Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-19
A BROAD INVITATION
Extended TO Those Who Know Not
the Joys of Christianity.
REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S DISCOURSE.
He Makes a Fervent Appeal for an Era of
Religious Growth.
THERE is NO SOLACG IN THE WORLD
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,

BROOKLYN, Jan. 1S.-Rev. DIR. Ialmage
preached the following sermon this morning
10 an overlooking congregation in the Aead-
emy of Music, this city. At night, when
the service was held in the New York
Academy of Music, fully 5000 persons
were massed in the large building. DIR.
Talmage chose the following texts Tor his
sermon: Come" Genesis, Wis Come"
Revelation, xxii:17.
Imperial, tender and all-persuasive is tn
word Come" Six hundred ana seventy-eIGEt
times Is it found in the Scriptures. Itstands at
the front gate of the Bible as in my first text,
inviting antediluvians into Noah ark, and it
stands at the other gate of the Bible as in my
second text. inviting the post-diluvians into the
ark Of a Saviour's mercy. Come is only
word of four letters but it is the queen OF
words. and nearly tho entire nation OF English
vocabulary bows to its scepter. 1t Is an
ocean into which empties ll,N0 rivers OF mean
ing. 0ther words drive. but this beckons- All
moods OF feeling hath that word Come"
Sometimes il wecps and sometimes 1t laughs:
Sometimes i: prays, sometimes 1t tempts, ara
sometimes 1t destroys. L sounds from the
door of the church aud from the seraglios OF
sin fro.a the gates of heaven and the gates ot
hell. II is confluent and aCcrescent of ali
power. 1t Is the helress Of most OF the past
and the almuner of most Of the future. ''Comer'
You may pronounce il so that all the heavens
will be hea d IL its cadences or pronounce Il
80 that all ;he woes OF time and eternity shall
rcverberate IN its one syllable. 1t is on the lip
of SAINT and lrrcaigaJc Il is the mightiest of
all sohcitants either for good or bad.
All the Power of Religion.
To-day 1 weigh anchor, and haul in the
planks, and set sail on that great word. although
! am sure will not be able to reach the further
shore | will l. down the fathoming line into
tins sea and iry to measure is depths, and,
-lor-,
! have on board viii not be able to touch bot
tom. All the power of the Christian religion is
in that word Come" The dictatorial and
commentators in religion is OF no avail. The
imperative moon is not the appropriate mood
when we would have people savirgiy impressed.
They may be caaXed. bat they cannot be
driven. Our hearts are like our homes: at
friendly k;oCk the door will be opened
but atteu pit to force open our door
would land the assailant in prison. Our theo-
logical senlnaries. which keep youug men
three years in their curriculum before laInch-
inC them into the ministry, will do well if III 50
short time they can teach the candidates for
the holy Office how to say with right emphasis
and in'ona;ion and power that one word
Gomez That man who has such efficiency in
Christian work. and that woman who has such
power to persuade people TO quit the wrong
ana begin the right. went through series of
lcS~es bereave lents. prosecutions and the
trials Of 20 or 50 years before they could make
il triumph CT grace every time they uttered
the word Come"
You must remember that in many cases our
"t'omc" has a mightier Come" to conquer be-
fore It as any effect at all. Just give me the
accurate census, the statistics. of how many are
down In fraud. in drunkenness IN gambling. IN
impurity or in vice of any sort. and l will give
YOU the accurate census or statistics of how
many have been slain by the word Come"
Come and click wine glasses with me at this
ivory bar" Gene and see what We can win
al thls gaming table" Come enter with me
this doubtful speculatIonr' Come with me
and read those infdel tracts on Christianity
Come with me to place OF bad amusement"
Gene with me in gay bout through under
ground New York If in this city there are
2LOuO who are down in moral character then
10000 fell under the power of the word
Come"
The Proper Plan for Reform
Now we want all the world over to harness
this word for good others have harnessed it
for evil and it will draw the five continents and
the seas between them. yea, it will draw the
whole earth back to the God from whom il has
wandered. 1t is that wooing and persuasive
word that will lead men to give up their sins.
Was scepticIsm ever brought into love of the
truth by ehuiil ion of hot words against inf
deity? Was ever the blasphemsr stopped in
his oaths by Remuneration OF blasphCmy? Was
ever 4 drunkard wesned from his cups by the
temperance lecturers mimicry of staggering
step and hlcCOuCh? No. 1t was: Come with
me to church to-day and hear cur singing;"
Come and let me introduce you to Christian
man whom you will he sure to admire:" Come
good and insuring:' Come with me into joy
such as YOU never before experienced
With that word which las done so much for
Others approach to-day. Are you all
right with Goa? No. you say. Il think not;
am sometimes alarmed when think of Him:
fear VIII not be ready to meet Him in the last
day: nv heart is not right with God" Come
then ard have II made right Through the
Christ who uied to save you, come! What is the
use in waiting? The longer you wait the
further off you are and the deeper you are
--5l-
tnat few years ago steamer called the
Princess Alice with crowd of eXcuTsionists
ahnard sank in the Themes, and there was an
awful sacrifice OF life. A b0atman from the
shore nut out for the rescue. and he had a big
boat and he got it full it would not hold
another person. aud as he laid bold of the oars
TO pull Cor the shore. leaving hundreds help
less and drowning. he cried out: 'Oh, that
had bigger boat!' Thank God / am not thus
limited. and that can promise room tor all in
this Gospel boat. Get IN: get in! Aud yet there
is room. Room IN tha heart of a pardoning
God. Room IN heaven.
A Problem Involved in Doubt.
also apply the word Of my text to those
who would like practical comfort IL any ever
escape fhe struggle of life. have not found
them. The are no: certainly among the pros
porous classes. In most cases it was struggle
all the way up till they reached the prosperity,
and since they have reached these heights there
have been perplexities. anxeties. and crises
which were almost enough to shatter the
nerves and turn he,brain. 1t would be hard to
tell which nave the hardest fight in this world
-the properties or the adyersities, the conspi-
Culties or the obScurities Just as soon as you
have enough success 20 attract the attention of
Others. the enYicS and lealouSies are let loose
from their kennel. The greatest crime that
you can commit in the estimation OF Others is
to get on better than they do. They think our
addition is their subtraction. Five hundred
persons start for certain goal of success; one
reaches it and the other i99 are mad. 1t would
take volumes TO hold the story of the wrongs.
outragcs and defamatIons that have come upon
you as result of your success.
The warm sun of prosperity brings into life 4
swamp full OF annoying insects. On the other
hand. the unfortunate classes have their strug-
giles tOT maintenance. To achieve 4 livelihood
by one who had nothing to start with and after
n while for family as WELL and carry this on
until children are reared and educated and
fairly started in the world. and to do this amid
all the rvalues of business and the uncertainty
OF crops and The fcklengsS of tariff legislation,
with am occasional labor strike and here and
there a financial panic thrown in is a mighty
thing To do and there are hundreds and thou
sands such heroes and heroines who live ulI-
sung and die unhonored.
What we all need. whether up or down in life
or halfway between, is the infinite soace of
the Christian religion. Aud so We employ the
word Gomez 1t will take all eternity TO fiEd
out he number OF business men who have been
StTenC hcned by the promises oil God. and the
people who have been fed by the ravens when
other resources gave out. and the men and
women whu, going into this battle armed only
with needle or saw, or axe. or yardsuck. OF
pen, IyDe. or shovel or Shoe-last have
gained a victory that made the heavens re-
sound With all the resources OF God prom
lsed Tor every eNigency. no one need be lett IL
the lurch
Experience Necessity Then.
But the word Come" applied to those who
need solaee. Will amount tu nothing unless it bt