Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-10
CARRIED TO BABYLON.
The Lords People Have Gone Head
long Into Sin and Sorrow.
SOLD THEMSELVES FOR NAUGHT.
The Title Deeds Have Been Passed Over to
the World and Flesh.
REV. DR.. TAIMAGE TALKS IN THE WEST
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. ]


reached this city yesterday in the course OF
his Western trip. He was warmly vel
coined by the citizens, who came in large
numbers to hear the famous BROOKLYN di.
vine. The subject of the sermon for this
week is: "a Poor Investment" and the
text Isaiah lii, 3: ''Ye have sold yourselves
for nonght; and We shall he redeemed with.
out money
The Lords people had gone headlong into
sin, and as punishment they had been car,
ried captive to Babylon. They found that
iuiquity did not pay. Cyrus seized Baby
Ion, and felt so sorry for these poor cap
tives that, without dollar of compensa-
tion, he let them GO home So that, literally,
nv text was fulfilled: eye have sold your
selves for nought; and We shall be redeemed
without money
There is enough gospel in this text for SO
sermons. There are persons here who have,
like the people of the text, sold out. You
do not seem to belong either to yourselves
or to God. The title-deeds have been passed
over to "the world, the flesh, and the
devil" but the purchaser never paid up.
''le have sold yourselves for nought.
MAN WANTS ADEQUATE REWARDS
When a man passes himself over TO the
world he expects to get some adequate COM
pensation. He has heard the great things
that the world does for man, and he be-
lieves it. He wants $3.50 600 That will be
horses and houses, and a summer resort,
and jolly companionship. Toget it he parts
with his physical health by overwork He
parts with his conscience. He parts with
much domestic enjoyment. He parts with
opportunities for literary culture. He parts
E,1,1 m he q kos n
tire nature to the world. He does it in four
inStallments. He pays down the first in
stallment, and one-fourth of his nature is
gone He paws down the second INSTALL
nent and one half of his nature is gone
lie pays down the third installment,
and three-quarters of his nature are
gone: and after many years have gone by
he pays down the fourth installment,
and 10, his entire nature is gone. Then he
comes mp 10 the world and says: Good
morning. I have delivered up to you the
goods. | have passed over to you my body,
my mind and my soul and have come now
10 collect my $3.50 600" Two hundred and fif-
ty thousand dollars?r says the world. "What
do you mean?" We'll, you say, 81 come to
collect the money you owe me, and / expect
you to fulfill your part of the contract"
But, SAYS the world, 81 have failed. 1 am
. bankrupt l cannot possibly pay that
debt. have not for long while expected
10 pay it" Well" you then say, give me
hack the goods" '0h, no." says the world
''they are all gone l cannot give them back
10 YOU Ana tlere YOU StanO on the con-
zines Of eternity, your spiritual character
gone, staggering under the consideration
that you have sold yourself for nought'.
I tell You the world is liar: it does not
keep its promises. 1t Is cheat, and it
1eeCeS everything it can put its hands on.
Il is a bogus world. 1t is 6,0OO-year-old
swindle. Even if it pays the $50, 600 for
which you contracted, it pays them in bonds
that Will not be worth anything in little
while. just a man may pay down $1,000
IN hard cash and get for it worthless scrip
so the world passes over to you the $3.50, 900
in that shape which will not be worth far
thing to you a thousandth part of a second
after You are dead.
POsT-NoRTEM EAroLUMENTs NO USE.
"Oh,r YOU say, "it will help to bury ME
anyhow" oh, my brother! you need not
worry about that. The world will bury you
soon enough from sanitary considerations.
Post-mortem emoluments are of no use to
you- The treasures of this world will not
pass current in the future world; and if ali
the wealth of the Bank of England were put
in the pocket OF your shroud, and you in the
midst of the Jordan of death were asked to
pay three cents for your ferriage, you could
not do ii. There comes moment in your
existence beyond which all earthly values
fail; and many a man has wakened up in
such q time to find that he has sold out for
eternity, and has nothing to show for it. l
should as soon think of going to Chatham
street to buy silk pocl1et-handkerchiefs with
)
pecting to find any permanent happiness. 1t
has deceived and deluded every man who
has ever put his trust in it.
History tells us of one who resolved that
he would have all his senses gratif1ed at one
and the same time, and he expended thou
sands Of dollars on each sense. He entered
q room, and there were the first musicians
of the land pleasing his ear, and there were
fine pictures fascinating his eye, and there
were costly aromatics RECALLING his nostril,
and there were the richest meats and wines
and fruits and CONNECTIONS pleasing the ap-
petite, and there was soft couch of sinful
indulgence on which he reclined; and the
man declared afterward that he would give
ten times what he had given If he could
have one week of such enjoyment, even
though he lost his soul by iii All! that was
the rub! He did lose his soul by it! Cyrus
the COnQueror thought for little while
that he was making fine thing out of this
world. and vet before he came to his grave
he wrote out this pitiful epitaph for his
monument; Il am Cyrus. / occupied the
Persian Empire. was King over Asia. Be-
ETudge me not this monument" But the
world in after years plowed up his sepulcher.
THE WORLD DOES NOT LIKE THE SICK.
went to see a wording die. As went
into the hall saw its floor was tessellated,
and its wall was picture gallery. found
his death-chamber adorned with tapestry
until it seemed as if the clouds of the setting
sun had settled in the room. The man had
given 80 years TO the world-his wit, his
time, his genius, his talent. his soul. Did
the world come in TO stand by his death-bed
and clearing of the walls OF bitter medicine
put down any compensation oh, no. The
world does not like sick and dying people
and leaves them in the lurch. 1t ruined this
man and then left him. He had magnif-
cent funeral. All the ministers wore scarfs
and there we're =S carriages in a row; but the
departed man apprecia ted not the obsequies.
J want to persuade my audience that this
world is poor investment; that it does not
pay 80 per cent of satisfaction, nor so per
cent, nor 20 per cent, nor , per cent, nor /;
that it gives no solace when q dead babe
lies on your lap; that it gives no peace when
conscience rings its alarm; that il gives no
e9planati ton in the day of dire trouble: and
at The time of your decease it takes hold of
the plllow-case, and shakes out the feathers,
and then iolts down in the place thereof
sighs, and groans, and excavations and then
makes you put your head on it. Oh, ye who
have tried this world, is it a satisfactory
portion? Would you advise your friends
TO make the investment? No. "Ye have
sold yourselves for nought" Your con-
science went. Your hope went Your Bible
went. Your heaven went. Your God went.
When a sheriff under Il writ from the court
sells man out, the officer generally leaves
few chairs and bed, and few cups and
knives; but In this awful vendue in which
you have been engaged the auctioneer's
mallet has come down upon the body, mind
and soul. Going! Comet aye have sold
yourselves for nought."
How could you do so? Did you think that
your soul was a mere trinket, which for
few pennies you could buy in toy shop?
Did YOU think that your soul il once lost
might be found again if you went out with
torches and lanterns? Did you think that
your soul wac short-lived and that, painting,
1t would soon lie down for extinction?
CHEATED OUT OF THEIR SOULS.
But have some good news to tell you. 1
want to engage in litigation for the recovery
OF that soul Of yours. 1 want to show that
you have been cheated out of it. / want to
prove, as ! will. that you were crazy on that
subject and that the world under such cir