Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-09-23
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
fHE BROOKLYN DIVINE's sun
DAY SERMON.
SUBJECT: THE KINGS HIGHWAY y

beast shall 90 IN thereon. II shall not be
found there, but the redeemed shall trulk
there, and fhe rdnSOmsd of the Lord shall
return and come TO Zion iCith songs and
ereridsfinq JOY uDon their heads: ueg shall
obtain joV aud qiddnesS, aud sorrO,c and
sghtng shall fee d,cdy.-Isaiah xxxv., $40.
There are thousands Of people here this
morning who want to find the right road.
You sometimes see a person hating at cross
roads, and YOU can tell by his looks that he
wishes to ask a question as to what direction
he had better take. And | stand in your
presence this morning conscious OF the fact
there are many OF you here wuo reallzs that
there are thousand wrong roa1s, but only
one right one, and take it for granted that
you have come in TO ask which one it is
Here is one road that opens widely, but
have not much faith in it. There are great
many expensive tollgateS scattered all along
that way. Indeel at every rod you must
pay in tears, or pay in dagellations. On
tlat road, if you get through it at all, you
have to pay your own way, and since this
diff .rs 50 much from what | have heard in
regard to the right way, | believe it is the
wrong way.
Here is another road. On either side of
1t are houses of sinful entertainment, and
invitations to come IN and dine and rest,
out from the looks OF the people who stand
en- tue piazza l am very certain that it is
the wrong house and the wrong way. Here
IS another road. 1t is very beautiful and
macadamiZed. The horses hoofs ciatter
and wiring and they who ride over it spin
along the highway until suddenly they find
that the road breaks over an embankment,
aud they try to halt and they saw the bit in
the mouth OF the fiery steed and cry
"Whoa! whoar But 1t is too late, and
crash they go over the emoankment. We
shall turn this morning and see II we cannot
find different kind Of road.
You have heard of the Appian WAY. II
was three hundred and fifty miles long. II
was twenty-four feet wide, and on either side
the road was path for foot passengers. But
have this morning to tell you OF a rOal
built before the Applln Way aud yet it is as
good when first construed. Millions OF
souls have gone over it. Millions more will
come.
First, this road OF the text is the Kingt
highway. Well, my Lord the King decided
TO build highway from earth u heaven. II
should span all the Chasms of human wretch.
edness; it should tunnel all the mountains oil
earthly difficulty; it should be wide enough
and strong enough to hold fifty THOUSAND
millions OF the human race, il 50 many OF
them should ever be born. II should be
blasted out OF the Rock of Ages" and
cementei with the blood of the Cross, AMI
be lifted amid the shouting OF angels and .he
execration Of devils.
The King sent His Son TO build that road.
He put heal and hand and heart to 1t, ami
after the road was completed, waved His
blistered hand over the way crying, "lt Is
finish 3D."
Still further-this road spoken OF Is q
clean road. Many a fine road has beco ne
"A foul hoe
erly cared for; but my text says the un-
clean shall not walk on this one. Room on
either sle to throw away your sins. In
deed, IL you want TO carry them alonS. you
are not on the right road. That bridge will
break. those overhanglng rocks will fall the
night will come down, leaving you at the
mercy of tue mountain bandits and at the
very next turn of the road you will perish.
But il you are really on this clean road OF
which have been speaking, then you will
stop ever and anon to wash in the water
that stands in the basin of the eternal rock.
Aye, at almost every step OF the journey
you will be crying out, Create within me
a clean heartr'
Ityou have no such asoirations as that it
proves that you have mistaken your way,
aud il you will only look up and see the
fingerboard above your head you may read
upon it the words There is a way that
seemeth right unto n man, but tue end
thereof is death" Without holiness no man
shall SEQ the Lord, and il you have any idea
that you can carry along your sins, your
lusls, you worldliness and yet to the end of
the Christian race you are so awfully mis-
taken that, in the name of God, this morn
ing shatter the delusion.
Still further, the road spoken OF is a plain
road "The wayfaring men, though fools.
shall not err therein"-that is, IL a man is
three fourth au IDIOT he can find this road
Just as well as il he were a philosopher.
Many man has been familiar with all the
higher branches OF mathematics ami vet
could not do the simple sum, what shall it
profit man il he gain the whole world and
lose his own souly' Many man has been a
fine reader Of tragedies and poems and yet
could not ''read,his title clear to mansions in
the skies" Many a man has botanized
across the continent AMI yet did not know
the "Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the
Va ley" But il one shall come in the right
spirit, asking the way to heaven, he will
fin 1t a plain way. The pardon is plain.
The peace is plain. Everything is plain.
He who tries to get on the road TO heaven
through the New Testament teaching will
get on beautifully. lie who goes through
philosophical discussion will not get on at
all. Christ says, Gone to Me, and | will
take all your sins away, and will take all
your troubles away Now, what is the
use of my discussing it any morep Is not
that plainS After this Bible has pointed you
the way TO heaven, is it wise Tor me to de-
tain you with any discussion aoout the
nature of the human will, or W iether tbs
atonement is limited o. uulimltedi There is
the road-go on it. 1t is plain way.
still further, this road to heaven is a safe
road. Sometimes the traveller in those an.
cient highways wouh think himself perfect
ly secure not knowing there was non by
the way burying his head deep between his
paws, and then when the right moment
came, under the fearful spring, the mans
life was gone and there was a mauled car
cass by the roadside. But says my text,
'No lion shall he there" | wish [ could
maze you feel this morning your entire se-
curity. | tell you plainly that one minute
after a man has become a child of God he is
as safe as though he had been ten thousand
years in heaven. He may slip, he may
slide, he may stumble, but he cannot be de-
stroyed. Kept by the power Of God through
faith unto complete salvation. Everlasting.
ly safe.
The severest trial to which you can sub.
ject Christian man is to kill him, and that
Is glory. In other words, the worst thing
that can happen a child of God is heaven.
Inc Douy IL only Jne Olu silpperS tnat ne
throws aside just before putting on the
sandals Of light. His soul. you cannot hurt
1t. No fires can consume it. No floods can
drown it. No devils can capture it.
His soul Is safe. His reputation Is safe.
Everything Is safe "Butn you say, 'sup-
pose his store burns upT Why, then it
will only be a change Of invest
ments from earthly to heavenly securi-
ties. But" you say, suppose his
name goes down under the hoot of
scorn and contemptT' The name will be so
much brighter in glory. Suppose his phys
ical health failsp' God will pour into him
the floods OF everlasting health, and It will
ton is heavenly addition. The tears OF
earth are the crystals Of heaven. AS they
take rags and tatters and put them through
the paper mill and they come out beautiful
white sheets OF paper so often the rags oil