The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-12-01
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
"A WEDDING presently" LAST
SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
Thou Hast Given Me a South Land; Give
Me Also Springs of Water. And He
Gave Her the Upper and Neither
Springs."-Joshua Is: 10.

SPrlnsS'"-TJoShu8 1S: 10. +tt
The city of Debir was the Boston
OF antiquity great place for brain
ana books. Caleb wanted it, and he
onered his daughter Achsah as prize
TO any one who would capture that
CITY. 1t was strange thing for Caleb
20 40; and yet the man that could take
me city would have, at any rate, two
eienents of manhood-bravery and
PATRIOTISM. Besides, I do not think
tnat Caleb was as foolish in Offering
MS daughter to the conqueror of De-
oir, as thousands in this day who seek
alllances for their children with those
VINO nave large means, without any
reference to moral or mental acquire
ments. OF two evils, I would rather
measure happiness by the length OF
Inc sword than by the length of the
pocket-book. In one case there is sure
10 De one good element of character;
IN the other there may be none at all.
with Caleb's daughter as a prize to
night for, General Othniel rode into the
oattle. The gates of Debir were thun-
dered into the dust, and the city Of
BOOKS lay at the feet of the conquerors.
Inc work done, Othniel comes back to
claim his bride. Having conquered the
city, 1t is no great job for him to con-
quer the girls heart; for however
1alnt-hearted a woman herself may be,
she. always loves courage in a man.
l never saw an exception to that. The
wedding festivity having gone by,
Othnlel and Achsah are about to go to
their new home. However loudly the
cymbals may clash and the laughter
ring, parents are always sad when a
tondly-cherished daughter goes off to
stay; and Achsah, the daughter of
Caleb, knows that now is the time to
ask almost anything she wants of her
rather. 1t seems that Caleb, the good
old man, had given as wedding pres
ent to his daughter piece of land that
was mountainous, and sloping south
ward toward the deserts of Arabia,
swept with some very hot winds. It
was called "a south land" But Achsah
wants an addition of property; she
wants a piece of land that is we'll
Watered and fertile. Now it is no Won
der that Caleb, standing amidst the
bridal party, his eyes so full Of tears
because she was going away that he
could hardly see her at all, gives her
more than she asks. She said to him,
Thou hast given me south land;
give me also springs of water. And
he gave her the upper springs, and the
neither springs"
The fact is, that as Caleb, the father,
gave Achsah, the daughter, a south
land, so God gives to us the world. I
am veryhthankful he has given it to
us. But"1 am like Achsah in the fact
that I am not satisfied with the por-
ton. Trees, and flowers, and grass,
and blue skies are very we'll in their
places; but he who has nothing but
this world for portion has no portion
at all. 1t is mountainous land, slop
ing off toward the desert of sorrow,
swept by fiery siroccos; it is "a south
land" poor portion for any man that
tries to put his trust in it. What has
been your experience? What has been
the experience of every man, of every
woman that has tried this world for a
portion? Queen Elizabeth, amidst the
surroundings of pomp, is unhappy be-
cause the painter sketches too minute
ly the wrinkles on her face, and she
Indignantly cries out, you must strike
off my likeness without any shadows!"
Hogarth, at the very height of his
artistic triumph, is stung almost to
death with chagrin because the paint
ing he had dedicated to the king does
not seem to be acceptable; for George
II. cries out, who is this Hogarth?
Take his trumpery out of my presence"
Brinsley Sheridan thrilled the earth
with his eloquence, but had for his last
words, II am absolutely undone."
Walter Scott, fumbling around the ink
stand, trying to write, says to his
daughter, ooh, take me back to my
room; there is no rest for Sir Walter
but in the gravel" Stephen Girard,
the wealthiest man in his day, or, at
any rate, only second in wealth, says,
Il live the life of a galley-slave; when
arise in the morning my one effort is
to work so hard that can sleep when
it gets to be night" Charles Lamb, ap-
plauded Of all the world, in the very
midst of his literary triumph, says,
do you remember, Bridget, when we
used to laugh from the shilling gal
lery at the play? There are now no
good plays to laugh at from the boxes. -
But why go so far as that? I need to
go no farther than your street to find
an illustration of what I am saying.
Pick me out ten successful world
lings-and you know what I mean by
thoroughly successful worldlings--pick
me out ten successful worldlings, and
you can not find more than one that
looks happy. Care drags him to bust
ness; care drags him back. Take your
stand at two o'clock at the corner OF
the streets and see the agonized physi-
economies. Your high officials, you,
bankers, your insurance men, your
importers, your wholesalers, and your
retailers, as a class-as class, are
they happy? No. Care dogs their steps