The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-05-18
REV. DR.. !TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINES SUN
/ DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Greatest Name ofAn."

Subject: "The Greatest Name ofA
! TEXT. 1.-THE name which is a6oue every
Aame."-Philippian H., 8.
Paul is here making rapturous and en-
thusiastic description OF the name OF Christ.
There are merely worldly names that some
times thrill you through and through. Such
was the name Of Henry Clay to Kentuck-
ian, the name of William Writ to Virgin
ian, the name Of Daniel Webster to New
Englander.
By common proverb we have come to be-
ieve that ''there is nothing in name" and
90 parents sometimes at the baptismal altar
gives titles to their children reckless Of the
fact that that title that name, will be life
time hindrance or lifetime help. You
have no right to give your child name
lacking either in euphony or moral mean
It is a sin to call a child Jehoiakim or
TgIath-pileser-or by anything that Is disa-
yreeable. Because you have had an eIas-
perating name yourself Is no reason why
you should inhict it upon your progeny.
And yet how often it is that we see name
full OF jargon rattling down from generation
to generation simply because long wniie
ago some one happened to be afflicted with
it. Institutions and great enterprises some
times without sufficient deliberation take
nomenclature. Mighty destinies have been
decided by name. While we may by
long course OF Christian behavior get over
the misfortune of having been baptized with
the name of despot or cheat, how much
better it would have been If we could nave
all started life without any such lncun-
brance
When Paul, in my text and in other pas
cages of Scripture, burst forth in aspirations
OF admiration for the name OF Christ, want
to INQUIRE what are the characteristics OF
that appeliation, The name which Is above
every name" In the first place. speaking to
you In regard to the name Of Christ. want
to tell you it is an easy name. You are
sometimes introduced to people with long
and un noronouuceable names and you have
to listen cautiously to get the names, and
you have to hear them pronounced Two or
three times before. you risk trying to utter
them, bus within the first two years the lit,
tie child folds its hands and looks upward
and says Jesus"
Can it be that in all this church this morE-
ing there are representatives OF any house
hold where the children are familiar with the
names OF the father and mother and brother
and sister, yet know nothing about "that
name which is above every name?' Some
times you forget the name OF quite familiar
friend, and you have to think and think be-
fore you get it, but can you imagine any
freak Of intellect by which you should for
get the name Of Jesus? That word seems to
ft the tongue in every dialect. Down to old
age, when the voice is tremulous and uncer.
tain and indistinct, even then this regal
word finds potent utterance.
When an aged father was dying one OF
the children came and said, "Father, do
o,,d in ha
last sickness he said, mo, oon't know
you" Another child came and said,
'.Father, do you know mes' 'tNo," he said,
81 don't know you" Then the village pas
tor came in and said, "Dou you know me?'
BE said, mo; Idon't think lever saw you"
Then said the minister, "Do you know
Jesus?' "Oh, yesr said the dying man, Il
know Jesus; Chief among ten thousand is
He. and the One altogether lovely" Yes,
for all ages and for all languages, and for all
conditions is an easy name.
Jesus, love Thy charming name,
rlis music 10 my ear;
Fam would sound 1t out so loud
That heaven and earth might hear.
But I remark further in regard to this
name Of Christ, that it is bsauti. .ul name.
Now you have noticed that you cannot dis.
associate name from the Character OF the
person who has it. There are some names,
for instance, that are repulsive to my ear.
Those names are attractive to your ear
What is the difference: Why, I happened
to know some persons Of that name who
were cross or sour, or queer or unsympa.
thetic, and the persons you have happened
to know of that name were kind and genial
Since, then. We cannot disassociate name
from the character OF the person who has
the name, that consideration makes the
Nf hnantifnl
I cannot pronounce the name in your
presence, but you think Of Bethlehem and
Gethsemane and GolgoJha, and you see His
loving face, and you hear His tender voice,
and you feel His gentle touch. As soon as
pronounce His name in your presence you
think Of Hin who banqueted with heavenly
hierarchs. yet came down and brcakfasted
on the fish which the rough man hauled ont
Of Genesaret; you think OF Him who, though
the clouds are the dust OF His feet, walked
footsore on the road to Emmaus.
I cannot speak His name in your hearing
this moring, but you think right away OF
the shining one who restored the centurion's
daughter, and who helped the blind man to
sunlight, and who made the cripple's crutch
useless. and who looked down into the laugh.
ing ewes of the babe until it struggled to 90
to Him; then, finging His arms around it
and impressing a kiss upon its beautiful
brow, said: 'Of such Is the kingdom or
heaven"
Oh, beautiful name, the name Of Jesus,
which stands for love, for patience, for SELF
sacrifice, for magnanimity, for everything
that is good and glorious and tender and
sympathetic and .kindl 1t Is aromatic with
all odors. It IL saccordant with all harmonies
Sometimes when ! look at that name OF
Jesus Christ it seems as II the letters were
made Of tears, and then they seem to be
cleaning crowns. Sometimes that name
seems to be twisted out Of the straw on
which He lay, and then it seems to be built
out Of the thrones on which his people are
to reign. Sometimes I sound that word
Jesus, and hear in it the sob Of Gethsemane
and the groan of Calvary, and then speak
Bis name and it Is all ripple with gladness
and a ring with hosanna. Glorious nsmel
Take all the glories Of bookbindery and
nut them around the page on which that
name is printed. On Christmas morning
wreathe It on tho wall Let it drip from
tiarp's string and let 1t thunder out in organs
GiiApason. Sound it often, soundit well, un.
til every star shall seem to shine 1t, and every
flower shall seem to breathe it, and mount
ain and sea, and day and night, and earth
and heaven acclaim in full chant, BLESSED
be His glorious name forever" 'The name
which Is above every name"
Have you ever heard in q Methodist
church, during time Of revival, score OF
souls come to the altar and cry out for mercy
under the power OF just two llnss OF glorious
old John Wesleys
Jesus, the name high over all,
In heaven, or earth, or sky.
To the repenting soul to the exhausted in
valid. to the Sunday school girl, 70 the snow
n~sa id Han fr1t ha