Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-07-31
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES sun
DAY SERMON
Subject: "The Vacant Chair"

TEXT: Thou shalt be missed. because
Thy seat ,0iube e',,ptV."-I Samuel Xxx. is.
Set on the table the cutlery and the chased
silverware of the palace, for King Saul will
give state dinner to-day. A distinguished
place is kept at the table for his son-in-law
a celebrated warrior. David by name. The
guests, jeweled and plumed, come in and
take their places. When people are invited
TO kings banquet they are very apt to 90
But before the covers are lifted from the
seat at the table. He says within
himself, perhaps audibly, wv nat does
this mean? Where is my son-in-law:
Where is David, the great war
Nor? invited him. l expected him. What!
vacant chair at the kings banquetr The
fact was that David, the warrior, had
been seated for the last time at his Iather
in-laws table. The day before Jonathan
had coaxed David to go and occupy that
place at the table, saying to David in the
words of my text, Thou shalt be missed,
because thy seat will be empty" The pre-
diction was fulfilled. David was missed.
His seat was empty. That one vacant chair
spoke louder than all the occupied chairs at
the banquet.
In almost every house the articles of fur
nIture take a living personality. That
picture-a stranger would not see anything
remarkable either in its design or execution,
but it is more to you than all the pictures Of
the Louvre and the Luxembourg. You re-
member VINO bought it. and who admired
It. And that hymn booh-yOu remem-
Der who sang out of it. And that
cradle-yOu remember who rocked it. And
thai Blhle-YOu remember who read
out of it. And that bed-you remember VINO
slept INIT. And that room-you remember
who died III 1t. But there is nothing in all
your house so eloquent and so mighty voiced
as the vacant chair. | suppose that before
SauI and his guests got up from this banquet
there was great clatter of wine pitchers,
but all that racket was drowned out by the
voice that came up from the vacant chair at
the table.
Millions have gazed and wept at John
Quincy Adams'S vacant chair in the house of
representatives, and at Wilson's vacant
chair IN the vIce-presidency, and at Henry
Clay's vacant chair in the American senate
ana at Prince AIbert's vacant chair in Wind
SOr castle, and at Theirs vacant chair in the
councils OF the French nation. But all these
chairs are unimportant to you as compared
with the vacant chairs in your own household.
Have these chairs any lesson for US to learn?
Are we any better men and women than
when they first addressed US?
First point out to you the fathers va
cant chair Old men always like to sit in
the same place and i'll the same chair
They somehow feel more at home, and some
times when you are in their place and they
''me into the room YOU jump up sud-
'enly and say, Here. father, here's your
clair" The probability is it is an arm
chair, for he is not so strong as he once
was, and he needs Il little upholding His
halr IS a little frosty, his gums little de-
pressed, for in his early days there was not
much dentistry. Perhaps cane chair and
old fashioned apparel, for though you may
have suggested some Improvement, father
does not want any OF your nonsense. Grand
father never had much admiration for new
tangled notions.
L sat at the table of one of my parishion
erS IN former congregation; an aged man
was at the table, and the son was presiding,
and the fa Their somewhat abruptly addressed
the son and said, MY son, don't try now to
show OFT because the minister is here"
Your father never liked any new customs
or manners, he preferred the old way of
dong things, and he never looked so
happy as when with his eyes closed, he sat
in the armchair in the corner. From
the wrinkled brow to the tip of the slippers,
what placidity! The wave of the past years
of his life broke at the foot Of that chair.
Perhaps sometimes he a little impa-
hent, and sometimes told the same story
twice: but over that old chair how many
blessed memories hover! l hope you did
not crowd that old chair. and that it did not
get very much in the way.
Sometimes the old mans chair gets very
much i'll the way, especially il he has been SO
unwise as to make over all his property to
his children, with the understanding that
tkev are to take care OG him. [ have seen in
such cases children crowd the old mans
chair to the door, ard then crowd 1T clear
into the street, and then crowd it into the
poor house. and keep on CrOWdlng 1t until
the old man fell out OF it into his grave.
But your fathers chair was sacred place.
The children used to climb up on the ruags
of it for a good night kiss, and the longer he
stayel the better YOU liked it. But that
chair has been vacant now for some time.
The furniture dealer would not give you
fifty cents TOR it, but it is a throne OF lntiu-
eHce in your domestic circle. saw IN the
French palace, and in the throne room, the
chair that Napoleon used TO occupy.
1t was a beautiful chair but the most
significant part of it was the letter
A'Nn embroidered into the back OF the chair
in purple and sold. ANA yoCr fathers cid
chair sits i'll the throne room OF your heart,
and your affections have embroided into the
back OF that old cdair i'll purple and gold the
BETTER IF" Have all the prayers o. that
Old chair been answered? have all the
counsels of that Old chair been pracuced!
Steak out! old armchair.
History tells Us OF an Old man whose tlre
sons were victors in the Olympic games, and
when they came back these three sons, with
their garlands, put them on the fathers brow,
and the old man was SO rejO!ced at the VIC
tories of MS three children that he fell dead
III their arms And are you. Oh man, going TO
bring wreath OF JOY and Christian usefulCes
and put it on your fathers brow, or on the
vacant chair. or on the memory of the one
Departed? Speak out, old armchair! With
reference to your father, the words of my
text have been fulfilled. Thou shalt be
missed, because thy seat Will be empty"
go little further on in YOUR house and
find the mothers chair 1t is very apt to
lie a rocking chair. She had so many
cares and troubles 20 SoOthe that 1t must
have lockers. | remember it we'll; it was
an old chair. and the rockers were almost
worn out, for l was the youngest, and the
chair had rocked the whole family. 1t
made q cracking noise ms il moved; but
there was music IN the sound. 1t was just