Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-01-11
DR.. TALMAGE
SPOKE TWICE
Preached the Morning Sermon
at Gunton Memorial Church.
CROWDS AT BOTH SERVICES.
"Reunions in Heaven the Theme for
the First Services.

CROWDS AT BOTH SERVICES.
"Reunions in Heaven the Theme for
the First Services.
DIR. Talmage preached one of his
most beautiful sermons last Sunday
morning atGunton Memorial Church.
He had, as was expected. very large
congregation.
DR.. Gunton, to whom the church Is
memorial from his daughter, was at
one time pastor of the First Presby
terrain Church, many of the families of
the early members of which are now
allied with the Gunton Memorial
Church. An invitation to preach at
this church came to Dr. Talmage some
weeks ago, and he accepted.
His subject was Reunions in
Heaven. . The thoughts of the ser
mon were suggested by the beautiful
and familiar passage in the history of
David, referring to spiritual reunion.
DR.. Talmage elaborated this with
special reference to the fact that on all
holidays and joyous seasons there is
great sadness, great disappointment
in all households by reason of the va
cant chairs. the absent faces, the
hushed voices on those occasions OF
general rejoicing
He eloquently and forcibly contrast
ed the fleeing conditions which thus
arise with the supreme JOY of that re-
union in heaven where happiness is
eternal and without alloy
DIR. Talmage, it is understood, has
received many invitations to preach
at morning services at other churches
than his own, but it is in the air and
under consideration by the trustees.
session and congregation of the First
Presbyterian Church. to have the dis.
tinguished preacher assist at the morn
ingservices at that church
HIS EVENING SERMON.
DIR. Talmage's evening sermon at
the First Presbyterian Church was
appropriate to the new year. Hesaid
in part:
"The Egyptian capital was the TO-
Gus of the worlds wealth. In ships
and barges there had been brought to
it from India frankincense and Gin
uamon and ivory and diamonds;
from the north, marble and iron; from
Syria, purple and silk; from Greece,
some of the finest horses of the world.
and some of the most brilliant chari-
OTIS; and from all the earth that which
could best please the eye. and charm
the ear, and crafty the taste.
at was to this capital and the pal
ace of Pharaoh that Jacob, the Shep
herd, came to meet his son Joseph
who had become prime minister in
the royal apartment. Pharaoh and
Jacob met, dignity and rusticity, the
gracefulness of the court and the plain
manners of the field. The king, want
ing to make the old countryman at
ease, and seeing how white his beard
is and how feeble his step, looks ia
miliarily in his face, and says to the
aged man: GLOW old art thou?p
81 do not now solicit any literal re-
Spouse to this question, for people
who are truthful on every other sub
ject lie about their ages, but the text
introduces the subject of Longevity, ;"
a theme appropriate for this first Sab
bath of the New Year.
Last Tuesday night the gate OF
eternity opened to let in, amid the
great throng of departed centuries, the
soul of the dying year Under the
twelfth stroke of the brazen hammer OF
the city clock the patriarch fell dead,
and the stars of the night were the
funeral torches.
January 5, 1896 The old alma
macs and the old memorandum flung
aside. Everything to remind us OF
the fact that another volume in the
history of time has begun, and every
thoughtful man and woman at such
time discusses the length or the short
ness of human life.
Through the mistake of its friends
religion has been chiefly associated
with sickbeds and graveyards. This
whole subject to many people is odor-
Gus with chlorine aud carbolic acid
There are people who cannot pro-
nounce the word religion without
hearing in it theclipping chisel Of the
tombstone cutter. 1t is high time this
thing were changed, and that religion,
instead of being represented asa hearse
ocarry out the dead, should be repre-
sented as chariot in which the living
are to triumph.
Religion, SO far from subtracting
from ones vitality, is a glorious adj
dition.
1T is sanative, curative, hygienic
1t is good for the eyes, good for the
ear, good for the spleen, good for the
digestion, good for the nerves, good
for the muscles.
"The fact is. that men and women
die too soon. 1t is high time that re-
ligion joined the hand of medical
science in attempting to improve hu
man longevity. Adam lived nine
hundred and thirty years. Methusa-
leh lived nine hundred and sixty mine
years. AS late in the history of the