The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-02-06
ONE Ting LACKING.
DIR. Taimage Appeals to Those Hot
Yet Christians.
True Religion Source of Happiness
Plenty of work For C5lrIstIans-Uneer-
tainty ct Life-The Saviour Ever
Ready to Help.


The young man of the text was
splendid nature. We fall in love with
min at the first glance. He was amiable,
frank, earnest, educated, refined. re-
spectacle and moral, and yet he was not
Christian And 50 Christ addressed
flim in the words that I have read to
you: zone thing thou lacizest'' / sup
pose that the text was no more apprO-
pirate to the young man of whom
have just spoken than it is appropriate
to a great multitude of people in this
audience. There are many things in
which you are not lacking. For instance,
-you are not lacking in a good home.
Neither are you lacking in the
refinements and cOurtesies of life.
You understand the polite phraseolOgy
OF invitation, regard and apology. You
have on appropriate apparel If am
well clothed on other occasions, 1
will be ia a religious audience.
However reckless 1 may be about
my personal appearance at other
times, when come into a con-
secrated assem- biage I shall have on the
best dress 1 have. We all understand
the proprietles of every day life and the
prOprieties of Sabbath life.
Neither are you lacking in worldly
success You have not made as much
money as you would like to make, but
you have an income. While others are
false when they say they have no in
come or are making no money, you
have never told that falsehOOd. You
have had 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 surplus
of the past as by present success While
there are thousands of men with hunger
tearing at the throat with the strength
of a tigers paw, not one of you is
hungry. Neither are you lacking in
-Tz1e r1eE,f hrvr arnl
good friends. If the scarlet fever
should come tonight to your house, you
know very well who would come in and
sit up with the sick one; or, if death
should come, you know who would
come in and take your hand tight in
theirs with that peculiar grip which
means "I'll stand by you"
Friends? You all have friends.
Neither are yOu lacking in your admir-
alton of the Christian religion There
is nothing that makes you SO angry as
to have man malign Christ
Many of you have been supporters of
religion and have given more to the
cause of Christ than some who 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. 1t
might be a little hard on you, and might
make you nervous and agitated for a
little while, but you would be man
enough TO say: MY child, that is
right. Go on, am glad you haven't
been kept back by my example. hope
some day to join you You believe all
the doctrines of religion. man out
wonder SAYS: ~ am a sinner You re
spond: $50 am + Some one says: 81
believe that Christ came to save the
world" You say: 80 do L" Look
ing at your character, at your surround
ings, 1 find a thousand things abOu-
which to congratulate You, and yet
must tell you, in the love and fear OF
God, and with reference to my last ac
count: ''One thing thou lackest."
You need, my friends, in the frs
place, the element of happiness. Some
day you feel. wretched- You do mo-
know what is. the matter with you
You say: II did not sleep last night
] think that must be the reason of my
reStteSsneSS;' or Il have eaten some
thing that did not agree with me, anC
I think that must be the reason AnC
YOU are unhappy. o, my friends, hap
piness does not depend upon physica
condition. Some of the happiest people
I have ever known have been those whC
have been wrapped in consumption o.
stung with neuralgia, or burning witt
the slow FIRE OF some fever. I neve
shall forget one man in my first parish
who, in exeruciation of body, cried out
sshIr. Talmage, forgot all my pain Il
the love ana JOY OF Jesus OHriSC-
can't think of my sufferings when
think of Christ"
There are young men who have no
been Christians more than six month
who would stand up tonight, if I Shouts
ask them, and say in those six month
they have had more joy and satisfaction
than IN all the years OF their frivOlit
and dissipation. Go to the door OF tina
gin shop tonight, and when the gan
of young men come ont ask them If the
are happy. They laugh along the street
and they jeer, and they shout; but nc
body has any idea that they are happy
1 could call upon the aged men i
are aged men here who tried the world
and they tried religion, and they ar
willing to testify on our side. It wa
not long ago that an aged man arose
"a prayer circle and said: Brethren,
lost my son just as he was graduate
:. y !.