Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-08
THE GLORIOUS MARCH.
Christianity Compared to the Light
of the Noon and the Sun,
THE CHURCH ExCELS IN SCIENCE.
a Militant Power Greater Than the Vain
World Has Ever Seen.
TALMAGES LATEST SUNDAY SERMON


DIR. Talmage selected for publication thi
week is from Solomon's Song vi:10: "Fai
as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible
as an army with banners
The fragrance of spikenard, the flash O.
jewels, the truitfulness OF orchards the lux
urlahce OF gardens, the beauty of Heshbor
hsh-pools, the dew of the night and the
splendor OF the morning-aIl contribute tc
the richness of Solomon's style when ht
comes TO speak of the glory OF the
Church. In contrast with his eulozium o.
the Church, look at the denunciatory things
that are said iu our day In regard to it. /
one stockholder become a cheat does that
destroy the whole companya If one soldier
be a coward, does that condemn the whole
army?
And yet there are many in this day SO un
philosophfc, so illogical. so dishonest, and 81
unfair as to denounce the entire Church o
God because there are here and there bad
men belonging to it. There are those who
say that the Church of GOD is not up to the
spirit of the day in which we live: but l
have to tell you that Notwithstanding all
the swift wheels, and the flying shuttles and
the lightning communications, the world
has never yet been able to keep up with the
Church. As high as God is above man, SC
high is the Church of God-higher than all
human institutions.
The Church Supreme in Science.
From her lamp the best discoveries of the
world have been lighted. The best of our
inventors have believed in the Christian re-
fgion-the Fultons, the Morses, the Whit
neys the Perrys and the Livingstones. She
has owned the best of the telescopes and
Leyden jars: and while infidelity and athe-
ism have gone bltndfolded among the most
startling discoveries that were about to be
developed, the earth and the air and the sea
have made quick and magnificent responses
10 Christian philosophers
The world will not be up to the Church of
Christ until the day when all merchandise
has become honest merchandise and all gov
ernments have become free governments,
and all nations evangelized nations and the
last deaf ear of spiritual death shall be
broken open by the milliun-yoiced shout OF
nations born in day.
Yet there are people who are ashamed to
belong to the Church of Christ ana If you ask
lhem whether they are in such associa tions
they say, "1es, l sometimes attend the
church;' instead of realizing the fact that
there is no honor compared with the honor
OF being member OF the Church of God.
You who are floating about in the world
seeking Tor better associations, why do you
not join yourself to some of the churches?
o men and women, by the tides of friyolity
and worldliness swept this way and swept
that seeking for associations and for salts
factions for the immortal soul, come into the
Church of Jesus Christ. Lash fast to her
She is the pillar and the ground of truth, l
propose TO speak of the threefold glory of
the Church as it is described in the text:
The Church Compared TO rhe Moon.
First, Fair as the moon" God, who has
determined that everything shall be beauti-
tiful in its season, has not lett the night
without charm. The moon rules the night.
The stars are only set gems in her tiara.
Sometimes before the sun has gone down the
moon mounts her throne, but it is after
nighttall that she sways her undisputed
scepter over island and continent, river and
sea. Under her shining, the plainest maple
leaves become shivering silver, the lakes
from shore to shore look like shining mir
rors, and the ocean under her glance with
great tides comes up painting upon the
beach, mingling, as it were, foam and fire.
Under the wiJchery of the moon, the awful
sleeps lose their ruggedness and the chasms
their terror. The poor man blesses God for
throwing SO cheap light through the
broken window-pane of his cabin, and to
tie sick it seems like light from the other
tGTe JiliT Dou.Ls this great deep of human
pain and woe. If the sun be like a song, full
and loud and poured forth from braZen in
sIruments that fill heaven and earth with
harmony, the moon is plaintive and sad,
standing beneath the throne of God send
the stars listen and the sea! No mother ever
more lovingly watched a sick cradle than
this pale watcher of the sky bends over the
weary. heart-sick, slumbering earth. singing
cradle of the spheres.
Now. says my text, "who is she, fair as
the moOn?" Our answer is the Church.
Like the moon, she is u borrowed light. She
gathers up the glory of a Savior's sufferings
u Sayior's death, a Savior's resurrection a
Savlor's ascension, and pours that light on
palace and dungeon, on sQualid heathenism
ana elaborate skeptlcism, on widows tears
and martyrs robe of flame, on weeping peni-
tence and loud-mouthed scorn.
The Only Institution of Light.
She is the only institution to-day that
gives any light to our world. Into her portal
the poor come and get the sympathy of
once pilIowless Christ, the bereaved come
and see the bottle in which God saves all
our tears, and the captives come. and on the
sharp corners of her affairs dash of their
chains, and the thirsty come and put their
Gu p under the "Rock of Ages" which pours
forth from its smitten side living water,
sparkling water. crystalline water, from uil-
der the throne OF God and the Lamb. Blessed
the bell that calls her worshipers to prayer.
blessed the water in which her members are
baptized. Blessed the wine that glows in
her sacramental cups. Blessed tine songs on
which her devotions travel up and the
angels of God travel down.
As the moon goes through the midst of the
roaring storm-clouds unflushed and un-
Harmed, and comes out calm and beautiful
on the other side, so the Church of God has
gone through all the storms of this world DIS
persecution and come out uninjured, no
worse for the fact that Robespierre cursed
it, andy oltaire carcatured itand Tom Paine
sneered at it, and all the forces of darkness
have bOmbarded 1t. Not like some baletul
comet shooting across the sky, scattering
terror and dismay among the nations, but
ABOVE the long howling night OF the worlds
wretchedness theChristian Church has made
her mild way, Fair as the moon."
take step further in my subj bject-"Clear
as the sun" After 4 season of storm or fog
how you are thrilled when the sun comes
out at MONDAY! What can resist the sun?
Light Tor Voyager on the deep; light for
shepherds guarding the flocks atield; light
Tor the poor who have no lamps to burn;
light for the downcast ana weary; light for
aching eyes and burning brain and consum-
ing captive; light ior the smooth brow of
Childhood and the dim vision OF the octo-
genariau.
The Church Compared TO the sun.
Now, says my text, "who is she that look
eth forth clear as the SUM-" Our answer is
-tne Church. ou have been going along q
road before daybreak, and on one side you
thought you saw lion, and on the other
side you thought you saw a goblin of the
darkness, but when the sun came out you
found these were harmless apparitions.
And it is the great mission of the Church of
Jesus Christ to come forth "clear as the
sum-" to illumine all earthly darkness, to
explain as far rs possible, all mystery, and
10 make the world radiant I'm its brightness;
and that which you thought was an aroused
lion as lOund out to be a SlumDering lamb:
and the sepulchral gates of your dead turn
out TO be the opening gates OF heaven; and
that which you supposed was flaming
sword to keep you out of paradise, is an
ungel of light to Deckon you In.
The lamps on her affairs will cast their
glow on your darkest pathway ana cheer
you until, far beyond the need OF lantern or
lighthouse. you are safely anchored within
the veil. %, sun of the Church! shine on
until there is no sorrow to soothe, no tears
TO wipe away, no shackles to break, no more
souls TO be redeemed. Ten Thousand hands