The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-05-30
TALMAGK'S SERMON.
"New Springs of Joy" for Tsosa
Who Heed Gods Invitation.
The Religion of Jesus Astounding In that
Which Makes One Happy In Life
and Gives blessed Assur-
nnce in Death.

lyn Tabernacle New Springs OF Jcy."
His text was:
Thou hast given me a south land; give me
also springs OF water. Aud he gave her the
upper springs .and the neither springs.-Joshua
Nv. II
The City Of Debir was the Boston OF
nntiquity-a great place for brain and
books. Caleb wanted il, and he offered
his daughter Achsah as a prize to any
one who would capture that city. 1t was
n strange thing for Caleb to do; and yet
the man that could take the city would
have. at any rate, two elements Of man.
hood-bravery and patriotism. With
Caleb's daughter as a 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 done,
Othuiel comes back to claim his bride.
Having conquered the city, it is no great
job for him to conquer the girls heart,
for however nt-hearted woman her.
self may be she always loves courage
in man. / never saw an exception
to that. The wedding festivity
having gone by, Othnie! and Achsah are
about 10 go to their new home. However
loudly the cymbals may clash and the
when fondly- cherished daughter goes
off to stay; and Achsah, the 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 q wedding present to his
daughter a piece of land that was mount
ainous, 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 proper
ty; she wants piece of land that is WELL
watered and fertile. Now, it ia no wonder
thai Caleb, standing amidst the bridal
party, his eyes so full Of tears because
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 a south land; give me also springs Of
water" And he gave her the upper
springs, and the neither springs.
What a suggestive passage! The fact
Is, that as Caleb, the father, gave Achsah,
the daughter a 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 I want a larger portion.
Trees and flowers and grass and blue
skies are very we'll in their places; but he
who has nothing but this world for por-
ton has no portion at all. 1t is mount
ainous 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 1t.
What has been your experience? What
has been the experience of every man, of
every woman that has tried this world for
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: "You must strike off
my likeness without any shadOwsn' Ho-
garth, at the very height of his artistic
triumph, is stung almost to death
with chagrin because the paint
ing he had dedicated to the
King does not seem to be acceptable, for
George II. cries out: "Who is this Ho-
garth! Take his trumpery out of my
presence" Brinsley Sheridan thrilled
the earth with his eloquence, but had for
his last words: 81 am absolutely I'M
done" Walter Scott. fumbling around
the inkstand, trying TO write, says to his
daughter: "Oh, 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: II live the
life of galley slave; when l arise in the
morning my one effort is to work 50 hard
that | can sleep when 1t gets to be night. I"
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 go so far as that? used
to go no further than your street to find
an illustration Of what em saying.
Pick me out ten successful worldlings
without any religion, and you know
what | mean by successful wOrldlings-
pick me out ten successful worldlings,
and you can not find more than one that
looks happy. Care draGs him across the
bridge; caro- drags him back. Take your
stand at two O'Clock at the corner Of Mas
sau and Wall streets, or at the corner Of
Canal street and Broadway, and see the
agonized physiognOmies. Your bankers,
your insurance men, your importers, your
wholesalers and your retailers, as a class
as class, are they happy! No. Care
dogs their steps; and, making no appeal
to God for hell or comfort, they are tossed
everywither. How has it been with you,
my hearer? Are you more cOntented in
the house of fourteen rooms than you
were in the two rooms you had in house
when you started: Have you not had more
care and wOrriment since you won that
fifty thousand dollars 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 embarrass ments is that of the man
who has large estates. The men who COM
nit suicide because of monetary losses
are those who can not bear the burden
any more, because they have only one
hundred thousand dollars left.
On Bowling Green, New York, there is
a house where Talleyrand used to go. He
was a favorita man. All the world knew
him, and he had wealth almost unlimited,
yet at the close of life he says: Behold,
eighty-three years have passed without
any practical result, save fatigue of body
and fatigue Of mind, great discourage
ment for the future and great disgust for
the past" Oh, my friends, this is "a
south land" and it slopes off toward de-
serts Of SORROWS; and the prayer which
Achsah made to her father Caleb, we
make this day TO our Father 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 adyan-
tages given us than We can really appre.
ciate. We have spiritual blessings Of
fered US in this world which | shall call
the neither springs, and glories in the
world to come which l shall call the up