The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-02-10
GODS DAUGHTER.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on the
Christian Religion.
a Daughter of God That Walks In the
Ssnshine-"Her Ways Are Ways OF
RIeasantness"-why Christians
should BE Happy.


Dewitt Talmage preached on THE
Sunshine of Religion. ' the text chosen
being, Proverbs iii Il: "Her ways are
ways of pleasantness" DIR. Talmage
said:
You have all heard of Gods only be-
gotten son. Have you heard of Gods
daughter2 She was born in Heaven
She came down over the hills of our
world She had queenly step. On her
brow was celestial radiance. Her voice
WAS music. Her name is Religion. My
text introduces her. "Her ways are
ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peace"
But what is religion? The fact is
that theological study has had a differ
ent effect upon me from the effect
sometimes produced Every year L
tear out another leaf from my theology
until I have only three or four leaves
left In other words. very brief and
plain statement of Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said:
s-When I was young man, l knew
everything; when 1 got to be So years
Of age in my ministry ] had only hun
dred doctrines OF religion; when ! got
to be 40 years of age, had only fifty
doctrines Of religion; when l got to be
90 wears Of age, l had only ten doctrines
of religion; and now l am dying at 70
years of age, and there is only one
thing I know. and that is, that Christ
-Iesus came into the world to save sim
ners" Ard 50 / have noticed in the
study OF Gods word, and in my contem-
plztion of the character of God and of
the eternal world, that it is necessary
for me % drop this part of my belief
md that part OF my belief as being nom
essential, while I cling to the one great
doctrine that man is sinner, and
Christ is his Almighty and Divine Saw
iouE
Now, take these three or four leaves
Of my theology and l find that in the
first place and dominant above all 9th
ems Is the sunshine of religion. When
1 go into a room / have passion for
throwing open all the shutters. That
Is what l want to do this morning. We
are apt TO throw so much of the sepul-
chrzl into our religion and to close the
shutters and to pull down the blinds
that ii is only through here and
there a crevice that the light streams.
The religion of the Lord Jesus Christ is
a religion of Joy indescribable and un-
utterable. Wherever can find a bell
mean 20 ring il.
In setting forth this idea the domi
nznt theory OF religion is one of sun
shiHe- hardly know where to begin
for there are so many thoughts that rush
upon my soul.
First OF all, find a great deal of
sunshine in Christian society.
do not know of anything more dole
ful than the companionship of the
mere funmakers of the world-the
Thomas Hoods, the Charles Lambs, the
Charles Matthews of the world-the
men whose entire business it is to make
sport They make others laugh, but if
YOU viii examine their autobiography,
or biography, you viii find that down
IN their soul there was a terrific dis
astietude. Laughter is no sign of hap
pincss The maniac laughs The hy-
ena laughs. The loon among the
Adir0ndacks laughs. The drunkard,
&ashing his decanter against the wall,
laughs.
There is a terrible reaction from all
sinful amusement and sinful merri-
mcnt Such men are cross the next
Gay. They snap at you on exchange or
they pass you, not recognizing you.
Long ago quit merely worldly society
for the reason it was dull, so inane and
so seapid. Ny nature is voracious of
JOY. must have it.
I always walk on the sunny side of
the street, and for that reason l have
crossed over into Christian society. /
like their mode of repartee better; l
They live longer Christian people,
sometimes notice, live on when by all
natural law they ought to have died.
Put ten or twelve Christian people in a
room for Christian conversation, and
yoG will from to 10 o'clock hear more
resoUnding glee, see more bright
strokes of wit and find more thought
and profound satisfaction, than in any
merely worldly party.
O young man! come from the country
TO spend your days in city life, where
Ou EOlllE ~ > f1ILlNl y Jul NNSAAAhSSs
let Jne tell you, while there are many
places OF innocent worldly amusement,
It Is most wise for you to throw your
body, mind and soul into Christian So
ciety. Come to me at the close of five
wears and tell me what has been the re-
suit OF this advice Bring with you the
young man who refused TO take the ad-
vice, and who went into sinful amuse-
meEt He will come dissipated, shabby
IN apparel, indisposed to look anyone
IN the eyes, moral character s. per
cent off. You will come with prin-
cIpIe settled, countenance frank, habits
good, soul saved and all the inhabit-
ants of Heaven, from the lowest angel
xap to the archangel and clear past him
to the Lord God Almighty, your coad-
jutators
know there Is q great deal of talk
about the self-denials of the Christian.
I have 10 tell you that where the Chris
tan has ore self-denial the man of the
world has thousand self-denials. The
Chistian Is not commanded to surrender
Eny thing that Is worth keeping. But
what does a man deny himself who de-
uieS himself the religion OF Christ? He
5enieS himself pardon for sin; he denies
s1imsef peace of conscience: he denies
himself the joy of the Holy Ghost; he
slenies himself a comfortable death pill
3ov; he denies himself the glories of I
Heaven. Do not talk TO me about the (
of the Christian life. Where 4
there IS one in the Christian life there I.
gre a thousand in the life of the world
e.Her ways are ways of pleasantness.
Again: find a great deal of religious .
S-7sbsna in Christian and divine ex-