Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-30
SUNSHINE on RELIGION.
REV. DR.. T8LNAGES TABERNACLE .--aMON
YESTERDAY.
Tie Religion O.; Christ Full Of joy lndoscribable
and nuuer4bia-ThrOw Away Theology and
Accept the Pure Gospel Sunshine.

BROOKLYN, January 29.-heN. III
Talmage this forenoon preached TO a
great audience in the Tabernacle on
"The Sunshine OF Religion" the text
chosen being, Proverbs 3; II; "Her
ways are ways OF pleasantness.'
YOU have all heard OF Gods only be-
gotten son. Have you heard Of Gods
daughter? She was born in heaven.
She came down over the hills OF our
world. She mad 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 DleasantneSS, and all her paths
are peace"
But what is religion9 The fact is
that tEeoloQical study has had differ
ept effect upon me from the effect some
times produced. Every year l tear out
another leaf from my theology until l
have ouly three or fcur leaves left. In
other words, q very brief and plain
statement Of Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said;
"When 1 was q young man, knew
everything; when / got 70 be thirty
five years Of age in my ministry l mao
only a hundred doctrines or religion;
when I got be forty years OF age, /
had only fifty doctrines Of religion;
when ! got 20 be sixty years Of age l
had only ten doctrines OK religions ana
now / am dying az Seventy-hye years OF
age. and there is only one thing know,
and that is, that Christ Jesus came in
10 the world % save sinners" And so
/ have noticed in the study Of Gods
Word, and 10 my contemplation OF the
character OF God and of the eternal
world. thar it is necessary for me to
drop this part OF my belief as being
non-essential while ! cling TO the one
great doctrine that mau is . sinner, and
Christ is
HIS ALMIGHTY AND DIVINE SAVIOUR.
Now. take these three or four leaves
OF nv theology. and / find that In the
first place, and dominant above all 9TH
ers. is the sunshine Of religion. When
I 90 into room l 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 tho sepOl-
chral into our religion, and 20 close the
shutters and 70 pull down the blinds,
that 10 is only through here and there
A crevice that the light streams. The
religion Of the Lord Jesus Christ is a
religion Of JOY indeScri0sble and unut-
tersble. Wherever 1 can find q bell
mean to ring 10,
II there are any IN this house this
morning who are disposed 10 hold on to
their melancholy aud gloom, let them
now depart this service before the fair
est and brightest aud the most radiant
being Of all the universe comes In.
Gods Son has left our world, but Gods
daughter is here. Give her room! Hail.
Princess Of Heaven Had. daughter Of
the Lord God Almighty. Come in and
make this house thy throne room.
In setting forh this idea, the domi-
nant theory or religion Is one OF sun
shine. 4 hardly know where 10 begin,
for there are 50 many thoughts that
rush upon my soul. A mother saw her
49, child seated on the floor in the
Sunshine, and with a spoon 10 her hand.
She said: My darling, what are you
doing there?" "Oh, " replied the child,
'Tm getting q spoonful OF this sun
shine" Would God that to-day l might
preseu. you with q cleaning chalice Of
this glorious everlasting, Gospel sun
shine.
First Of an, I find great deal Of
SUNSHINE ~ CHRISTIAN SOCIETY.
/ do not know of anything more dole
ful that the c0mpanionsbiD of the mere
fun-makers OF tho world-the Thomas
Hoods, the Charles Lambs, the Charles
Matthews Of the wOrld-the men whose
entire business il is TO make sport. They
make others laugh, but if you will ex-
anime their autobiography, or biOg-
raph, you will find that down in their
soul there was a terrific disQuietude.
Laughter is no sign Of happiness. The
maniac laughs. The hyena laughs.
The loon among the AdirOndacks
laughs. The drunSard daShing his de-
canter against the wall laughs.
There is a terrible reaction from all
sinful amusement and sinful merriment.
Such 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 so duh, so inaue, and so stupid.
Ny nature is y0raciOus OF JOY. / must
have 10.
always walk on the sunny side Of
the street and for that reason 1 have
crossed over Into Christian society.
like their mode of repartee better. They
live longer, Christian people, l some
times notice, live on when by all natu-
raj law they ought to have died,
have known persons who have cOntin-
ued in their existence when the doctor
said they ought TO have been dead ten
years Every day of their existence
was a defiance of the laws OF anatomy
and physiology; but they had this SUI
Dernatural vlvacity of the Gospel in
their soul, and that kept them alive.
Put ten or twelve Christian people in q
room for Christian conversation, and
YOU will from eight 20 ten o'clock hear
more resOunding glee, see more bright
strokes OF wit, aud find more thought
and profound satisfaction, than
in any merely worldly party. Now,
when / say a worldly party" I mean
that 20 which you are invited because
under all the circumstances Of the case
Il Is the best for you 10 be invited, aud
10 which you 60 because under all the
circumstances Of the case it is better
that you 60, 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 dis
cusSion Of the weather, and in apology
FOR treading on long trails, and in effort
to keep the corners Of the mouth up 20
the sign Of pleasure, and going around
with an
DIOTIC HE-HE ABOUT NOTHING
until the collation. is served, and then
after the collation. is served going back