Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-01-07
EARTHLY EXISTENCE.
Or. TALMAGE PROPOSES A NEW WAY
TO MEASURE 1T.

Or. TAlMAGE PROPOSES A NEW WAY /
TO MEASURE 1T.
The Rest Mode Of Estimating Life Is
by the Good One May Accomplish. Z
Mere worldly Pleasures Bring No
Real Joy-A New Years Greeting.
copyright. 1895 by American Press Asso- /
ciatlon.l
WASHINGTON, Jan Appropriate to /
the exit OF one year and the entrance OF
another year are the practical suggestions
which DIR Talmage puts in This discourse
which propose different mode of measur-
ing time from that ordinarily employed;
text. Genesis Xvii, 5. = How old art thous'
The Egyptian capital was the focus Of
.he worlds wealth In ships and barges
there had been brought TO IL from India I
frankincensc and cinnamon and ivory and 4
diamonds. from the north. marble and
iron. from Syria, purple and silk; from
Greece. some Of the finest horses OF the /
world and come Of the most brilliant /
chariots and from all the earth that which 4
could best please tho eye and charm the
ear and crafty the taste. There were tenn
pies aflame with red sandstone, entered /
by the gateways that were guarded by
pillars bewilderinR with hieroglyphics and 4
wound with brazen serpents and adorned
with winged creatures-their eyes and I
beaks and pinions giittering with precious I
stones There were M sic columns bloom I
ing into white flower Jeds There were
stone pillars, at the top bursting into the 4
shape Of the lotus VIXEN In full bloom
Along the avenues. lined with sphinx |
and fame and obelisk, there were princes I
who came in gorgeously upholstered /
palanquins. carried by servants in scarlet I
or elsewhere drawn by vehicles the snow I
white horses, golden bitted and six abreast. /
dashing at full run On the floors Of mo- /
sale the glories Of Pharaoh were spelled I
out in letters Of porphyry and beryl and |
flame There were ornaments twisted from
the wood of tamarisk, embossed with sill I
yer breaking into foam There were foot
stools made out of "a single precious stone
There were beds fashioned out of a crouch
ed lion in bronze. There were chairs spot
ted with the sleek hides of leopards There
were sofas footed with the claws of wild
beasts and armed with the beaks Of birds
AS you stand on the level beach of the sea
on summer day and look either way,
and there are miles of breakers, white
with the ocean foam, dashing shoreward. |
so it seemed as II the sea 81 the worlds
pomp and wealth in the Egyptian capital
for miles and miles flung itself up into
white breakers of marble temple. mauso
leum and obclisk
il was To this capital and the palace Of
Pharaoh that Jacob. the plain shepherd
came to meet his son Joseph. who had be- (
come prime minister. in the royal apart
ment. Pharaoh and jacob met, dignity 1
and rusticity the gracefulness of the court
ard the plain u anners of the field The /
king. wanting TO make the old country
man at ease and seeing how white his
beard is and how feeble his step looks IA
miliarly into his face and says to the aged
man. How old art thous
Ways of Measuring Time.
Last night the gate Of eternity opened
TO let in, amid the great thrOng Of depart
cd centuries. the soul of the dying year
Under the twelfth stroke OF the brazen
hammer Of the city clock hepatriarch fell
dead. ard the stars Of the night We're the
funeral torches II is most fortunate that
on this read of life there are so many mile
stores. on which we can read Just how
fast we are going toward the journeys
end feel that IL is not an inappropriate
question that ask today when | look
into your faces and say. as Pharaoh did to
Jacob, the patriarch. How old art thous'
People who are truthful on every other
subject lie about their ages, so that do
not solicit from you any literal response
90 the question have asked would put
no ono under temptation, but | simply
want this morning to see by what rod IL is
we arc measuring our earthly existence
There IS right way and wrong way Of
II a. l..
a right way and a wrong wsy Of measur
ing a door. or "A wall, or an arch, or tow
CT, and so there is right way and a wrong
way Of measuring our earthly existence
II is with reference to this higher meaning
that / confront you this morning with the
stupendous question of the text and ask
How old art ihouY"
There are many who estimate their life
by mere worldly qualification When Lord
Dundas was wished happy new year, no
said. 1t will have to be happier year
than the past. for hadn't one happy mo-
ment In all the IL months that have
gone" But that has not been the expert
ence Of most II us We have found that
though the world Is blasted with sin IL Is
very bright and beautiful place to reside
in We have had joys innumerable There
l. no hostility between the gospel and the
merriments ard the festivities OF life
do not think that Ne fully enough appre
ciate the worldly pleasures God gives us
When you recount your enJoymenfs. you
do not go far enough back Why do you
not go hack TO the time when you were an
infant in your mothers arms. looking up
into the heaven Of her sm lie, 10 those days
when you filled the house with the uproar
81 boisterous merriment. when you shout
ed as you pitched the ball on the play
ground: when. ON the cold. sharp winter
night, inufiled up. on skates you shot over
the resembling ice Of the pondy Have you
forgotten all those good days that the Lord
gave your We're you never a boyy We're
you never giriy Between those times
and this how many mercies the Lord has
bestowed upon you How many joys have
brcathed up 20 you from the flowers and
shone down 20 you from the stars, and
chanted to you with the voice Of soaring
bird and tun bling cascade and booming
sea and thunders that with bayonets OF fire
charged down the mountain side Joy
JOY Joy II there Is any one who has n
right To the enjoyments Of the world IL Is
the Christian. fer God has given him
lease Of everything in the promise, AN
are yours But have To fell You that
man who estimates his life on earth by
mere worldly qualification is a most un-
wise man Our life Is not 20 be game Of
chess II is not dance in lighted hall
90 quick music lt Is not the froth Of nm
ale pitcher IL Is not the Settings Of
wine cup IL Is not banquet with in
toxicniion and roistcring |, is the first
step on "a ladder that mounts into the
skies. or the first step on road that
plunTcs into horrible abyss How old
ART thuuY Toward whar destiny are you
f6hdit q and how tact are yun getting on
coward Us
Thr ueasure OF Life.
Auuin remark that there are many
whn siimatr thrir lie ON earth ly their
= rtov said q isiuItunes Through great
u any - tour Lies the pillow share hath
gone very atsp. turning up q terrible fur
row You have been betrayed and inisrep
resented ard set upon and slapped Of i'm