Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1895-10-18
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
THE NOTED DIvINES SUNDAY
DISCOURSE
Subject: ga Point Blank Question: -

Z, 10
With melted horses at fun speed, for he
was celebrated for fast driving. Jehu, the
warrior and king, returns from battle. But
seeing JehonRdab. an acquaintance. by the
wsyside, he shouts, ''whoal Whoap' to the
Iathered span Then leaning over TO yehon-
adab Jehu salutes him In the words OF the
text-words not more appropriate for that
hour and that place than for this hour and
place. SIS thine heart rightr'
I should like to hear Of your physical
health. Well myself, like to have every
body else we'll, and 50 might ask, Is your
eyesight right, your hearing right, your
nerves right, your lungs right. your entire
body right2 But / am busy to-day taking
diagnosis Of the more important spiritual
conditions. / should like to hear of your
financial welfare. I want everybody to have
plenty OF money, ample apparel, large store
house and comfortable residence, and might
ask. Is your business right. your income
right, your worldly surroundings right? But
what are these financial questions compared
with the inquiry as to whether you have
been able TO pay your debts to God; as to
whether vou are insured Tor eternity: as to
whether you are running yourself by the long
credit system OF the soul? ] have known
men to have no more than one loaf Of bread
at a time, and yet TO own n government
bond of heaven worth more than the whole
material universe.
The question I ask you to-day Is not In re-
gard to your habits make no inquiry
about your integrity or your chastity or
your sobriety. do not mean TO stand on
the outside OF the gate and ring the bell, but
coming up the steps, open the door and
come to the private apartment of the soul,
and with the earnestness OF n man that must
give an account for this days work CRY out.
Oh. man, oh, woman immortal, is thine heart
light?
will not insult you by an argument TO
prove that we are by nature all wrong. II
there be factory explosion and the smoke
stack be upset, and the wheels be broken in
two, and the engine uhjointed. and the
ponderous bars be twisted, and man should
look in and say that nothing was the matter.
you would pronounce him q fool. Well, II
needs no acumen to discover that our nature
ls all stwist and askew and uniointed. The
thing doesn't work right. The biggest
trouble We have in the world Is with our
souls. Men sometimes say that though
their lives may not be Just right, their Heart
| Is all right. Impossible. A farmer never
| puts the poorest apples on top OF his barrel;
nor does the merchant place the meanest
| goods In his show window. The best part OF
rs Is our outward life. ] do not stop to dis
cuss whether we all fell In Adam. for we
| have been our own Adam. aud have all eaten
| OF the forbidden fruit. and have been turned
| out Of the paradise Of holiness and peace
! and though the flaming sword that stood at
| the gate to keep us out has changed position
and comes behind to drive US in, we will
not 60.
The Bible account OF us is not exaggerated
| when II says that we are poor and wretched
and miserable and blind and naked. Poor
The wretch that stands shivering on oul
doorstep on a cold day is not so much in
| need Of bread as we are of spiritual help
/ Blind Why, the man whose eyes persisted
in the powder blast. and who for these ter
years has gone feeling his way from street
| to street, is not in such utter darkness as
we. Naked Why, there IS not one rag Of
holiness left to hide the shame OF our sim
Sick! Why. the leprosy has eaten into the
head and the heart and the hands and the
feet, and the marasmus OF an everlasting
wasting away has already seized on some
ofus.
But the meanest thing for n man to do !:
| to discourse about an evil without pointinC
q way to have 1t remedied. 1 speak of the
thirst OF your hot tongue only that 1 mHy
show you the living stream that drops crys
talline and sparkling from the Rock Of Age.
and pourS river Of badness at your feet
| IL show you the rents in your coat. it i:
only because the door OF Gods wardrobt
nov swings open. and here Is a robe white
with the fleece OF the Lamb Of God, and Of
cut and make that an angel would not b'
ashamed to wear. If / snatch from You tn,
black, moldy bread that you are munching
It is only to give you the bread made out o
the finest wheat that grows on the celestia
hills and baked in the fires Of the cross. anC
one crumb OF which would be enough t.
make all heaven banquet Hear ii, one ant
all, and tell II 10 your friends when You q
home. that the Lord Jesus Christ can max,
the heart right.
First we need a repenting heart. II To-
the last ten, twenty or forty years OF life W,
have been going on in the wrong way, it i:
time that we turned around and started il
the opposite direction. II We offend gu
friends, We are glad to apologize. God i:
our best friend, and yet how many of u
have never apologized for the wrongs W
have done Him!
There Is nothing that we 50 much need II
get rid Of rs sin. 1t is horrible black mon
ster. 1t polluted Ellen. Ii killed Christ. l
has blasted the world. Men keep dogs IL
kennels, and rabbits In a warren, and cattl,
In pen. What q man that would be VIII
would shut them up in his porlOr. But thi
foul dog Of sin and these herds Of transgres
sion We have entertained for many lon
year in our heart, which should be tn
cleanest, brightest room in all our nature
Out with the vile herd! Begone, ye befoul
ers of an immortal nature!
Turn cut the beasts and LET Christ com
I'M A heather came to an early Christian
who had the reputation OF curing diseases
The Christian said, "You must have all you
. idols destroyed" The heather gave to tn
Christian the key to his house, that hemigh
go In and destroy the idols. He battered t
pieces all he saw, but still the man did no
get well. The Christian said to him, ether
must be some idol in your house not yet de
stroyed." The heather confessed that Their
was one idol OF beaten gold thRs he coulC
not bear to give up. After awhile, whe
that was destroyed, In answer to the praye
Of the Christian, the sick man got we'll
) Many a man has awakened in his dyin
} hour to find his sins all about him. The
clsmbered up on the right side OF the bee
and on the loft side, and over the headbOar6
and over the footboSrd. and horribly de
voured the soul.
Repent, the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare delay.
, The wretch that scorns the mandate die
\ And meets . fiery day.
q Again, We need a believing heart. A goo
many years ago weary one went up one
, the hills OF Asia Minor, and with two log
On his back cried out to all the world, ole
Ing TO carry their sins aud sorrovs. The
pursued Him. They slapped Him In tho fac,
They Knocked Him. When He groaned, the
9 groaned. They shook their fists at Hin
J They spat on Him, They bounded Him {
though He were q wild beast. His healin
of the sick. His sight giving to the blind. III
mercy to the outcaSt, silenced not the r
venge OF the world. His prayers and benedt
lions were lost in that Whirlwind of execr
n don: away with Himl Away with Him."
All, II was not merely the two pieces
wood that He carried; 1t was the transgres