The Iola register., 1891-02-06
TALMAGESS SERMON.
ZONE THING THOU LACKEST,"
Is the Text OF One of the Most Powerful
Pulpit oratiOns Ever Uttered.
While Souls are Being Lost, There is work
For all Christians.-The Impassioned
Appeal Arouses Hundreds of
dnquirers, who INQUIRE
the way TO Christ.

BROOKLYN. y. a.. February 1.-The
text OF DIR. Talmage's sermon was: 'One
Thing Thou Lackest." Mark Y, 81.
After the sermon and at the invitation
Of the preacher hundreds of persons,
moved by the stirring appeals, rise for
PRAYERS. and the orchestra seats are
soon filled by those seeking spiritual
guidance. Among the recent converts
was a son of prominent minister OF
the gospel and personal friend OF DIR.
Talmage. Passing among them, con-
versing with one another, are workers
from the Young Mems Christian assOcla-
ton. who come in a response to an invl-
tatiOn from the Christian Herald. 1t
having become a physical impossibility
for DIR. Talmage tO,speak individually
with the rapidly increasing number
who desire personal religious counsel.
These are indeed solemn scenes. unpre:
cedented within those walls. No less
than ]. 900 persons are said to have been
led already by these services to enter on
Christian life
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 is not a Christian. And so
Christ addressed him in the words that
I have read to you: ''One thing thou
lackest." | suppose that that text was
no more appropriate to the young man
of whom have just spoken than 1t Is
appropriate to great multitude OF peo-
pie in this audience. There are many
things in which you are not lacking.
For instance, 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 1t was
weiI fastened. of one of lhe best homes
in this ethyl IThe younger children OF
the house already asleep, and the older
ones. hearing your returning footsteps,
will rush to the door to meet you. And
in these winter evenings, the children
at the stand with their lessons, the wife
plying the needle and you reading the
book or the paper, you feel that you
have a good home. Neither are you
lacking in the refinements and courte-
sizes of life.
NEITHER POOR NOR FRIENDLESS.
You understand the polite phrase
Ology of invitation. regard and apology.
You have on appropriate apparel. L
shall wear no better dress at the we'd
ding than when come to the marriage
of the Kings son. If | am well clothed
on other occasions. | will be in religi-
Gus audience. However reckless | may
be about my personal appearance at
Othes times, when | come into a cOnse-
Grated assemblage | shall have on the
best dress l have. We all understand
the proprieties of everyday life and the
proprieties of Sabbath life.
Neither are YOU lacking in worldly
success. 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 in
come or are making no money. you
have never told that falsehoOd. You
have had 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 sur
plus of the past as by present success.
While there are thousands OF men with
hunger tearing at the throat with the
strength of a tigers paw, not one OF you
are 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 sit up with the sick enc; or, If
death should come, you know who
would come in and take your hand
tight in theirs with that peculiar grip
which means III 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 will stay in
the house and put away the playthings
that might bring to your mind too
severely your great loss. Friends? You
have friends. Neither are you lacking
in your admiration of the Christian re-
ligiOn. There is nothing that makes
You so angry as to have man malign
Christ. You get red in the face and
you say: ''Sir, want you to under
stand that though am not Christian,
| don't like such things said as that in
my store, =" and the man goes off giving
you parting salutation, but you hardly
answer him. You are provoked beyond
all bounds.
ONE IMPORTANT THING LACKING.
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 Christian. 1t
might be little hard on you, and might
make you nervous and agitated for a
little while, but you would be man
enough TO say: My child, that is
right. Go on, am glad you haven't
been kept back by my example. l hope
some daV 10 iOin Won " Won believe all
the doctrines of religion. A man out
yonder says: Il am a sinner" You re-
spond: so am l." Some one says: Il
believe that Christ came to save the
world" You say; 80 do l." Look
ing at your character, at your surround
ings, l find a thousand things about
which to congratulate you, and yet l
must tell you in the love and fear of
God, and with reference to my last ac-
count: ''One 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: Il did not sleep last night.
/ think that must be the reason of nv
restlesSness::" or Il have eaten some
thing 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
condition. Some of the happiest peo-
pie 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,