Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-10
POOR INVESTMENT.
REV. DR. TAEMAGE breaches At TOPEKA,
KANSAS.
Vivid Sermon BY the Eminent Divine in Which
the Fact That Wicksdnsss Is Poor In
vsstnsns Is ShOwn-Stung
Word Pictures.
speeIaI Telegram to tie Rsois.s,.

warmly welcomed by the citizens who
came in large numbers to hear the "a
nous Brooklyn divine. The subject OF
the sermon for this week is. ga Poor
Investment" and the text Isaiah 1913:
"Ye have sold yourselves for nought;
and ye shall be redeemed without
money"
The Lords people had gone head
long into sin, and as punishment they
had been carried captive to Babylon.
They found that iniquity did not pay.
Cyrus seized Babylon, and felt so sorry
for these poor captive that, without a
dollar Of compensation, ..he let them go
home. So that, literally, my text was
fulfilled; Eye have sold yourselves for
nought; and ye.shall be redeemed with
out money"
There is enough Gospel in this text
for fifty sermons. There are persons
here who have, like the people of the
text, sold out. You do not seem to be-
long 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. Eye
have sold yourselves for nought."
When a man passes himself over to
the world he expects to get some ade-
quate compensation. He has heard the
great things that the world has done
for a man, and he believes it. He wants
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
That will be horses and houses, and q
summer resort and jolly companion
ship. To get 1t he parts with his
physical health by overwork. He
parts with his conscience. He
parts with much domestic enjoy
ment. He parts with opportunities for
literary culture. He parts with his
soul. And so he makes over his entire
nature to the world. He does 1t in
four installments. He pays down the
first installment, and one-fourth of his
nature is gone he pays down the
second installment, and one-half Of his
nature is gone He 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 lol his entire
nature is gone. Then he comes up to
the world and says: 'Good-morning.
have delivered to you the goods.
have passed over to you my body, my
mind, and my soul, and I have come
now TO collect the two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars" 1.-TWO
hundred and fifty thousand dollars?"
says the world. What do you mean?"
"Well," 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, ''I have failed
I am bankrupt. I cannot possibly pay
that debt. l have not for long while
expected to pay it," SWELL" you then
say, ''give me back the goods" 'Oh,
no." says the world, ''they are all gone.
I cannot give them back to you" And
there you stand on the confines Of eter-
nifty, your spiritual character gone,
staggering under the consideration that
''you have sold yourself for nought."
| tell you the world is liar; 1t does
not keep its promises. 1t is cheat,
and it feeces everything it can put its
hands on. 1t is bogus world. 1t is a
acknowledgement swindle. Even
II it pays the two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for which you con-
tracted, it pays them in bonds that will
not be worth anything In little while.
Just as man may put down ten thous-
and dollars in hard cash and get for it
worthless script-so the world passes
over TO Won the two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars in that shape which
will not be worth fsrthing to you
thousandth part of second after you
are dead. ooh" you say, sit 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.
Post-mortem emoluments are OF no
use to you. The treasures OF this world
will not pass current in the future
world: and IL all of 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 It. There comes moment in
YOUR existence beyond which all earthly
values fail; and many man has wakened
mn in such time to find that be has
sold out for eternity, and has nothing to
show for it. / should as soon think OF
going to Chatham street to buy SILK
Observation-Disclosures with no cotton
in them, as to go to this world expect
ing to find any permanent happiness.
II 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 graft
fed at one and the same time, and he
expended thousands of dollars on each
sense. He entered a 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 regaling his nos
tril. and there were the richest meats
and wines and fruits, and CONNECTIONS,
pleasing the appetite, and there was q
soft couch Of sinful indulgence on which
he reelined; and the man declared after
ward 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 It'll All. that was the rubl
he did lose his soul by It! Cyrus the
Conoueror thought for little while
that he was making fine thing out OF
this world, and yet before he came to
his grave he wrote out this pitiful cpl
tab for his monument: II am Cyrus.
occupied the Persian Empire. was
king over Asia. Begrudge me not this
monument" But the world in after
years plowed up his sepulchre.
went to see wording die. As !
went into the hall saw its floor was
tessellated, and its wall was a picture
gallery. l found his death chamber
adorned with tapestry until 1t seemed
as il the clouds of the setting sun had
settled in the room. The man had Civ
en- forty years to the world-his wit,
his time, his genius, his talent, his soul.
MD the world come in to stand by his