Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-18
NO TERROR IN DEATH
lT IS THE PORTAL TO A eLoRl-
Gus EXISTENCE.

DR.. Talmage breaches an Easter Sermon
from the Text, surely the bitterness
or Death Is PasC'-An Our Trouble,
End with Life.
BEooKLYN, April 17.-Being Easter
morning tho Brooklyn Tabernacle con.
fregation had been invited to bring
flowers the night before, and bank OF
them was on the front Of the pulpit and
wreaths Of them over the pulpit. The
word Resurrection" was spelled out Ia
letters of white lilies. Especial music
was added TO the great congregational
singing. Text, Samuel XIV. 81, Surely
the bitterness Of death is past"
50 cried Agag, and the only objection
have to this text is that bad man ut
tered it. Nevertheless, it is true, and in
a higher and better sense than that in
which it was originally uttered. Years
ago a legend something like this was
told me: In hut lived a very poor
woman by the name of Misery. IL front
Of her door was pear tree, which was
her only resource for living. Christ.
the Lord, in poor garb was walking
through the earth and no one would en-
tertain him. In vain he knocked at the
door Of palaces and of humble dwell
ings. Cold and hungry and insufficient
ly clad, as he was, none received him.
But coming one day to the hut of this
woman, whose name was Misery, she
received him and offered him a few
cr1lsfs and asked him to warm himself
Of the handful of Goals, and she sat up
t.l1.ight that the wayfarer might have a
pillow 10 rest on.
In the morning this divine being asked
kor as he departed what she would have
him do in the way of reward, and told
her that he owned the universe and
world 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 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, II will go with you if you will
first climb up into my pear tree and
bring me down few pears before
start" This he consented 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
l.. 1,n fol l,r1o
mess, lawyers no wills to make, the peo-
Pile who waited for inheritances 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 over
crowded, and from all the earth the cry
went up: "Oh, for Deathl Where is
DeathY 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 molest 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 US.
THE mGHTIEsT MERCY.
In that allegory some one has set forth
the truth that mean to present on this
Easter morning, which celebrates the
resurrection of Christ and our coming
resurrection-that 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. Thirty million people every
year board this planet. AS n steamer
must unload before it takes another
cargo, and as the passengers Of a rail
train must leave it in order 10 have an
other company Of passengers enter it, so
with this world.
What would happen TO an ocean
steamer If a man, taking stateroom,
should stay in it forever? What would
happen to a rail train if one who pur-
chases ticket should always occupy the
seat assigned himg And what would
happen to this world if all who came
into it never departed from itl The
grave Is as much a benediction as the
cradle. What sunk that ship in the
Black sea few days agog Too many
passengers. What was the matter with
Shat steamer ON the Thames which,
few years ago, went down with 600
lives? Too many passengers. Now, this
world is only ship, which was launched
some six thousand years ago. 1t is sadl-
ing at the rate of many thousand miles
an hour. 1t is freighted with mountains
and cities, and has in it's staterooms and
steerage about sixteen hundred million
passengers. So many are coming aboard,
Il Is necessary that good many disem-
bark.
Suppose that all the people that have
lived since the days of Adam and Eve
were still alive-what a cluttered up
place this world would be-no elbow
room, no place 20 walk, no privacy,
nothing 10 eat or wear, or il anything
were left the human race would, like
nhipwrecked crew, have TO DO put on
small rations, each of us having perhaps
only a biscuit day. And what chance
would there be for the rising genera
tlons2 The men and women who started
when the world started would keep the
modern people back and down, saying
1--WE are six thousand years old. Bow
down. History is nothing, for we are
older than history" What mercy for
the human race was death. Within
few years you can get from this world
all there Is In It.
After you have had fifty or sixty or
seventy springtimes, YOU have seen
blossoms After fifty OF sixty
or seventy autumns, yon have seen