The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-07-24
DEPARTED VOICES CALL
DR.. TALMAGE breaches A SERMON
AT LAKESIDE, o.

DR.. TALMAeE breaches A SERMON
AT LAKESIDE, o.
"
Tue Inansnce of Empty Chafrs-Father's
Mothers. Baby's, All Urge the Living
to Lead Better and Nobler Lives-A
Powerful Appeal.
LAKESIDE, O., July 19.--For many
years people have gathered In multi
tudes at this season of the year for a
great outdoor assembly, The grounds
are short sail from Sandusky. The
place beautiful beyond description
Dr. Talmage preached this morning in
this delightful place to a vast multi
tude. His subject was the vacant
Chair" and his text, | Samuel Xxx, IS,
''Hhou shalt be missed, because thy
seat will be empty"
Set on the table the cutlery and the
chased silverware Of the palace, for
King Saul will give a state dinner to-
day. A distinguished place is kept at
the table for his son-in-law, a eele-
DRAFTED warrior David by name The
guests, jeweled and plumed, come in
and take their places. When people
are invited to kings banquet they
are very apt to go. But before the
covers are lifted from the feast Saul
looks around and finds a vacant seat at
the table He says within himself, per-
haps audibly, What does this meant
Where is my son-in-law2 Where is
David, the great warrior3 | invited
him. expected him. What vacant
chair at the kings banquet"
The fact was that David, the warrior
had been seated for the last time at his
father-in-law's table. The day before
Jonathan had coaxed David to go and
occupy that place at the table, saying
to David in the words of my text,
Thou shalt be missed, because thy
seat will be empty" The prediction
was fulfilled. David was missed His
seat was empty. That one vacant chair
spoke louder than all the occupied
chairs at the banquet.
THE VACANT CHAIR.
In almost every house the articles of
furniture take a living personality.
That picture-a stranger would not see
anything remarkable either in its design
or execution, but it is more to you than
all the pictures of the Louvre and the
Luxembourg. You remember who
bought it and who admired it. And
that hymn book-you remember who
sang out of it. And that cradle--you
remember who rocked it, And that
Bible-you remember who read out of
it. Aud that bed--you remember who
slept in it, And that room--you re-
member who died in it. But there is
nothing in all your house so eloquent
and so mighty voiced as the vacant
chair.
! suppose that before Saul and his
guests got up from this banquet there
was great chatter of wine pitchers,
but I'll that racket was drowned out by
the voice that came up from the vacant
chair at the table Millions have gazed
and wept at john Quincy Adams
vacant chair in the house of represen
tativc3, and at Henry Wilson's vacant
chair in the vice presidency, and al
Henry Clay's vacant chair in the Ameri
can senate, and at Prince Albert's va
cant chair in Windsor castle, and al
Theirs vacant chair in the councils Of
the French nation; but all these chairs
are unimportant to you as compared
with the vacant chairs in your own
household Have these chairs any les
sons for lis to learn2 Are we any bet
ter men and women than when they
first addressed us?
First point out to you the fathers
vacant chair. Old men always like to
sit in the same place and in the same
chair. They somehow feel more at
home, and sometimes when you are in
their place and they come into the
room. you jump up suddenly and say,
Here, father, here's your chair" The
probability is, it is an armchair, for be
is not so strong as he once was, and he
needs little unfolding. His hair is a
little frosty, his gums Il little depressed,
for iii his early days there was not much
dentistry. Perhaps cane chair and
old fashioned apparel, for though you
may have suggested some improvement,
father does not want any of your non
sense Grandfather never had much
admiration for new tangled notions. |
sat at the table of one of my parish
toner's in Il former congregation; an
aged man was at the table, and the son
was presiding, and the father some
what abruptly addressed the son and
said, My son, don't now try to show
off because the minister is herel'
Your father never liked any new
customs or manners; he preferred the
old way of doing things, and he never
looked SO happy as when with his eyes
closed he sat in the armchair in the
corner. From the wrinkled brow tc
the tip of the slippers, what placidity
The wave of the past years of his life
broke at the foot of that chair. Per
haps sometimes he was little impa
tent and sometimes told the same
story twice; but over that old chail
how many blessed memories hoverl
hope you did not crowd that old chair
and that it did not get very much il
the way. Sometimes the old man.
chair gets very much in the way. espe
cially if he has been so unwise as t,
make over all his property to his chill
Iren with the understanding that the!
are to take care of him. have seen il
such eases children crowd the old man
chair to the door, and then crowd j
clear into the street, and then crowd
into the poorhouse, and keep on crowd
ing e until the old man fell out of
into his grave.
A SACRED PLACE.
Bat your fathers chair was a saere
place The children used to climb u
on the runsa IF it for good night kiss
| and fhe LONGER he stavpd fine better yoi