Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-08-19
REV DR.. TALMAGE.
HE BROOKLYN DIVTNES SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: The Glorious March"

7lerS.'-Solomon's Song vi, 10.
The fragrance of spikenard, the fash of
jewels, the fruitfuiness of orchards. the
Iuxurlance OF gardens, the beauty of Hesh-
bon hsh pools, the dew of the night and the
splendor Of the morning-all contribute to
the richness of Solomons style when he
comes to speak Of the glory Of the church
In contrast with his eulogium of the church,
look at the denunciatory things that are
said In our day in regard to it. If one stock
holder becomes cheat does that destroy the
whole company? If one soldier be acoward
does that condemn the whole army? And
yet there are many in this day so unphiluso-
phlc, SO illogical, so dishonest and so unfair
as to denounce the entire church of Go be-
cause there are here and there bad men be-
longing 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 | have to tell you that.
Notwithstanding all the swift wheels and the
flying shuttles and the lightning communi-
cations, the world has never yet been able
to keep up with the church As high as God
Is above man. SO high is the church Of God
higher than all human institutions. From
her lamp the best discoveries of the world
have been lighted. The best of our inventors
have believed in the Christian religion the
Fultons, the Morses, the Whitneys, the
Perrys and the Llvlngstones She has owned
the best of the telescopes and Leyden jars,
and while inidelity and atheism have gone
blindfolded among the most startling dis
coverleS that were about to be developed the
earth and the air, and the sea have made
quick and magnificent responses to Christian
philosophers.
The world will not be up to the Church of
Christ until the day when all merchan-
disc has become honest merchandise,
and all governments have become free
governments and all nations evangelical
nations, and the last deaf ear of spiritual
death shall be broken open by the million
voiced shout of nations born in day. The
church that Nebuchadnezzar tried to burn
in the furnace, and Darius to tear to pieces
with the lions, and Lord Claverhouse to cut
with the sword, has gone on, wading the
floods and enduring the fire. until the deep
est barbarlsm, and the fercest cruelties,
and the blacklist superstitions have been
compelled to look to the east, crying, 'Who
is she that looketh forth as the morning,
fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terri
BILE as an army with banners?'
Yet there are people who are ashamed to
belong to the church of Christ, and if you
ask them whether they are in such asSocia-
tions they say, Yes l sometimes attend
the church" instead of realizing the fact
that there is no honor compared with the
honor of being a member Of the church of
God. l look back with Joy to the most
honored moment of my life, when in the old
country meeting house the minister of
Christ announced my name as a follower Of
the Lord.
You who are floating about in the world,
seeking for better associations, why do you
not join yourself to some Of the churches?
An old sea captain was riding in the cars
toward Philadelphia, and a young man sat
down beside him. He said, young man,
where are you going?' II am going to Pnila-
delphia to live" replied the young man.
Have you letters of introduction?" asked
the old captain. YES" said the young man.
and he pulled some of them out. ''WelI,"
said the old sea captain, Haven't you a
church certifcate?" 'Oh, yes" replied the
young manu- didn't suppose you would
want to look at that" Yes" said the sea
captain, II want to see that AS soon as you
get to Philadelphia present it to some Chris
tian church. | am an old sailor, and have
been up and down in the world, and it's my
rule soon L get into port to fasten my
ship fore and aft TO the wharf, although 1t
may cost little wharfage, rather than nave
my ship out in the stream floating hither and
thlther with the tide"
Oh, men and women, by the tides of friv-
olity and worldliness swept this way and
swept that way, seeking for associations and
for satistactions for the immortal SOUL come
into the church of Jesus Christ. Lash fast
to her. She is the pillar and the ground OF
truth. propose to speak Of the tire fold
glory Of the church as it is described in the
text:
has determined that everything shall be
beautiful in its season, has not left the night
without charm. The moon rules tn 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
nightfall that she sways her uniiSputed
sceptre over island AMI continent, river and
sea. Under her shining the plalneSt 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 come up painting upon the beach,
mingling, as it were, foam and fire.
Under the witchery Of the moon the awful
sleeps lose their ruggein mess and the cnaSmS
their terror. The poor man blesses God for
throwing so cheap light through the broken
window pane OF his cabin, and TO the sick it
seems like a light from the other shore that
bounds this great deep OF human pain and
woe. If the sun be like song, full and loud
and poured forth from braZen instruments
that fill heaven and earth with harmony,
the moon is plaintive and sad, Standing be-
meath the throne of God sending I'D her soft
sweet voice OF praise. while 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, heartsick
SUM berlng earth, singing to it a silvery
music, while 1t is rocked in the 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 borrowed light. she
gathers up the glory of SaviouTs suffer-
ings, Saviour's DEATH Saviour's resurrec.
ton, Saviour's ascension, and pours that
light on palace and dungeon, on squalid
heathenism and elaborate skepticisn, on
widows tears and martyrs robe of flame, on
weeping penitence and loud mouthed scorn.
She Is the only institution to-day that
gives any light to our world. Into her Dor
tails the poor come and get the sympathy of
a once pillowless Christ, tn g 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 off their