Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-02-03
TALMAGE's SERMON.
His Subject Was: "a Religion or
To-day"
n yc Drink or Eat or Labor I'm Night or
Day. do 1; To the Full Glory OF God.

Day. Do IL To the Full Glory OF God.
DIR. Talmagc's text was taken from l.
Corinthians Y. 81: Whether there
fore. ye eat or drink. or whatsoever We
do. do II TO the glory of God"
When the apostle in this text sets
forth the idea that SO common an action
rs the taking of food and drink is to bc
conducted 10 the glory OF God. he pro-
claims the Importance of religion in the
ordinary affairs of our life In all ages
of the world there has been n tendency
TO set apart certain days, places and oc-
casions for worship and TO think those
were the chief realms in which religion
was to act
Now. holy days and holy places hare
their Importance. They give opportunity
for especial performance of Christian
duty, and for regaling of the religious
appetite; but they can not take the place
of continuous exercise of faith and
prayer. In other words. n man can not
be so much of a Christian on Sunday
that he can afford 10 bc n wording
all the rest OF the week II "A steamer
put out for Southampton, and go ono
day in that direction and the other six
days in other directions. how long be.
ton? IL will never ret there And
though n man may seem TO be voyaging
HeGvcnward during the holy sabbath
day, IL during the following six
days of the week he is going to-
ward the world. and toward
the flesh. and toward the devil he
will never ride MP into the peaceful
harbors OF Heaven. You can not eat so
much ~ the sabbath banquet thnt vou
can afford religious abstinence the
other six days. lEcroism and prineoiv
behavior on great occasions are no
apology FOR lack OF right demeauor in
circumstances insignificant and incon-
spicuous The genuine Christian life
is not spasmodic; does not 90 by fits
aud starts. 1t tolls on through heat
and cold up steep mountains and along
dangerous dcclivities. its eye on the
everlasting hills crowned with the
castles OF the blessed.
propose this morning to plead for a
religion for to-day.
Ia the first place we want TO bring
the religion of Christ into our converse
ton. When n dam breaks and two or
three villages are overwhelmed. or an
earthquake in South America swallows
whole city, then people begin TO talk
about the uncertainty of life. and they
imagine that they are engaged in posi-
lively religious conversation. No. You
may talk ntou5 these things and have
no grace of God at all in your heart
We ought every day TO be talking re-
hgion. II there is anything glad about
1T anything beautiful about IL. any
thing important about il. we ought to
be continuously discussing IL. / have
noticed that men, just in proportion as
their Christian experience is shall
low. talk about funerals, and grave.
yards and tombstones, aud death beds
The real, genuine Christian man talks
chiefly about this life and the great
eternity beyond, and not so much
about the insignificant pass between
these two residences. And yet how
Few circles there are where the religion
OF Jesus Christ is welcome. Go into n
circle, even of Christian people, where
they are full of joy and hilarity, and
talk about Christ or Heaven and
every thing is immediately silcuced
And on summer day. when the for
ests are fun of life. chatter, and CHR
rup, and carrol-a mighty chorus Of
bird harmony, every tree branch an or
chestra--if hawk appear in the sky
every voice stops. and the forests are
still Just so i have seen lively re-
ilgious circle silenced ON the appear
nnce OF anything like religious CONVEX
saton. No one had anything TO saw
save, perhaps, some old patriarch in the
corner OF the room, who really thinks
that something ought TO be said under
the circumstances. so he puts one foot
over the other, and heaves n long sigh
ana says: "Oh, yes; that's so, that's
tor
My friends. the religion of Jesus
Christ is something TO talk about with
cheerful henrt II is brighter than
the waters; it is more cheerful than the
sunshine. Do not 90 around groaning
about your religion, when You ought 20
be singing IL or talking il in cheerful
tones of voice. How often is il that we
find men whose lives are utterly incon-
sistent, who attempt Co talk religion
and always make a failure OF III NV
friends, we must live religion. or we
can not talk IL! III a man is cranky.
and cross. and uncongenial. and hard
in his dealings. and then begins 20 talk
about Christ and Heaven. everybody is
repealed by IL. Yet / have heard
such men say in whining
tones: 1--WE are miserable .sinncrs:'
THE Lord bless YOU" THE Lord
have mercy on you" their conversation
tnterlarded with such expressions
which mean nothing but canting. and
canting is the worst form OF hypocrisy.
II we have really felt the religion OF
Christ in our hearts let us talk IL and talk
II with an illuminated countenance;
remem oering that when two Chris
tan people talk God gives especial Mt
tention and writes down what they say.
Malachi ILL., 10: "Then they that feared
the Lord spake often one 70 another.
and the Lord hearkened and a book OF
remembrance was written"
Again, ! remark. we must bring the
religion OF Christ into our employments
oh" you say. that IL very well II
man handle large sums Of money. or n
he have an extensive traffic; but In my
thread and needle store. ia my trim
ming establishment. in the humble
work in life that 7 am called TO- the
sphere Is too small for the action Of
such grand heavenly principles" Who