The Penn's Grove record., 1889-07-20
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON:
How to Make Friends.

iTlenuly. EEOti TO- -.
ABOUT the sacred and divine art OF
making and keeping friends l speak a
subject on which l never heard OF any
one preaching-and yet God thought II
of enough importance to put it in the
middle Of the Bible, these writings OF
Solomon, bounded on one side by the
popular Psalms of David, and on the
other by the writings of Isaiah, the
greatest of the prophets. It seems all
a matter of haphazard how manyfriends
We have, or whether we have any
friends at all, but there Is nothing
accidental about it. There il a law
which governs the accretion and disper-
sion of friendships. They did not ''just
happen so" any more than the tides Just
happen to rise or fall, or the sun Just
happens to rise or set. 1t is a science,
an art,
AGoD-GIvEN REGULATION.
Tell me how friendly you are to
others, and l will tell you how friendly
others are to you. l do not say you
will not have enemies; indeed, the best
way to get ardent friends is to have
ardent enemies, if you get their enmity
in doing the right thing. Good men
and women will always have enemies,
because their goodness is Il perpetual
j, rebuke to evil; but this antagonism of
foes will make more intense the love of
your adherents. Your friends will
gather closer around you because of the
attacks of your assailants. The more
your enemies abuse you the better your
conductors will think of you. The best
friends we ever had appeared at some
luncture when We were especially bonn
barded. There have been times in my
life when unjust assault multiplied my
friends, rs neal as l could calculate,
about fifty n minute. You are bound
to some people by many cords that
neither time nor eternity can break, and
l will warrant that many of those cords
were twisted by hands malevOlent.
Human nature was shipwrecked about
tifty-nine centuries ago, the captain OF
that craft, one Adam, and his first mate,
running the famous cargo aground on
a snag in the River Hiddekel; but there
was at least
ONE 600 TRAIT
of human nature that waded safely
ashore from that shipwreck, and that is
the disposition to take the part of those
unfairly dealt with. When it is thor
oughly demonstrated that some one is
being prosecuted, although at the start
slanderous tongues were busy enough,
defenders finally gather around as thick
as honey heas on q trellis of bruised
honeyshckle. If, when set upon by the
furies, you can have grace enough to
keep your mouth shut, and preserve
your equipoise, and let others fight
your battles, you will find yourselfafter
awhile with n whole gordon Of allies.
Had not the world given to Christ on
His arrival at Palestine a very cold
shoulder, there would not have been
one-half an many angels chanting glory
out of the hymn-books of the sky,
bound in black lids of midnight. Had
it not been for the heavy and jagged
and torturous Gross, Christ would not
have been the admired and loved of
more people than any being who ever
touched foot on either the eastern or
western hemisphere. Instead, therefore,
of giving up in despair because you
have enemies, rejoice in the fact that
they rally for you the most helpful and
enthusiastic admirers. In other wards.
there is no virulence that can hinder
MY text from coming true: "a man
that hath friends must show himself
friendly
1t Is my ambitionto project especially
upon the young a thought that may
benignly shape their destiny for the
here and the hereafter. Before you
show yourself friendly, you must be
friendly. do not recommend
,p.y,Arr,pD auNI.rpDv 2
There is such a thing as pretending
to be en- rapport with others, when we
are their dire destructants, and talk
against them, and wish them calamity.
Judas covered up his treachery by a re-
sounding kiss, and caresses may be
demoniacal. Better the NEUROLOGICAL
Cefberus, the three.headed dog of hell,
barking at us, than the wolf in sleeps
clothing, its brindled hide covered up
by deceptive wool, and its beautiful
howl cadenced into an innocent bleating.
Diaraeli writes Of Lord Manfred, who,
after committing many 9qtFages upon
the people, seemed suddenly to hecdme
friendly, and invited them toa banquet.
After most of the courses of food had
been served he blew a horn, which was
in those times a signal for the servants
TO bring on the dessert, but in this case
It Was the signal for aSsassins to enter
and STAY the guests. His pretended
friendliness was acruel fraud; and there
are now people whose smile is a false
hood. Before you begin to show your
self friendly
YOU MUST BE FRIENDLY.
Get your heart right with God and
man, and this grace will become easy.
You may by your Own resolution get
your nature into a semblance of this
virtue, but the grace Of God can SUBJ
timely lift you into it. Sailing on the
River Thames two vessels ran aground,
The owners of one got one hundred
horses, and pulled on the grounded
chip, and pulled it to pieces. The
pWhers of the other gPalnded vessel
waited till the tides came in, and easily
Aaated the ship out of all trouble. So,
we mn pull and haul at our grounded
human nature, and try to get it into
better condition; but there is nothing
like the oceanic tides of Gods uplifting
grace to hoist us into the kindness 1
am eulogizing. If, when under the
flash of the Holy Ghost, we see our own
f,,ibles and defecte and 'deppafitiGs, VIZ
viii be Very 1%enient, and very easy with
Others. We will look into their charac,
tiers for things commendatory and net
damnatory. # you would rub yoar
oWn eye 4 little mofe vigorously you
Would'i find a mote in 1t, the extraction
of which would keep yen 50 busy you
would not have much time to shoulder
your broadaxe, and go forth TO split up
the beam in your neighbours eye. In i
Christian spirit keep on exploring tht
characters of those you meet, and | an
sure You will find something in TIL N
htfoF
}, FOUNDATION OF FRIESDLINEss;
You invite me to come to your coun
try-seat, and spend a few days. Thanh
ypul l arrive about noon Of a beautiful
summer day, What do You do? Al
soon as l arrive you take me out under
the shadow of the great elms. You taxi
r me down to the artificial lake, the spot
tod trout floating in and out among tn.
white pillars of the pond-lilies. Yor
take me to the stalls and kennels wher,
Won kaar vour fine stock and here mr.,