Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-08-21
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES sun
DAY SERMON
Subject: "A Poor Investment :"
preached at Topeka, kanJ

TEXT: re mare SOFA BOurSetceS for
rdught; and ye shall be redeemed WithOut
plorey."-Isaiah i'll, }.
The Lords people had gone he adlong into
sin, and as punishment they had been car
ried captive TO Babylon. They found that
iniquity did not pay. Cyrus seized Babylon
and felt SO sorry for these poor captives that,
without a dollar of compensation, he let
them go home. So that, literally, my text
was fulfilled I'VE have sold yourselves for
naught, and We shall be redeemed without
money"
There is enough Gospel in this text for
fifty sermons. There are persons here vino
have, like the people Of the text, sold out.
Y OH do not seem to belong either to your
selves or to God. The title deeds have been
passed over to the world, the flesh. and the
devil" but the purchaser never paid up.
Eye have sold yourselves for naught."
When man passes himself over to the
world he expects 70 get some adequate com
pensatlon. He has heard the great tn ngs
that the world does Tor a man. and he be-
heVes it. He wants two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. That will be horses and
houses, and a summer resort and jolly COM
partnership. To get it he parts with his
physical health by overwork He parts
with his conscience. He parts with much
domestic enjoyment. He parts with oppor-
tunities for literary culture. He parts with
hls soul. And so he makes over his entire
nature TO the wOrl".
down the first installment, and One-fourth of
lis nature Is gone. He pays down the second
installment and one-half of his nature is
gone. de pays down the third installment
and three-quarters Of his nature are gone,
and after many years have gone by he pays
down the fourth installment, and 10 his en-
tire nature is gone. Then he comes up to the
world and says: Good morning. [ have
delivered to you the goods. [ have passed
over to you my body, my mind and my soul,
and have come now to collect the two hun
dred and fifty thous nd dollars" Two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars" says
the world. What do you mean?' We'll"
you say, II come to collect the money you
owe me- and l expect you to fulfill your part
of the contract" But" says the world. II
slbly pay that debt | have not for long
time expected to pay it." well" you then
say, give me back the goods" ooh. no."
says the world, they are all gone. | cannot
give them back to you" And there you
stand on the confines OF eternity, your spirit
ual character gone, staggering under the
consideration that you have sold yourself
for naught"
tell you the world is liar 1t does not
keep its promises. 1t is cheat and it
1t Is bogus world. 1t is a six-thousaud-
year-old swindle. Even if it pays the two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars for
which you contracted, it pays them in bonds
that will not be worth anything in little
while. Just as man may pay down ten
thousand dollars in hard cash and get for it
worthless scrip-so the world passes over to
you the two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars in that shape which will not be worth
afarthng to you thousandth part of a sec
ond after you are dead. oh" you say, lit
will help to bury me, anyhow" Oh, my
brother you need not worry about that.
The world will bury you soon enough from
sanitary considerations
Post mOrtem enoluments are of no use to
you. The treasures of this world will not
pass current in the future world, and if all
the wealth of the Bank OF ENGLAND were put
in the pocket OF your shroud and you in the
midst of the Jordan OF death were asked to
pay three cents for your ferriage, you could
not do it. There comes a moment in your
existence beyond which all earthly values
fail and many a man has Weakened up in
such a time 10 find that he has sold out for
eternity and has nothing to show for it. [
should think of going to Chatham
street to buy silk pocket handkerchiefs with
no cotton IN them, as to go to this world ex-
pecting to find any permanent happiness. 1t
has deceived and detuded every man who
has every put his trust in it.
History tells Us OF one who resolved that
he would have all his senses gratified at one
and the same time, and he expended thou
sands of dollars on each sense. He entered a
room, and there were the first musicians of
the land pleasing his ear, and there were fine
pictures fascinating his eye, and there were
costly arOmat!cS regahng his nOstrilS and
there were the richest meats AMI wines and
fruits and CONNECTIONS pleasing the appetite.
and there a soft couch of sinful indul-
gence on which he reciinel, and the man de-
clared afterward that he would give ten
times what he had given if he could have one
week OF such enjoyment, even though he lost
his soul by it. All! that was the rub! He
did lose his soul by it Cyrus the conquerOr
thought for little while that he was max
in fine thing out OF this world, and yet
before he came to his grave he wrote out
this pltiful epitaph for his monument: Il
am Cyrus. | occupied the Persian empire.
l was king over Asia. Begrudge me not
this monument" But the world in after
years plowed up his sepucher.
The world clapped its hands and stamped
its feet in honor of Charles Lamb; but what
does he say? II walk up and down. think
Ing l am happy, hut feeling am not" Call
the roll, and be quick aboutit. Samuel
johnson, the learned, HaoDy? "No. lam
afraid | shall some day get crazy. Will
lam Hazlltt, the great essayist! Happy?
mo. l have been Tor two hours and a MALT
going up and down PaternoS5er row wit a
volcano in my breast" Smollet the witty
I nj blame and [ wish to God that [ had
such circumstances around me that [ could
throw my pen into oblivion" Buchanan,
the world renowned writer, exiled from his
own country, appealing to Henry VIII for
protection Happy? No. Over noun
tains covered with SNOW, aud Through val.
leys flooded with rain, come a fugitive"
Moliere. the popular dramatic author! Hap
py? No. That wretch of an actor just
now recite1 four of my lines without the
proper accent and gesture. To have the
children OF my brain SO hung, drawn and
quartered to-5ures ME like a condemned
spirit"
went TO see a worldling die As went
into the hall l saw its floor was tesSellatet
and It's wall was picture gallery. | found