The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
THE SAVING LOOK.
Rev, T. De Witt Talmage's Intended
Discourse at the Taber nacle.


'BDooKLYs. Oct. 18-[Special. 1.-The de-
struction of the Brooklyn Tabernacle by fire
at an early hour this morning prevented the
usual Sunday services. The manuscript OF
the following sermon was handed to the re-
porters who called upon Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage at his home. DR.. Talmage said it
was the discourse he intended to deliver this
morning, aud requested that it be printed
with this explanation:
The subject of his sermon was 1.-THE Saving
Look" and the text Hebrews xii, 3: "Look-
ing unto Jesus"
In the Christain.life We must not go slip
shod. This world was not made for us to
rest in. In time Of war you will find around
the.streets of some city, far from the scene OF
conflict, men in soldiers uniform, who have
a right to be away. They obtained fur
Tough and they are honestly and righteous!y
off duty; but have to tell you that In
this Christian conflict, between the first
moment when we enlist under the banner OF
Christ, and the last moment in which we
shout the victory, there newer will be single
instant in which Ne will have right to be of
duty. Paul throws all around this Christian
life the excitements ofthe old Roman and
Grecian games-tht Use games that sent a man
u
muscle, that sonnet mes when he came up to
the goal, he dropItd down exhausted. In
deed history tells that there werecases where
men came up and only had strength just to
grasp the goal and then tall dead. Now. says
this apostle making allusion to those very
crawl.it, not to walk it-but run the race
set before us, looking unto Jesus" and just
-asin the olden time. a man would stand at
the end of the road With beautiful garland
that was to be put srOund the head or brow
-ofthe successful racer SO the Lord Jesus Christ
stands at the end offhe Christian race with
the garland Of eternkl life, and may God
grant that by his hdy spirit We may SO run
as to obtain.
The distinguished Feliston, the chemist
vas asked where hisiAboratory was, and the
lpQulrers expected tOlbe shown some large
apartment filled withkery expensive apara-
gus; but Welfiston o&ered his servant to
Orlng on tray Eyeglasses and a retort,
and he said to the indlirers: "That is all my
laboratory. make III my experiments with
those." Now, oTfhat there are great
many who take while library to express
their theology. TheJhave SO many theories
on 1000 things; but have to soy that all
my theology is comfassed in these three
words: Looking urfo Jesus" and when
We can understand tif height and the depth
and the length and tie breadth and the in
unity and the intensity of that passage we
can understand all.
I'remark in the first place, We must look to
Christ as our person l Savior. Now, you
know as well as that man is only q blasted
ruin OF what he once Was. There is not SO
much difference between a vessel coming out of
Liverpool harbor, with pennants flying and
the deck crowded with good cheer, and the
gums booming, and that same vessel driving
against Long Island coast. the drowning
passengers ground to pieces amid the timbers
OF the broken up steamer, as there is between
man as he came from the hands of God,
equipped for grand and glorious voyage:
but afterward. through the pilotaee Of the
devil tossed and driven and crushed, the
cOast OF the new future strewn with the frag-
ments of an awful and eternal shipwreck. Our
body is wrong. How easily il is ransacked
OF disease. Our mind is wrong. How hard
1t is to remember and how easy to forget.
The whole nature disordered, from the crown
OF the head to the sole of the foot-w ounds,
bruises, putrefying sores. GAN have sinned
and come short OF the glory OF God" BY
one man sin entered into the world and death
by sin, and SO death has passed upon all
men for that all have sinned." There is in
Brazil plant they call the murderer" for
the simple reason that it is so poisonous it
kills almost everything it touches. 1t begins
to wind around the roots of the tree, and
coming up to the branches reaches out to the
ends OF the branches, killing the tree az it
goes along. When 1t has come to the tip end
OF the branch the tree ia dead Its seeds fall
to the ground and start other plants just as
murderous
And SO tits with sin. tits poisonous plant
that was planted in our soul q long while
ago, and it comes winding about the body
and the mind and soul poisoning, poisoning.
poisoning-killing, killing, killing as it goes.
Now, there would be no need of my discourse
ing upon this if there were NO way of pluck
ing out that plant. 1t is q most inconsider-
ate thing for me to come to man who is in
financial trouble and enlarge upon his trou-
hle if l have no alienation to offer 1t ia an
unfair thing Tor me to come to O man who is
sick and enlarge upon his disease if have no
remedy to offer. But have u right to come
to a man in financial distress or physical dis
tress if have financial reinforcement to offer
or sure cure to propose. Blessed be God that
among the mountains of our sin there rolls
and reverberates a song of salvation.
Louder than all the voices of bondage is
the trumpet of Gods deliverance, sounding:
-'Oh. Israel, thou hast DESTROYED thvself
but in me is thy help" At the barred gates
Of our dungeon, the conqueror knocks. and
the hinges creak and grind at the swinging
open. The famine struck pick up the mama
that falls in the wilderness and the foods
clap their hands, saying: Drink, oh thirsty
soul, and live forever" and the feet that
were torn ana -deep cut on the rocky bride
path OF sin now come into q smooth place.
and the dry alders crackle as the painting
heart breaks through to the water brooks
and the dark night of the soul begins to grow
gray with the morning, yea to purple. Yea to
lame, from horizon to horizon. The batter
he's of temptation silenced. Troubles that
fought against M captured and made to fl0ht
on our side. Not as result OF any toll or
trouble on our part, but only as q resell OF
Looking unto Jesus" "But what do Won
mean by Looking unto Jesus?' someone in
quires. mean faith. what do you mean
by faith?" mean believing. "What do Won
mean by bslisving7" mean this If Won
promise to do . certain thing for me, and
have confidence in your veracity-if you
say you will give me such thing and need
1t very much, come in confidence that you
are an honest man and will do what you saw.
Now, the Lord Jesus Christ says: "You are