The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-07-03
GONE ASTRAY.
Dr. Talmage Stands By the Ortho-
dox Gospel.
Wandering Away Like Lost sheep hut Re
turning to the FoId-God's Mercy In
Time OF Nesd-Christ the
Saviour.

ence to the oId-fashioned Gospel and
his firmness in orthodoxy. His subject
was: 'Astray, but Recovered, - and his
text, Isaiah, lii g: ''An we like sheep
have gone astray; and the Lord hath
laid on Him the iniquity of us ALL DIR.
-Talmage said;
Within ninety years at the longest all
who hear or read this sermon will be in
eternity. During the next fifty years
you will nearly all be gone. The next
ten years will cut a wide swath among
the people The year 1891 viii to some
be the hnality. Such considerations
make this occasion absorbing and mo-
mentuOus- The first half of my text is
an Indictment: IAN we like sheep have
gone astray." Some one says: Can
you not drop the first word? That is
too general; that sweeps too great a
circle" Some man rises in the audi
ence and he looks over on the opposite
side of the house and he says: There
Is a blasphemer, and understand how
he has gone aStray. And there, in an
other part of the house, is a defrauder,
and he has gone astray. And there is
an impure person, and he has gone
astray." Sit down, my brother, and
look at home. My text takes all in.
1t starts behind the pulpit, sweeps the
circuit of the room and comes back to
the point where it started, when it says:
''All we like sheep have gone astray."
Sheep get astray in two ways; either
by trying to get into another pasture or
from being scared by the dogs. In the
former way some of us got astray. We
thought the religion of Jesus Christ
short commons We thought there was
better pasturage somewhere else. We
thought if we could only lie down
the banks of distant streams or under
great oaks on the other side of some
hill we might be better fed We wanted
L
through Jesus Christ gave our soul and
we wandered on and we were lost We
wanted bread and we found garbage.
The further we wandered, instead OF
finding rich pasturage, we found blasted
health and sharper rocks and more
singing nettles. No pasture. How
was It in the worldly groups when you
LOST your child? Did they come around
and console you very much? Did
not the plain Christian man who
-came into your house and sat up
with your darling child give you
more comfort than all worldly assOcia-
tions? Did all the convivial songs you
ever heard comfort you in that day OF
bereavement so much as the song they
sang to you. perhaps the very song that
was sung by your little child the last
Sabbath of her life?
There is a happy land, far. far away,
Where saints immortal reign, bright, brigh
as day.
Did your business associates in tha'
day of darkness and trouble give yor
any especial coincidence? Business ex
asperated you, business wore you out
business left you limp as a rag, bust
ness made you mad You got dollars
but you got no peace. God have mercy
on the man who has nothing but bust
ness to comfort him The world af
9Orded you no luxuriant pasturage-
famous English actor stood on tn
stage impeFsonating. and thunders o
applause came down from the galleries
and many thought it was the proudes
moment of all his life; but there was
p man asleep just in front of him and tn
fact that that man was Indifferent ant
soJnnolent spoiled all the occasion 70
him. and he cried: wake up, wax
up!''
So one little annoyance in life ha
been more pervading to your mind thai
all the brilliant congratulations ant
successes Poor pssturage for you
soul You found in this world. The worl
has cheated you, the world has belize
you, the world has misinterpreted you
the world has prosecuted you 1t neve
cornforted you o! this world is a goo
rack from which a horse may pick hi
hay; it is a good trough from which tn
swine may crunch their mesa, but
gives but little food to a soul bloc
bought and immortal What is a soul
It is a hope high as the throne of Cox
What is q manP You say: at is onl
a man" It is only a man gone Ovel
board in sin It is only a man y0u
overheard in business life What is
man? The battle ground OF tire
worlds, with his hands taking hold
-destiaies Of light or darkness A mai
No line can measure him No lin
can bound him The archAngls befol
the throne cannot outlive him. tt
stars shall die, but he shall watch the
.extinguishmenk The world viii bur
but he will gaze on the cOnfiagratiol
Endless ages will march on. he wi
watch the procession A man! II
masterpiece of God Almighty. XetyC
say: 'sIt is only a man. Can a natul
like that be fed on huslks of the wilde
ness2
Substantial comfort viii not grow
On natures barren soil;
All We can boast till Christ we know
Is vanity and toll
Ill