Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-05-30
JOYS OF RELIGION.
Dr.. Talmage on the Future Life of
Christians.
Worldly Success Without Religion Brings
Little True HappIness-The Christian
Always CheerfuI-Beauties OF
Heaven Depicted.

springs of water. And he gave her the
upper springs and the neither springs."-
Joshua XIV. 19 The preacher said:
The city of Debir was the Boston of an
tiuuity-a great place for brain and books.
Caleb wanted it and he offered his
daughter Achsah as prize to any one
who would capture that city. 1t was a
strange thing for Caleb to do; and yet the
man who could take the city would have,
at any rate, two elements of manhood
bravery and patriotism With Caleb's
daughter as prize to fight for, General
Othniel rode into the battle. The gates of
Debir were Numbered into the dust, and
the city of books lay at the feet of the
conQuerors. The work was done, Othniel
comes back to claim his bride. Having
conquered the city, it is no great job for
him to conquer the girls heart; for how
ever faint hearted a woman herself may
be, she always loves courage in man. l
never saw an exception to that. The
wedding festivity having gone by, Othniel
and Achsah are about TO go to their new
home. However loudly the GYM
balls may clash and the laughter ring
parents are always sad when a
fondiy cherished daughter goes off to
stay; and Achsah, tho daughter of Caleb
knows that now is the time to ask almost
any thing she wants of her father. 1t
seems that Caleb, the good old man, had
given as wedding present to his daugh-
ter piece of land that was mountainous,
and sloping southwark toward the deserts
of Arabia, swept with some very hot
winds. 1t was called "a south land. "
But Achsah wants an addition of prop
erty; she wants a piece of land that is
well watered and fertile. Now it is no
wonder that Caleb, standing amidst the
bridal party, his eyes SO full of tears be-
cause she was going away that he could
hardly see her at all, gives her more than
she asks. She said to him: ''Thou hast
given me q south land; give me also
springs of water. And he gave her the
upper springs and the neither springs"
What suggestive passage! The fact
is that as Caleb the father, gave Achsah,
the daughter, south land so God gives
to us His world. l am very thankful He
has given it to US. But am like Achsah
in the fact that l want a larger portion.
Trees, and flowers, and grass, and blue
skies are very well in their places; but he
who has nothing but this world for a por-
ton has no portion at all. lit is a mount
ninous land. sloping off toward the desert
of sorrow, swept by fiery siroccos; it is
"a south land" poor portion for any
man that tries to put his trust in it What
has been your experience? What has been
the experience of every man. of every
woman that has tried this world
for a portion? Queen Elizabeth. amidst
the surroundings of pomp, is unhappy be-
cause the painter sketches too infinitely
the wrinkles on her face, and she indig-
nantly cries out: ''YOI must strike off my
likeness without any shadows" Hogarth,
at the very height of his artistic triumph,
is stung almost to death with chagrin be-
cause the painting he had dedicated o the
King does not seem to be acceptable; for
George IL cried out: "Who is this Ho-
garth? Take his trumpery out of nv pres
ence." Brinsley Sheridan thrilled the
earth with his eioquence. but had for his
last words, Il am absolutely undone."
Walter Scott, fumbling around the ink
stand, tryinS to write, says to his dau gh-
ter: 90 take me back to my room; there
is no rest for Sir Walter but in the grave"
Stephen Girard. the wealthiest man in his
day, or, at any rate. only second in
wealth, says Il live the life of a galley
slave- when / arise in the morning nay
one effort is 10 work so hard that i can
sleep when it gets to be night" Charles
Lamb applauded of all the world. in the
very midst of his literary triumph says:
do you remember Bridget. when we
used to laugh from the shilling gallery at
the play? There are now no good plays to
laugh at from the boxes" But why 60 so
lar as that; used 10 go no further than
your street to find illustration of what l
am saying.
Pick me out ten successful wordlings-
without any religion, aud you know what
mean by successful wordings-pick me
out ten successful workings and you can
not find more than one that looks happy.
Care drags him across the bridge; care
drags him back. Take your stand at two
o'clock at the corner of Nassau and Wall
street, or at the corner of Canal street and
Broadway and see the agonizsd ply siog-
Monies. Your bankers, your insurance
men, your importers, your wholesalers
and your retailers as a class-as a class,
are they happy? No. Care dogs their
steps, and making no appeal to God for
help or comfort they are tossed every
whittier. How has it been with you, my
nearer: Are you more conteuted in the
house of fourteen rooms than you were in
the two rooms you had in a house when you
started: Have You not had more care and
worrimeut since you won that 500, 600 than
you did before: Some of the poorest
men / have ever known have been
those of great fortune. A man of small
means may be put in great business
straits. but the ghastliest of all embar-
easements is that of the man who has
large estates. The men who commit sui
eide because of monetary losses are those
who can not bear the burden any more
because they have only a hundred thou
sand left.
On Bowling Green, New York, there is
a house where Talleyrand used to go He
was a favorite man. All the world knew
him and he had wealth almost unlimited;
yet at the close of his life he says: BE
hold, eighty-three years have passed |
without any practical result save fatigue |
of ho ly and fatigue of mind. great dis |
ccura cement for the future and great dis |
gust for the past" Oh, my friends, this |
is "a south land" and il slopes off toward |
deserts of sorrows; and the prayer which |
Achsah made to her father Caleb, we |
make this day to ourfather, God: Thou |
hast given me a south land, give me also |
springs of water And he gave them the |
upper springs and the neither springs"
Blessed be God. We have more adj |
vantages given us than we can really |
appreciate. We have spiritual blessings |
offered u IN this word which ! shall call |
the neither springs and glories in the |
world to come which shall call the upper |
springs.
Where shall I find words enough thread |
ed with light to set forth the pleasure of |
religion. David. unable to describe it in |
words. played it on q harp. Mrs. Hemans, |
not finding enough power in prose, sings |