Milford chronicle., 1891-02-06
THE ONE THING LACKING
DR.. TALMAeE CONTINUES HIS SERIES
OF EVANeELlsTlc SERMONS.

/ Tie Great Array Of Good Things an AV-
erage Congregation Can Boast OF, Yet
Too Many Lack That Which Is Best Of
All.
BROOKLYN, Feb. 1.-The deep religious
/ feeling manifested in DR.. Talmage's con
] gregations since his recent arousing "Ap-
: peal to Outsiders" has apparently encour-
aged him to continue preaching distinct
/ lively evangelistic sermons. Today he de-
/ ivered another discourse Of the same gos-
pei type, both at the morning service in
/ the Academy of Music, in this city, and at
The Christian Herald service at night in
/ the New York Academy Of Music. His
I text was taken from Mark X, 2l; zone thing
thou lackest."
The young man Of the text was splen-
did 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 so Christ addresses him
in the words that have read to you, zone
| thing thou lackest." suppose that that
text was no more applicable to the young
man Of whom have spoken than it IS ap-
propriate to large multitude of people in
this audience. There are many things in
YOU are not lacking in a good home. 1t is
perhaps no more than an hour ago that
YOU closed the door, returning to see
whether it was we'll fastened, OF one of the
best homes in this city. The younger chill
dren of the house already asleep. the older
ones hearing your returning footsteps,
will rush to the door to meet you. And in
these long evenings the children at the
stand with their games, che wife plying
the needle and you reading the book or the
paper, you feel that you have good home
Neither are you lacking in the refine
ments and courtesies of life. You under
stand the polite phraseology Of invitation,
regard and apology. You have on appro-
pirate apparel. Ishall wear no better dress
at the wedding than when | come to the
marriage of the kings son. If / am we'll
clothed on other occasions | will be so in a
religious audience However reckless /
may be about my personal appearance at
other times, when come into conse-
Grated assemblage shall have on the best
dress have. We all understand the pro
prieties of everyday life and the proprieties
of Sabbath life
Neither are you lacking in worldly sue
cess. 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 income, or are max
ing no money, you have never told that
falsehood You have had good living 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 men with
hunger tearing at the throat with the
s.. on afafr fa
hungry Neither are you lacking in pleas
ant friendship. You have real good friends.
If the scarlet fever should come tonight TO
your house you know very we'll who would
come in and sit up with the sick one; or, il
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" and, after the life has fled
from the loved one, take you by the arm
and lead you into the next room, and
while you are gone to Greenwood they
would stay in the house and put aside
the garments and the playthings that
might bring TO your mind too severely
YOUR great loss. Friends? You all have
friends
NON-CHRIi EizAW FRIENDS OF CHRISTIANITY.
Neither are you lacking in your admira-
tion of the Christian religion. There is
nothing that makes you so angry as to
have a man malign Christ. You get red
in the face, and you say, "Sir, | want you
to understand that though | am not my
self Christian, don't like such things
said as that i'll my stores" and the man
goes off, giving you parting salutation,
but you hardly answer him. You are pro
voked beyond 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 moth
ing that would please you more than to
see your son or daughter standing at the
altar of Christ, taking the VOWS Of the
Christian.
It 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; ''Ay 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 re-
ligion. A man out yOnder says, i am asin-
ner." You respond, $50 am l." Some one
saws. 81 believe that Christ came to save
the world" You say, 80 10 l." Look
ing at your character, at your surround
ings, find a thousand things about which
to congratulate you, and yet | must tell
YOU In the love and fear Of God, and with
reference to my last account, zone thing
thou lackest."
You need, my friends, in the first place.
the element of happiness. Some day You
feel wretched- You do not know what is the
matter with you. You say, y did not
sleep last night. l think that must be the
reason Of my restlessness;" or, u nave
eaten something that did not agree with
! I . l. T., - hfa "a rsnu
And YOU are unhappy. Oh, my friends,
happiness does not depend upon physical
condition. 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
Gre OF some fever.
/ shall never forget one man in my first
parish, who in excruciation Of body cried
out: "Mr. Talmage, forget all my pain IN
the love and JOY Of Jesus Christ. l can't
think of my sufferings when think OF
Christ" Why, his face was illuminedl
There are young men in this house who
would give testimony to 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 l should ask them, and say
in those six months they have had more
ioy and satisfaction than in all the years
Of their frivohty and dissipation. Go to
the door of that gin shop tonight, and
when the gang Of young men come out
ask them whether they are happy. They
laugh along the street, and they jeer and
they shout, but nobody has any idea that
they are happy.
THE AGED CHRISTIANS JOY.
/ could call upon the aged men in this
house to give testimony. There are aged
men here who tried the world, and they
tried religion, and they are willing to tes-
tifv on our side. It was not long ago that
an aged man arose in a praying circle and
said: Brethren, lost my son just as he
graduated from college, and it broke my
heart; but am glad now he is gone. Ha
Is at rest, escaped from all sorrow and
from all trouble And then, in 1857, lost
all my property, and you see 1 am getting
old, and it is rather hard upon me; but
am sure God win not let me suffer. lie
has not taken care Of me for seventy-hve