Democratic messenger., 1893-09-02
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun.
day Sermon.
Subject. "a Bottle of Tears"
TExr: "Puf thou my tears info Thy BOT
fe."-Psalms lyi., s.

TExr: "Pa thou my tears info Thy BOT
fle."-Psalms lyi., s.
Hardly mail has come 10 me for twenty
wears that has not contained letters saying
that my sermons have comforted the writers
ofthose letters. / have not this summer nor
for twenty years spoken on the platform OF
any outdoor meeting but coming down !
have been told by hundreds OF people the
same thing. So l think will keep on trying
to be ''son OF consolation"
The prayer of my text was pressed out of
Davids soul by innumerable calamities, but
II Is just as appropriate for the distressed OF
all ages. Within the past century travellers
and antiquarians have explored the ruins OF
many OF the ancient cities. and from the very
heart OF those buried spiendors OF other days
have been brought up evidences of customs
that long ago vanished from the world.
From among tomhs OF those ages have been
brought up lachrymatories. or lachrymals.
which are vials made OF earthenware. Il
was the custom for the ancients to catch the
tears that they wept over their dead in n bot
tie, and 20 place that bottle in the graves OF
the departed, and We have many specimens
OF the ancient lachrymatories. or tear bottles,
IN our musuems.
When on the way from the Holy Land our
snip touched mt Cyprus, we went back into
the hills of that island and bought tear bot
ties which the natives had dug out OF the
ruins OF the old city. There Is nothing more
suggestive 10 me than the tear bottles which
1 brought home and put among my curiosi-
ties. That was the kind OF bottle that my text
alludes to when David cries, "Put thou my
tears into thy bottle"
The text intimafes that God has an inti-
mate acquaintance and perpetual remem-
brance OF all our griefs. and a vial, or lachry
matory. or bottle. in which He catches and
saves our tears. and l bring 10 you the con-
dolence of this Christian sentiment. Why
talk about grief? Alas. tho world has it,
pangs. and now. while speak. there ar.
thick darknesses of soul that need 60 be-
lifted. There are many who are about to
break under the assault of temptation. and
pcrchance, II no words appropriate to their
case be uttered. they perish. l come on no
fools GRAND. Put upon your wounds no
salve compounded by human quackery hut.
pressing straight to the mark. hail you as u
vessel midsea cries to a passing craft,
ship ahoyr' and invite you on board a
vessel which has faith for rudder, and
prayer for sails. and Christ for captain. and
heaven for an eternal harbor.
Catherine RheinieIdf. a Prussian, keeps
boat with which she rescues the drowning.
When a storm comes on the coast, and other
people go 10 their beds 10 rest, she puts out
IN her boat for the relief of the distressed,
and hundreds OF the drowning has she
DlVukut StlclN 10 llt OtsacE. IDtS HItpOdl
OF the Gospel l put out to-day. hoping, by
Gods help. TO bring ashore at least one soul
that may now be sinking in the pillows of
temptation and trouble. The tears that were
once caught in the lachrymatories brought
up from Hercuaneum and Pompeii are all
gone, and the bottle Is rs dry as the escoria of
the volcano that submerged them, but not so
with the bottle In which God gathers all our
tears.
First, Iremark that God keeps perpetually
the tears of repentance. Many a man has
awakened in the morning so wretched from
nights debauch that he has sobbed and
wept. Pains in tho head, aching in the eyes,
slcS at heart and unfit to step into the light.
He gricves. not about his misdoing, but only
about its consequences. God makes no rec
ord OF such weeping. or allthe million tears
that have gushed as the result of such mis-
deneanor, not one ever got into Gods bot
tie. They dried on the feycred check or
were dashed down by the bloated hand or
fell into the red wine cup as il came again TO
the lips, foaminS with still worse intox:ca-
tion.
But when a man Is sorry for his past and
tries 10 do better-when he mourns his wasted
advantages and bemoans his rejection OF
Gods mercy. and cries amid the lacerations
OF an aroused conscience for help out OF his
terrible predicament, then God listens then
heaven bows down then scepters OF pardon
are extended IRON the throne :: then his cry
ing rends the heart OF heavenly compassion
then his tears are caught in Gods bottle.
Oh, when | see the heavenly Shepherd
bringing lamb from tho wilderness; when
hear the quick tread OF the prodigal has
tening home 10 find his father when see
sailor boy coming on the wharfand hurrying
away 10 peg his mothers pardon for long
neglect and unkindness when / see the
houseless coming to God for shelter, and the
wretched. and the vile. and the sin burned,
and the passion blasted appealing Tor mercy
20 a compassionate God. 1 exclaim in ecstasy
and triumph: .'More tears for Gods bottle p
Again, God keeps tender remembrance OF
nll your sicknssses. How many OF you are
thoroughly sound in body? Not one out OF
ten do not exaggerate. The vast majority
OF the race ara constant subjects Of ailments.
There is some one form OF disease that you
are particularly subject TO. You have weak
side or hack or are subject 10 headaches or
faintnesses or lungs easily distressed. II
would not take n very strong blow TO shiver
the golden bowl OF .fe or break the pitcher
at the fountain. Many Of you have kept on
In life through sheer force of will. You
think no one can understand your distresses.
Perhaps you look strong, and II Is supposed
that you are a hypochondriac. They say
you are neryous-as II that were nothing !!
God have mercy upon any man or woman
that Is nervous
At times you sit alone in your room.
Friends do MT come. You feel an inde-
scribable lonliness in your sufferings, but
God knows; God feels; God compassion
ates. He counts the sleepless nights. He
regards the acuteness OF the pain. He
estimates the hardness of the breathing.
While you pour out the medicine from the
bottle and count out the drops, God counts
all your falling tears. As you look at the
vials filed with nauseous drafts and at the
bottles of distasteful tonic that stand on the
shelf. remember that there is larger bottle
than these, which Is filed with no mixture by
earthly apothecaries. but II is Gods bottle, in
which he hath gathered all our tears.
Again, God remembers all the sorrows of
poverty. There is much want that never comes
10 inspection. The deacons of the church
never see 1t. The comptrollers OF the aims
houses never report II. Il comes not to
church, for il has no appropriate apparel.
II makes no appeal for help, but chooses
rather to suffer than expose its bitterness.
Fathers who fail TO gain livelihood, so that
they and their children submit to constant
privation sewing women, who cannot ply
the noodle quick enough 70 earn them shell
ter and bread.
But whether reported or uncomplaining.
whether in seemingly comfortable parlor or
in damp cellar, or in hot garret. God d'sangels
of mercy are on the watch. This moment
those griefsare being collected. Down on
the back streets, in all the alleys. amid shan
ties and log cabins, the work goes on. Tears
OF want-seething in summers heat or freez-
ing IN winters cold-they fall not unheeded
They are jewels for heavens casket They
are pledges OF divine sympathy. They are
tears for Gods bottle.
Again. the Lord preserves the remem-
brance OF all paternal anxieties. You see n
man from the most infamous surroundings
step out into the kingdom of God. He has
heard no sermon. He has received no
startling providential warning. What
brought him 20 this new mind? This is the
secret-God looked over the bottle in which
He gathers the tears OF His people, and He
saw parental tear in that bottle which has
been for 40 years unanswered He said. $50
too, now, and let Me answer that tear - and
forthwith the wanderer is brought home to
God.
Oh, this work of training children for God
II is a tremendous work. Some people think
IT easy. They have never tried ii. A child
Is placed in the arms OF the young parent. II
is a beautiful plaything. You look into the
laughing eyes. You examine the dimples in
the feet. You wonder at its exquisite organ