The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-04-29
THE ANGEL OF DEATH.
DR.. TALMAGE THROWS LIGHT
AT SUPERSTITION.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Treated. to an
Easter Sermon Fluent with New
Theology - Death as Seen from the
True Christian Standpoint.

I
nacle congregation had been invited
to bring flowers the night before, and
a bank of them was on the front OF
the pulpit and wreaths of them over
the pulpit. The word Resurrection
was spelled out in letters of white
lilies. Especial music was added to
the great congregational singing.
Text, l. Samuel 1892: "Surely the
bitterness of death is past"
So cried Agag, and the only objec-
ton have to this text is that a bad
man uttered it. Nevertheless il is
true, and in higher and better sense
than that in which it was originally
uttered. Years ago legend some
thing like this was told me. In hut
lived a very poor woman by the name
of Misery. In front of her door was q
pear tree, which was her only resource
for living. Christ, the Lord, in poor
garb was walking through the
earth and no one would entertain him.
In vain he knocked at the door of pal
aces and Of humble dwellings. Cold
and hungry and insufliciently clad as
he was, none received him. But com
ing one day to the hut of this woman,
whose name was Misery, she received
him, and offered him. few crusts and
asked him to warm himself at the hard
full of Goals, and she sat up all right
that the wayfarer might have a pillow
to rest on. In the morning this divine
being asked her as he departed what
she would have him do in the way of
reward, and told her that he owned
the universe and would give her what
she asked. All she asked was that her
pear tree might be protected, and
that the boys who stole her
fruit, once climbing the tree, might not
be able to get down without her con-
sent. So it was granted, and all who
climbed the tree were compelled to
stay there. After a while death came
along and told the poor woman she
must go with him. But she did not
want to go, for however poor ones lot
is no one wants to go with death.
Then she said to Death, 81 will go with
you if you will first climb up into my
pear tree and bring me down q few
pears before | start" This he con-
scented to do, but having climbed into
the tree, he could not again come
down. Then the troubles of the
world began, for Death did not come.
The physicians had no patients, the
undertal1ers no business, lawyers no
wills to make, the people who waited
for lnheritances could not get them, the
old men staid in all the professions and
occupations so that there was no room
for the young who were coming on,
and the earth got overcrowded and
from all the earth the cry went up: 80,
for Death! Where is Death?" Then
the people came to the poor woman
and begged her to let death descend
from the tree. In sympathy for the
world, she consented to let Death come
down on one condition, and that was
that he should never modest or take her
away, and on that condition Death
was allowed to come down, and he
kept his word and never removed her,
and for that reason we always have
Misery with u.s.
In that allegory some one has set
forth the truth that Imean to present
on this Easter morning, which cele-
brates theresurrection of Christ and our
coming resurrection-tha one of the
grandest and mightiest mercies of the
earth is our divine permission to quit
it. SiXty-four persons every minute
step off this planet.
Death also makes room for improved
physical machinery. Our bodies have
wondrous powers, but they are very
limited. There are beasts that can
outrun us, outfit us, out-carry u.s. The
birds have both the earth and the air
for travel, yet we must stick to the
one. In this world, which the human
race takes for it's own, there
are creatures of God that can far
surpass us in some things, Death
removes this slower and less adroit ma
chinely and makes room for something
better. These eyes that can see half
mile will be removed for those that can
see FROM world to world. These ears,
which can hear a sound few feet off,
will be removed for ears that can hear
from zone to zone. These feet will be
removed for powers of locomotion
swifte" than the reindeer's hoof, or
eagles plume, or lightning's flash.
Then, we have only five senses and to
these we are shut up. Why only Ave
senses? Why not fifty, why not one
hundred, why not a thousand?
We can have, and we will have
them, but not until this present
physical machinery is put out Of the
way. Do not think that this body Is
the best that God can do for us. God
did not half try when he contrived
your bodily mechanism. Mind you,
1 believe with all anatomists and all
Psychologists and with all scientists
and with the Psalmist. that 1--WE are
fearrully and wonderfully made" But,
l believe and know that God can and
will get us better physical equipment.
Is it possible for man to make improve
ment in almost anything and God not
be able to make improvements in mans
physical machinery Shall canal boat.
give way to limited express train2
Shall slow letter give place to teleg-
raphy, that places San francisco and