The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-31
TRANSFORM WEALTH
DR.. TALMAGE COMPARES EARTHLY
VALUES WITH HEAVENLY RICHES.
Higher Appreciation of Things Re-
ligious Urged-The Inestimable Value
of a Human souI-Christ's vicarious
Sacrifice.

Ine American cnurcn 10 great OoHSiS
cation, comprising many OF his coun-
trymen who are travelling through
Europe, DR.. Talmage sends this dis
course, in which, by original methods,
he calculates spiritual values and
urges higher appreciation OF things
religious. The text is Mark viii, SO,
what shall it profit a man if he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own
soul?"
Men of all occupations are 10 be
found in the assemblies Of the house
Of God, but in these days of extensive
business operations a large proportion
are engaged from Monday morning to
Saturday night in bargain making.
In many of the families across the
breakfast table and the tea table are
discussed questions of loss and gain.
You are every day asking yourself:
What is the value of this? What is
the value Of that?" You would not
think of giving something of greater
value for that which is Of lesser value.
You would not think of selling that
which cost you $40 for s.. If you had
a roperty that was worth SIS, 900. you 4,
would not sell il for $4,000. You are
intelligent in all matters Of bargain
Aoh41IS <1iC yOO oo "4SS III l. III
that pertain to the matters of the soul?
Christ adopted his instructions to the
circumstances of those to whom he
spoke. When he talked TO fishermen,
he spoke of the gospel net. When he
talked to the farmers he said, "A SOW
Ell went forth to SOW" When he talk
ed to the shepherds, he told the para
BILE of the lost sheep. And am I not
right, when speaking to an audience
made up of bargain makers, that I adj
dress them in the words of my text.
asking. What shall it profit a man if
he shall gain the whole world and lose
his own soul?"
I p as far as possible, to esti-
mate and compare the value of the two
properties.
First, 1 a to say that the world is
a very grand property. Its flowers
are Gods thought in bloom; it's rocks
are Gods thoughts in stone; it's dew
drops are DDS thoughts in pearl. This
world is Gods child-a hayward child.
indeed. 1t has wandered off through
the heavens. But about 1900 years
ago, one Christmas night, God sent out
a sister to call that %wanderer back,
and it hung over Bethlehem only long
enough to get the promise of the wan
dererS return, and now that lost world,
with soft feet Of light, comes treading
back through the heavens. The hills
how beautiful they billow up the edge
of the wav white with the foam of
crocuses! How beautiful the rainbow,
the arched bridge on which HEAVIER and
earth come and talk to each other in
tears after the storm is overi How
nimble the feet of the lamplighters that
in a few minutes set all the dome of the
night ablaze with jackets of fire,
How bright the oar of the saffron cloud
that rows across the deep sea of heav-
en-! How beautiful the spring, with
bridal blossoms in her hairi / wonder
whn II ic that heats time on a Tune
morning for the bird orchestra? How
gently the harebell tolls it's fragrance
on the air! There may be grander
worlds, swarthier worlds, larger worlds
han this, but L think that this is a
most exquisite world, a mignOnette on
the bosom of immensely. 'Oh," you
say, take my soul! Give me that
world 1 am willing to take it in ex-
change. 1 am ready now for the bar
gain. 1t is so beautiful a world, so
sweet a world. so grand a world"
THE VALUE OF THE WORLD.
But let us look more infinitely into
the value of this world. Yon will not
buy property unless you can get a
good title to it. After you have looked
at the property and found out that it
suits yOu, you send an attorney to the
public office, and he examines the
book of deeds and the book of mort
cages and the book of judgments and
az 1oOh VI AA~AASB NAA N~SN~S
whether the title is good before you
will have anything to do with it. There
might be splendid property, and in
every way exactly suited to your want,
but if you cannot get a good title you
will not take it. Now, / am here to
say that it is impossible to get a good
title to this world. If I settle down
upon it, in the very year / so settle
down upon it as a permanent posses
sion, 1 may be driven away from it.
Aye, in five minutes after I give up
my soul for the world, / may have to
part with the world, and what kind Of
a title do you call that? There is only
one way in which I can old an earthly
possession, and that is through the
senses. All beautiful sights through
out; all captivating sounds through the
ear, but my ear may be deNened; all
~lusciousnesS of fruits and a
through my taste, but my taste may
be destroyed; all appreciation Of Gull
ture and of art through my mind.
but I may lose my mind. What a frail
hold, then, I ave upon any earthly
possession
In the courts of law, if you want to
get a man off a property, you must
serve upon him a writ of ejectment.
giving him a certain time to vacate
the premises, but when death comes to
us n serves a writ of ejectment, he
does not give US one second of fore
warning. He says: of of this place!
You have no right any longer to the
possession" We might cry out, II
gave. you a hundred thousand dollars
for that property" the plea would be
of no avail. We might say w have
a warrantee deed for that property"
the plea would be of no avail We
might say, I'VE w a lien on that
store house." that would do us no
good. Death is blind. and he cannot
see a seal and m read an inden-
ture. So that, first and last, / want
to tell you that when you propose that
/ give up my soul for the world you
cannot give me the first item of title.
QUESTION OF INSURANCE.
Having examined the title of a prop
erty, your next question is about insur-
ance. You would not be silly enough
to buy a large warehouse that could
not possibly be insured. You would
not have anything to do with such a
property. Now, 1 ask you what assur-
ance can you give me that this world
is not going to be burned UP? Abso-
I7rfelv none. GeologiStS tell rs that II