The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-08-06
ON ]MONONA'S SHORE.
Dr.. Talmage Tells What This
Age Expects Of Chris
tians.
No Half-and-half Christians Are
Needed Anywhere on
Earth.

MADISON, WIS, -opecldl.-Di. LOU
mage preached this morning at q
Chautauqua assembly on the banks
OF Monona lake, near this city. There
is great gathering Of people from all
parts OF the Northwest. His text was
Esther, w., IA: "Who knoweth
whether thou art come to the king
dom for such time as this?"
Esther the beautiful was the wife OF
Ahasuerus the abominable. The
time had come for her to present
petition to her infamous husband in
behalf OF the Israelitish nation, to
which she had once belonged. She
was afraid to undertake the work,
lest she should loose her own life; but
her uncle, Mordecai, who had brought
her up, encouraged her with
the suggestion that probably
she had been raised up OF God for
that peculiar mission. "Who knoweth
whether thou art come to the king
dom for such q time as this?" Esther
had her God-appointed work; you and
have ours. 1t is my business to tell
you what style OF people we ought to
be in order that we may meet the de-
nand OF the age in which God has cast
our lot. II you have come expecting
to hear distractions discussed, or dry
technicalities of religion gloritied, you
have come to the wrong place; but if
you really would like to know what
this age has Il rightto expect OF you as
Christian men and women, then am
ready in the Lords name
TO LOOK YOU IN THE FACE.
In the first place, in order to meet
need to be an Enthusiastically aggressive
Christian. OF half-and- half Christians
we do not want any more. The Church
OF Jesus Christ will be better without
10000 OF them. They are the chief
obstacle to the Church's advance
ment. [ am speaking of another kind
Of Christian. All the appliances for
your becoming an earnest Christian
are at your hand, and there is
straight path for you into the broad
daylight OF Cod sforgiveness. Youmay
have come here today the bondsnen Of
the world, and yet before you 60 out
OF these doors you may become the
princes Of the Lord God Almighty
You know what excitement there is in
this country, when a foreign prince
comes to our shores. Why? Becauseit
is expected that some day he will situp-
on a throne. But what is all that
honor compared with the honor to
which God calls you-to be sons and
daughters OF the Lord Almighty; yes
to be queens and kings unto God?
'"They shall reign with him forever
and forever"
Again, if you want to be qualified to
meet the duties which
. THIS AGE DEMANDS OF YOU
you must on the one hand avoid reck-
less iconoclasm, and on the other
hand not stick to things too much be-
cause they are old. The air is null of
new plans, new projects, new theories
OF government, new theologies, and, [
am amazed to see how SO many Chris
tlans want only novelty in order to
recommend a thing to their confidence;
and so they vacillate and swing to and
fro, and they are useless and they are
unhappy. New plans secular, ethi-
cal, philosophical, religious, cisatlan-
tic, transatlantic. All, my brother,
do not adopt a thing merely because
it is new. Try it by the realities of a
Judgment day.
But, on the other hand, do not ad-
here to anything merely because it is
old. There is not single enterprise
OF the church or the world but has
sometimes been scoffed at. There was
a time when men derided even Bible
societies; and when p few young men
met near hay stack in Massachu-
setts and organized the first mission
airy society ever organized in this
country, there went laughter and ridi-
Guile all around the Christian church.
They said the undertaking was pre-
posterous. And SO also the work of
Jesus Christ was assaulted. People
cried out, "Whoever heard OF such
theories of ethics and government?
Who ever noticed such STYLE of
preaching as Jesus has? Ezekiel had
talked OF mysterious wings and wheels.
Here came
| "A MAN FROM CAPERNAUM
| ana Gennesaret, and he drew his illus
tration from the lakes, from the sand,
from the ravine, from the lilies, from
tho corn-stacks. How the Pharisees
scoffed! How Herod derided! How
Caiaphas Kissed! And Jesus they
pluckcd by the beard, and they spat
in his face, and they called him t'this
fellow!" And the great enterprises in
and out OF the church have at times
been scoffed at, and there has been a
multitude who have thought that the
chariot of Gods truth would fall to
pieces if it once go out of the old rut.
All, my friends, there is work foryou
to do andfor me to do in order to at
tain this grand accomplishment! Here
is pulpit, and q clergyman breaches
init. Your pulpit is tho bank. Your
| pulpit is the store. Your pulpit is the
editorial chair. Your pulpit is the
anvil. Your pulpit is the house scaffold-
ing. Your pulpit is the mechanic shop.
may stand in this place and, through
cowardico or through self-seeking, may
keep back the word ought to utter;
while you, with sleeve rolled up and
brow besweated with toll, may utter
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