Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-02-13
REV. DR.. TLIMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
SUBJECT, ZONE THING LACKING"


frst glance. He was amiable and frank and
earnest and educated and refined and TO
spectacle and moral, and yet he was not q
Christian. And 20 Christ addresses him In
the words that / have read 10 you, Zone
thing thou lackest.n l suppose that that text
was no more applicable 70 the young man Of
whom / have spoken than IL is appropriate
70 Q large multitude OF people in this audi
snce. There are many things In which you
are lacking. For instance, you are not lack
ing in q good home. 1t Is perhaps no more
than an hour ago that you closed the door,
returning to see whether II was well fastened.
Of one OF the best homes OF this 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
% these long evenings the children at the
stand with their games, the 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 refnements
and courtesies of life You understand the
polite phraseology Of invitation, regard and
apology. You have an appropriate 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 will be so in religious audience.
However reckless / NAV be about my per-
sonal appearance at other times when
come into a oonsecrated assemblage | shall
have on the best dress have. Veal under
stand the proprieties OF everyday life and
the properties 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 making no
money, you have never told that falsehood.
You have had livelihood, or you have
fallen upon old resources, which Is just the
f1r C<NA L. nat NNA 70 "a
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 strength OF tigers paw,
not one OF you is hungry. Neither are they
lacking in pleasant friendship. You have
real good friends. IL the scarlet fever
should come tonight to your house you
know very well who would come in and sit
up with the sick one; or, il death should
como you know who would come in and
take your hand tight in theirs with that pc
culiar grip which means I'm stand by you"
and, after the life is fed from the loved one,
take you by the arm and lead you into the
pextroom, and while you are gone to Green
wood 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 Friendst You all have friends.
Neither are you lacking in your admira-
ton Of the Christian religion. There is
nothing that makes you 80 angry as to have
man malign Christ. You get red In the
face, and you say, "Sir, want you 30 under
stand though am not myself 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.
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
alter Of Christ, taking the VOWS OF the Chris
tan.
It might be little hard on you, and might
make you nervous and agitated for little
while but you would be man enough to say
my child, that is right. Go on. lam glad
you haven't been kept back by my example
hope some day to join you" You believe
ell the doctrines OF religion. A man out
yonder says, II am sinner" You respond,
$50 am IN Some one says II believe that
Christ came to save the world You say,
80 dol" LOOKING at your character, at
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.n
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, II did not sleep
last night. think that must be the reason
of my restlessness;" or, II have eaten some
thing that did not agree with me, and
think that must be the reason" And you
arc 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 neu'
ralr'a, or burning with the slow FIRE 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. cam,
think Of my sufferings when l think o.
Christ" Why, his face was illumined
There are young men In this house who woult
give testimony to show that there Is no hap
piness outside of Christ, while there is grea
10y in His service. There are young mel
who have not been Christians more than 81,
months who would stand up tonight II
should ask them, and say 10 those six month
they have had more joy and satisfaction tina
In all the years Of their frivolity and dissipa
ton. Go to the door Of that gin shop to
night, and when the gang OF young me
come out ask them whether they are happy
They laugh along the street. and they ice
and they shout, but nobody has any ide
they are happy.
l could cali upon the aged men In thi
house to give testimony. There are age
men here who tried the world, and they trie
religion, and they are willing to testify o
our side. 1t was not long ago that an age
man arose in a praying circle and said
Brethren, lost my son Just as he graduate
from college, and it broke my heart; but
am glad now he Is gone. He Is at rest, es
capped from all sorrow and from all trouble
III IN. Loaf -
you see l am getting old, and it is rattle
hard upon me; but am sure God will no
let me suffer. He has not taken care OF m
for seventy-hve years now TO let me drop on
Of His hands"
went into The room OF an aged man-h
eyesight nearly gone, his hearing nearly gon
and what do you suppose he was talkin
about The goodness OF God and the joys {
religion. He said: II would like to 20 owe
and Join my wife on the other side Of tn
food, and am waiting until the Lord call
me. l am happy now. | shall be happ
there" What is 1t that gave that aged ma
SO much satisfaction and peacei Physics
exuberancef No, 1t has all gone. Sunshine
He cannot see 1t. The voices Of friendsP H
cannot hear them. 1t is the grace of Goo
that's brighter than sunshine and that
sweeter than music, II harpist takes
harp and find that all the strings are broke
but one string he does not try to play upo
It. Yet here will show you an aged ma
Che strings Of whose joy are all broken saw
one, and yet he thrums it with such satisfat
ton, such melody that the angels of Go
stop the swift stroke Of their wings and hove
about the place until the music ceases. OF
religions ways are ways OF pleasantnes
and all her paths are peace" And If 20
have not the satisfaction that Is to be foun
in Jesus Christ must tell you, with all tn
concentrated emphasis OF my soul: ION
thing thou lackest."
Iremark, again, that you lack the ele
ments of usefulness. Where Is your business
You say II Ia No. IS such a street, or No, %
such street. or No. 800 such street. M
friend immortal, your business is whereve
there is tear to be wiped away or a soul +