The Globe-republican., 1894-06-22
ANOTHER CHANCE.
Dr.. ''aJnage on the Mistakes Of
This Life.
They Cannot he Corrected In the Next
WOrld-We Shall BE Judged by Our
Acts on Earth-NO Other
Chance.

While on his trip around the worl,
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage gave out hi.
latest sermon through the press, tax
ing for his subject Another Chanc e.
the text being taken from Eccles. XII.
3: IF the tree fall toward the south o.
toward the north, in the place wher,
the tree falleth there it shall be-" Fol
lowing is the sermon:
There is lowering hope in the mind:
of vast multitude that the re will bt
an opportunity in the next world to
correct the mistakes of this: that, il
we do make complete shipwreck of our
earthly life, it will be on shore up
which we may walk to a palace:
that, as a defendant may lose
his case in the circuit court. and
carry it up to the supreme court
reversal of judgment in his behalf,
all the costs being thrown over
on the other party. SO, if we fail in the
earthly trial, we may in the higher
jurisdiction of eternity have the judg-
.ment of the lower court set aside. all
the costs RENTED. and we may be vic
tOrious defendants forever. My object
in this sermon is to show that common
sense, as well as my text. declares that
such an expectation is chimerical You
say that the impenitent man, having
got into the next world and seeing the
disaster. will. as a result of that disas-
ter. turn, the pain the cause of his
reformation. But you can find ten
Thousand instances in this world of
men who have done wrong and distress
overlook them suddenly. Did the dis
tress heal them? No; they went right
on.
That man was flung of designations.
"fou must stop the drinking" said the
doctor, land quit the fast life you are
leading, or it will destroy you'' The
ipatient suffers paroxysm after par
Oxyis, but, under skillful medical treat
.ment, he begins to sit up, begins to
walk about the room. begins to go to
Business. And 10. he goes back to the
same grOg-shops for his morning dram
and his evening dram. and drains be-
tween. Flat down again! Same doc
tor! Same physical anguish. Same
medical warning.
He sees that his downward course is
running his households: that his life is
perpetual perjury against his marriage
vow: that that broken-hearted woman
is SO unlike the rOseate young wife
whom he married that her old school
mates do not recognize her: that his
sons are tainted for a lifetime by the
fathers drunkenness: that the daugh-
tiers are to pass into life under the scar
ification of a disreputable ancestor.
He is drinking up their happiness. their
prospects for this life, and perhaps for
= the life to come.
After awhile he has delirium ire
mems, with a whole jungle of kissing
reptiles let out on his pillow. and his
srceams hOrrify the neighbors as he
dashes out of bed. crying: Take these
things off mel" As he sits pale and
'cOnvalescent the doctor says: Now
want to have plain talk with you.
my dear fellow. The next attack of
this kind you have you will be beyond
all medical skill, and you will die"
He gets better and goes forth into the |
same round again. This time medicine
takes no effect. Consultation of phy-
sicians agree in saving there is no hope |
Death ends the scene.
That process of inebriation. warning |
and dissolution is going on within a
stones throw of you; going on in all /
the neighborhoods of Christendom
Pain does not correct. Suffering does
not reform. What is true in one sense
is true in all senses. and will forever
be SO. and yet men are expecting in
the next world purgatorial rejuve-
nation.
Furthermore, the prospect of refor-
nation in the next world is more i'm
probable than a reformation here. In
this world the life started with inno-
cence of infancy. In the case sup
posed. the other life will open with all
the accumulated bad habits of many
years upon him. Surely, it is easier
to build a strong ship out of new tim
Der than out of an old hulk that has been
ground up in the breakers. If with in
nocence to start with in this life man
does not become godly. what prospects
are there that in the next world. start
ing with sin, there would be a seraph
evoluted?
But" says some one, 81 think we
ought to have chance in the next
life, because this life is so short it al
lows only small opportunity. We
hardly have time to turn around be-
tween cradle and tomb. the wood of |
the one almost touching the marble of
the other" But do you know what
made the ancient deluge a necessity?
Il was the longevity of the antedilu-
VANS. They were worse in the second
century of their lifetime than in the
first hundred years, and still worse in
the third century, and still worse all
the. way on to seven. eight and nine
hundred years. and the earth had to
be washed and scrubbed and soaked
and anchored clear out of sight for
more than a month before it could be
made fit for decent people to live in.
Longevity never cures impenitency.
All the pictures of Time represented
II