The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-12-17
SAVING OF SOULS.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Delivers a Strik-
ing Discourse.
Anxiety for the Saving of the Souls of
Relatives and Friends a Ruling
Passion In Some Christians,
But Not In Ali.

The Following somewhat remarka BILE
discourse was delivered by Rev. L. De-
Witt Talmage before his Washington
congregation. 1t was based on the
text: -=-
could wish that myself were accursed from
Christ for my brethre n, my knsman according
TO the fesh.-Romans, tx, 3.
A tough passage, indeed, for those
who take Paul literally. When some
of the old theologians declared that
they were willing to be damned for
the glory of God, they said what no
one believed. Paul did not in the text
mean that he was willing to die for.
ever to save his relatives. He used
hyperbole, and when he declared, Il
could wish that myself were accursed
from Christ for my brethren, my kins-
men according to the flesh, he meant
in the most vehement of all possible
ways to declare his anxiety for the
salvation of his relatives and friends.
1t was a passion for souls. Not more
than one Christian out of thousands
Of Christians feels it. All-absorbing
desire for the betterment of the phys
ical and mental condition is very com
mon. 1t would take more of mathe-
matician than ever can be to calcu-
late how many are, up to an anxiety
that sometimes will not let them sleep
nights, planning for the efficiency of
hospitals where the sick and wounded
of body are treated, and for eye and
ear intirmaries, and for dispensaries
and retreats where the poorest may
have most skillful surgery and helpful
treatment Oh! it is beautiful and
glorious, this widespread and ever in
tensifying movement to alleviate and
cure physical misfortunes. May Coo
encourage and help the thousands of
splendid men and women engaged in
that work t.-s-.- ID s.sz..s
But all that is outside of my subject
to-day. In behalf of the Immortality
of man, the inner eye, the inner ear,
the inner capacity for gladness or dis
tress, how few feel anything like the
overwhelming concentration expressed
in my text. Rarer than four-leaved
clovers, rarer than century plants,
rarer than prina donnas, have been
those of whom it may be said: "They
had passion for souls.'' You could
count on the fingers and thumb of
your left hand all the names of those
you can recall who in the last, the
eighteenth, century were so charac-
terized. All the names of those you
could recall in our time as having this
passion for souls you can count on the
fingers and thumbs of your right
and left hands. There are many
more such consecrated souls, but
they are scattered so widely
you do not know them. Thor
oughly Christian people by the hun
dreds of millions there are to-day, but
how few people do you know who are
utterly oblivious to everything in this
world except the redemption of souls?
Paul had it when he wrote my text.
and the time will come when the ma
jority of Christians will have it, if this
world is ever to be lifted out of the
slough in which it has been sinking
and houndering for nearly nineteen
centuries. And the betterment had
better begin with myself and your
self. When a committee of the $50
ciety of Friends" called upon mem
Der to reprimand him for breaking
some small rule of the society. the
member replied: Il had dream in
which all the Friends had assembled
to plan some way to have our
meeting house cleaned for it
was very filthy. Many propositions
We're made, but no conclusion was
reached until one Of the members rose
and said: Friends, l think if each
one would take a broom and sweep
Immediately around his own seat, the
meeting house would be ciean.'" So
let the work of spiritual improvement
begin around our own soul. Someone
whispers up from the right hand side
of the pulpit and says: "WilI you
please name some Of the persons in
our. times who have this passion for
souls?" Oh, no! That would be invid-
ious and imprudent, and the mere
mentioning of the names of such per-
sons might cause in them spiritual
pride, and then the Lord would have
no mere use for them. e-s~&z
oohC OuC "ulSpCIS up 1IOut Iic IcAG-
hand side of the pulpit: "Will you
not, then, mention among the people
of the past some who had this passion
for souls?" Oh, yes! Samuel Ruther-
ford, the Scotchman of 800 years ago,
his Imprisonment at Aberdeen for his
religious zeal, and the public burning
of his book. LEX Rex" in Edinburgh.
and his unjust arraignment for high
treason, and other prosecutions puri.
flying and sanctifying him, so that his
works. entitled: Trial and Triumph
OF Faith, and Christ Dying and
Drawing Sinners to Himself" and
above all, his 215 unparalleled letters
showed that he had the passion
for souls. Richard Baxter, whose
"Paraphrase of the New Testament,
caused him to be dragged before
Lord Jeffries, who howled at him as "a
rascal and ''sniveling Presbyterian
and imprisoned him for two years
Baxter writing 16s relisious books, his
Call to the Unconverted" bringing
nncounted thousands into the pardon
Of the Gospel, and his Saints Ever
lasting rest" opening Heaven to Q hos