The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-13
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: Ozark Sayings on a Harp

SuuJeCI' Darh say iHRS OH d hdFp'
TEXT: "I1ciU open my darr: sayings on
a hurp."-Psalm of David, Xix, 4.
The world is full of the inexplcable,
the impossible. the unfathomable, the insur-
mountable. We cannot 60 three steps
in any direction without coming up
against hard wall of mystery. rid
dies, paradoxes. profunditie', labyrintths,
hieroglyphics that we cannot declpher, 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
music: II will open my dark sayings on a
harp"
So look off upon society and find people
in unhappy con junction of circumstances and
they do not know what it means and they
have a right to ask: why is this? and why
Is that? and I think ! will be doing
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
harp.
take out of this world those who are useful
ana WDOm We c9uIot spare anu leave diife
and in good health so many who are only
nuisance or positive injury to the world!
thought / would begin with the very
toughest Of all the seeming inscrutables
Many of the most useful mon and women
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
saying: why doth God suffer me and such
other caterpillars to live that can do
nothing but consume tho aims Of the church,
and take away so many worthy workmen
in the Lords vineyard" Similar questions
are often asked. Here ara two men. The
one is nobls character and Christian
man; be 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
strong northeast wind and chill strikes
through him and four days of pneumonia
end his earthly career and the wife and
children 60 into struggle for shelter
and food. His next door neighbor is man
who, though strong and we'll, lets his wife
support him; he is round at the grocery
store or some general loafing place in
his boys are initiating his ex.
ample and lounge and swageer and
swear; all the use that man is in that house
is to rave because the coffee is cold when he
comes to late breakfast, or to say cutting
things about his wifs's looks when he furnish
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
off while the parasites of society have great
vital tenacity.
I take up this dark saying on my harp and
givo 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, teca Sc he and his family were 80
constructed that they could not have endured
some great prosperity that might have
been just ahead anl they altogether
might have gone down in the
vortex OF worldliness which every year swal-
lows up ten Thousand households. And 80 he
went while he was humble aud consecrated,
and they were by the seventies of lie kept
close to Christ anil fitted for usefulness here
and high seats in heaven; and when they meet
at last before the Throne, they will acknowl-
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 tittel them.
On the the other hand, the useless man
lived on to fifty or sixty, or seventy
years, because all the oase ke ever can
have he must have in this world, and
you ought not, therefore, besrude him
his earthly longevity. In AL the ages
there has not a e single loater ever
him there to hang 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
multitudes entering. and we are told
that at each of the twelve gates. there is an
allow the place to be blocked up with
idlers. If the good and useful go
early, rejoice for them that they
have so soon got through with
human life, which at best is a struggle. And
il the uset IS and the bad stay, rejoice that
they may be out in the worlds fresh air a
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-
tures sometimes lutting their fierce beaks
into one set CT lang ed nerves? / think
now Of a good friend l once had. He
was consecrateu SnIlStlan mau, an eIuerln
the church and as polished a Christian gen.
tleman as ever walked Broadway. First his
general neaitn gave OUT ana ne noDpled
around on a cane, an old man at forty
After while paralysis struck him. Having
by roor health been compelled sud.
denly to quit business, lie lost what property
he had. THIN his b'autiful dau! hter died.
Another son. splendid of mind and
commanding Of presence, resolved that he
would take care OF his fathers household,
but under the swoop OF yellow fever
at Fernandina, F.a., he suddenly ex-
pired. So you know GOOD men and women
who have had enough troubles, you think, to
crush fifty people. No worldly philosophy
could take such trouble and set it to music,
or play il on violin or flute or dulcimer or
sackbut. but dare to open that dark saying
on gospel harp.
You wonder that very consecrated people
have troubles Did you ever know any very
consecrated man or woman who had not had
great trouble' Never. 1t was through their
troubles sanctifed that they were made
city a man who has now and always
has had perfect health, and never lost
a child, and has always been popular, and
never had business struggle or misfortune,
who is distinguished for goodness, pull your
wire for telegraph messenger boy and send
me WORD and 1 Will drop everything and
go right away to look at him. There
never has been man like that, and
never will be. Who are those arrogant,
self-conceted creatures who move
about without sympathy for others and who
think more Of St Bernard dog, or an AL
derney COW, or Southdown sheep, or q
BERKSHIRE pig than OF a man? They nnv"r
had any trouble, or the trouble was never
sanctitied. Who are those men who listen
with moist eye as you tel them Of suffering
and who have pathos in their voice and
O kindness in their manner and an eX.