Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-03-08
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS SERMON IN THE NEW
YORK ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
Subject; "Sew Ground"

TExr: lest should build upon another
mans foundation Romans Nv. -.
After, with the help Of Others. had built
three churches in the sane city. and not
feeling called upon 10 undertake the supsr-
human toll OF building a fourth church,
Providence seemed tn point 10 this place as
the field In which could enlarge my work,
and l feel a sense Of relief amounting TO ex-
ultation. Whereunto this work will grow l
cannot prophesy. II Is inviting and prOmis-
ing beyond anything | have ever touched
The churches are the grandest institutions
this world ever saw, and their pastors have
no superiOrs this side Of heaven, but there is
work which must be done outside Of the
churches, and 10 that work join myself for
awhile, Lest | build on another mans
foundation"
The church is a fortress divinely built
Now, fortress Is for defense and for drill.
and for storing ammunition, but all army
must sometimes he ON the march far outside
the fortress. In the campaign of conquering
this world for Christ the time has come for
an advance movement. for a general en-
gagement," for massing the troops, for au
invasion of the enemies country. Confident
that the forts ara well manned by the ablest
ministry that ever blessed the church, pro-
pose. with Others, for awhile, TO join the
cavalry and move out and on for service in
1 the open field.
/ In laying out the plan for his missionary
tour Paul, with more brain than any Of his
/ contemporaries or predecessors or success
sors. sought out towns and cities which hal
/ not yet been preached TO. He goes to Cor
NTH, a city mentioned for spleniOr and yic-,
and Jerusalem, where the priesthood aud
sanhedrin were ready to leap with both feet
upon the Christian religion. He feels he has
q special work to do, and he means to do 1t.
/ What was the result? The grandest life OF
usefulness that man ever lived We modern
Christian workers are not apt to initiate
| Paul. We build on other peoples founda-
tons. II we erect church, We prefer to
| have il filed with families all of whom have
/ been pious. Do we gather a Sunday-schoOl
class, we want good boys and girls. hair
combed, faces washed manners attractive.
So church in this city Is apt to be built out
of other churches. Some ministers spend all
their time in fishing in other peoples ponds,
and they throw the line into that church
pond and jerk out a Methodist and throw
the line into another church pond aud bring
! out a Presbyterian, or there is a religious
row in some neighboring church, and the
whole school OF fish swim off from that pond,
and we take them all in with one sweep of
the net. What Is gained? Absolutely moth
ing for the general cause OF Christ. 1t is only
rs in an army, when n regiment Is trans
the Fourteenth Regiment to the Sixty-ninth
Regiment. What strengthens the army is
new recruits.
The fact is, this is big world. When in
our schoolbov DAYS we learned the diameter
and circumference OF this planet, we did not
learn half. 1t il the latitude and longitude
and diameter and circumference OF want and
Woe and sin that no figures can calculate.
This one spiritual continent of wretche1n 49,
reaches across all zones, and II | were callel
to give its geographical boundary | would
say it is bounded on the north and south an
east and west by the great heart OF Gods
sympathy and love. Oh, it is great world.
Since 6 o'clock this morning at least $4,000
have been born, and all these multiple |
populations are to be reached OF the gospel.
In England or in Eastern American cities
we are being much crowded, and an
acre of ground il of great value, but out
West 500 acres Is n small farm. and 20,-
900 acres is no unusual possession. There Is
a vast field here AMI everywhere unon-
cupied. plenty OF room more, not building
on another mans foundation. We neat
as churches to stop bombarding the
old iron clad sinners that have been proof
against thirty years Of Christian assault and
aim for the salvation o; those who hlvA
never yet had one warm hearted and point
blank invitation. There are churches whose
buildings might be worth 800 000 who are
not averaging five new converts a year an |
doing less good than many log cabin meet
ing house with tallow candle stuck in W. len
socket and minister who has never seen
college or known the difference between
Greek and Choctaw. We need churches To
get into sympathy with the great outside
world and let them know that none are > J
broken hearted or hardly bestead that they
will not be welcomed. "Nom SAYS some ta4-
tidious Christian: II don't like to be crowd
ed in church. Don't put any one in my
pew" My brother what will you do in
heaven? When a great multitu IT, that M
man can number assemblies, they will put
Atty in your pew. What are the select few
to-day assembled in the Christian churches
compared with the mightier millions outside
OF them?
At least 5000, 900 people in this cluster OF
seaboard cities, and not more than 200 0J0 in
the churches Many OF the churches are
like hospital that should Il ivsrtise that its
patients must have nothing worse thau tooth
ache or run arounis, but NJ broken heals.
no crushed ankles, no fractured thighs
Give us for treatment mo lerate sinners vel
vet coated sinners and sinners with a gloss
on. 1t is rs though a man had q farm OF
5000 acres and put all his work on one acre
He may raise never so large ears of corn,
never so big heads of wheat, he would re-
main poor. The church OF God has bestowed
Its chief care on one acre and has raise |
splendid men and women in that small in
closure, but the field is the world. That
means North and South America. Europe
Asia and Africa and all the islands of the
sea.
1t is as though after a great battle there
were left 30 900 wounded and dying on the
field and three surgeons gave all their time
to three patients under their charge The
major-general comes in and says to the doe
I,,,., L.,