The Penn's Grove record., 1900-11-30
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

SUNOAI'S DISCOURSE 81 ne NOiEU
DIVINE.
Euhject: Spirit of Unrest /. 1t is the
Cause of Much Unhappiness-Need OF
the Church and the World is More
stability-stop Gadding About.
Copyright 1890
WASHINGTON, D. C.-From an unusual
text DR.. Tab. age in this discourse rebukes
the spirit of unrest which characterize
SO many people, and shows them the hap
piness and usefulness to be found In sta
bility; text, jeremiah Ii, 36, "Why gaddest
thou about so much to change thy way?"
Homely is the Illustration by which this
prophet of tears deplores the vacillation
of the nation to whom he wrote. Now
they wanted alliance with Egypt and now
with Assyria and now Sith Babylon, and
now they did not know what they wanted,
and the behavior of the nation reminded
the prophet OF a mnn or woman who, not sat-
isfed with home life, goes from place to
place gadGing about, as we say, never set
tied anywhere or in anything, and he
cries out to them, "Why gaddest thou
about SO much to cnange thy way?"
Well, the world has now as many gada-
bouts as it had, in Bible times, and / think
that that race Of people is more numer-
GUS now than it ever was-gadabouts
among occupations, among religious theo-
ries, among churches, am neighbor-
hoods-and one of the greatest wants Of
the church and the world is more stead
fastness and more fixedness Of purpose.
1t wa no small question that Pharaoh
put to Jace and his sons when he asked,
What is your occupations" Gettlng into
tho a~',f - -I~x $500
temporal welfare, but may decide your
eternal destiny. The reason so many men
and women are dead failures is because
instead of osking God what they ought
to be or do they, through some vain am
bition or whimsicality, decide what they
ought to be. Let me say to all young men
and young women in homes or in school
or college, do not go gadding about among
occupations and professions to find what
you are fitted for, but make humbl. and
direct appeal to God for direction.
While seeking divine guidance in your
selection of a lifetime sphere examine
your own temperament. The phrenologist
will tell o you mental proclivities. The
Psychologist will tell you your physical
temper nent. Your enemies will tell you
your weaknesses. If you are, as we say,
nervous, do not become a surgeon. If
you are cowardly, do not become an en-
gineer. Ii you are hoping for a large and
permanent income, do not seek a govern
ment position. If you are naturally quick
tempered, do not become a minister Of
the Gospel, for while any one is disadvan.
tagged by ungoyernable disposition there
is hardly any one who enacts such an in
.congruous part as a mad minister. Can
you make a fine sketch of a ship or rock
or house or face? Be an artist. Do you
ind yourself humming cadences, and do
the treble clei and the musical bars drop
from your pen easily, and can you make
a tune that charms those who hear it? Be
a musician. Are you born with a fondness
for argument! Be an attorney. Are
you naturally a good nurse and especially
interested in the relief of pain? Be a
physician. Are .ou interested in all ques-
lions OF traffic and in bargain making, are
you apt to be successful on a mall or
large scale? Be a merchf t. Do you pre-
ter country life, and do you like the pillow,
and do you hear music in the hustle of a
harvest field? Be a farmer. Are you fond
OF machinery, and are turning wheels to
you a fascination, and can you follow with
absorbing interest a new kind of thrash
chanlc. 1t you enjoy Analysing the natural
elements ind a laboratory could entertain
you all day and all night, be a chemist.
Ii you are inquisitive about other worlds
and interested in all instruments that
would bring them nearer for inspection.
pc an astronomer. If the grass under your
feet and the foliage over your head and
the flowers which shake their incenee on
the summer air are to you the bellies let
tres OF the field, be a botanist.
Ii you have no one faculty dominant and
nothing IN your make up seems to point
to this or that occupation, shut yourself
up l. your own room, get down on your
knees and re%verently ask God what He
made ,u for and tell Him that you are
willing 70 do anything He wishes you to
DO. Before you leave that room you will
lind out. For the sake of your usefulness
n happiness and your temporal and
eternal welfare do not join that crowd of
people who go gadding about among bust
nesses and occupations, now trying this
plishing anything.
There are many who exhibit this frail-
ty In matters of religion. They are not
sure about anything that pertains to their
soul or their eternal destiny. Now they
are Unitarians, and now they are Uni
versallsts, and now they are Presbyteri-
ans, and now they are nothing at all. They
are not quite sure that the Bible was in
splred or if inspired whether the words
or the ideas were inspired or whether only
part Of the book was inspired. They think
one time that the story in Genesis about
the garden of Eden is a history, and the
month after they think it is an allepory.
At one time they think the book of Job
describes what really occurred, but the
next time they speak of it they call it a
drama. Now they believe all the miracles,
but at your next interview they try to
how these scenes had nothing in
them supernatural, but can be accounted
for by natural causes. Gadding about
among religious theories and never salts
All the evidence is put before them,
why do they rot render a verdict? If
they cannot make up their mind with all
the data put before them, they never will.
There are all the archaeological confrma.
tons of the Bible brought to view by the
Palestine Exploration Society,"" There
are the bricks of Babylon, the letter IN"
impressed upon them-"N" for Nebuchad-
nezzar, showing that he was not a myth
and the farther the shovel of the anti
quarian goes down the more is revealed
OF that most wonderful city of all time.
Professor Heilprecht, of the University of
pennsylvania, presents us tablets found
IN the far East ratifying and explaining
Scriptural passages which were before in
mystery. As the builders in Jerusalem to.
day dig for the foundation of new ! uses
they turn Hp with their pickaxes the ashes
OF the amin that were used for burned
offerings in temple ages ago, demon
s~trating the truth of the Bible story about
the sacrifices of lambs and heifers and
pigeons. There is the history by Josephus
describing IN uninspired page scenes
which the Bible depicts. On the banks of
the Dead Sea there are pieces OF the very
birthstone that fell in the sulphurous
Storm that destroyed Sodom and Gomor-
rah. Make up your mind whether the BIZ
bic is a glorious revelation of God or the
worst imposition of the centuries. Why 20
gadding about among infidels, atheists and
deists asking questions and surmising and
guessing about the authority and value of
q book which involves the infinities? It is
either a good book OF a bad book. If it
be a bad book, you do not want it in your
house nor lave your children contaminat-
ed with its teachings. If it is a good book,
your eternal happiness depends upon the
adoption of its teachings. Once and for
ever make un your mind whether it is
the book of God or the book OF villainous
pretenders.
So, alas, there are those who CAD about
among particular churches. No pastor
can depend on them for a single service.