The Penn's Grove record., 1893-08-11
REV. DIR. TALMAGR,
The Brooklyn Divine's
Sunday Sermon.


Subject :-"tireside Musing."
TEXT, "Wh1e I pas musins he fire
turned. palm xxx, 8.
Here Is David, the psalmist, with the fore
finger OF his right hand against his temple,
the door shut against the world, engaged in
contemplation. And 1t 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 a small island off the coast once passed
a Sabbath in delightful solitude, for 1 had
resolved that 1 would have one day OF entire
tiet before l entered upon autumnal work
thought TO have spent the day in laying out
plans for Christian work, but instead of that
1t became a day of tender reminiscence. I
my pastorate. I shook hands with
an old departed friend, whom I shall, greet
again when the curtains of life are lifted,
The days of my boyhood came back, and I
was 10 years of age, and I was 8, and l was
8. There was but one house or the island,
and yet from Sabbath dsybreak, when the
bird chant woke me, untilthe evening melted
into the bay, from shore to shore there were
$1,000 memories, and the groves were album
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.
in midlife and on the apex look both
II would be well for us, / think, how
ever, to spend more time in "reminiscences.
By the constitution of our nature We spend
most OF the time looking forward. And the
vast majority of people live not so much in
the present rs in the future. 1 and that you
mean to make a reputation. You mean to
yourself, and the advantages that
you expect to achieve absorb q great deal
OF YOU time. But 1 see no harm In this II
1t does not make you discontended with the
or ~disqualify you fer existing duties.
1t Is a useful thing sometimes to look back
and to see the dangers we have escaped, and
to sec the sorrows we have suffered. and the
and wanderings of our earthly pill
grimage, II to sum up our enjoyments. I
mean to-day, so far as God may help me, to
up your memory of the past, 50 that in
the review o may be encouraged and hum
bled and urged to pray.
There is a chapel in Florence with a fresco
by Guido. II was covered up with two
inches of stucco until our American and
European artists gent there and after long
toll removed the covering and retraced the
fresco. And / am aware that the memory of
the past, with many of you, is oil covered up
with 10, 900 deliberations, and I propose this
SO far asst Lord may help me, to
take away the covering, tina the old picture
may shine out again.
Iwant to bind in one sheaf all your past
and 1 want to bind in another
sheaf all your past adyersities. 1t is q prec-
harvest, and I must be cautious how L
the scythe.
Among the greatest advantages OF your
past life was an early home and its surround
The bad men of the day, for the most
part, dip their heated passions out of the
spring of an unhappy home. We
arc not surprised that Byron's heart was a
concentration of sin when we hear that his
was abandoned and that she made
sport of his infrmity and often called him
'the lame brat" He who has vicious parents
has to fight every inch of his way If he
would maintain his integrity and at last
home Of the good in heaven.
Perhaps your early home was In the city.
It may have been in the days when Canal
street, New York, was far up town. That old
in the city may have been demolished
Or changed into stores, and 1t seemed like
;~acrilege to you, for there was more meaning
IN that plain house, In that small house, than
is in u granite mansion or a turreted
cathedral. Looking back this morning, you
'ae it as though it were yesterday-the sit
ing room. where the loved ones sat by the
plain lamplight, the mother at the evening
the brothers and sisters, perhaps long
gathered into the skies, then plotting
on the fioor or underline table your
with q firm voice commanding silence,
hat lasted half q minute.
Oh, those were good daysl II you had
your foot hurt, your mother always had q
salve to heal 1t. II you were
yronged in the street, your father was always
to protect you. The year was one
.ound OF frolic and mirth. Your greatest
rouble was an April shower, more sunshine
han shower. The heart had not been ram
acked by troubles, nor had sickness broken
and no lamb had q warmer sheepfold
han the home in which your childhood
Perhaps you were brought up in the coun-
ry. You stand now to-day in memory under
he old tree. You dubbed 1t for fruit that
vas not quite ripe because you could not
wait any longer. You hear the brook rumb-
ing along over the pebbles. You step again
nto the 1urrow where your father in his
hirt sleeves shouted to the lazy oxen. You
the swallows from the rafters of the
arm and take Just one egg and silence your
conscience by saying they will not miss it.
'ou take a drink again out ofthe very bucket
the old we'll fetched up. You go forthe
at night and find them wagging their
Ieads through the bars. Outlines in tho
Justly and busy streets you wish you were
ZONE again on that cool grass or In the hall
the farmhouse, through which there was
he breath OF new mownh hay or the blossom
buckwheat.
You may have in your windows now beauti-
III plants and flowers brought from across
he seas, but not one of them stirs In your
oul so much charm and memory as the old
w and the yellow sunflower that stood
entinel along the garden walk and the for
,etmenots playing hide and seek mid tho
ong grass. The father, who used to come
n sunburned from the fields and sit down on
he doorsill and wipe the sweat from his
may AVE gone to his everlasting rest.
he mother who used to sit at the door q
title bent over, cap and speetacles on, her
nee mellowing with the vicissitudes OF many
ears, may have put down her gray head IN
he pillow in the valley, but fo.get that home
never will.
Have you thanked God for it? Have you |
ehearsed all these blessed reimbursement
Nh, thank God for a Christian father. Thank 1
io1 for a Christian mother. Thank God for
n early Christian altar at which you were
lught 10 kncel. Thank God for an early
home.
/ bring to mind another passage in the his |
Dry OF your life. The day came when you
ct up your own HOUSEHOLD. The days passed
long in quiet blessedness. Your twain sat at
he tIble morning and night and talked over
oar plans for the future. The most signil-
ant affair inyour life became the subject of
lutual consultation n ADJUSTMENT. You
,ere so happy you felt you never could be
ny happier.
one day a dark cloud lowered over your
yelling, and 1t got darker and darker. But
ut OF that cloud the shining messenger Of |
iOd descended to incarnate an immortal
pir,t. Two little feet started on an eternal |
1urney, and you were to lead them. Agem
} fash in heavens ~coronet, and you to
olish ii. Eternal ages of light and dark !
ess watching the starting out of a newly
reated being.
You rejoiced and you trembled at the re-
possibility that in your possession an i'm
lortal treasure was placed. You prayed and
and wept and wondered, and prayed
nd rejoiced, and wept and wondered. You
ere earnest in supplication hat you might
,ad ii through life into the kingdom OF God. |
here was q tremor in your earnestness.
here was a double interest about that home.
here was an additional interest why you
lould stay there and be faithful, aud when |
a few months your house was filed with
le music of the child's laughter you were
ruck through with h fact that you had q
upendous mission.
Have you kept that vow? Have you me-
iected any OF these duties2 Isyour home as
luch to you as 1t used to be2 Have those
been gratlfed2 God help you
)-day in your solemn reminiscence and let
lis mercy fall upon your soul II your kind
ess has been Ill requitedl God have mercy
n the parent oil the wrinkles Of whose face
written the story OF a child's sin God