wonder who It Is tina
beats time on IA June morning for the blr'
orchestra. How gently the harcbcll toll'
its fragrance on the air. There may b'
graudcr worlds. swarthier worlds, large
worlds than this; but | think hat this j
a most exquisite world-a %mignonette OF
The bosom Of immcnsity! oh you say
'take my soul, give me that WORLD
am willing to take it in exchange. ! az
ready now for the bargain. It is SO beau
tiful a world, so sweet a world, SO CRANE
n worldr'
TIE VALUE or TIE WORLD.
But let us look more minutcly into tn
value of this worlu. You Will not bu,
property unless you can get a good tl'l'
TO II. After YOU have looked at tho prop
erty and found out that it suits you, yol
send an attorney to the public offices, am
he examines the book of deeds, and tn
hook of mortgages. and the book OF judg
ments. and the books of liens, and he dc
cides whether the title is good before yol
will have ANYTHING TO do with it. Their
might be "a splendid property, and Il
every way exactly suited to your want
but if you can not get a good title yo'
will not take it.. Now. | am here TIL
morning to say that it is impossible to &c
a good title TO this world. If l settl
down upon it, in the very year ! SO scttl
down upon it as "A permanent possession
Imay be driven away from 1t. Ay, Il
five minutes after | give up my SOU 10
the world | may have to part with IN
world: and what kind OF a utle 90 yo'
call that? There is only one way. j
which | can hold an earthly possession
and that is through the senses. All beau
tiful sights through the eye, but the ey
NAV be blotted out; al captivating sound
through the ear. but my ear may be deal
ened: all l|uciousness of fruit and Wand
through my taste. but my taste may d
destroyed; all appreciation of culture an
of art through my mind, but ! may los
nv mind. What a frail hold, then,
have upon any earthly possession