West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-03-07
TALMAGE's HARP.
SWEET MUsIcFoR THE MASSES,
Tho Only Instrument the brooklyn
Preacher Plays,

q horp."-Psalm OF David, Xix, T.
The world is full OF the inexplicable,
the impassable, the unfathomable, tue insur'
mountable. We cannot 60 three steps
I'm any direction without coming r1p
against hard wall OF mystery, rid.
dies. paradoxeS. profundities. labyrinths
problems that we cannot solve.
hier0glyphics that we cannot december ana
grams we cannot spell out, sphinxes that viii
not speak. For that reason David i'm my
text proposed to take up some OF these somber
and dark things and try 10 set them 20 sweet
music: II will open my dark sayings ON o
harp
SO look off upon society and find peopl.
In unhappy conjunction of circumstances and
they do not know what IL means and the,
have a right to ask why Is thisi and whi
Is thats and l think ! will DO doing a
good work by trying TO explain some Of
these strange things and make YOU more
content with your lot. aud shall only be
enswering questions that have often been
asked me, or that we have all asked our.
selves, while l try to set these mysteries
harp O
Interrogation the first: Why does God
take out of this world those who are useful
and whom wo cannot spare and leave alive
ana In good health so many who are only
nuisance or positive injury TO the worldj
1 Thought / would begin with the very
ssou8nest OF ali the seeming inscrutableS
Many OF the most useful men and women
uio at thirty or forty years OF age, while Won
often find useless people alive ut sixty and
seventy and eighty. John Careless wrote 10
Bradford, who was soon to be put to death
saying: why doth God suffer nue. and such
other caterpillars TO live that can do
nothing but consume the aims OF the church
ana take away so many worthy workmen
IN the Lords vineyardp Similar questions
are often asked. Here are two men Tha
one Is noble character and Christian
man; he chooses for lifetime com.
panion one who has been tenderly
reared, and she is worthy Of him and no Is
worthy OF neri as merchant, or farmer, or
professional man. or mechanic, or artist, he
COILS 10 educate and rear his children: he IL
succeeding but he has not vet established for
his family full competency: he seems
eosolutey indispensable TO that household
out one day before he has paid off the mort,
gage on his house he is coming home throuob
a strong northeast wind and chill strikes
through him and four DAYS OF pneumonia
ehn end his earthly career and the wife and
chlloTen 90 into q struggle for shelter
and food. His next door neighbor is n man
VINO. though strong and well, lets his wife
support him; he il round at the Rrocerv
s store or some general loafing place In
MS boys are initiating his ex.
ample and lounge and swaeger ana
swear; oil the use that man is I'm that bonse
Is TO rave because the coffee Is cold when he
things about his wife's looks when he furnish
es nothing for her wardrobe. The best thing
that could happen to that family ,vonid
oe mat mans funeral; but be declines TO die:
ne liVes on and on and on. So we have ali
nouced that many OF the useful are early emf
vital tenacity b'e"'
take up this dark saying on my harp aud
give three or four thrums on the string In
the. way Of surmising and hopeful o1Iess
Perhaps the useful man was taken out az the
world, because he and his family were so
constructed that they could not have endured
some great prosperity that might have
might JUST ,y ahead o and they altogether
1850 lave -, gone down in the
vortex OF worldliness which every y.ar sV,,,I
lows up ten thousand households And 40 he
went while he was humble aud consecrated
aila tney we're by the seventies OF life kept
close TO Christ and fitted for usefulness here
anq hlgh seats in heaven; and when they meet
AZ last before the Throne, they will ackno,yl-
edge that though the furnace was hot IL
purlned them. and prepared them for an
eoernal 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
Sears, because all the ease he ever cei,
nave ne must have In this world and
you ought not, therefore, begrude him
ols earthly longevity. In all the ages
snere mas not a single loafer ever
sileerea heaven There is no place for
uiIn there 20 hang around Not I'm tbs
temples, for thoy are fun OF the most
vigorous alert and rapturous wor.
ship. Not on the river bank. FOR that e
the place where the conquerors reclIne
TOT IN the gates, because there are
mtaitltndes entering, and we are told
that at each OF the twelve gates. there Is an
angei, and that celestial guard would not
SLOW SLOW the place to be blocked up with
oilers the good and useful 90
early, rejoice for them that tbsv
have 50 soon got through with
human life which at best is a str,1Sgle All
~ " the useless and the bad stav, re olce that
they may be out In the worlds fresh air
good many years before their final ip carcsra.
Interrogation the second: Why do so MANY
good people have so much trouble: sickness
bankruptcy, persecution, the three black vul.
slfs sometimes putting their fierce beaks
lnIo one set of tangled newest ] think
DOW OF a good friend I once had. He
was consecrated Christian man an elder in
the church and as polished a Christian gen
ueInan as ever walked Broadway. First bis
EebeIat health gave out and ne hobblad
around on a cane, an old man at forty
Aibef Whiie paralysis struck him HAVING
9y POOR health been compelled suI
ee1iy 70 GUT business, he lost what property
ne nhd. linen bis beautiful daua liter died
lnen son became hopelesslv dernentod
another son. splendid OF mini and
complaining OF presence, resolved that 10
would take care Of his fathers household
&c Fernandina. Fla, be suddeniv eT
piTel 30 you know good men aud woman
y no have had enough troubles. Won tbinL ~
crush fifty people No tyorIIfv ~, - -
cOuio take such trouble and set n 10 rnusiS
OF pio1 it on violin or flute or duicirnor a.
tackbut but dare 20 open that DARK SAVING
on gospel harp. 'b
on wonder that very cCnseeratel uaorls
nave troub.oi Did you ever know anv Wv
tonBecrated man OF woman who had not ~
great troubief Never 10 was tbrougb t,1eit
troubles sanctihed that they ygers ,1sds
very good. II you find anywhere I'm tbi,
CITY man who has now and eivev,
na5 had perfect health, and never IA
. tilll ana hes alwaya been popular. and
never had business struggle or misfortnno
VINO is distinguished for goodneqs r.nii ,,ort
"fo loI telegraph messenger boy and send
NC WORT and ] VIII drop everything az
50 rSht away % look at him Tbsrs
never has been q man like that go
meyer VIII be. Who are those arroganf
h-CehctiHn creatures who Tuove
ayoet without sympathy for others and wiz
tplhh more OF 81 Bernard dog. or en- al
ntfneY COW, or a EouthdOwn sheen or
r"fhWe 20 than NJ @ mani NOV nav
nad any trouble, or the trouble was roger
tanctined. Who are those mon who Fsfe-
WIN moist eye 8s you tell them Of euworI,y
3d. Weo have pethos GA their voice and
kindness On their manner ana .n ~
-t-e ~ en- ulioFiatiOn for those gone oefrsvs
Trey are che men who have era irafoli otfk.
eoyM Academy n Trouble auI thew have
80 oipona written in wrinkles on their own
s s,' ,enaneeA Ny. my What heartacbeq
10y na1i what tears they have wept What
lnlustice they have suffered Tho 'rtf,hti.-f
a.