The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-05-11
LOSS AND GAIN.
DIVINE SERVICES At THE BROOK
lYN TABERNACLE.

Witt Talmage, d. D., told the congrega-
ton at the tabernacle today that ma
lcious falsehood had gone through the
country. saying that at recent meeting
of the officers of the Thirteenth regiment
al his house he had set before them four
kinds of wine. He said ~ will pay
81, 900 to any charitable institution II 1t
can be proved that one drop OF wine or
any other intoxicating liquor was offered
In my house that evening. The twenty.
five gentlemen present may be called
upon for testimony Any three respect
able clergymen or lawyers or detectives
may be selected; they also to decide
what charity shall have the money. l
ask the newspapers all over the land,
which have been nisied by the false
hood, to correct Il"
The opening hymn Of the service be-
gins:
Salvation o. the Joyful sound.
Tis pleasure to our ears
Dr.. Talmage announced as the subject
of the sermon. "Loss and Gain, and his
text was: "What shall it profit man, If
he shall gain the whole world. and lose
his own souiP" Mark viii, 30.
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, I 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.
You are every day asking yourself:
'sWhat is the value Of thisS What Is the
value of that2" You would not think OF
giving something Of greater value TOR
that which is of lesser value. You would
not think of selling that which cost
YOU $40 for S.. If you had prop
erty that was worth $4,000 you would
not sell it for $4,000. You are intelligent
in all matters of bargain making. Are
YOU as wise in the things that pertain to
the matters of the soul2 Christ adapted
his instructions to the circumstances OF
those to whom he spoke. When he
talked to fishermen, he spoke of the Cos
pel net. When he talked to the farmers,
he said: "A sower went forth to sow.
When he talked to the shepherds, he told
the parable of the lost sheep. And am
not right when speaking this morning to
an audience made up of bargain makers
that address them in the words OF my
text, asking: "What shall it profit
man, if he shall gain the whole world. and
lose, his own soul?"
/ propose, as far as possible. to esti-
mate and compare the value Of two prop
critics.
First. I have to say that the world is
very grand property. The flowers are
Gods thoughts in bloom. 1ts rocks are
Gods thoughts in stone. Its dewdrops
are Gods thoughts in pearl This world
If Gods childSa wayward child indeed;
it has wandered off through the heavens
But about 1883 years ago. one Christmas
night. God sent out a sister world to call
that wanderer back. ana it hung over
Bethlehem only long enough to get the
promise of the wanderers return, and
now that lost world, with soft feet of
light. comes treading back through the
heavens. The bills. how beautiful they
billow up, the edge Of the wave
white with the foam Of crocuses.
How beautiful the rainbow, the
arched bridge On which heaven
and earth come and talk to each other in
tears, after the storm is overl How
nimble the feet of the lamp lighters that
in few minutes set all dome of the
night ablaze with brackets Of frel How
bright the oar Of the saffron cloud that
rows across the deep sea of heaven!
How beautiful the spring. with bridal
blossoms in her hairl l wonder who it
is that beats time on June morning for
the bird orchestra. How gently the
harebell tolls its fragrance on the air.
There may be grander worlds, swarthier
worlds, larger worlds than this; but
think that this is most exquisite world
"a mignonette on the bosom of i'm
mensity! "Oh," you say, take my
soul! give me that worldl am willing
to take it in exchange. lam ready now
for the bargain. It is so beautiful a
world, so sweet world, SO grand a
worldr'
But let us look more infinitely into the
value of this world. You will not buy
property unless you can get good title
to it. After you have looked at the
property and found out that it suits you,
you send an attorney to the public Office,
and he examines the book of deeds, and
the book of mortgages, and the book of
judgments. and the book of liens, and he
decides whether the title is good before
you will have anything to do with it.
There might be a splendid property, and
in every way exactly suited to your want
but If you cannot get good title you
will not take it. Now, l am here this
morning to say that it is impossible to get
good title to this world. If l settle
down upon it, in the very year l SO
settle down upon it as a perma-
nent possession may be driven
away from it. Ay, in five minutes
after give up my soul for the world
may have to part with the world; and
what kind of title do you call that
There is only one way in which l can
hold an earthly possession, and that is
through the senses. ALI beautiful sights
through the eye, but the eye may be
blotted out; all captivating sounds
through the ear, but my ear may be
deafened; all lusciousness of fruits and
viands through my taste, but my taste
NAV be destroyed; all appreciation of