The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1892-06-23
EASTER SERMON
Delivered by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage in Brooklyn.
Death Robbed of Its Bitterness by the
Hope of Glorious Resurrection
IT'S But Step Toward the
Higher Life.

The following Easter sermon was de-
livered by Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage in
the Brooklyn tabernacle, from the text;
Surely the bitterness of death is past.-I.
Samuel XIV, 81.
So cried Agag, and the only objec-
ton have to this text is that bad
man uttered it. Nevertheless, it is true,
and in higher and better sense than
that in which it was uttered. Years ago
legend something like this was told
me: In hut lived a very poor woman
by the name of Misery. In front of
her door was pear tree, which was
her only re source for a living. Christ,
the Lord, in poor garb, was walking
through the earth and no one would
entertain Him. In vain He knocked at
the door of palaces and of humble
dwellings. Cold and hungry and in
sufficiently clad as He was none re-
celved Him. But coming one day to the
hut of this woman, whose name was
Misery, she received Him, and offered
Him few cruSts and asked him to
warm Himself at the handful of Goals,
and she sat up all night that the way
farer might have pillow to rest on. In
the morning this Divine Being asked her
as He departed what she would have
Him do in the way of reward, and told
her that He owned the universe and
would 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
consent.
So it was granted, and all who
climbed the tree were compelled to stay
there. After awhile Death came along
and told the poor woman she must go
with him. But she did not want to 90.
for, however poor ones lot is. no one
wants to go with Death. Then she said
to Death: 81 will go with you if YOU
will first climb up into my pear tree
and bring me down a few pears before
l start" This he consented to do, but
having climbed into the tree he could
not again come down. Then the trou-
bles of the world began, for Death did
not come. The physicians had no pa
tients, the undertakers no business
lawyers no wills to make, the people
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
overcrowded and from all the earth the.
cry went up: ''Oh, for Death, Where is
Death| Then the people came to the
poor Woman and begged her to let
Death descend from the tree. In SYM
pathy for the world she consented to
let Death come down on one condition.
and that was that he should never mo-
lest or take her away, and on that con-
dltlon Death was allowed to come
down, and he kept his word and never
removed her, and for that reason we al
ways have Misery with u.s.
In that allegory some one has set
forth the truth that mean to present
on this Easter morning, which cele-
Drates the resurrection of Christ and
our coming resurrection-that one of
the grandest and mightiest nlercies Of
the earth is our Divine permission to
quit it. Sixty-four persons every min
ute step of this planet. Thirty million
people every year board this planet.
AS a steamer must unload before II
takes on another cargo, and as the pas
sengers of a rail train must leave II !,
order to have another company of mas
sengers enter it, so with this world
What would happen to an ocean steam
er II man taking state room. should
stay In 1t forever? What would happen |
to rail train if one who PURCHASES a
ticket should always occupy the seat
assigned him? And what wou1d han
pen to this world if all who came into
1t never departed from it? The orava |
is as much benediction as the cradle |
What sunk that ship in the Black sea a |
few days ago? Too many passengers
What was the matter with that steam.
er on the Thames which, few years |
ago, went down with six hundred iiyesq |
Zoo many passengers. Now, this world |
is only ship, which was launched |
some six thousand years ago. tits sail
ing at the rate of many thousand miles |
an hour. 1t is freighted with noun
talns and cities, and has in its state
rooms and steerage about one billion six
hundred million passengers. So MANY
are coming aboard it is necessary that y
good many disembark. Suppose that
all the people that have lived since the
days of Adam and Eve were still alive
what cluttered up place this world
would be! No elbow room, no place to
walk, no privacy, nothing to eat or
wear; or, if anything were left. the bu-
man race would, like a shipwrecl1ed
crew, have to be put on small rations
each OF US having perhaps only bis
cult day.
And what chance would there be for
the rising generations? The men and
women who started when the world
started would keep the modern people
back and down, saying: I'VE are six
thousand years old. Bow down. His
tory is nothing, for we are older than
history" What a mercy for the human
race was death. Within few wears
you can get from this world all there is
IN it. After you have had fifty or sixtv
Dr. seventy spring times you have seen
enough blossoms After fifty or sixty
Dr. seventy autumns you have seen
enough of gorgeous foliage. After tiftv
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