Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1898-01-20
TWO INTERESTING SERMONS.
TALMAGE breaches ON THE
CARES OF THE HOUSEHOLD.

the Eighth Sermon in the y: Y. Hera1d's
Competitive Series-By a Brooklyn
Minister-Dr. Talrnage on Home Life.
TEXT: "Rejoice in the Lord always. and
again Isay. Rejoice.-Philippians. iv.. 4.
What is so common among men as the
DISPOSITION to see only the dark side Of the
events Of life? Many Of us have a tendency
to exasgerate our Ills which amounts al
most TO melancholia. II it is not always
high tide in our curse OF fortune We sink
into a condition Of morbid despair. We are
too apt to forget that ID nature the tide
must fall as well as rise. We do not realize
that it Is the part Of wisdom to max the
best use Of theOpportunities we have. We
compare our circumstances with those of
others who are more fortunate and brood
over the sings and arrows Of outrageous
fortune.'
The tendency to dwell upon our ills grows
with time. In the beginning it can be
checked easily, but In time 1t becomes like
u torrent gaining impetus with its descent,
until it is beyond control. Now and then
We receive the sad news that one whom we
esteemed as upright and godly has allowed
this morbid tendency to obtain such head
way that it unseats the reason and with it
the sense of moral responsibility. Then we
learn Of the self-destruction Of such a one
and we are not surprised. 1t was almost
the inevitable consequence Of q false. one
sided view OF life that is supported by
neither common sense nor religion.
With reference to the character OF the
mind men may be divided into the matter
of fact and the exaggerative. While the
former are liable to be unsettled and dis
contented occasionally, the latter are apt
to be SO as a rule, because their minds, be-
ing imaginative, create for themselves
ideals which they seldom, If ever, attain.
Nevertheless. the normal condition Of life
is one Of c~heerfulness. God teaches US
this in nature, which, as a rule, il bright
with sunshine, gay with color and filled
with joyous sounds. Laughter and song,
harmony and beauty are the radiant fig
ures Of that living picture whereby our
Heavenly Father points out to each the
road to happiness. 1t is the desire Of
every earnest man to please God. There
is no better way to do SO than by shown:
ourselves satisfied with what He gives us.
preacher once said: We do not please
God more by eating bitter aloes than by
eating honey. A cloudy, foggy, rainy day
is not more heavenly than Il day Of sun
shine. A funeral march is not SO much
like the music OF angels rs the songs Of
birds on a May morning. There is no
more religion in the guant, naked forest
in winter than in the laughing blossoms Of
the spring and the ripe, rich fruits Of au-
tumn."
How few cultivate a sunny disposition.
How few make an effort to be cheerful
when they feel unhappy! There are some
the hard lines Of whose faces never break
into n smile. There are others who know
only that mirth which is provoked by arti-
fetal means, such as a Joke or a ridiculous
incident. Some are cheerful only when
they have driven a good bargain. You all
know TIL" business snileworn by those who
are anxious to gain your good will or your
money, Perhaps You are acquainted with
people who wear Il mask OF cheerfulness
for the outer world and Il mask Of terror
for their homes.
Little do they who go through life dissat-
1sfied and cherries know how much they
lose of that which is sweetest in human ex,
perlence. Not only they but all with whom
they come in contact are robbed Of a por-
ton Of the blessing OF existence. We owe
1t to our families. our friends, in fact to al
our fellow men, as we'll as to ourselves, tc
make brighter. not gloomier, this human
life. st. Pauis example shows that even
IN distressing circumstances cheerfulnes:
is possible. His injunction. "Rejoicc in The
Lord" was literally obeyed by himself.
The consistent Christian must be cheer
!ul. Even when the knowledge Of his sin
fulness weighs heaviest upon him be be
lieves that God is forgiving and merclful
The bitterness Of his sorrow is sweetenet
by the promises Of God. The gloom of hi
soul is illumined by the light of Gods love
However forbidding the darkness by which
he is surrounded, however great the suffer
Ing to which he is subjected. however mer
cllessly the hand Of misfortune max tight
en- its grip. he knows he shall be higher il
the esteem of his God and more fit for hi
destiny II. with patience and a cheerful
heart, he bears these things. The conso
lations Of his religion will never fail him i
he appeals to them. Gloomy Christianit
is a misrepresentation. However wei
meaning those may be who dwell only o.
the su ferings Of Christ, only on the wrat
OF God and the punishment Of sin, they Il
God an injustice and teach only half tn
truth. There is nothing to gain from sue
a repuislve presentation Of religion. 1t
not natural. necessary nor fair to our fcllO'
men to minimize those features of cur re
Ilglon that God has made most prominent
There is a bright side which il is Of the u.
most Importance to emphasize in order t
win men to religion. The dawn of redemt
ton and the Joy of spiritual triumph fo1
ever ohllterated the sorrows Of Calvar,
The justice. mercy and love of God trad
ate %prismatic light on the sombre pictur
OF sin and Judgment. JAMES B. MES.
Rector Church Of the Epiphany, Brooklyn
\. y.