Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-12-15
DR.. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Goods Second Gin"-The World
Is Too Much With Us-The Better
Life and the Advantages of Religion
The Story of Caleb and Othnicl.

IkXT. 'InOu mast given Iuo u SOutn lAnu
give me also springs OF water. And h'
gave her the upper springs and the neither
springs. Joshua xv., 19.
The city of d Debir was the Boston Of an.
tiquity-a great place for brain and books
Caleb wanted it. and he offered his daugh
ter Achsah as prize to any one who woult
capture that city. 1t was strange thing
tor Caleb to do, and yet the man who could
take the city would have at any rate, two
elements of manhood-bravery and patriot
ism. Besides, do not think that Caleb
was rs foolish in offering his daughter to
the conqueror OF Debir as thousands In
this day who seek alliances for their chill
dren with those who have large means
without any reference to moral or mental
requirements. OF two evil l would rather
measure happiness by the length or the
sword than by the length Of the pocket
book. In one case there is sure to be one
good element of character; in the other
there may be none at all. With Caleb's
daughter as prize to fight for, General
Othniel rode into the battle. The gates OF
Debir were Numbered into the dust, and
the city Of books lay ut the feet Of the con-
querors. The work done, Othniel come
back to claim his bride. Having conquered
the city, it is no great job for him to con-
Quer the girls heart, for however faint
hearted woman herself may be she al
ways loves courage in man. l never saw
an exception to that.
The wedding festivity having gone by,
Othniel and Achsah are about to go to
their own home. However loudly the GYM
balls may clash and the laughter ring, par
entS are always sad when fondly cher
ished daughter goes off to stay, and Ach-
sab, the daughter of Caleb. knows that now
is the time to ask almost anything she
wants OF her father. 1t seems that Caleb
the good old man, had given as n wedding
present piece Of land that was mountain
Gus, and, sloping southward toward the
deserts OF Arabia, swept with some very
hot winds. 1t was called "a south land" +"
But Achsnh wants an addition of property;
she want piece Of land that is well
watered and fertile. Now it is no wonder
that Caleb, standing amid the bridal party
his eyes so full Of tears because she was
going away that that he could hardly see
her at all, gives her more than she asks.
She said to him: Thou hast given me u
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, II south land
so God gives to us His world. l am very
thankful He has given it to US. But l am
like Achsah in the fact that l am not salts
fled with the portion. Trees and flowers
and grass and blue skies are very we'll in
their places, but he who has nothing but
tliS noIIu tOI pOLLlOl HdS uO pOIllOH at
all. 1t is mountainous land, sloping 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 expert
ence? What has been the experience of
every man, OF every woman, that has tried
this world for portion? Queen Elizabeth,
amid the surroundings OF pomp, is unhappy
because the painter sketches too minutely
the wrinkles on her face, and she indiS-
nantly cries out, "You must strike off my
likeness without any shadows!" Hogarth,
ut the very height of his artistic triumph,
is stung almost to death with chagrin be-
cause the painting he had dedicated to the
King does not seem to be acceptable, for
George III. cries ont: "Who is this Ho-
garth? Take his trumpery out of my pres
ence.'
Brinsley Sheridan thrilled the earth with
his eloquence, but had for his last words,
II am absolutely undone." Walter Scott,
fumbling around the inkstand, trying to
write, says to his daughter: "Oh, take me
back to my room! There is no rest for Sir
Waiter but in the gravel" STEPHEN Girard,
the wealthiest man in his day, or at any
rate only second in wealth, says: ~ live
the life of galley slave. When l arise in
the morning, my one effort is to work so
hard that 1 can sleep when it gets to be
night Charles Lamb applauded of all
triumph says: "Do you remember, Bridget,
when we used to laugh from the shilling
gallery at the play? There are now no
good plays to laugh at from the boxes"
But why go SO far as that? l need to go no
farther than your street to find an illustra-
tion of what 1 am saying.
Pick me ont ten successful worldlings-
and you know what 1 mean by thoroughly
successful worldlings-pick me out ten
successful worldliDgs and you cannot find
more than one that looks happy. Care
drags him to business; care drags him back.
Take your stand at 2 O'Clock at the corner
Of the streets and see the agonized physiog-
Monies. Your high officials, your bankers,
your insurance men, your importers, your
wholesalers and your retailers as a class
as u class, are they happy? No. Care dogs
their steps, and making NO appeal to God
for help or comfort many OF them are tossed
every WHITTIER. How has 1t been with you,
my hearer? Are you more contented in
the house OF fourteen rooms than you were
in the two rooms you had In q house when
you stnrtedp Have you not had more care
and worriment since you won that $50, 900
than you did before? Some OF the poorest
men have ever known have been those Of
great fortune. A man Of small m eans may
be put IN great business straits but the
ghastliest of all embarrassments is that Of
the man who has large estates. The men
who commit suicide because OF mon etary
losses are those who cannot bear the bur-
den any more because they have only $780,
600 left.
On Bowling Green, New York, there is a
house where Talleyrand used to go. He was
a favored man. All the world knew him,
and he had wealth almost unlimited. Yet at
the close Of his life he says: Behold,
eighty three years have passed without
any practical result, save fatigue OF body
and fatigue of mind, great discouragement
for the future and great disgust for the
past" Oh, my friends, this is q south
land" and it slopes Off toward deserts of
sorrows, and the prayer which Achsah
made to her father Caleb we make this
day to our Father God: "Thou hast given
me south land: give me also springs of
water. And he gave her the upper springs
and the neither springs
Blessed be God, we have more advan.
tages given us than we can really appre-
cia;e! We have spiritual blessings offered
us In this world which l shall call the
neither springs and glories in the world to
come which shall call the upper springs.
Where shall find words enough
threaded with lig to set forth the
pleasure OF religion. David, unable to
describe 1t in words, played it on q harp.
Mrs. Hemans, not finding enough power in
orr