The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-30
SUNSHINE OF RELIGION.
THE RELIGION OF CHRIST ONE OF
JOY INDEsCRIBABLE.

BROOKLYN, Jan. 29.-Rev. DIR. Talmag0
this forenoon preached to great audience
in the tabernacle on ''Ths Sunshine Of Re-
ligion,n the text chosen being Proverbs
iii. IA; Her ways are ways OF pleas
'antness.n
You have all heard of Gods only begot-
ten son. Have you heard of Gods daugh-
terl 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 "a ays Of pleasantness and all
her paths are peace"
But wha is rengionl The fact is that
theological study has had different effect
upon me from the effect sometimes pro-
duced. Every year l tear out another leaf
from my theology until l have only three
or four leaves left. In other words, very
brief and plain statement Of Christian be-
lief.
An aged Christian minister said: "When
| was young man, l knew everything,
when l got 20 be thirty-hve years OF
age In my ministry had only q
hundred doctrines OF religion; when
got to be forty years Of age l had only
hfty doctrines OF religion; When | gob
to be sixty years of age had only ten
doctrines Of religion; and now 1 am dying
at seventy-flve years Of age, and
there is only one thing know,
and that is that Christ Jesus
came into the world 90 save Sinners Add
so have noticed in the study of Gods
word and in my contemplation Of the
character of God and of the eternal world
that it Is necessary for me to drop this part
Of my belief and that part of my belief as
being non-essential, while / cling TO the one
great doctrine that man is a sinner and
Christ is his almighty and divine Savior.
Now, take these three or four leaves OF
my theology, and find that IN the first
place, and dominant above all others, is the
sunshine of religion. When l go into q
room have a passion for throwing open
all the shutters. That is what want to do
this morning. We are apt to throw so
much OF the sepulchral into our religion,
and to close the shutters, and to pull down
the blinds, that it is only through here and
there q crevice that the light streams.
The religion of the Lord Jesus Christ Is
religion Of Joy indescribahle aud unutter-
able. Wherever l can find bell mean to
ring 10.
IL there are any in this house this morn
ing who are disposed to hold on TO their
melancholy and gloom, let them now de-
part this service before the fairest and the
brightest and most radiant being Of all the
universe comes in. Gods Son has left our
world. but Gods daughter is here. Give
her roomi Hail! Priucess Of HeavenI Haili
daughter OF the Lord God Almighty. Come
In and make this house thy throne room.
In setting forth this idea, the dominant
theory Of religion is one of sunshine.
hardly know where to begin, for there are
80 many thoughts that rush upon my soul.
A mother saw her little child seated on the
floor in the sunshine, and with a spoon In
her hand. She said; "My darling. what
are you doing thereP' 30" replied the
child, "Im getting a spoonful OF this sun
shine" Would God that to-day l might
present you with cleaning chalice of this
glorious, everlasting, gospel sunshinel
First Of all, find great deal of SUM-
shine in Christian society.
do not know of anything more dolefuI
than the ccmpanionship of the mere fun
makers of the world-the Thomas Hoods,
the Charles Lambs. the Charles Matthews
Of the world-the men whose entire busi-
ness 1t is to make sport. They make others
laugh, but IL you will examine their auto
biography, or biography, you will find that
down in their soul there was terrific dis
quietude. Laughter is no sign Of happiness.
The maniac laughs. The hyena laughs.
The loon among the Adirondacks laughs
The drunkard dashing his decanter against
the wall laughs
There Is a terrible reaction from all sim
full amusement and sinful merriment. Such
men are cross the next day. They snap al
You on exchange, or they pass you, not
Il
worldly society for the reason il was SO
dull, SO insane, and so stupid. My nature
Is voracious of Joy. / must hav it.
always walk on the sunny side OF the
street and for that reason / have crossed
over into Christian society. / like their
mode Of repartee better. like their style
of amusement better. They live longer.
Christian people. sometimes notice, i've
on when by all natural law they ought TO
have died. have known persons who have
continued IN their existence when the doc
tor said they ought to have been dead ten
years. Every day Of their existence was q
defiance of the laws Of anatomy and physi-
ology; but they had this supernatural viva
city of the gospel in their soul. and that
kept them alive. Put ten or twelve Chris
tian people In q room for Christian CONVEX
sstion and you will from eight TO ten o'clock
hear more resouuding glee, see more brighs
strokes OF wit, and find more
thought and profound satisfaction. than In
any merely worldly party. Now, when
say "worldly party" l mean that to
whichfyou are invited because under all
the circumstances Of the case it Is the best
for you TO be invited, and to which you go
because under all the circumstances of the
case it Is better that you go; and leaving
the shawls on the second floor you go to the
parlor to give formal salutation to the host
and the hostess, and then move around,
spending the whole evening In the discussion
OF the weather, and in apology for tread
ing on long trails. and in effort to keep the
corners Of the mouth up TO the sign Of pleas
ure, and going around with an idiotic he-he
about nothing until the collation. is served,
and then after the collation. is served, going
back again into the parlor to resume the
weather, and then at the close going at a
very late hour 10 the host aud hostess and
assuring them that you have had most
delightful evening, and then passing down
of the front steps. the slam OF the door the
only satisfaction Of the evening.
o young mani come from the country TO
spend your days IN city life, where are you
gong 10 spend your eveningsi Let mo tell
you, while there ars many places OF inno-
cent worldly amusement, IL Is most wise for
you 10 throw your body, mind and soul into
Christian society. Come to me at the close
OF five years aud tell me what has been the
result Of this ADVICE. Bring with you the
young man who refused 10 take tho advice,
and who went into sinful amusement. He
will come dissipatSi, shabby IN apparel, In
disposed 10 look any one Ia the eyes. moral
character eiRhty-hge per cent or. You
will come with principle settled. counts-
nance frank, habits good. soul saved, and
ali the inhabitants Of heaven, from the low
est angel up 70 the afcheDgel and clear past
him - tbs Lord God Almighty, your coae-
jutOrs.
Thls Is not the adylos Of a n0lsanthrope.