Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-01-29
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon,
Subjects "Rcl sion in Our Daily Lire.'

VtOIH ~ b't-- II OofiuthlanS Y, 81.
When the apostle in his text sets forth TIA
idea that so common an action as the takin
of food AMI drink is n be conductal 10 the
CORY OF God. he prOc,ains the Importance O,
religion in ths ordinary affairs OF our lie.
In all ages OF the world thsre has been a
tendency TO set apart certain days, places
and occasions for worship aud TO think
those were the chief realms in which religion
was TO act. Now, holy days and holy places
have their Importance. they give oppor.
tunity for especial performance OF Christian
duty and for RECALLING of the religious appe-
title, but they cannot take the pacs OF con.
tinuous exercise OF faith and PRAYER. In
other words, man cannot be so much OF
Christian on Sun4ey that he can afford 10
be wording all the rest OF the weeS. liza
steamer puts out for SOUTHAMPTON and goss
one day In that direction and the other six
days in other directions, how long before the
steamer will get TO Southampton? II will
never get there
And though man may seem to be voy.
aging heavenward during the holy Sabbath
day. il during the following six days Of the
week be is going toward the world, and to.
ward the flesh, and toward the devil, he will
never ride up into the peaceful harbor OF
heaven. You cannot eat so much at the
Sabbath banquet that you can afford re-
ligious abstinence the other six days Hero.
ism and princely behavior on great occasions
are no apology for lack OF right demeanor in
circumstances Insignificant AMI inconspicu-
Gus. The genuine Christian life is not spas
modic; does not 60 By fits aud starts. IL tolls
On through heat AMI cold up steep mountains
and along dangerous deciivities, its eye OF
the everlasting hills crowned with the castles
IF the blessed.
I nrorOea this morning ~ ,,Iaad for -,
ligion for to-day.
In the first place, we want to bring the re-
ligion of Christ into our conversation. When
dam breaks, and two or three villages are
overwhelmed, or an earthquake in South
America swallows a whole clty, then people
begin TO talk about the uncertainty OF life,
and they imagine that they are engaged in
positively religious conversation. No. You
may talk about these things and have no
grace OF God at all in your heart. We ought
every day to be talking religion. IL there is
anything glad about it, anything beautiful
about it, we ought 10 be continuously dis
sussing it. l have noticed that men, just in
proportion as their Christian experiences IL
shallow, talk about funerals and graveyards
and tombstOneS and deathbels. The real,
genuine Christian man talks chiefly about
this life and the great eternity beyond, and
not so much about the insignificant pass be.
tween these two residences. And yet how
few circles there are where the religion OF
Jesus Christ is welcome.
60 into a circle even OF Christian people,
where they are full Of joy and hilarity an 4
talk about Christ or heaven AMI everything
Is Immediately sileuce1. As on summer
iay, when the forests are full Of life, chat
ter and chirrup and carol mighty chorus
Of bird harmony, every tree branch an or.
shestra-if hawk appear in the sky every
goice stops and the forests are still; just so,
| have seen lively religious circle sienced
on the appearance of anything like religious
conversation. No one has anything to say,
save, perhaps, some old patriarch in the
corner of the room, who really THINKS that
something ought 10 be sail under the cir.
eumstances, so he puts one foot over the
other and heaves a long Sigh, and says, "Oh,
yes; that's SO, that's sor'
My friends :he religion Of Jesus Christ
Is something to talk about with glad
heart. 1t is brighter than the waters; it
is more cheerful than the Sunshine. Do not
90 around groaning about your religion
when you ought TO be sin ling it or talking
il in cheerful tones OF voic.. How often it
is that we find men whose lives are utterly
inconsistent, who attempt 10 talk religion,
and always make failure of i'll Ny
friends, we must live religion, or we cannot
talk it, IL man is cranky and cross and
uncongenial and hari in his dealings. ami
then begins to talk about Christ AMI heaven,
everybody is repealed by il.
Yet have heard such men say, in whining
tones. I'VE are miserable sinners The
Lord bless YOU" Thu Lord have mercy on
you" their c-nyel sltion interlarde1 with
such expressions. which mem nothing but
canting, and canting is the worst form OF
hypocrisy. If we have really felt the religion
OF Christ in our hearts let Us talk it, and talk
it VITA iu minated c1untenance, remember
ing that when two Christian people talk Col
gives especial attention and writes down
what they ssy. Malachi ill.,. IL, Then they
that feared the Lord spake oitea one to an
other and the Lord harSeDel and heard it.
and book Of remembrance was written
Again, | mark, we must bring the re.
ligion OF Christ INTO cur emplOyments
"OG," YOU say. that is very well If a man
handle large sums Of money, or il he have
an exteusv traffic, Tut IN my threat and
needle store, in my trimming establish
ment, in the humble work in lite that am
called to, the sphere is too small for the
action Of such grant. heavenly principles
Who told you so? Do you not know that
God watches ths faiel leaf on ths brooks
surface as certainly as He does the path q
a blazing sun? An the moss that creeps ~
AIe elu- W tue lDiA hlAfto a. iGusA
sion upon Gods mind as the waving tops OF
Oregon pine and Lebanon cedar; and tn,
alder. cracking under the cows hoof, sounds
as loud in Coos ear as the snap OF a worlds
connagratcn
When you have anything to do in life,
however humble 1t may seem to be. Col il
always there to help you to do it, Ii you :
work is that of a fisherman. then Col VIII
help you. as He helped Simon when he
dragged Gennesaret. II your WORK is draw,
ing water. then He will hs.p you as wheii
He talked at the well curJ 10 the sam ritau
woman. II you are engaged ia the Gu tom
house, he will lead you, as lie lei Matthew
sitting at the receipt Of customs. A religion
that's not good IN one place is not worth
anything in another place. The man who
has only days wages in his pocket as Ger.
tainly needs the guidance Of religion as no
who raitles the keys OF bank and could
abscond VITA a hundred thousand hard do
lars.
There are those prominent in the churches
who seem to be on public occasions very de
vout who 90 not put the principles OF
ChristS relisi into practice. They are the
most inexOrable OF creditors. They are tn,
most grasping OF dealers. they are known
as sharuers on the street. They fleece every
sheep they can ca.ci. A country merchant
comes in To buy ring or fall goods and he
gets into the store Of one of tdess professel
Christian men who have really no grace IN
their hearts, aud h. is completely sgindled.
He is 50 overcome tnat he cannot get out OF
town during the week. He stays IN tow
over Sunday, goes into some church 70 get
Christian consolation, when what Is hJ
amaza;nent to find tle very man who handI
him the poor tox in the church is thu OF )
who relieved him Of his money! But nevt;
MINI. the deacon mas his black coat on now
He looks solemn AMI goes home telkin
about the blessed sermon"
Ii the wheat in the churches should be put
into a n pper, the first turn OF the Grams
would make the chaif hv, tell you. Some
OF tress men are great s'lc,lers for Gospel
preaching. They say: You stand there III
bands and surpice and gown and preach
preach like an angel, AMI we stand out
here and attend TO business. Don't mix
things. Don't get business AMI religion IN
the same buc';et. You attend 20 your mat
tiers and we will attend to ours" They d.
not know that God sees every cheat they
have practiced in the last six years; that tie
can look through the iron wall of their fire
rroof sac: that He has counted every dis
honest dollar they have in their pockos ana
that day Of judgment will come. Thesa
inconsistent Christian men will sit on the
Sabbath night in the house OF Col singing
at the c.ose OF the service Rock OF Ages,
Cioft for No and tha1 vh an tina hona lie.