Democratic messenger., 1889-05-11
DAYS LIVED OVER.
DIR. Talmage's Sermon at the
Brooklyn Tabernacle.

to-day the Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, d.
d., preached sermon on the subject
"Other Days Lived Over" and made ref
crence TO the falsehOod that he had advO.
Gated misccgenaii0n Of the white and
black races. The vast congregation sang
the hymn beginning:
Our God. our help In ages past.
Our hope Tor years TO come.
DIR. Talmagc's text was Deuteronomy viii
2; "Thou shalt remember all the way
which the Lord thy God led thee" Tic
said:
Before entering on my subject wish 10
say tla, some newspaper correspondents
referring 10 a recent sermon In which
welcomed foreign nationalties to this
country, have said that l advocated as a
desirable thing the intcrmarriagc Of the
white and black races. never said so,
never thought so, and any one who so
misrcpresents that sermon Is either vii
liar or fool. perhaps both.
But TO open this mornings subject
have to say God In the text advises the
people to look back upon their past histo-
ry. II will do us all good to rehearsc the
scenes between this May morning and our
cradle, whether II was rocked in country
or town. a few days ago, with my sister
and brother, l visited the place of my boy.
hood II was one Of the most emotional
and absorbing days Of my life There
stand the old house, and as went through
the rooms l said: IL could find my way
here with my eyes shut, although have
not been here IN 40 years" There was
the sitting room where large family
group every evening gathered, the most
Of them now in "a bc,tcr world. There
was the old barn where we hunted for
Easter eggs. and the place where the
horses stood. There Is where the orchard
was. only three or four trees now left of
all the grove that once bore apples, and
such apples. too. There is the brook
down there which we rode to the water
ing ofthc horses bare. back and with rope
halter. We alsn visited the cemetery
where many Of our kindred are waiting
for the resurrection, the old people side
by side. after n journey together Of 60
years only about three years between the
time of thcir going There also sleep the
dear old ncighbOrs who uscd to tie their
horses under the shed of the country
meeting. house aud sit nj the end of the
pew singing Duke Street and "l,alcr.
ma" and Antioch Oh they were glori.
Gus race Of rcn and women who did their
work well, raised splendid lot of boys
and girls, and are now. as TO their bodies.
in silent ncighborhOod on earth, but as To
their souls in jubilant ncighborhood be-
fore the throne of God. | feel that my
journey and visit last week did me good,
and il would do you all good, if not in
person then in thought, 10 revisit the
scenes of boyhood or girlhood. Thou
shalt remember all the way which the
Lord thy God led thee"
Youth is apt too much To spend MI its
time in looking forward. Old age Is ap,
too much TO spend all its time in looking
backward. People in middle and on the
apex look both ways. II would bc well
for us, ! think, however, to spend more
time in rcminisccnce. by the constitu.
tion of our nature we spend most Of the
time looking forward. and the vast major.
iiy of this audience live not So much In
the present rs IN the future. find that
you mean Ia make reputation. you mean
to establish yourself, and the advantages
tha, you expcc, to achieve absorb n great
deal Of your time. But see no harm in
this If il does not make you ,liscontcntcd
with the present or disqualily you for ex-
is,ing duties.
STIRRING UP THE MEMORY.
II is u useful thing sometimes to look
back, and Ia see the dangers we have rs
capped, and 10 sce the sorrows We have
suffered. and the trials and w0ntlcrings of
our earthly pilgrimage, and To sum up
our cnjoymcn,s. mean this morning,
81 far ms God may help me. To stir up your
memory OF the past, 81 that in the review
you may bc encouraged. and liumhlcd. aud
urged 10 pray.
Among The greatest advantages of your
past life was an early hnmc and It's sur.
roundings. The had men oi the day. for
the most part, dip their heated passions
ont of The boiling spring of an unhappy
home. We are moi surprised Ia find that
Byron's heart was n concentration of sin
when we hear that his mother was alan.
loncd. and that sho male sport of his
iniirmiiy. and often called hlm "the lame
brat" lie who has vicious parents has
To fight every inch of MS way if he would
maintain his integrity. and at last rcacl,
the home of the good in Heaven.
Perhaps your early home was In the
city. II may have been in the days when
Canal street. New York. was far up town
and the sight of this present church was
an excursion inio The country. That old
house in the city may have been dcmolisl,.
eel or changed inio stores, and II seemed
like sacrilcgc to you. for there was more
meaning In that plain house. in that small
house, than there Is in granite mansion
or "a inrrcicd cathedral. l.ooking back
this morning ynu scc il ~ though il were
yesterday The sitting. room. where the
loved ones 81, hy he plain lamplighi. the
mother ut the evening stand. the brothers
and sisters. perhaps long ago gathered
into the skies, then plotting mischief on
the iloor or under the table. your father
with firm voice commanding n silence
that lasted half a minute.
Oh. those were good days. lfyOu had
your iooi hurt. Your mother always had a
soolhing salye To heal Il. II you were
wrongei in the street your father wa.
always ready io protect you. The year
was one round of frolic aud mirih. Your