Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-22
OVER ONE SOUL
THERE SHALL BE GREAT REJOICING IN
HEAVEN. e
Dr. Talmase Delivers a Splendid Sermon on
Heavenly Congratulations The Import
alee Of One Soul Being Saved and
lis Eject in Heaven.

absent from home about ten days, dur
idg which period he speaks ia as many
cities The subject Of his sermon was
Heavenly Congratulations" His evil
dent intention was 10 make worlds that
seem a great way of from each other,
auDear very near. His text was taken
from Luke Is: :: Likewise JOY shall be
in heaven over one sinner that re-
uenteth, more than over ninety and
nine Just persons who need no repent
aRce.'
a lost sheep! Nothing can be more
thoroughly lost. ! look through the
window Of a shepherds house at night.
The candles are lighted. The shepherd
has Just placed his staff against the
mantel. He has taken of his coat,
shaken out OF iJ the dust and hung il
up. / see by the candle light that there
are neighbOrS who have come in. The
shepherd, tagged out with the long
tramp, sits down on a bench, and the
wife and children and the neigh0ors
say 10 him: "COme now, tell US how
YOU found the poor thing" "Well, he
says, this morning l went out TO the
yard 20 look at the flock. No sooner
bad / looked over the fence than l saw
something wrong. The fact was they
aid not count right. Ninety-lve, ninety
Xix, niuety-Seyen, ninety-eight, ninety
nine--Only ninety-nine. Mcdonald, you
know we had hundred.
AND I WONDERED
Which one was gone, and I began again,
and l counted ninety-tve, ninety-SiX,
ninety-Seyen, ninety-eight, niuety-nine.
Well, / whiStled up the dogs, and l
started on the fields ana across the
bridges, aud l tracked the mOOrS, and l
leaped the gullicS, but no bieating OF
the poor thing did l hear. l said 70
myself: The lamb must have fallen
into q ditch, or a pack OF wolves from
the mountains must have torn il TO
pieces and sucked It's Life OUT But l
could not give 10 up. You see il was
pet lamb. IL was that one with the
black spot on the right shoulder that
used 70 come and lick my hand as l
crossed the field, and somehow / could
not give up. So | went on and on and
on until after awhile l heard the dogs
bark, and / said: Whats that?" Then
I fastened 70 the top Of the hill, aud
looked down, and there l saw the
poor lamb II had fallen into the
ditch, and as l came where it was
and bent over the ditch, and stOOp-
ed down TO lift the poor thing out,
wish you could have seen the loving,
and implOring, and tender way il looked
at me. I lifted il out, and it was all
covered with the siuSh and the mud.
10 was an awful thing to do, but l
lifted 10 out, and 10 was so lame and so
weak il could not walk alone, 50 |
threw it over my shoulder, and
started homeward; and the condition Of
that lamb you may judge Of from the
coat which have just hung up. But
I tramped on and on until IL is safe in
the yard, poor thing! Thank God,
thank GOdw Then the shepherds wife
spread the table and brought out the
best fare that the cabin could afford,
aud they sat up very late that night,
and they talked, and they laughed, and
they sang, and they ate, and they
drank, aud they danced, and told over
and over and over again the story OF
the lost sheep that was found.
WITH SUCH TENDERNESS
and rusticity Of illustration does Christ
represent the souls going of and the
souls coming back, when he says:
Likewise there is Joy In heaven among
the angels Of God over one sinner that
reDenteth more than over ninety and
nine Just persons that need no repent
ance." To repent is TO feel that you
are bad, and to be sorry about 10 and to
turn over a new leaf, and to pray for
forgiveness and help. Just as soon as
man does that they hear right away
OF il in heaven. There are no goSsips
in glory going around TO chatter and
laugh when a man falls; but there are
many souls in glory ready 70 run about
and tell il when a man is saved. The
news goes very quick from gate to gate,
and from north wall TO south
wall, and from east wall to west
wall, aud In three minutes every citizen
Of heaven has heard Of IL; for there is
Joy in heaven among the angels OF God
over one sinner that repenteth." can
very easily understand how there should
be Joy ir heaven over PenticOSt, with
three thousand souls saved In one day
no mystery about that; l can understand
how there should be Joy in heaven over
the Parish Of SchOtts, when four hundred
souls were saved under one sermon of
Mr.. Livingston; l can understand how
there should be JOY in heaven over the
great awakening In the time Of Harland
Page, when in one year four hundred
aud Seventy-three thousand souls were
brought 70 God in ths United States;
can understand very easily how there
should be joy in heaven over five hun
bred thousand souls converted in 1857,
in this country; but mark you, my text
announces there is Joy in heaven among
the angels Of God over one, just one sin
ner that repenteth.
My object impreSSes you, l think,
with the thought that il is possible for
Us to augment the happiness Of heaven.
People think that souls before the
chrome are as happy as they can be.
DENY IT.
Look at that mother before the throne
of God. When she died she left her
son in this world a vagabOnd. That
son repented Of his iniQuities and came
TO God. The repOr; Of that salvation
has reached heaven. Do you tell me
that neither before the throne Of God
has not her JOY richly augmented?
There is many man in this house to-
day who cOule go out with q torch and
kindle a new bonfire Of victory on the
hills OF heaven. II you would this day
repent and come 70 God, the news OF
your salvation would reach heaven,
and then, bark! Is the shout of the
ranSomed. Your little child went
away from you into the good land
While she was here you brought her all
kinds Of beautiful presents. Some