Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-02-03
SERMONS OF THE DAY.
RELIGIOUS TOPICS DISCUSSED sY
PROMINENT AMERICAN MINISTER'S.

The Ninth of the New York Hera1d's Com
petitive Sermons Is Entitled "Sun-
shine, But Cloud; a Cloud. But Sun
shine"-Dr. Talnage on Club Evils.
TEXT: "He was mighty man in valor,
but he was a Ieper. III Kings ", 1.
Over every human life, however bright
the sunshine, cloud may come. Every
person covets what he chooses to consider
success; some riches. some fame. some
pleasure, some domestic felicity. No one,
however, realizes all his ambitions-in-
deed, not oil are worth realizing. There is
always something which mars happiness
possibilities Of anguish in every condition,
spots weaker than others in the strongest
bar of steel, the capability OF tarnfsh IN
the purest gold, spots on the sun. A per-
sons manifestations his sources
of suffering-may lie just beside his strong
est traits of character. He may be honest,
but over exacting; strong -wiled, but obsti-
nate; economical, but penurious; just, but
unmereiful; courageous, but censortous;
affectionate, but passionate. Unselfshness
may sharpen dagSers that pierce the heart,
and intensity of affection may be pledge
Of keenest pangs.
A person, 1t may be, acquires riches, but
health is gone, or domestic happiness has
taken departure. or waters of grief are
1oodng the soul. Prominently success
full along some lines, he Is conspicuously
unsuccessful along others. 1t takes but
little to render Il person miserable: it takes
much to render some happy AS it needs
only trifie to prevent wealth from pro-
ducing contentment, is it a mark of wis
dom to sacrifice for its acquisition that
which is of more value-health. comfort,
reputation. character, principle, con-
science--the hope of an eternal world? "a
mans life consisteth not in the abundance
of the things he possesseth' - Does the
river consist in the driftwood it is carrying
to the ocean? Fine feathers make fine
BIRDS but n fine residence and a fine
equipage are not capable of always making
the heart merry.
Ofthose who covet fame, some win the
prize; but cares increase, responsibilities
augment, disappointments multiply and ar
rows OF envy become keener and more
numerous. He who courts public favor
courts tickle damse, one who, disuuali-
fed to bestow happiness, may flatter little
ness and condemn greatness. In history
there are few sadder chapters than those
which record the cares, worries and re-
verses OF some who acquired prominence.
Moses was mighty man. but he was
driven into exile, and sleeps in an unknown
grave. Elijah was rare specimen Of true
greatness. but Ahab's folly and Jezebel's
hatred came near driving him to suicide.
Daniel was great man, but for his Pc
cul1ar species of greatness. Nebuchadnez-
Ear thought a lions den the fittest place.
Isaiah was man of rare strength Of char
acter, but Manasseh laid him between two
planks and sawed him in twain.
Such as desire to see the emptiness OF
human greatness would do we'll to read the
biographies of the kings, sixty in number
who during six hundred years ruled the
Eastern Roman empire, its capital Con-
stantinople, and they may be inclined TO
thank God that they are permitted to live
in obscurity. To some politicians we might
say, "Thy god, 0 sycoph8nt, hath cast thee
on'-and there are more to follow in
Greater New York and boss ridden Phila-
delphia men in the sunshine of prosperity,
but leprous all over. L, the Scriptural ad-
monition, "Be bumble," unworthy of no.
tice? The man who il on his back in the
cellar can get no wer-one thing for
which he may be thankful. The man on
the housetop may grow dizzy and. falling,
may suddenly terminate his eXalte ed career.
Most persons desire to be on the mountain
summit few prefer the valley, though the
winds are less fierce and the storms less
violent.
On every human life, however dark the
everlasting cloud there may be sunshine.
1t is never so dark that 1t can be no darker,
Dlscouragements are never so many that
there are no grounds for thankfulness.
cloud on every pathway, and sunshine pos
sible in every heart. A burden on every
life, and no soul that may not thrill with
Joy. crook in every lot, and no crook so
bliss. No trial without its alieviations
Poverty inspires energy, fosters self-reli-
ance, prompts to industry and teaches us
to prize the blessings we have without mur-
muring over those we have not. Ill-health
forces attention to the laws of health,
sweetens the disposition and directs atten-
ton to the nearness of eternity's curtain.
Bereavements have their alternating COM
pensations. Obscurity has it's special ad-
vantages. Physical disabilities have their
compensations. The deaf are saved from
hearing much that is better never heard.
The blind can see no frowns. The cripple
is excused from running errands. The per-
son who cannot read is delivered from the
temptation to read the account Of the last
football game, the last pugilistic encoun-
ter, the most recent testimony in the Mack
Thorn trial and the pious gush emitted in
prison walls over criminals
1t Is we'll to observe that each PERSONS
lot, all things considered, is not widely diff
ferent from that of others. The mountain
has both rocks and sunshine; the valley
floods as well as waving harvests. The
eyes that shed tears can beam love.
JOSEPH s. VAN DYKE, d D.,
Pastor Presbyterian Church, Glassboro,
/, N. j.