The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-06-28
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

Subject: Choice of Beliefs-Eeligious Toll
erunce Advocated - All Evangelical
Churches Are Good and Are Seeking
the Same Praiseworthy End.
Copyright. Louis Klopsch. 1921
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this sermon DR..
Talmage discusses topic which will H.
terest domestic circles everywhere. The
text is Genesis xiii, s; "Let there be no
strife, pray thee, between me. and thee
aud between my herdmen and thy herdmen.
Is not the whole land before thee?"
Uncle and nephew, Abram and Lot, both
pious, both milllonaires, and with such
large 1ocks Of bleatiaS sheep and lowing
cattle that their herdmen got into light,
perhaps about the best pasture or about
the best water privilege or because the cow
OF one got hooked by the horns OF the
others. MOI their poverty OF opportunity,
but their wealth, was the cause OF con-
troversy 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. There
was Il vast reach Of country, corndelds,
ill!mitable acreage. "Now," says Abram,
"let US agree to differ. Here are the noun
tain districts, swept by the tonic sea breeze
and with wide reaching prospect, and there
Is the plain OF tho Jordan, With tropical
luxuriance. You may have either" Lot,
VINO was not as rich as Abrau, and might
have been expected to take the second
choice, made the tlrst selection and with a
modesty that must have made Abram smile
said to him:
"You may have the rocks and the fine
prospect; | will take the valley OF the
Jordan, with all its lu1uriance OF corn
fields and the river to water the docks and
the genial climate and the wealth I'm
measurable So the controversy was
forever settled and great-souled Abram
carried. out the suggestion OF the text:
"Let there be no strife, pray thee, be-
tween me and theo, and between my herd
men and thy herdmen. Is not the whole
land before thee?"
Well, In this the last decade OF the nine
teenth century and in this beautiful land,
which was called America, after Amertcus
vespucius, but should have been called
Columbia, after its dtscoverer Columbus,
we have wealth Of religious privilege and
opportunity that Is positively bewildering.
Churches OF all sorts Of creeis and OF all
kinds OF government and all forms OF
worship and all styles OF architecture
what opulence of ecclesiastical oppor-
tunity Now, while in desolate regions
there may be only one church, in the
opulept districts of this country there Is
such profusion that there ought to be no
difficulty In making selection. No fight
about vestments, or between ltturRlcai OF
nonllturgical adherents, or as to baptlsmal
modes, or handful Of water as compared
with q rlyerfuI. IiAbram prefers to dwell
on the heights, where he can get only q
sprinkllng from the clouds, let him consent
that Lot have all the Jordan In which to
immerse himself. "Let there be no strife,
pray thee, between me and thee and be-
tween my herdsmen and thy hsrdsmen. Is
not the whole land before thee?"
Especially Is it unfortunate when fami-
lies allow angry discussion ut the break
fast or dining or ten table as to which Is
one end of the table saying he could never
endure the rigid doctrines OF Presoyteri-
anism, one ut the other end responding
that sue never could stand the forms Of
Episcopacy, and one a. one side OF the
table saying he did not understand how
anybody could bear the noisei In the Metho-
dist church, and another declaring all the
Baptists btgets. There are hundreds OF
families hopelessly split on ecclesiasttcism,
and in the middle OF every discussion on
such subjects there Is kindline Of indig-
latlon, and 1t needs some old father Abram
to come and rut his foot on the loaded fuse
before the explosion takes place and say:
"Let there be no strife, I pray thee, be-
tween me and thee and between my herdI
men and thy herdmen. Is not the whole
land before thee?"
undertake subject never undertaken
by any other pulpit, for 1t is an exesed-
ingly delicate subject, and II not rightly
handled might give serious offense. but /
approach 1t without the slightest trepida-
tion, for am sure have the divine direc-
tion In the matters propose to present.
It Is tremendous question, asked all over
Chrlstendom, often asked With tears and
sobs and heart breaks and Involving the
peace OF families, the eternal happiness OF
many souls. In matters OF church attend
ance should the wife go with the husband
or the husband 80 with the wife?
First, remember that all the evangelical
churches have enough truth In them to
save the soul and prepare us for Happiness
on earth and In heaven. will 60 with you
into any we'll selected theological library,
and will show you sermons from minis
ters in oil denominations that set forth man
as a sinner and Christ as deliverer from
ein aud sorrow. That Is the whole Gospel.
Get that into your soul and you are fitted
for the here and the hereafter. There are
differences, We admit, and some denoml-
nations we like better than others. But
suppose three or tour OF Us make solemn
agreement to c.eet each other week from
now in Chicago on Important business, and
one goes by the New York Central Rail-
road another by the Erie Railroad, another
by the Pennsylvania Railroad, another by
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. One
goes this way because the mountains are
grander; another takes this because the
cars are more luxurious; another taat be-
cause the epeed Is greater; another takes
the othor because he has long been accus-
toned to that route, and all the employees
are familiar. 60 far as our engagement to
meet is concerned 1t makes no difference II
We only get there. Now, any one OF the
innumerable evangelical denominations; II
you practice Its teaching-although some
of their trains run on broad gauge and
some on q narrow gunge--will bring you
out ut the city OF the New Jerusalem.
1t being evident tnat you will be safe in
any OF the evangelical denominations, l
proceed to remark, first, II one Of the mar
ried couple be Christian and the other
not, the one Christian Is bound to 60 uny-
where to church where the unconyerted
companion is willing to go, II he or she
will 90 to no other. You OF the connublal
partnership are Christian. You are safe
for the skies. Then iI Is your first duty to
secure the eternal safety OF your lifetime
associate. Is not the everlasting welfare
Of your wife !mpenitent. or your husband
impenitent, OF more Importance than your
church relationship? Is not the condition
OF your companion for the next quadrillion
OF years mightier consideration to you
than tha pra tin IN tion NJ your apc clesln innl