Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-03-15
rALMAGE'S SERMON,
Pc Weekly Discourse Of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher
Subject: Ozark Sayings ON a
Harp"

luo "uIIu II luil OF Inb lle1pllCdDlb,
the impossible, the unfathomable, the insur-
mountable. We cannot 60 three steps
in any direction without coming up
against a hard wall OF mystery, rid
dies, paradoxes, profunditles, labyrinths
problems that We cannot solve,
heroglyphics that we cannot decIpher, ana
grams we cannot spell out, sphinxes that will
not speak. For that reason David in my
text proposed to take up some Of these somber
and dark things and try to set them to sweet
harp"
So look off Cpon society and find people
In unhappy conjunction of circumstances and
they do not know what it means and they
have right to ask: why is this} and WHY
y that? and l think l will be doing a
good work by trying to explain some of
these strange things and make you more
content with your lot and | shall only be
answering questions that have often been
asked me, or that we have all asked our
selves, while l try to set these mysteries
to music and open my dark sayings on a
harp.
Interrogation the first Why does God
take out of this world those who are useful
and whom we cannot spare and leave alive
and in good health so many who are only a
nuisance or a positive injury to the world9
l thought l would begin with the very
toughest of all the seeming inscrutables.
die at thirty or forty years of age, while you
often find useless people alive at sixty and
seventy and eighty. John Careless wrote to
Bradford, who was soon to be put to DEATH
saying: "Why doth God suffer me and such
other caterpillars to live that can do
nothing but consume the aims of the church,
aud take away so many worthy workmen
in the Lords vineyards" Similar questions
are often asked. Here are two men. The
one is a noble character and a Christian
man; he chooses for lifetime COM
panion one who has been tenderly
reared, and she is worthy of him and he is
worthy of her; as merchant, or farmer or
professional man, or mechanic, or artist, he
tolls to educate and rear his children; he is
succeeding, but he has not yet established for
his family full competency; he seems
absolutely indispensable to that household
but one day before he has paid off the mort
gage on his house he is coming home through
a strong northeast wind and a chill strikes
through him and four days of pneumonia
end his earthly career and the wife and
children go into a struggle for shelter
and food. His next door neighbor is a man
who, though strong and well, lets his wife
support him; he is round at the grocery
store or some general loafng place in
the evenings while his wife sews
his boys are initiating his ex-
ample and lounge and swagger and
pNettIN all GHe use GudU man IS III UnAJ mouse
Is to rave because the coffee is cold when he
comes to a late breakfast, or to say cult ng
things about his wife's looks when he furnish
es nothing for her wardrobe. The best thing
that could happen to that family would
be that mans funeral; but he declines to die;
he lives on and on and on. So we have all
noticed that many of the useful are early cut
of while the parasites of society have great
vital tenacity.
take up this dark saying on my harp and
give three or four thrums on the string in
the way of surmising and hopeful guess.
Perhaps the useful man was taken out of the
world, because he and his family were so
constructed that they could not have endured
some great prosperity that might have
been just ahead and they altogether
might have gone down in the
vortex of worlGliness which every year swal-
lows up ten thousand households. And SO he
went while he was humble aud consecrated
and they were by the seventies of HE kept
close to Christ and fitted for usefulness here
and high seats in heaven and when they meet
at last before the Throne, they will ackuowl-
edge that though the furnace was hot, it
purified them, and prepared them for an
eternal career of glory and reward for which
no other kind Of life could have fitted them.
On the the other hand the useless man
lived on to fifty or sixty, or seventy
years, because all the ease he ever can
have he must have in this world, and
you ought not, therefore, begrude him
his earthly longevity. In ali the ages
there has not a single loafer ever
entered heaven. There is no place for
him there sojhGng around. Not in the
temples, for they are full of the most
vigorous, alert and rapturous wor.
ship. Not on the river bank, for that is
the place where the conquerors recline.
Not in the gates, because there are
OnlfitnHpa and fold
that at each of the twelve gates, there is an
angel, and that celestial guard would not
allow the place to be blocked up with
oilers. If the good and useful &c
early, rejoice for them that they
have so soon got through with
human life, which at best is a struggle. And
If the useless and the bad stay, rejoice that
they may be out in the worlds fresh air 9
good many years before their final incarcera
ton.
Interrogation the second: Why do so many
good people have SO much trouble; sickness
bankruptcy, persecution, the three black vul
lures sometimes putting their fierce beak'
into one set Of jang ed nerves! / thinl
now of a good friend | once had. FL,
was a consecrated Christian man, an elder il
the church and as polished a Christian gen
tleman as ever walked Broadway. First hi
general health gave out and he hobbleC
around on cane, an old man at forty
After while paralysis struck him Having
by poor health been compelled sud
denly to quit business, he lost what property
ne had. Then his beautiful daua liter died
Then a son became hopelessly demented
Another son, splendid of mind anC
commanding of presence, resolved that h,
would take care of his fathers household
but under the swoop of yellow feve
at Fernandina, Fla, he suddenly ex
pired. So you know good men and womel
rhO Lnrr ho1 f,.1,, 81;
crush fifty people, No worldly philosophy
could take such a trouble and set it to music
or play it on violin or flute or dulcimer o
sackbut, but dare to open that dark saying
on gospel harp
You wonder that very consecrated peopl
have troubled Did you ever know any yer,
consecrated man or woman who had not ha,
great trouble: Never. 1t was through thei
troubles sanctifed that they were mad
very good. If you find anywhere in thi
city man who has now and Away
has had perfect health, and never los
child, and has always been popular an,
never had business struggle or misfortune
who is distinguished for goodness, pull you
wire for a telegraph messenger boy and sem
me word and | will drop everything an
go right away to look at him. Their
never has been man like that, an
never will be. Who are those arrogant
self-conceited creatures who NOV
about without sympathy for others and VIII
think more of ST. Bernard dog, or an A
derney COW, or Southdown sheep, or
BERKSHIRE pic than Of n MANI They nevp
lad any trouble, or the trouble was neve
eanctifed. Who are those men who lister
with moist eye as you tell them of suffering
and who have pathos in their voice and
a kindness in their manner and an ex
cuse or an alienation for those gone astray
They are the men who have graduated at tn,
Royal Academy Of Trouble and they havt
the diploma written in wrinkles on their owl
countenances. My myl What heartache
they had What tears they have wept VIVA
injustice they have suffered. The mighties
influence for publication and salvation
is trouble No diamond fit for crown I'm
til it is cut. No wheat fit for bread till 1t i
ground. There are only three things tina
can break off a chain-a hammer, file or
fire; and trouble is all three Of them Tit