The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-02
ONLY ONE TAKING OFF.
TALMAGE ON THE NECESSITY OF
PREPARING FOR DEATH.

Every One Rushing to Pile Up Property
On Earth, But Few Making Prepare
tions for the Hereafter Security De-
handed for Everything, But the Soul
Treated 90 If of No Consequence.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-Wonderful scenes
are witnessed at the Christian Herald
services in the Academy Of Music at the
close of DIR. Talmage's sermon. At the in
vitation Of the preacher, hundreds Of per-
sons, moved by his stirring appeals. rise for
prayers, and the orchestra seats are soon
filed by those seeking spiritual guidance.
Among the recent converts was a son Of q
prominent minister OK the gospel and
personal friend of Dr. Talmage. Passing
among them, conversing with one and
another, are workers from the Young Mems
Christian Association, who come in re-
Spouse to an invitation from the Christian
Herald, 1t having become a physical i'm
possibility for DIR. Talmage to speak indi-
vidually with the rapidly increasing mum.
Der who desire personal religious counsel.
These are indeed solemn scenes, unprece-
dented within those walls. No less than
one thousand persons are said to have been
led already by those services to enter on a
christian life. The text of DIR. Talmage's
sermon was; Zone thing thou lackcstn
Mark 4, 81.
The young man of the text was a splendid
nature. We fall in love with him at the
first glance. He was amiable, and frank,
and earnest, and educated, and refined, and
respectable and moral and yet he was not
a christian. And 90 Christ addresses hun
in the words that have read TO you: Zone
thing thou lackest." | suppose that that
text was no more appropriate to the young
man OF whom l have spoken than It Is
| appropriate to a great multitude of people
In this audience. There are many thiugs In
which you are not lacking. For instance,
you are not lacking in a good
home. IL is perhaps, no more than an hour
| ago that you closed the door, returning to
see whether 1t was we'll fastened, of one OF
the best homes in the city. The younger
children OF the house already asleep, the
| older ones, hearing your returning foot
steps. will rush TO the door to meet you.
And in these winter evenings, the children
at the stand with their lessons, the wife ply
ing the needle, and you reading the book or
the paper you feel that you have good
home. Neither are you lacking In the re-
fnements and courtesies of life. You unders
stand the polite phraseology OF invitation.
regard, and apology. You have on appro-
pirate apparel. / shall wear no better dress
at the wedding than when | come to the
marriage Of the kings son. IL am well
clothed on other occasions, NIL be In re-
| ligious audience. However reckless / may
be about my personal appearance at other
| times, when / come into consecrated
assemblage shall have on the best dress
| have. We all understand the properties OF
everyday life and the proprieties Of Sab
bath life.
Neither are you lacking in worldly sue
cess. You have not made as much money
az you would like to make, but you have an
income While Others are false when they
say they have no income or are making no
money, you have never told that falsshood.
You have had a 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 a surplus of the
| past as by present success. While there are
| thousands of mon with hunger tearing at
| the throat with the strength OF tigers
| paw, not one of you Is hungry. Neither
| are you lacking in pleasant friendship. You
have real good friends. II the scarlet fever
should come tonight to your house you
| know very well who would come in and sic
| up with the sick one; or, If death should
| como, you know who would come In and
take your hand tight in theirs with that
| peculiar grip which means, "rll stand by
| you," and aftor the life has fed from tho
| loved one take you by the arm and lead you
into thenext room, and while you are gone
TO Greenwood they would stavi In the house
and put aside the garments and the play
things that might bring to your mind too
severely your great loss. Friendsa You
all have friends.
| Neither are you lacking in your admira-
| ton of the christian religion. There is
nothing that makes you so angry as to have
| a man maiign Christ. You get red in the
understand that though am not myself
christian, / don't like such things said as
that In my store,o and the man goes off,
| giving you parting salutation, but you
| hardly answer him. You are provoked be-
yond all bounds. 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 chris
tian. It might be little hard on you, and
might make you nervous and agitated for q
little while; but you would be man enough
to say: "My child, that is right. Go on.
am glad that you haven't been kept back
| by my example. hope some day to join
| YOU" You believe all the doctrines Of re-
| ligion. A man out yonder says: II am a
sinner You respond: $50 am L" Some
one says: II believe that Christ came to
save the world" You say: so do l."
Looking at your character, at your sur
1
| which to congratulate you; and yet must
tell you In the love and fear Of God, and
with reference to my last account: "One
thing thou lackest."
You need, my friends, in the first place,
the element of happiness. Some day you
feel yretched. You do not know what is
the matter with you. You say: II did not
sleep last night. think that must be the
reason of my restlessness;" or. 81 have
eaten something that did not agree with
| me, and think that must be the reason"
And you are unhappy. o, my friends, hap
| piness does not depend upon physical con-
| dition. Some Of the happiest people have
! ever known have been those who have been
wrapped in consumption. or stung with
neuralgia, or burning with the slow fire of
some fever. never shall forget one man
in my FIRST parish. who, in excruciation Of
| body. cried ont: "Mr Talmage, l forget
| all my pain In the love and joy Of Jesus
| Christ I can't think of my sufferings
| when ! think of Christi Why, his face
] was illumined There are young men in
| this house who would give testimony 20
show that there is no happiness outside OF
Christ, while there is great Joy in his service.
| There are young men who have not been
| christians more than SIX months, who
| would stand up tonight, if / should ask
them, and say in those six months they