The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-03-06
ALL MEN ARE ASTRAY
AN IMPRESSIVE SERMON BY REV.
DR.. TALMAGE.

Seeking That Which They Never Find
The Liberty of the Gospel.
WASHINGTON, March 1. The gospal
sends out its gladdest sound in thi
sermon from the nation s capital. I'm
mense throngs pack and overflow tn,
church to which DR.. Talmage preache!
twice each Sabbath. His text this morn
ing was Isaiah lii, 6: "All we, ik,
sheep, have gone astray. We have
turned every one to his own way, ant
the Lord hath laid ON him the iniquity
of us all. -
Once more ring the old gospel bell
The first half of my next text is an in
dictment. All we, like sheep, have
gone astray. Some one says: "Can y
you drop that first word? That is toe
general; that sweeps too great a circle ,
Some man rises in the audience, and he
looks over on the opposite side of the
house and says: "There is blasphemer
and 1 understand how he has gone
astray. And there in another part Of the
house is defaulter, and he has gone
astray. And there is an impure person
and he has gone astray." Sit down, my
brother, and look at home. My text
takes US all in. 1t starts behind the pull
pit, sweeps the circuit of the room, and
comes back to the point where it start
ed, when it says, All we, like sheep,
have gone astray.
I can very easily understand why
Martin Luther threw up his hands after
he had found the Bible and cried ont,
"Oh, my sins, my sins! !" and why the
publican, according to the custom to this
day in the east, when they have any
great grief, began to beat himself and
cry, as he smote upon his breast, "God
be merciful to me, sinner" l was,
like many Of you, brought up in the
country, and know some Of the habits
of sheep, and how they get astray and
what my text means when it says, All
we, like sheep, have gone astray. y
Sheep get astray in two ways-either
by trying to get into other pasture, or
from being scared by the dogs. In tho
former way some of US got astray. We
thought the religion Of Jesus Christ put
us on short commons. We thought there
was better pasturage somewhere else
We thought if we could only lie down
on the banks of distant stream, or I'M
er great oaks on the other side of some
hill, we might be better fed. We want
ed other pasturage than that which God,
through Jesus Christ, gave our soul, and
we wandered on and we wandered on
and we were lost. We wanted bread,
and we found garbage. The farther we
wandered, instead Of finding rich pas
turage, we found blasted heath and
sharper rocks and more singing nettles
No pasture. How was it in the club
house when you lost your child? Did
they come around and help you very
much? Did your worldly associates con-
sole you worry much? Did not the plain
Christian man who came into your house
and sat up with your darling child give
you more comfort than all worldly asso-
ciates? Did all the convivial songs you
ever heard comfort you in that day OF
bereavement SO much as the song they
sang to you-perhaps the very song that
was sung by your little child the last
Sabbath afternoon of her life.
There is happy land
Far, far away,
Where saints immortal reign
Bright, bright as day.
Gods Masterpiece.
Did your business associates in that
day of darkness and trouble give you
any especial coincidence? Business exas-
perated you, business wore you out,
business left you limp as rag, business
made you mad You got dollars, but
you got no peace God have mercy on
the man who has nothing but business
to comfort him The world afforded
you no luxuriant pasturage. A famous
English actor stood ON the stage imper-
sonating, and thunders of applause
came down from the galleries, and
many thought it was the proudest mo-
ment of all his life, but there was a
man asleep just in front of him, and
the fact that that man was Indifferent
and somnolent spoiled all the occasion
for him, and he cried. wake up, wake
up!" So one little annoyance in life
has been more pervading to your mind
Nudu III tuo
and success. Poor pasturage for your
soul you find in this world. The world
has cheated you, the world has belied
you. the world has misinterpreted you,
the world has prosecuted you. 1t never
eomforted you. Oh, this world is good
rack from which horse may pick his
food. 1t is good trough from which
the swine may crunch their mess, but
it gives but little food to a soul blood
bought and immortal. What is soul?
It is hope high as the throne OF God.
What is man? You say, 1T is only a
man." 1t is only a man gone overheard
in sin. 1t is only man gone overheard
in business life. What is man? The
battle-ground of three worlds, with his
hands taking hold Of destinies of light
or darkness. A mani No line can meas
ure him. No limit can bound him. The
archangel before the throne cannot out
live him. The stars shall die, but he
will watch their extinguishment The
world will burn, but he will gaze at
the conf1agration. Endless ages will
march ON. He will watch the process
sion A mani The masterpiece of God
Almighty. Yet you say, ut is only a
man." Can a nature like that be fed on
hreLs of the uilderness2