Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-09-17
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divlnss SIM.
day Sermon


there and the REASONED of the Lord shall
return and come to Zion acith songs and
eoer.Gsfing JOY uDon their heads; they shall
obtain JOY and qladHess, and sorrotc and
CHING shall fee alcay. Isaiah XIV, $40.
There are thousands of people here this
morning who want to find the right road.
You sometimes see person hating at cross
roads, and you can tell by bis looks that he
wishes to ask question as to what direction
he had better take. And l stand in your
presence this morning conscious of the fact
there are many of you here who realize that
there are thousand wrong roads, but only
one right one, and I take it for granted that
you have come in to ask which one it is.
Here is one road that opens widely, but I
have not much faith in it. There are great
many expensive tollgates scattered all along
that way, Inieei at every rod you must
pay in tears, d pay i'll Negotiations. On
that roai, if you get through it at all, you
have to pay your own way, and sincs this
differs so 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
it are houses Of sinful entertainment, and
invitations to come In and dine and rest.
but from the loo'.s OF the people who stand
on the piazza | an very certain that 1t Is
the wrong house anil the wrong way. Here
is another road. 1t is very beautiful and
nnacadamized TIE horses hoofs chatter
and wiring, and they who ride over it spin
along tae highway until suddenly they find
that the road breaks over an embankment.
and they try to halt, and they saw the bit in
the mouth Of ths fiery steed and cry
"Whoal whoap But 1t is too late, and
crashi-they go over tie emoankment. We
shall turn this morning and see if we cannot
find different kind of aroad.
You have heard of thu Appian Way. 1t
was three hundred and fifty miles long. It
was twenty-four feet wide, and on eitaer side
the road was path for foot passengers. But
have this morning to tell you of a road
built before the Applan Way. aud yet it Is as
good as when first construct. Millions of
souls have gone over it. Millions more will
come.
First, this roai of the text Is the Kings
highway. Well, my LORD the King decided
to build highway from earth to heaven 1t
should span all the chasrus of human wretch
edness; it should tunnel all the mountains Of
earthly difficulty; it should be wide enough
and strong enough to hold fifty thousand
millions of the human race, if so many OF
them should ever be born. 1t should be
blasted out OF the Rock of Ages" and
cementad with ths blood of the Cross, and
be lifted amid the shouting of angels and the
execration of devils.
The King sent His Son to build that road
He out mead and hand and heart to it, ami
after the road was completed, waved His
blistered hand over the way crying, SIT is
finished.
Still turther-this road spoken OF is a
clean road Many fine road has become
miry and foul because it has not been prop
erly cared for; but my text says the un-
clean STALL not walk on this one. Room on
either side to throw away your sins. In
dee l, il you want to carry them along. you
are not on the iyh5 road. That bridge will
break. those overhanging ROCKS will fall, the
night will come down, leaving you at the
mercy of the mountain bandits, and at the
very next turn of the road you will perish.
BuS if you are really Oh this clean road oil
which have been speaking, then you will
stop ever and anon to wash in the water
that stan Is in the basin of the eternal rock.
Ave. at almost every step of the journey
you will be crying our, Create within me
a clean heart"
Ityou have no such as irstions as that it
proves that you have mistaken your way,
and if you will only look up and see the
fingerboarI above your head you may read
upon it the words, There is way that
seemeth right unto man, but the end
thereof is DEATH Without holiness no man
shall see the Lord, and if you have any idea
that you can carry along your sins, your
lusts you worldliness and yet to the end of
the Christian race you are SO awfully mis-
taken THAT, IN bne name OF 0o0, unlS morn
ing shatter the de,usion.
Still further the road spoken of is plain
road. "rhs wayfariug men, though fools,
shall not err therein"-that is, if man is
threa-fourth an IDIOT he can find this road
lust as well as il he were philosopher.
Many a man has been familiar with all the
higher branches of mathematics and yet
could not do the simple sum, What shall it
profit man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?' Many a man has been
fine reader of tragedies aud poems and yet
could not "reld.his title clear to mansions in
the skiesn Many a man has botanizei
across the continent aui yet did not know
the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the
Valley" But it one shall come in lNe right
spirit asking the way to heaven, he will
fin 1t plain way, The pardon is plain.
The peace is plain. Everything is plaiu.
He who tries to get on the road to heaven
through the New Testament teaching will
get on beautifully. He who goes through
philosophical discussion VIII not get on at
all. Christ says, Come to Me, and | will
take al your sins away, aud will take all
your troubles away" Now. what is thu
use of my discussing it any more? Is not
that plain? After this Bibe has pointed you
the way to heaven, is it wise for me to de-
tain you with any discussion about the
nature of the human will, or whether the
atonement is limited or unlimited There is
the road--go on it. 1t is plain way.
Still further. this road to heaven is safe
road. Sometimes the traveller in those an-
Gent highways would think himself perfect
ly secure, not knowing there was a ZION 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 lien shall he there" [ wish l could
make you feel this morning your entire Sc
curity. l tell you plainly that one minuts
after a man has become child of God he is
as safe as though he had been ten thousand
years in heaven. Hs may slip he may
slide, he may stumble, but he cannot be de-
stroyed. Kept by tine 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.
The fody is only the old slippers that he
throws aside just before putting on the
sandals Of light. His SOUL you cannot hurt
it. No fires can consume it. No foods can
drown it. No devils can capture it.
Els soul is safe His reputation is safe.
pose his Store burns up" whv, then it
will only be change of invest
ments from earthly to heavenly securi-
ties But" you say, suppose his
name goes down under the hoof OF
scorn and contemrt" The name will be 50
much brighter in glory. Suppose his phys
fcal health failsg God will pour into him
the floods of everlasting health. and it will
not make any difference. Earthly subtrac-
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 OF
earthly restitution under the cylinders of
death, come out white scroll upon which
shall be written eternal emancipation.
Still further, the roai spoken of is pleas
ant road. God gives a bond of indemnity
against all evil to ever man that treads it.
'All things work together for COOL to those
them can prosper. That is toe bond, signed
sealed an1 delivered by the President OF thu
IN verse. What is the use of your frettins
o child of God, about fool? Behold ths
fowls of the air for they SOW not, neither
heavenly Father fee1eth them" And will He
take care of the sparrow, will He take care
of the hawk, and let you die9 What is the
use of your fretting about clothess Con
slider the lilies of the fed. Shall He not
much more clothe you. o We of little faithsu
Oh, this Kings highway Trees OF life on
either side bending over until their branches
lnterocx and drop midway their fruit and
shade. Houses OF entertainment on either
side of the road for poor pilgrims. Tables
spread with feast of good things and walls
adorned with apples of gold in pictures of