The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-15
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS SERMON IN THE NEW
YORK ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
Subject: "Salvation."

Isaiah stands head and shoulders above
the other Old Testament authors in vivid de-
scriptiveness Of Christ. Other prophets give
an outline of our Savlours features. Some
of them present as 1t were, the side face OF
Christ, others a bust OF Christ. but Isaiah
gives us the full length portrait OF Christ.
Other Scripture writers excel in some things
Ezekiel more weird, David more pathetic,
Solomon more epigrammatic, Habakkuk
more sublime-but when you want to see
Christ coming out from the gates OF prophe-
cy In all His grandeur and glory you involun-
tarily turn to Isaiah. go that II the prophe-
cies in regard to Christ might be called the
'Oratorio of the Messiah" the writing OF
Isaiah Is the "Halleluiah Chorus" where all
the batons wave and all the trumpets come
in. Isaiah was not man picked up out OF
insignifcance by inspiration. BE was known
and honored. Josephus and Philo and
Sirach extolled him In their writings. What
Paul was among the apostles Isaiah was
among the prophets.
My text finds him standing on noun
tain OF inspiration, looking out into the fu-
ture, beholding Christ advancing and anx-
ious that all men might know Him. his
voice rings down the ages "Seek We the
Lord while He may be found" "Oh," says
some one, ''that was for olden times" No,
my hearer. II you have travelled In other
credit from some banking house in New
York and In st. Petersburg or Venice or
Rome or Melbourne or Calcutta. you pre-
sented that letter and got financial help i'm
mediately. And I want you to understand
that the text, instead OF being appropriate
for one age or for one land. Is u circular let
ter for all ages and for all lands, and where
ever It Is presented for help the help comes
"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found"
come to-day with no hair spun theories
OF religion, with no nice distinctions, with
no elaborate disouisition, but with an urgent
call to personal religion. The gospel OF
Christ is a powerful medicine. 1t either
kills or cures. There are those who say: ~
would like to become q Christian. have
been waiting good while for the right
kind Of influences to come" and still you
are waiting. You are wiser In worldly
things than you are in religious things. II
you want to get to Albany, you go the Grand
Central Depot or to the steamboat wharf,
and having got your ticket you do not sit
down on the wharf or sit In the depot You
get aboard the boat or train. And yet there
are men who say they are waiting to get to
heaven, waiting, waiting. but not with in
telligent waiting, or they would get on board
the line Of Christian influences that would
bear them into the kingdom OF God.
Now, you know very we'll that to seek
thing Is to search for 1t with earnest endeav-
or. II you want to see certain man IN
this city, and there Is a matter OF &c. 900
connected with your seeing him, and you
cannot at first find him, you do not give up
the search. You look In the directory. but
cannot find the name. You 80 In circles
where you think perhaps he may mingle, and
having found the part OF the city where ne
lives, but perhaps not knowing the street,
you 60 through street after street and from
block to block, and you keep on searching
for weeks and for months.
You say, "1t Is matter Of $4,000 whether
I see him or not" Oh, that men were as
persistent in seeking for Christ! Had you
one-half that persistence you would long ago
have found Him who is the joy OF the for
given spirit. We may pay our debts, we may
attend church, we may relieve the poor, we
may be public benefactors. and yet all our
life dlsobey the text, never see God, never
gain heaven. Oh, that the Spirit OF God
would help me, while try to show you, in
carrying out the idea Of my text, first how to
seek the Lord and in the next place when to
seek Him.
Iremark. in the first place. you are to seek
the Lord through earnest and believing
prayer. God Is not an autocrat or despot
seated on throne, with His arms resting on
brazen lions and sentinel pacing up and
down at the foot of the throne. God Is a
father seated In bower, waiting for His chill
dren to come and climb on His knee and get
His kiss and His benediction. Prayer is the
cup with which we 60 the fountain Of living
water" and dip up refreshment for our
thirsty soul Grace does not come to the
heart as we set a cask at the corner Of the
house to catch the rain in the shower. 1t Is
a pulley fastened to the throne Of God, which
we pull, bringing the blessing.
do not care 80 much what posture you
take in prayer nor how large an amount Of
voice you use. You might get down on
your face before God, If you did not pray
right inwardly there would be no response.
You might cry at the top OF your voice, and
unless you had believing spirit within your
cry would not 80 further up than the shout
of a plowboy to his oxen. Prayer must be
believing, earnest, loving. You are IN your
house some summer day and shower comes
up, and bird, affrighted, darts into the
window and wheels about the room. You
seize it. You smooth its ruffled plumage.
You feel it's futtering heart. You say, poor
thing, DOOR thing!' Now, prayer goes out
of the storm of this world into the window
Of Gods mercy, and He catches 1t, and he
feels Its 1uttering pulse, and He puts 1t in
Prayer Is q warm, ardent, pulsating exercise.
It Is an electric battery which, touched,
thrills to the throne Of God. 1t Is the diving
bell In which we 90 down into the depths of
Gods mercy and bring up "pearls OF great
price," There was an instance where prayer
made the waves OF the Gennesaret solid as
stone pavement. Oh, how many wonderful
things prayer has accomplished! Have you
ever tried It? In the days when the Scotch
Covenanters were prosecuted and the enemies
were after them one OF the head men among
the Covenanters prayed: "Oh, Lord, we be
as dead men unless Thou shalt help us! Oh,
Lord. throw the lap of Thy cloak over these
poor things!" And instantly Scotch mist
developed and hid the prosecuted from their
persecutors-the promise literally fulfilled,
awhile they are yet speaking will hear"
Have you ever tried the power OF prayer?
God says. "He Is loving and faithful and pa
TENT Do you believe that? You are told
that Christ came to save sinners. DO you
believe that? You are toll that all you have
to DO to get the pardon Of the gospel Is to
ask for it. Do you believe that? Then GO come
to Him and soy: 20 Lord, l know Thou
canst not lie. Thou hast told me to come
for pardon and I could get it. leone, Lord.
Keep Thy promise and liberate my captive
SOUL"
Oh, that you might have an altar In the
parlor, In the kitchen, In the store, n the
barn, for Christ will be willing to come again
to the manger to hear prayer. He would
come to your place Of business as He con.
fronted Matthew, the tax commissioner. If
q measure should come before Congress that
you thought would ruin the Nation, how you
would send in petitions and remonstrances.
And vet there has been enough sin in your
heart to ruin it forever, and you have never
demonstrated or petitioned against it. II
YOUR physical health failed and you had the
means. you would 60 and spend the summer
in Germany and the winter in Italy. and you
would think it very cheap outlay II you
had to go oil round the earth to get back
your nh veical health Have YOU made any