The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-08-09
RECALLING THE PAST.
A Reminiscent Sermon by Rev. DR..
Talmage.
Youth Looks Forwurd While Old Age
Spends Time In Looking Backward
"A Panorama of "Reminiscences
Appropriate to the Season.

Rev. DIR. Talmage preached the fol-
lowing sermon at the Brooklyn taber-
nacle recently, the text selected being
Psalm xxx, 8: "While was musing
the fire burned"
Here is David, the psalmist, with the
forefnger of his right hand against his
temple, the door shut against the
world, engaged in contemplation.
And it would be well for us to take the
same posture often, closing the door
against the world, while we sit down
in sweet solitude to contemplate.
In small island off the coast / once
passed a Sabbath in delightful solitude,
for had resolved that would have
one day of CENTRE quiet before l en-
tered upon autumnal work. thought
to have spent the day in laying out
plans for Christian work; but instead
Of that it became a day of tender
reminiscence. reviewed my pastor
ate; shook hands with an old de-
parted friend, whom shall greet again
when the curtains of life are lifted.
The days of my boyhood came back,
and was ten years of age, and was
eight, and was five. There was but
one house on the island, and yet from
Sabbath daybreal, when the bird
woke me, until the evening melted in
the bay, from shore to shore, there were
ten thousand memories, and the groves
ahum with voices that had long ago
ceased.
Youth is apt too much to spend all its
time in looking forward Old age is
apt too much to spend all its time in
looking backward. People in mid-life
and on the apex look both ways. 1t
would be well for us, think, however,
TO spend more time in Renaissance.
BY the constitution of our nature we
spend most of the time looking for
ward. And the vast majority Of peo-
pie live not so much in the present
as in the future. find that you mean
to make a reputation, you mean to es-
tablish yourself, and the advantages
that you expect to achieve absorb a
great deal of your time. But see no
harm in this If it does not make you
discontented with the present or dis.
qualify you for existing duties.
1t is a useful thing sometimes tolool
back, and to see the dangers we have
escaped, and to see the sorrows we
have suffered, and the trials and wan
derings of our earthly pilgrimage, and
to sum up our enjoyments, | mean to
day, so far as God may help me, to stii
up your memory of the past, so that IL
the review you may be encouraged anC
humbled and urged to pray.
There is chapel in Florence with 1
fresco by Guido. 1t was covered NJ
I with two inches of stucco until ou
American and European artists wen
there, and after long toll removed tn,
/, covering and retraced the fresco. AM
] am aware that the memory of tn
| past, with many of you, is all covered
up with ten thousand deliberations, ant
propose this morning, 80 far as tn
Lord may help me, to take away tn
covering, that the old picture may shin
out again.
y
!, past advantages, and want to bind il
l another sheaf all your past adversities
I II is precious harvest, and must b
IS cautious how ] swing the scythe.
Among the greatest advantages @
your past life was an early home an
: It's surroundings The bad men of tn
day, for the most part, dip their heate
passions out of the boiling spring of a
unhappy home. We are not surprise
Bryon's heart was a concentration @
sin, when we hear his mother wa
abandoned, and that she made spor
Of his infrmity, and often called hir
"the lame brat" He who has viciou
parents has TO fight every inch of hi
= way II he would maintain his integrit
and at last reach the home of the goo
in heaven.
Perhaps your earthly home' was |
| the city. II may have been In the day
| when Canal street, New York, was ia
! up town. That old house in the cit
. may have been demolished or change
! into stores, and it seemed like sacr
. lege TO you-for there was more meal
ing in that plain house, in that sma
house, than there is in granite maj
sion or turreted cathedral. Lookin
back this morning, you see itas thoug
II were yesterday-the sitting-rool
s. where the loved ones sat by the plat
y lamp-light, the mother at the evenin
le stand, and brothers and sisters, pc
A. haps long ago gathered into the skie
n. then plotting mischief on the floor {
under the table, your father with
firm voice commanding silence, this
NJ lasted half minute.
o, those were good days! Hyou ha
g your foot hurt, your mother alway
q had soothing salve to heal it. II yo
I. were wronged in the street, your fath'
was always ready TO protect you. I'll
year was one round of frolic and mirtl
Your greatest trouble was an Apr
shower, more sunshine than shove
The heart had not been ransacked |
trouble, nor had sickness broken
lC and no lamb had warmer sheepfo
than the home in which your childhoC
D nestled.
Perhaps you were brought up in Il
country. You stand now to-day
a- memory under the old tree. W
dubbed IL for fruit that was not qui
p ripe, because you could not wait al
longer. You hear the brook rumblir
along over the pebbles You ST
again into the furrow where yo
father in his shirt sleeves shouted
the lazy oxen. You frighten the swi
lows from the rafters OF the barn aI