Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-15
ART OF FRIENDSHIP.
DR.. TALMAGe'S SERMON ON MAKING
AND KEEPING FRIENDS.

copyright. 1S9S, by American Press Asso-
CiatiOn.l
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-The obtaining
of good friends, which most look upon as
matter of happy accident, DIR. Talmagc in
this sermon shows to be u matter of intel
ligcnt selection; text, Proverbs xviii, 81,
"a man that hath friends must show him.
self friendly"
, About the sacred and divine art OF max
ing and keeping friends l spcak-a sub
jcot on which l never heard of any ono
prcnching--and yet God thought it of
enough Importance to put 1t in the middle
of tho Biblc, these writings of Solomon,
bounded on emo side by the popular psalm
of David and on the other by the writings
of Isaiah, the greatest of tho prophets. 1t
seems all matter of hapha2ard how many
friends we have or whether we have any
friends at ALL but there is nothing acci
dental about it. There is law which
governs tho accrction and dispersion of
friendships. They did not Just happen
So any more than the tides just happen
TO rise or fall or the sun just happens to
rise or set. 1t is IL science, an art, God
given regulation.
Tell me how friendly you are to others,
and will tell you how friendly others arc
80 you do not say you will not have
enemies Indeed the best way to get ar
dent friends is to have ardent enemies, if
you get their Cnmity in doing tho right
thing. Good men and women will always
have enemies, because their goodness is u
perpetual rcbukc to evil but this antHgo-
nsn of foes will make moro intense the
love of your adhorcnts. Your friends will
gather closer around you because Of the at
tacks Of your assailants. The moro your
enemies abuse you the better your cuad-
tutors will think of you.
Oup Best Friends,
Tho best friends we have ever had ap-
pcarcd at some juncture when we were
especially hombardcd. There have been
times i'm my life when unjust assault null
tiplicd my friends, as near as ] could cal
culatc. about 80 u minute. Nouurc bound
to soinc people by mauy cords that neither
time nor eternity can break, and / will
warrant that many of those cords wcro
twisted by hands mnlcvolcnt Human ma
turc was shipwrcckcd about - centuries
ago, the captain of that craft, one Adam,
and his first natc running the famous
cargo aground on n snag in the river Hid
dckCl. But there was at least one good
trait of human nature that wadCd safely
ashore from that shipwrcck, and that is
the disposition 10 take the part of those
unfairly dealt with. When it is thorough
~ demonstrated that some one is being
prosecuted, although at the start slandcr-
Gus tongues were busy enough, defenders
finally gather around as thick as honey
bees on trelis of bruised honeysucklc
Ii when set upon by the furics you can
have grace enough to keep your mouth
others fight your battles, you will find
yourself after awhile with whole Gordon
of allies. Had not the world given to
Christ on his arrival at Palestine u very
cold shoulder thcro would not have been
onc-half as many angels chanting glory
ont of the hymnbooks of the sky, bound
in black lids of midnight Had 1t not been
for the heavy and jagged and tortuous
cross Christ would not have been the nd
mircd and loved Of moro people than any
being who over touched foot on either the
eastern or western hemisphere Instead
therefore Of giving up in despair because
you have enemies re- oicc in the fact that
they rally for yen the most helpful and
enthusiastic admirers In other words,
there is no virulencc that can hinder my
text from coming true, "A man that hath
friends must show himself friendly"
1t is my ambition to project, especially
uporthe young, II thought which may be-
nignly shape their destiny for the hero and
the hereafter Before you show yourself
friendly you must be friendly. | do not
recommend u dramatizcd geniality. There
Is such n thing rs pretending to be en-
rapport with others when we are their dire
dcstructants and talk against them and
wish them calamity. Judas covered up
his treachery by u resembling kiss, and
carcsses may be dcmoniacal Better the
psychological Cerbcrus, tho three headed
dog of hell, barking mt us, than tho wolf
in sleeps clothing, its brindled hide COY.
cred up by deceptive wool and It's dcathful
howl cadonced into an innocent bleating
Disracli writes of Lord Manfred. who,
after committing many outrages upon the
people, seemed suddenly to become friend
ly and invited them to "A banquet. After
most of the courses of food had been served
he blew II horn, which was in those times
signal for the servants to bring on the
dessert, but in this case it was the signal
for assassins 20 enter and slay the guests
His pretended friendliness was % cruel
fraud, and there arc now people whose
smile is q falsehood.
Oceanic Tides OF Gods Grace.
Before you begin to show yourself
friendly you must DO friendly Get your
heart right with God and man, and this
grace will become easy. You may by
your own resolution get your nature into
semblance of this virtue but tho grace
Of God can sublimely lift you into it.
Sailing on the river Thames two vessels
ran aground. Tho owners OF one got 100
horses ana pulled on the grounded ship
and pulled it to pieces. The owners of
the other grounded vessel waited till the
tides came in and easily noated the shin
out of all trouble. So we may pull and
haul at our grounded human nature and
try to get it into better condition. but
there is nothing like tho oceanic tides OF
Gods uplifting grace. If, when under
the flash of the Holy Ghost we see our
own foibles and defects and depravities,
we will DO very lenient and very easy with
Others We will look into their characters
for things commendatory and not damna-
tory If you would rub your own eye a
little moro vigorously, you would find n
mote In it, the extraction of which would
keep you so busy you would not have
much time to shoulder your broadax and
go forth to split up tho beam in your
neighbours eye. In Christian spirit keep
on exploring the characters of those you
meet, and ! am sure you will find some
thing In them fit for foundation OF
friendliness.
You invite me to como to your country
scat and spend a few days. Thank you'll
arrive about noon Of beautiful sum
mer day. What do you do? AS soon as /
arrive you take me out under the shadow
of the great Gins. You take mo down to