The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-07-09

tho 'iitS-thiru Chaptcr OF ISalah---H How
and Why Men and Sheep Go Astray.
whosoever VIII. Let Him Come.
BROOKLYN, June 2S.--Dr. Talmage's
sermon to-day Is of 80 decidedly evan
geI2al character as to prove conclu-
siveiy that while 80 many eminent
preachers of The day arc drifting away
from the old fashioned Gospel he re-
mains firm in the paths of orthodoxy.
His subject is "Astray, but Recovered"
and his text, Isaiah lii, &: "All we like
sheep have gone astray: and
the Lord hath laid on him the iliquity of
us ALL"
Within ninety years at the longest all
who hear or read this sermon will be in
eternity. During the next fifty years
you will nearly all Re gone. The next
ten years will cut wide swath among
the people. The year 1891 will to some
be the finalitY. Such considerations
make this occasion absorbing and mo-
mentous. The first half of my text is
an indictment, "All we like sheep have
gone astray." Some one says: "Can
you not drop the first word? That is
too general; that sweeps too great cir
cle." Some man rises in the audience
and he looks over on the opposite side
of the house, and he says: "There is a
blasphemer, and understand how he
has gone astray. And there in another
part OF the house is defrauder, and he
has gone astray. And there is an i'm
pure person, and he has gone astray.'
sit down, my brother, and look at
home. My text takes us all in. 1t
starts behind the pulpit, sweeps the
circuit OF the room and comes back to
the point where it started, when 1t says:
"All we like sheep have gone astray."
1 can very easily understand why Mar
tin Luther threw up his lands after he
had found the Bible and C, led out, "Oh!
my sins, my SINS" and why the publi-
can. according TO the custom to this day
in the east when they have any great
grief, began TO beat himself and cry as
he smote upon his breast, "God be mer-
citul to me sinner"
ILLUSTRATION FROM MTIIESHErIIEHD'S
LIFE.
l was, like many of you. brought up
in the country, and l know some Of the
habits of sheep and how they get astray,
and what my text means when it says,
II we like sheep have gone astray."
Sheep get astray in two ways, either by
trying to get into other pasture, or from
being scared by the dogs. In the former
way some ofus got astray. We thought
the religion OF Jesus Christ short COM
mons. We thought there was better
pasturage somewhere else. We thought
if we could only lie down on the banks
of distant streams or under great oaks
on the other side Of some hill we might
be better fed.
We wanted other pasturagc than that
which God through Jesus Christ gave
our soul. and we wandered OH and we
wandered on, and we were lost. We
wanted bread and we found garbage.
The further we wandered, instead of
finding rich pasturage. we found blasted
health and sharper rocks and more sting
ing nettles. No pasture. How was it
IN the worldly groups when you lost
your child? Did they come around and
console you very much? Did not the
plain Christian man who came into your
house and sat up with your darling child
give you more comfort than all worldly
associations? DID all the convivial
songs you ever heard comfort you in
that day of bereavement 80 much as the
song they sang to you, perhaps the very
oOhS CLuo wac ouDS NY JOul ilCllC CIllu
the last Sabbath afternoon Of her life?
There is happy land, far, far away,
Where saints immortal reign, bright, bright
as day.
Did your business associates in that
day of darkness and trouble give you
any especial coincidence? business eX-
asperated you, business wore you out,
business left you limp as rag, business
made you mad. You got dollars, but you
got no peace. God have mercy on the man
who has nothing but business to comfort
him. The world afforded you no luXuriant
pasturage. A famous English actor
stood on the stage impersonating, and
thundors OF applause came down from
the galleries, and many thought it was
the proudest moment Of all his life; but
there was man asleep just in front of
him, and the fact that that man was in
different and sOmnOlcnt spoiled all the
occasion for him, and he cried, "Wake
up! wake up!'
So one little annoyance in life has been
more pervadlng to your mind than all
the brilliant congratulations and sue
cesses. poor pasturagc for your soul you
found in this world. The world has
cheated you, the world has bcled } on.
the world has msinterprcted you. the
world has persecuted you. 1t never
comforted you. Oh! this world is good
rack from which 4 horse may pick his
hay; it is good trough from which the
swine may crunch their mess; but it
gives but little food to a soul blood bought
and immortal.
What is soul? 1t is hope high as
the throne of God. What is IL man?
You say, cit is only man." 1t is only
a man gone overheard IN business life.
What Is man? The battle ground of
three worlds, with his hands taking hold
of destinies of light or darkness. A
mani No line can measure him. No
limit can bound HIM. The archangel
before the throne cannot outlivc him.
The stars shall die, but he will watch
Their extinguishment. The world Will
burn, but lie will gaze on the connagra-
ton. Endless ages will march on; ne
will watch the procession. A man! The
masterpiece of God Almighty. Yet
you say, ut is only man." Can a
nature like that be fed on husks of the