The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-07-08
TALKS ON BIGOTRY.
Rev. DR.. Halmage Discusses a Del
icate Subject.
OepIOres Sectarian Difference I'm the
demonstrations Parents as to
its Evil Effect on the
Children.
copyright. 1899. by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,

copyright. 1899. by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington.
In this sermon DR.. Talmage discusses
q topic which will interest domestic
circles everywhere. The text is Gene
sis xiii, 8: Let there be no strife,
pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen.
Is not the whole land before thee?"
Uncle and nephew. Abram and Lot,
both pious, both millionaires, and with
such large fiocks of bleating sheep and
lowing cattle that their herdmen got
into fight, perhaps about the best
pasture, or about the best water privi-
lege, or because the cow of one got
hooked by the horns of the other. Not
their poverty of opportunity, but their
wealth, was the cause of controversy
between these two men. To Abram, the
glorious old Mesopotamian sheik, such
controversy seemed absurd. 1t was
like two ships quarreling for sea room
in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
Thero was vast reach of country, corn
fields, vineyards, harvests and plenty
OF room in illimitable acreage. Now"
said Abram, "let us agree to differ.
Here are the mountain districts, swept
by the tonic of sea breeze and with
wide-reaching prospect, and there is
the plain of Jordan, with tropical lux
uriance. You may have either" Lot,
who was not as rich as Abram and
might have been expected to take the
| second choice, made the first selection,
and with modesty that must have
made Abram smile, said to him:
| You may have the rocks and the
fine prospect; l will take the valley
Of the Jordan. with all its luNuriance of
cornfields, and the river to water the
focks, and the genial climate, and the
wealth immeasurable." So the con-
troyersy was forever settled, and great
souled Abram carried out the sugges-
| ton of the text: LET there be no
strife, l pray thee, between me and
thee, and between my herdnen and thy
herdmen. Is not the whole land be-
fore thee?"
Well, in this, the last decade of the
nineteenth century, and in this beauti-
full land, which was called America
after Americas Vespucius, but should
have been called Columbia, after its
dscoverer, Columbus, we have wealth
OF religious privilege and opportunity
that's positively neutrality-suspicious.
of all sorts of creeds, and of all kinds oil
government, and all forms of worship
and all styles of architecture. What
opulence of ecclesiastical opportunity
Now, while in desoate regions there
may be only one church, in the opulent
4 districts of this country there is such 6
profusion that there ought to be nc
difficulty in making a selection. Nc
fight about vestments, or between litur
gical or nonlturgical adherents, or al
to baptisimal modes, or handful OF
water as compared with riverful. ].
Abram prefers todwell on the heights
where he can only get sprinklina
from the clouds, let him consent tina
Lot have all the Jordan in which t.
immense himself LET there be NJ
strife, pray thee, between me ant
thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen. Is not the whole land befor.
thee?"
Especially is it fortunate wheI
families allow angry discussion at thu
: breakfast or dinner or tea table as Il
which is the best church or denomina
ton, one at one end of the table saying
: he could never endure the rigid doc
trines of Presbyterianism, one at tn
other end responding that she neveI
, could stand the forms of Episcopacy
and one at one side of the table saying
he did not understand how anybod.
could bear the noise in the Methods
church, and another declaring all TIL
Baptists bigots. There are hundred
of families hopelessly split on ecclesi
asticism, and in the middle of every dis
cussion on such subjects there is
kindling of indignation, and it need
some old Father Abram to come and pu
his foot on the loaded fuse before tn
explosion takes place and say: lie
! there be no strife, pray thee, between
e me and thee, and between my herdme1
: and thy herdmen. Is not the Who'll
land before thee?"
l undertake subject never under
taken by any other pulpit, for it is a
exceedingly delicate subject, and if no
a rightly handled might give serious OF
v tense, but l approach it without tn
! slightest trepidation, for | am sure
have the Divine direction in the mat
tiers l propose to present. 1t is a tire
mendous question, asked all owe
Christendom, often asked with tear
9 and sobs and heartbveaks and invol,
ing the peace of families, the eterna
happiness of many souls. In matter
of church attendance should the wifi
o 60 with the husband, or the husban
It go with the wife?
g First, remember that all the ever
: gelical churches have enough truth i
!. them to save the soul and prepare us 70
happiness on earth and in Heaven.
will go with you into any well-selecte
q theological library, and will show yo
b sermons from ministers in all demon
% nations that set forth man as a SHINE
:, and Christ as deliverer from sin an
sorrow. That is the whole Gospel. &c