The Forrest City times., 1891-02-06
WHAT LACK YEP
DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON UPON
 LIFE'S ESSENTIALS.

To ISc Christian the Al-lmpOrtant
 Require mrnt. - The Poverty Of a
 World Without Christian Appeal
 to Young Men.
 BROOKLYN, Feb. 1--The deep religious feeling manifested in Dr. Talmage's con- peal to Outsiders" has apparently en- couraged him to continue preaching dis tinctively evangelistic sermons. Today he delivered another discourse of the same Gospel type, both at the morning service in the Academy of Music in this city, and at night in tho New York Academy of Music. His text was taken from Mark 10. 2l.-'One thing thou laclSest."
 The young man of the text was a splendid nature. We fall in love with him at the first glance. He was amiable, and frank, and earnest, and educated, and re- fined, and respectable, and moral, and yet he was not. a Christian. And so Christ addresses him in the words that l have read to you, ''One thing thou lackest." l suppose that that text was no more ap- propriate to the young man of whom have spoken than it is appropriate to a great multitude of people in this audience. There are many things in which you are no lacking. For instance, you are not lacking in a good homo. It is, perhaps. not more than an hour ago that you closed the door, returning to sec whether it was well fastened. of one of the best homes in this city. The younger childron of tue house already asleep, the older ones, hear ing your returning foo steps, will rush .> the door to meet you. And in these winter evenings, the children at the stand with ther lessons the wife plying the needle, and you reading the book or the paper. you feel that you have good home. Neither are you lacking in the rc:inemerts and courtesies of life. You understand the polite phraseology of invitation, re- gard and apology. You have on appro- priate apparel.
 Neithor are you lacking in worldly snc- cess. You have not made as much money as you would like to make, but you havo an income. While others are false when they say they have no income or arc mak- ing no money, you have never told that falsehoed. You have had a livelihood or you have fallen upon old resources, which is just the same thing, for God is just as good to us when he takes care Of us by a surplus of the past as by present success. While there are thousands of men with hunger tearing at the throat with the strength of q tigers paw, not one of you ls hungry. Neither are you lacking in pleas ant friendship. You have real good friends. ! If the scarlet fever should come tonight to your house. you know very well who would i come in and st up with the sick one; or, il death should come, you know who would come in and take your hand tight in theirs with that peculiar grip which means, "Ill stand by you" and after the life has fed from the loved one, take you by the arm and lead you into the next room. and wh Ia l you are gone to Greenwood they would stay in the house and put aside the gar l ments aud the playthings that might bring to your mind too severely your great loss, Friends? You all have friends.
 Neither are you lacking in your admira, tion of the Christian religion. There is nothing that makes you so angry as ta have man malign Christ. You get red in the face. and you say, 'Sir. I want you to understand that though am not myself Christian I don't like such things said al that in my store" and the man goes oil giving you parting salutation, but you hardly answer him. You are provoked beyond all bounds. Many of you have been supporters of religion and have given more to the cause of Christ than some wha profess his faith. There is nothing that would please you more than to see your son or daughter standing at the altar of Christ taking the vows of the Christian It might be little hard on you, and might make you nervous and agitated for littla Tl,t1. h say: My child. that is right. Go on. 1 am glad you haven't been kept back by my example. l hope some day to join you You believe all tho doctrines of religion A man out wonder says: II am sinner ' You respond: ''So am l." Some one says. II believe that Christ came to save tha world.D You say: "So do l." Looking at your character, at your surroundings, l find thousand things about which to con gratulate you; and yet must tell yoa in iha love and fear of God, and with reference to my last account, ''One thing thou lackest"
 You need, my friends, in the first place. the element Of happiness. Some day you feel wretched. You don't know what is the matter what is the matter with you You say: II did not sleep well last night think that must be the reason of my rest lessness;" or, II have eaten something that did not agree with me- and l think that must be the reason" And you are unhappy. O, my friends, happiness does not depend upon physical condition. and if you have not the satisfaction that is to be found in Jesus Christ must tell you with all the concentrated emphasis of my soul: ''One thing thou lacSest.'
 l remark again that you lack the elomcot of usefulness. Where is your busiuess? You say 1t is No. 45 such street. or No. 260 such a street. or No. 300 such street. My friend immortal, your business is wherever there is a tear to be wiped away or a soul to be saved. You may, before coming to Christi do great many noble things. You take loaf of bread to that starving man in the alley; but he wants immortal bread. You take pound of candles to that dark sh,inty. They want the light that springs from tho throne of God, and you cannot take it because you have it not in your own heart. You know that the flight of an arrow depends very ruch upon the strength of the bow ana have to toll you that the best bow tf..t was ever made was made out of the cross of Christ, and when religion takes q soul and puts it on that. and pulls it back and lots it fly, every time it brings down Saul or Goliath There are people hero of high social position. and large means, and cul. tured minas, wno. if they would come into the kingdom of God, would set the city on fro with religious awakening. But we all have work to do. I cannot do your work. nor can you do my work. God points us out the place where we arc to serve, and yet are there not people in this