The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-09-13

lnahc REASONABLE demands upon us: but
the discipleship and worship of fashion is
death TO the body. and death to the soul
| am glad the werld is improving Look
at the fashion plates of the Seventeenth
and Eighteenth centuries, and you will
find that the world is not so extravagant
and extraordinary now as it was then,
and all the marvellous things that
the granddaughter will do will never
equal that done by the grandmother. Go
still farther back. to the Bible times, and
you find that in these times fashion
welded j more terrible Scepter. You
have only to turn to the third chapter
Of Isaiah, a portion of the Scriptures
from which I once preached to you
sermon, to read: Because the daugh-
ters of Zion are naughty, and walk with
stretched forth necks and wanton eyes,
walking and mincing as they go, and
making a tinkling with their feet: In
hat day the Lord will take away the
bravery Of their tinkling ornaments
ABOUT their feet, and their cauls, and
their round tires like the moon, the
chains, and the bracelets, and the
muffiers, the bonnets, and the head
| bands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
the rings, and the nose jewels, the
changeable suits of apparel, and
the mantles, and the wimples, and
the crisping pins, the glasses, and
the fine linen, and the hoods. and the
wells Only think of woman having
all that on am glad that the world is
| getting better, and that fashion, which
has dominated in the world so ruinously
i'll other days, has for little time. for a
! little degree at any rate, relaxed its en-
ergies. All the splendors and the ex-
travaganza Of this world dyed into your
! robe and flung over your shoulder cam
not wrap peace around your heart for a
single moment. The gayest wardrobe
will utter no voice of coincidence in
the day of trouble and darkness. That
woman is grandly dressed, and only
| she, who is wrapped in the robe of
! a Savior'S Righteousness. The home may
| be very humble, the hat may be very
| plain, the frock may be very coarse; but
the halo in heaven settles in the room
when she wears it, and the faintcst
! touch of the resurrection angel will
change that garment into raiment ex-
ceeding white, SO as no fuller on earth
could whiten it. I come to you young
cannot make you happy. l know it is
bright world with glorious sunshine, and
golden rivers, fireworked sunset, and bird
orchestra, and the darkest cave has its
CRYSTALS, and the wrathiest wave its foam
wreath, and the coldest midnight its
flaming aurora; but God will put out all
these lights with the blast of his own
nostrils, and the glories of this world will
perish in the final confagration. You
will never be happy until you get your
sins forgiven and allow Christ Jesus to
take full possession of your soul. He
will be your friend in every perplexity.
He will be your comfort in every trial
He will be your defender in every strait.
do not ask you to bring, like Mary, the
spices to the sepulcher of a dead Christ,
but to bring your all to the feet of a living
Jesus. His word is peace. His look is
love. His hand is help. His touch is
life. His smile is heaven. Oh, come,
then, in flocks and groups. Come, like
the south wind over banks of myrrh.
Come like the morning light tripping
over the mountains. Wreathe all your
affections on Christ's brow, set all your
gems i'll Christ's coronet. pour all your
voices into Christ's song. and let this
Sabbath air rustic with the wings of re-
joicing angels, and the towers of God
ring out the news of souls saved.
This world its fancied pearl may crave,
'Tis not the pearl for me;
Twill dim its luster in the grave,
Twill perish in the sea.
| Eut there's pearl of price untold.
Which never can be bought with gold;
O., that's the pearl for me.
The snow was very deep, and it was
still falling rapidly when, in the first
year of my Christian ministry, hastened
to see young woman die. 1t was /;
very humble home. She was an orphan
her father had been shipwrecked on the
banks of Newfoundland. She had earned
her own living. As I entered the room
| saw nothing attractive. No pictures
No tapestry. Not even a cushioned
, chair. The snow on the window case
,, ment was not whittier than the check o.
that dying girl. 1t was a face never
to be forgotten. Sweetness ant
majesty of soul, and faith in God
had given her matchleSs beauty
and the sculptor who could have caugh
the outlines of these features, and fr0zer
them into sto1c, would have made him
t sell immortal. With her large, brown
eyes she looked calmly into the grca
eternity. l sat down b. her bedside ant
said: Now tell me al your troubles, anc
SORROWS, and struggles. and doubts.
l Sae replied: L have no doubts o
struggles. 1t is all plain 10 me. Jcsu
has smoothed the way for my feet.
wish wien you go 10 your pulpit mex
: Sunday YOU would tell the young pcopl
Oh. death. where is thy sting:' Sir
, Talmage. wonder if this is not the bis
l Of dyinG:' | said: Yes, think it mus
D be-" fingered around the couch. The su
was setting. and her sister lighted
: candle. She lighted the candle for me
e The DIVING girl. the dawn of heaven i
: her face, needed no candle. rose t
60, and she said: Il thank you for com
ing. Good night. When we meet aGai
it will be i'll heaven-in heaven. Goo
night. Good night For her it wa
r good night to poverty, good night I
: death: but when the sun rose again
r was good morning. The light of anothc
5 day had burst in upon her soul. Goo
: morning. The angels were singing he
s welcome home. and the hand Of Chri;
G vas putting upon her brow garland
e Good morning! Her sun rising. He
:; palm waving. Her spirit exulting b
f fore the throne OF God. Good morning
t Good morning. The white lily of poI
n Margaret's cheek had blushed into til
r rose OF health immortal. and the snow
z through which we carried her to th
c country graveyard were symbols of tn;
i roLs which she wears. 50 white that L