Milford chronicle., 1895-07-26
THE COMMON PEOPLE.
REV. Or. TALMAGE breaches UPON
A POPULAR SUBJECT.

Those Ordinary People Who Move In Or
binary Spheres The Disadvantage o
Being Conspicuous-The Gospel of Con
tent-A Heavenly Elixir.
NEW YORK, July 2I-Rev. Dr. Tai
mage, who is still absent ON his annua
midsummer tour, preaching and lecturing
has prepared for today a sermon on 'Plair
People, topic which will appeal to 4
very large majority Of readers anywhere
The text selected was Romans xvi, IA, Is
"Salute Asyhcritus, Phlegon Hermas
Patrobas, Hermes, Philologus and Julia. =
Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Adam
/ Clark, Thomas Scott and all the common
tators pass by these verses without any es-
pecial remark. Tho other 90 people men
toned in the chapter were distinguished
( for something and were therefore discussed
I by the iIlustrious expositors, but nothing
is said about Asyncritus, Phlegon, Her
mas, Patrobas, Hermcs, Philologus and
Julia. Where were they bornf No one
knows. Where did they die? There is no
record of their decease. For what were
they distinguished Absolutely for moth
ing, or the trait Of character would have
been brought out by the apostle. If they
had been very intrepid or Opulent or hlr-
suite or musical of cadence or Grass Of style
or in anywise anomalous that feature
would have been caught by the apostolic
camera. But they were good people, be-
cause Paul sent to them his high Christian
regards. They were ordinary people, NOV
ing in ordinary sphere, attending to ordi-
nary duty and meeting ordinary response
bilities.
For Ordinary People.
What the world wants is a religion for
ordinary people. If there be in the United
States 60, 600, 600 people, there are certain
" not more than 1000, 600 extraordinary,
and then there are $1,000, 900 ordinary,
and we do well TO turn our backs for lit
tic whileupon the distinguished and con-
spicuOus people of the Bible and consider
in our text the seven ordinary We spend
too much of our time in twisting garlands
for remarkables and building thrones for
magnates and sculpturing warriors and
apotheosizing philanthropists. The rank
and file of the Lord S soldiery need especial
help.
The vast majority of people to whom
this sermon comes will never lead an army,
will never write a state constitution, will
never electrify senate, will never make
an important invention, will never intro
duce new philosophy, will never decide
the fate of q nation. You do not expect to.
You do not want to. You will not be
Moses to lead nation out Of bondage.
You will not be Joshua to prolong the
daylight until you can shut five kings in
a cavern. You will not be st. John to
unroll an Apocalypse. You will not be
Paul to preside over an apostolic college.
You will not be a Mary to mother Christ.
You viii more probably be AsyncTitus or
Phlegon or Hermas or Patrobas or Hcrmes
or Philologus or Julia.
Many of you are women at the head OF
This morning you launched
the family for Sabbath observance. Your
brain decided the apparel, and your judg-
ment was final ON all questions Of personal
attire. Every morning you plan for the |
day The culinary department of youf
household is in your dominion. You de- /
eide all questions Of diet. All the sanitary |
regulations Of your house are under your
supervision To regulate the food, and
the apparel, and the habits, and decide the /
questions Of home life is tax |
upon brain and nerve and general health /
absolutely appalling if there be no divine |
1t does not help you much to be told |
that Elizabeth Fry did wonderful things /
amid the criminals Of Newgate. 1t does
not help you much to be told that Mrs.
Judson was very brave among the Borne
sian cannibals. 1t does not help you much
10 be told that Florence Nightingale was
very kind to the wounded in the Crimea.
It would be better for me tell you that the
divine friend of Mary and Martha is your
friend, and that he sees all the annoyances
md disappointments and abrasions and
Of an ordinary housekeeper
rom morn till night, and from the first
lay of the year to tho last day Of the year,
md at your call he is ready with help and
reinforcement.