The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-07-31
A SERMON In WISCONSIN.
THE AWFUL NECESSITY FOR CHRIS
riAN eARNEsTNess JUST NOW.

Dr. Taimage illustrates the Opportuni-
ties of tho Hour by the Example Of
Esther In Saving Her Peopie--Ths
Great Need of Aggressive Faith,
MADISON, July &c. DR. Talmage
preached this morning at a Chautau,
qua assembly on the banks of Monona
lake, near this city 1t is a great gath
ering of people from all parts of the
northwest, His text was Esther iv, IA,
"Who knoweth whether thou art
come to the kingdom for such time
as this?"
| Esther the Beautiful was the wife of
Ahasuerus the Accountable. The time
had come for her to present a petition TO
her infamous husband in behalf of the
lsraelitish nation, to which she had
once belonged She was afraid to un,
| dertake the work, lest she should lose
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 kingdom
| for such time as this2'
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 demand of the age in which God
has cast our lot. If you have come ex-
pecting to hear distractions discussed
or dry technicalities of religion glori-
fed, you have come to the wrong
place; but if you really would like to
know what this age has right to ex-
pect of You as Christian men and wom-
Ell, then am ready in the Lords name
to look you in the face.
When two armies have rushed into
battle the officers of either army do not
want philosophical discussion about
the chemical properties of human blood
or the nature of gunpowder They
want some one to man the batteries
and swab out the guns. And now,
when all the forces of light and dark
ness of heaven and hell, have plunged
into the fight it is no time to give our.
selves to the definitions and formulas
and techncalities and conventionalities
of religion, What we want is practical,
earnest, concentrated, enthusiastic and
triumphant help. What we need in
the east you in Wisconsin need.
TOO MANY HALF AND HALE CHRISTIANS.
In the first place, in order to meet the
special demand of this age, you need to
be an Enthusiastically aggressive Chris
tan. OF half and half Christians we
do not want any more. The church OF
Jesus Christ will be better without ten
Thousand of them They are the chief
obstacle to the church's advancement.
am speaking of another Ii a of Chris
tan. All the appliances for your be-
coming an earnest Christian are at your
hand, and there is straight path for
you into the broad daylight OF Gods
forgiveness. You Tray have come here
today the bondsmen of the world, anG
yet before you go ont Of these doors
you may become the princes of the
Lord God Almighty. You know what
excitement there is in this country
when foreign prince comes 10 oui
shores Why2 Because it is expected
that some day he will sit upon a throne
But what is all that honor compared
with the honor to which God calls you
to be sons and daughters of the Lore
Almighty yea to be queens and king
unto Code They shall reign with him
forever and forever"
But, my friends, you need to be ag
gressive Christians, and not like thos'
persons who spend their lives in hug
ging their Christian graees and wonder
ing why they do not make any prog
ress How much robustness of healtt
would man have if he hid himself il
a dark closet? A great deal of piet,
of the day is too exclusive. 1t hide:
itself 1t needs more fresh air, more
outdoor exercise There are many
Christians who are giving their entire
life toself examination They are feel
ing their pulses to see what is the con
dition of their spiritual health How
long would man have robust physica
health if he kept all the days and week
and months and years of his life feel
ing his pulse instead of going out int
active, earnest, everyday work?
was once amid the wonderful, BE-
witciiing cactus growths of North Caro-
lima. ! never was more bewilderet
with the beauty Of flowers, and We
when | would take up one of thes
cactuses and pull the leaves apart tn
beauty was all gone. You could hardl
tell that it ever had been q flower. An,
there are great many Christian peopl
in this day just pulling apart thei
is in them, and there is nothing attract
i've left. This style Of self examination
is damage instead OF an advantag
to their Christian character. remen
Der when | was boy | used to have
small piece in the garden that | Gale
my own, and ! planted corn there, an
every few days would pull it up t
see how fast it was growing, No,
thore are a great many Christian peopl
in this day whose self examinatio
merely amounts to the pulling up {
that which they only Yesterday or tn
day before planted.
THERE Is NO GOOD WITHOUT ACTION
Oh, my friends, if you want to have
stalwart Christian character, plant
right out OF doors In the great field {
Christian usefulness, and though storm
may come upon it and though the hc
sun Of trial may consume it, it wi
thrive until it becomes a great tree,
which the fowls Of heaven may hay
their hab;tation. / have no patienC
Will these iioTarpnt Christians The
| i-.,... . --,. eb0T-o, a,I n