The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-15
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINEs SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Sunshine of Religion

Son. Have you heard OF Gods daughters
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 ST pleasantness, and all her paths are
peace"
But what is religion. The fact Is that
theological study has had different effect
upon me from the effect sometimes pro-
duced. Every year tear out another leaf
four leaves left-in other words, q very brief
and plain statement OF Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said: "Whsn
I was q young man, knew everything;
when got to be thirty years OF age, in
my ministry had only hundred doctrines
Of religion; when got to be forty years Of
age, had only fifty doctrines OF religion;
when got to be sixty years OF age, had
only ten doctrines OF religion, and now am
dying at seventy-fve years Of age. and there
is only one thing know, and chat Is that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners" And 80 have noticed in the study
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 nonessential. while cling to the
one great doctrine that man Is a sinner and
Christ Is his Almighty and Divine Saviour.
Now ! take these three or four leaves oil
my theology, and find that, in the first
place, and dominant above all others, Ia the
sunshine OF religion. When I 60 into room
have passion for throwing open all the
shutters. That is what want to do this
morning. We are apt to throw 80 much OF
the sepulchral into Our religion and to close
the shutters and to pull down tbs blinds
that it is only through hers and there ere.
the Lord Jesus Christ Is q religion Of joy in.
describable and unutterable. Wherever ]
can find bell I mean to ring it.
If there are any in this house this morn
ing who are disposed to hold on to their
melancholy and gloom, let them now depart
this service before the fairest and the bright.
est and the most radiant being of all the
universe comes in. Gods Son has left our
world, but Gods daugher is here. Give her
room. Hail, princess OF heaven! Hail,
daughter Of the Lord God Almighty! Come
in and make this house thy throneroom.
In setting forth this idea the dominant
theory of religion is one of sunshine. I
hardly know where to begin, for there are
so many thoughts that rusa upon my soul.
A mother saw her little child seated on the
floor In the sunshine and with spoon in her
hand. She said. "My darling, what are
you doing there?' "Oh" replied the child,
"rm getting spoonful OF this sunshine"
Would Col that today might present you
with a cleaning chalice OF this glorious,
everlasting Gospel sunshine.
First of all, find a great deal of sunshine
in Christian society.
do not know Of anything more doleful
than the companionship of the mere fun
makers 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
ography or biography you will find that
down in their soul there was terrific dis.
quietude. Laughter is no sign Of happiness.
The manaic laughs. The hyena laughs. The
loon among the Adirondacks laugh. The
drunkard, dashing his decanter against the
wall, laughs.
There Is terrible reaction from all sinful
amusement and sinful merriment. Suca
men are cross the next day. They snap at
you on exchange, or they pass you. not
recognizing You. Long ago quit mere
worldly society for the reason it was 80 dull,
so inaue and so stupid. My nature is
voracious of joy. must have it. ...
Ialways walk on the sunny side OF the
street. and for that reason have crossed
over into Christian society. like their mode
Of repartee better; l like their style of
amusement better. They live longer.
Christian people, sometimes notice, live on
when by all natural law they ought to have
died, / have known persons who have con.
tinued in their existence when the doctor
said they ought to have been dead ten years.
Every day OF their existence was defiance
Of the laws Of anatomy and physiology, but
they had this supernatural vivacity OF the
Gospel in their soul, and that kept them
alive.
Put ten or twelve Christian people in
room for Christian conversation, and you
will from to 10 o'clock hear more resuund-
ing glee, see more bright strokes OF wit and
find more thought and profound satisfac-
ton than in any merely worldly party.
Now, when say worldly party" mean
that to which you are invited, because un-
der all the circumstances Of the case 1t Is
the best for you to be invited, and to which
you 60 because under all circumstances OF
the shawls on the second floor you go to ths
parlor to give formal salutation to the host
and the hostess, and then move around
spending the whole evening in the discus
sion Of the weather, and in apology for
treading on long trails and in effort to keep
the corners Of the mouth up to the sign
Of pleasure, anS going around with an
idiotic he-he about nothing. until the cola.
tion is served, and then after the collation.
is served going back again into the psrlor
to resume the weather, and then at the close
going at a very late hour to the host and
hostess and assuring them that you have
had most delightful evening an then pass
ing down of the front steps, the slam OF the
door the only satisfaction OF the evening.
Oh, young man, come from the country
to spend your days in city life, where are
you going TO spend your evenings? Let me
tell you, while there are many places Of in
nocent worldly amusement, it IS most wise
for you to throw your boiy, mind au1 soul
into Christian society. Come to ms at ths
close of five years and tell me what has bean
the result Of this advice. Bring with you
the young man who refused to take the ad-
vice and who went into sinful amusement.
He will come dissipated. shabby in apparel,
indsposed to look any one in the eyes, moral
character eighty-fve per cent. OF. You will
come with principle settled, codntenancs
frank. habits good, soul saved and All the
Inhabitants Of heaven, from the lowest an eel
up 10 the archangel and clear past him to
the Lord God Almighty, your coadjutors.
This is not the advice OF q mlsanthrope.
There is no man iu the house to whom the
world is brighter than it is to me. 1t is not
the advice OF dyspeptic-my digestion is
perfect: it is not the advice Of maa who
cannot understand joke or who pre'ers a
funeral: it is not the advice OF a wornout
man, but the advice of man who can sac
this world in all its brightness, AMI. ,nsii-
ering myself competent in judging what is
good cheer. I tell the multltu les OF young
rnap in This houaa this morninp tnat tl3rS is
nothing in worldly associations so grand
and so beautiful and 80 e1hilarant aS in
Christian s,ciety.
I know there is great deal of talk about
the self denials OF the Christian. have t.
tell you that where t1e Christian has oua
self denial the man OF the world has tnou'