The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-04-05
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
rIIE BROOKLYN DrvIvE's SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject "Sustaining Power OF Ec-
lieion."

rotS, Hpi SuVf ~ DP as me rms OF n dOre
corered ,rih siirey' and her feathers ,oiU ys,-
lo,c gotd. Psalms lxyiii.. 10.
I suppose YOU know what the Is-aeltes
did down in Egyptian slavery. They made
bricks. Amid the utensils of the brick kiln
there were also other utensils OF cookery -
the kettles. the pots. the pans. with which
they prepared their daily fool an when
these poor slaves. tire OF tn" days work. Law
down TO rest they lay down among the i'm
picmpnt- OF cookery and the Implements OF
harl worh. wrpn they arose IN the morn
ing. they found their garments cover I'll with
the clay, AMI the smoke. AMI the dust. and
besmirched and be;rimcl with the utensils
o! cookery.
But after n While the Lord broke up that
slavery. Rni lie took these poor slaves into n
land whore they had better gsrb. bright and
clean and beautiful apparel. No more bricks
for them To make. Let Pharaoh make his
own bricks When David. in my text. comes
TO describe tho transition of these poor Is
raelites from their bondage amid the brick-
kilns into the glorious cmRncipatlon for
which Col had prepared them, he says
Though " have lain among the pots. Yet
snail We b" rs the wings Of dove covered
with silver aud her feathers with yellow
gold"
Miss Whnteiy. the author eli celebrated
book. Life In Egypt. sait sha sometimes
saw peopl" IN the East cooking their food on
the tops 81 houses and tina. sha had often
seen just before suniown pigeons and
doves. which had during the heat oi the day
been hiding among the kettles and the pans
with which the ioot was prepared. picking
up the crumbs that they might find. just
about tire hour o! sunset they would spread
their wings AMI ny heHvenward entirely
unsoicd by the region IN which they had
moved, for the pigeon IL "a very cleanly bird.
And ~ the pigeons few away the setting
a
gold on their breasts. SO you see II is not a
farietrhed simils or an unnatural COM
parison when David. in my text. says TO
these emancipat"i israelites. and says 20 all
those who Hre brought ont OF any kind o!
trouble into any kind OF spiritual Joy
Though ye hays lain among the pots. yet
shall yr be ~ the wings OLA dove covered
with silver and her feathers with yellow
gold.
Sin Is tho hariest Of all taskmasters
Worse than Pharaoh. II keeps us drudgins
IN most degrading service. but after awhile
Christ comes. and Ha says. Let Ny people
60 and we pass out from among the brick
kilns of sin into the glorious liberty of the
gospel. We put on the clean robes OF n
Christian profession, and when at last we
soar away TO the warm nest which God has
provided for us In heaven We shall 90 fairer
thnn dove. its wings covered with silver
and its feathers with yellow gold.
Rm going to preach something which
some o' you 10 no; believe. and that Is that
the granisst possible adornment is the re-
ligion OF Jesus Christ. There are q great
many people who suppose that religion is a
very different thing from what 1t really is.
The reason men condemn the Bible Is because
they DO NOT understand the Bible. They
have no: properly exsmir Z. DR.. johnson
said that Hums yofd minister in the bIsbop-
RE OF Durham that he hau never particuIar,v
exeinined the New T-s'ame nj. yet nil his M,
earring against II. HALEY M, astronom.r
announced his skepticism sir Is..c Nav
ton, and Sir Isaac Newton lid NOW sir
have examined the subieo snd Won nav,
NOT. And am ashamed thit YOU. proIaSs
| ing TO be philosopher.
thi
Ard SO me- .Iect the .igion OF Jesus
Christ because they really have never iu.
yestigateiit. They think It something ua-
desirable. something thar will not WORK.
something Pecksniffiln, something hypocrit-
teal, something repuls.ve. when IL Is so
bright and so beautiful you might compare
II To chaiiinch, you might compare II TO n
robin red breast, you might compare u to a
dove-its wings covered with silver and It's
feathers with yellow gold.
But how is u II a young man becomes n
Cnristihn? All through the ciuorooms where
lie associates, all through the business cir
c!es whore he il known. the.s IL commisara-
ton. They say, Nv hat u pity that young
man who had such bright prospects should
so have been despoilcd by those Christians.
giving up all his worldly prospects for some
thng which is OF no particular present
worth ~ Here Is n Young woman who be-
comes Chr,stlan-her voice, her face, her
manners the charm OF the drawing room.
Now all through the fashionable circles
the whisper goes, What IA pity that such u
bright light should have been extingulshed
thuf sugh a ,srupaftl ch ~. al. a
that such worldly prospects should be
oollteraied" :" An. my friends, IL eau be-
shown that religions ways are WAYS of
pleasantness and that alt her paths are
peace, that religion, instead OF being DARK
and doleful and lachrymose and repulslye
Is bright and beautiful. fairer than a dove.
It's wings covered with silver and its feathers
with yellow gold.
See, in the first place. what religion will
do for a mans heart. care not how cheer
ful imam may aiuraIly be before conversion.
conversion brings him up TO higher
stan lard OF cheerhiness. | do not say he
will laugh any louder. do not say but hs
may stand bac@ IRON some forms of hilarity
In which he once indulged, but there comes
'nto his soul an immense satisfaction. A
young Inan not q Christian depends upon
worldly successes 10 keep hts spirits up.
Now he Is prospered, now he has a large
salary, now he has u beautiful wardrobe,
now ne mas Pheasant friends, now ha has
more money than he knows now TO spsnd.
Everything goes bright and well with hun.
But trouble comes. There are many young
m m'n in the house this morning who can fes-
ufy out OF their own experience thar some
times 10 young men trouble comes-ais
friends are gone, his salary is gone. his health
is gone. He goes down. down. He becomes
sour, cross, queer, mtstntLropic. blames the
world, biames society. blamss the church,
hlames everything, PUSHES perhaps 10 tho in
toSiclting cup TO drown has trouble, but in
stead oi drowning his trouble he drowns his
body and browns his soul
But hero Is Christian Young man.
Trouble comes 10 him. Does he give up!
No He throws himself back on the re-
sources OF heaven. He says "God is my
Father. Out OF all these disasters | shall
pluck advantage for my soul. All the prom
lses are mine, Christ is mine. Christian COM
panionship is mine. heaven is mine. What
though my apparel be worn out? Christ
gives me robe OF righteousness. What
though my money be gone? | have title
deed To the whole universe in the promise.
aas