The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-01-24
TALMAGES SERMON.
The Weekly Discourse Of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher
Subject, "Does Religion Pny."

TEXT: Goodness Is profitable unto all
thtngs, haring promise of the life that nop
and Of that ohich is TO come VI, Timothy
w., 8
a happy New Year to one and ALI
lhere Is gloomy and passive way OF
waiting for tho events OF the opening year
70 come upon us, and there is a heroic way
OF going out to meet them, strong in God and
fearing nothing, When the body Of Catiline
was found on the battle. field it was found far
IN advance OF all his troops and among the
enemy; and the Rest way is not for us to lilo
down and let the events Of life trampe over
us, but to go forth in Christian spirit de-
termined to conquer.
The papers were made out and some of
you have just entered into business partner
ships, and Others of YOU take higher positions
IN the commercial establishment where you
were engaged, and others have entered upon
new enterprises, and there were last week in
these cities ten thousand business changes,
You are expecting prosperity, and l am de-
termned, SO FAR as l have anything to do
with IT, that you shall not he disappointed,
and therefore | propose, as God may help me
TINS morning, to project upon your atten-
uon a new element of success You will have
IN the business firm, frugality patience in
oustry, perseverance, economy-a very
strong business firm, but there needs to be
one member added, mightier than then all,
ana not silent partner either-the one in
troduced by my text: Goodness which II
profitable unto all things having the prom
ise o, the NE that now is as well as OF that
which is to come"
suppose you are all willing to admit that
GOODNESS is important in its eternal rela-
tions; but perhaps some of you say: "All
want Is an opportunity to say prayer be-
Tore die, and all will be welln There are a
great many people who suppose that if they
can finally get safely out of this world into a
better world, they will have exhausted the
entire advantage of our holy religion. They
talk as though religion were a mere nod of
recognition which we are to give to the Lord
Jesus on our way up to a heavenly mansion;
as though 1t were an admission ticket, of no
use except to give mat the door of heaven.
And there are thousands of people who have
great admiration for a religion of the shroud,
ana a religion of the coffin, and religion Of
the bearse, and a religion of the cemetery,
VINO have no appreciation of religion for
the bank, for the farm, for the factory, for
the warehouse, for the jewelers. shop,
Tor the brokers' Office Now, while l would
not throw any slur on a post mortem
religion, l want this morning, and on the
hrst sabbath Of the new year, to eulogize an
ante norton religion. A religion that is of
no use to you while you live, will be of no
use to you when you die "Godliness is
profitable unto all things having the prom.
use OF the life that now is as well as of that
which is to Gomez And l have always
noticed that when the grace is very low in a
mans heart he talks great deal in prayer
meetings about deaths, and about collins, and
about churchyards have noticed that the
healthy Christian, the man who is living
near to God, and is Oh the straight road to
Heaven, is full Of jubilant satisfaction, and
talEs about the duties of this life, under
standing well that if God helps him to live
right He will help him to die right.
Now in fha Stylo I ,o,yk bo% "A
ilness IS good for mans physical health. l
do not mean to say that it will restore a
broken down constitution, or drive rheuma-
tlsm from the limbs, or neuralgia from the
temples, or pleurisy from the side; but do
mean to say that it gives one such habits and
puts one in such condition as is most favor.
able for physical health. That l believe,
and that l avow. Everybody knows that
buoyancy of spirit is good physical advan-
tage Gloom unrest detection are at war
with every pulsation of the heart, and with
every respiration OF the lungs. 1t lowers
the Vitality, 1t s'ackens the circulation, while
exhilaratlon of spirit pours the very balm Of
heaven through all the currents of life. The
scene OF insecurity which sometimes hovers
over an unregenerate man, or pounces upon
him with the blast Of ten thousand trumpets
OF terror, is most depicting and most ex-
hausting, while the feeling that all things are
working together for my good now, and for
ical health.
You will observe that Goodness induces
industry, which is the foundation of good
health. There is no law of hygiene that will
him, erysipelas will burn him, jaundice will
disco!or him, govt will cripple him, and the
intelligent physician will not prescribe anti
septic, or fearfuge, or anodyne, but saws,
and hammers, and yardsticks, md crowbars,
and pickaXes There is no such thing as good
nal
some kind, although you should sleep on
down OF swan, or ride in carriage of softest
upholstery, or have on your table all the lux.
nrles thai were poured from the wine watts Of
ispahan and Shiraz. Our religion says:
Away to the bank! away to the field! away
thing that will enlist all the energies of your
body, mind and SOUL" "Di!igent in bust.
ness, ferveht in spirit serving the Lord; .
while upon the bare back of the ider and
drone comes down the sharp lash Of the apos.
tie as he says: IF any man will not work,
neither shall be eat"
Oh, how important in this day, when so
much is said about anatomy and physiology
and Therapeutics and some new style Of
medicine is ever and anon springing upon
the world, that you should understand that
the highest school Of mGdicjEe is the school of
Christ, which declares that Goodness is
profitable unto all things having the promise
Of the life that now is as well as that which
Is to come" So if you start out two men in
the world with equal physical health, and
then one of them shall get the religion Of the
LORD Jesus Christ in his heart, and the other
shall not get it, the one who becomes a son
OF the Lord Almighty will live the longer
With long life will l satisfy thee, and show
thee My salvation"
Again l remark that Goodness is good for
the intellect. know some have supposed
mat Just as soon as a man enters into the
Christian life his intellect goes into be-
dwartng process. So far from that, religion
VIII give new prllnanccy TO tne intellect, new
strength to the imagination, new force to
the will, and wider swing to all the intel
lectual faculties. Christianity is the great
centra fire at which Philosophy has lighted
It's brightest torch. The religion OF the Lord
Jesus Christ is the fountain out Of which
learning has dipped its clearest draught.
The Helicon poured forth no such inspiring
waters as those which flow from under the
throne of God clear as crystal. Religion has
given new energy to Poesy, weeping in DR..
Young's Night Thoughts" teaching in
Cowper's, Task" flaming in Charles Wes-
sfesange hymns spend snd b nqshRs NTH NTH
toms Paradise Lost" The religion Of
Jesus Christ has hung in studio and in gal
]ery of art and in Vatican, the best pictures
-litian's Assumption" Raphaels ''Trans-
figuration,' Rebens's Descent from the
SAO,o Niduuoo DuTHiuR anu An
gclo's Last Judment" Religion has made
the best music of the world-Haydn's "Crea-
tion," Handel's messiah" Mozart's IRE
ouiem." Is it possible that religion which
builds such indestructible monuments, and
which lifts its ensign on the highest promon-
tories of worldly power, can have any effect
upon mans intellect but elevation and en-.
largement? Now, l commend Goodness as
the best mental :ipline--better than bellies
lettres to purify the taste, better than mathe-
matics to harness the mind to all intricacy
and elaboration, better than logic to marshal
the intellectual forces for onset and victory
1t will go with Hugh Miller and show him the
footprints of the Creator in the red sand
stone. 1t will go with the botanist and show
him celestial glories encamped under the
curtain of a water-lily. 1t will go with the
astronomer on the great heights where God
shepherds the great flock of worlds, that
wander on the hills Of heaven answering His
voice as He calls them all by their names
Again l remark that Goodness is profit
able for ones disposition. Lord Ashley, be-
fore he went into a great battle, was heard
to offer this prayer: 80 Lord, l shall be very
busy to-day; if forget Thee, forget me not
With such Christian disposition as that, a
man is Independent Of all circumstances.
Our p.ety will have tinge of our natural