Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-05-06
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Diyine's Sun.
day Sermon. ys.-
"rhs Greatest Name of An"


Philippians H., 9.
Paul is here making rapturous and en-
thusiastic description Of the name of Christ
There are merely worldly names that some
times thrill you through and through. Such
was the name of Henry Clay to Kentuck-
ian, the name of William Writ to Virgin
ian, the name of Daniel Webster to New
Highlander.
BY common proverb we have come TO be-
lieve that there is nothing in name;" AMI
so Parents sometimes at the baptismal altar
gives titles to their children reckless of the
fact that that title, that name, win be a life
time hindrance or a lifetime help. You
have no right TO give your child name
lacking either. in euphony or moral mean.
ing.
1t is sin to call a child Jehoiakim or
Tiglath-pileser-or by anything that Is disa-
greeable because you have had an exas-
perating name yourself is no reason why
you should inhict it upon your progeny.
And vet how often it is that we see name
full of jsrgon rafting down from generation
% generation simply because long while
ago some one happt ned to be afflicted with
il. Institutions and great enterprises some
times without sufficient elaboration take
nomenclature Mighty destinies have been
decided by q name. While we may by
long course of Christian behavior get over
the misfortune Of having been baptized with
the name of a despot or cheat how much
better it would have been If we could have
all started life without any such incum-
brance.
When Paul. in my text and in other pas
sages of Scripture burst forth in aspirations
of admiration for the name Of Christ, want
10 inquire what are the characteristics OF
that appel alton, "rhe name which is above
every name" In the first place. speaking to
YOU in regard to the name OF Christ, want
10 tell you it is an easy name. You are
sometimes introduced to people with long
and unpronouuceable names, and you have
to listen cautiously TO get the names, and
YOU have TO hear them pronounced two or
three times before you risk trying to utter
them. but within the first two years the lit
tie child folds its hands and looks upward
and says Jesus"
Can IL be thatin all this church this morn
ing there are representatives OF cny house
bold where the children are familiar with the
names OF the father and mother and brother
and sister. yet know nothing about that
name which is above every namey Some
times you forget the name Of a quite familiar
friend. and you have to think and think be-
fore you get il, but can you imagine any
freak of intellect by which you should for
Get the name Of Jesusg That word seems to
it the tongue in every dialect. Down to old
age. when the voice is tremulous and uncer.
tain and indistinct, even then this regal
word finds potent utterance.
When an aged father was dying one OF
the children came and said, Father, do
YOU Know meY' and in ths delirium OF the
last sickness he said, mo, l don't know
YOU" Another child came and said,
Father, do you know me| mo, he sald
II don't know YOU" Then the village pas
o,,I eoiI ssDOu Won know NAV
He said. mo; don't think lever saw you"
Then said the minister, "Do you know
jesus 'Oh, yesl' said the dying man, Il
know Jesus. Chief among ten thousand IS
He, and the One altogether lovely" Yes,
for all ages and for all languages, and Tor all
conditions is an easy name.
Jesus, love Thy charming name,
lis music 10 my ear;
Fam would sound II out 50 loud
That heaven and earth might hser
But | remark further in regard 70 this
name of Christ, that it is beautiful name.
Nov you Lava noticed that you cannot dis
associate a name from the character OF the
person who has it. There are some names
for instance. that are repulsive to my ear.
Those names are attractive to your ear.
What is the difference Why, | happened
10 know some persons Of that name who
were cross or sour, OF queer or unsympa-
tbetic. and the persons you have happened
10 know of that name were kind and genial.
Since. then, we cannot disassociats a name
from the character of the person who has
the name. that consideration makes the
psme of Jesus unspeakably beautiful.
csnnot pronounce the name in your
presence, Tut you think OF Bethlehem and
Gethsemane and Golgouha, and you see His
loving face. and you hear His tender voice,
10 c
/ pronounce His name in your presence you
think of Hin who banqueted with heavenly
hierarchs. vet came down and breakfasted
on the fish which the rough man hauled out
of Genesaret: you think Of Him who, though
the clouds are the dust of bis feet, walked
footsore on the read to Emmaus.
cennot speak His name in your hearing
this moripg, but you think right away OF
the shining one who restored the centurion's
daughter. and who helped the blind man to
sunlight. and who made the crippe's crutch
useless. and who looked down into the laugh
ing ewes of the babe until it struggled to 90
70 Him; then, fiinging His arms around 1t,
and jmpressing kiss upon its beautiful
brow. ssid: "Of such is the kingdom OF
heaven
oh. beautiful name, the name Of Jesus
which stands for love. for patience, for self
sacrifice, for magnanimity, for everything
that is good and glorious and tender ana
sympathetic and kind! 1t is aromatic with
all doors 1t saccordant with all harmonies.
Sometimes when | look at that name oil
Jesus Christ it seems as If the letters were
made of tears, and then they seem to be
cleaning crowns. Sometimes that name
seems to be twisted out of the straw or
which He Law. and then it seems to be bull
out of the thrones on which His people are
70 reign Sometimes l sound that wore
Jesus and hear in it the sob OF Gethsemant
and the groan of Calvary, and then l SPEAK
His name and it is all ripple with gladues:
and ring with hosanna. Glorious namel
Take all the glories of bookbindery and
nut them around the page on which tina
name Is prjnted. On Christmas morning
wreathe II on the wall Let it drip from
barp's string and let it thunder out in organ
diapason. Sound it often, sound it well, uu
iii every star shall seem to shine it, and every
flower shall seem TO breathe it, and mount
ain and sea. and day and night. and eartl
and heaven acclaim in full chant, BLESSED
be His glorious name forever" "Ine nam
which is above every name.
Have YOU ever heard in q Methods
CHURCH. during time Of revival, a score o
souls come to the altar and cry out for mere.
under the power Of Just two lines OF gloriou
old John Wesley,
Jesus, the name high over all.
In heaven, or earth, or sky.
To therepenting soul, to the exhausted in
valid. to the Sunday-school girl, to the sno'
white octogenarian it is beautiful. tn
aged man comes in from a long walk, and
TREMENDOUSLY opens the door Of his home, an
he hangs his hat on the old nail, and he put
bis cane in the usual place and he lies on 81
couch. and be says to his children and n
grandcnIiureD, MY GEARS, am gping ava
from you Aud they say, "Why, wher
are you going, grandfather 'Oh, he say
81 am going 10 Jesus" and so the old ma
faints away into heaven.
And the little child comes IN from pla
end she filings herself in your lap, and Sd
SAYS, Mamma, Pm so sick, Pm so yer
sick" and you put her to bed, and the teye
is worse and worse, aud some midnigh
while you are shaking up the pillow and gi'
ing the medicine. she looks up in your fac
and says, Mamma, Pm going away froI
YOU" You say, "Why, whero are you &c
ing. nv darliugy' And she says, II am e
ing to Jesus" And the red cheek that 20
take to be the mark of the fever turns OF
TO be only the carnation bloom Of heaven.
Oh, was it not beautiful when a lit
child hearl that her playmate ..as dyins
and she went TO the house, and she c,ambere
upon the bed Of her dying playmate
Where are you going toy and the dyin
girl said, ''rm going TO Jesus" Then sal
the little girl that was well as she bent owe
- ~ IL 81 her dufntr mi a