The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-08-23
TALMAGES SERMON.
COMPARES EARTHLY VALUES
WITH HEAVENLY RICHES.
Higher Appreciation of Things Relig-
ious Ursed-The Inestimable Value of
Human Soul = Christs vicarious
Sacrifice.

iOus Urg ed-The Inestimable Value OF
Human Soul - Christs Vicarious
Sacrifice.
Copyright, 1900, by Louis Illopsch.)
From Berlin, where he preached in
the American church to great con-
gregation, comprising many of mis-
countrymen 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 re-
ligious. The text is Mark viii. SO,
What shall it profit man If he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own
soul?"
First. have to say that the world
is very grand property. Its flowers
are Gods thought in bloom; it's rocks
are Gods thoughts in stone; it's dew
drops are Gods 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 world to call that
wanderer back, and it hung over Beth
lehem only long enough to get the
promise of the wanderers 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 wave
white with the foam of crocuses! How
beautiful the rainbow, the arched
bridge on which heaven and earth
come and talk to each other in tears
after the storm is over! How nimble
the feet of the lamp-lighters that in
rev minutes set all the dome of the
night ablaze with brackets of fire!
How bright the OAR Of the saffron
cloud that rows across the deep sea of
heaven! How beautiful the spring,
with bridal blossoms in her hair! I
wonder who it is that beats time on a
June morning for the bird orchestra?
How gently the harebell tolls it's frag-
rance on the air! There may be grand
er worlds than this. but think that
this Is a most exquisite world, mig
nonette on the bosom of immensely.
Oh" you say, take my soul! Give
me that world l am willing to take
1T In exchange. l am ready now for
the bargain. 1t is so beautiful world,
so sweet world, so grand world"
The Value of the World.
But let us look more minutely into
the value of this world You will not
buy property unless you can get 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 book of mortgages and
the book of judgments and the book
Of liens. and he decides whether the
title is good before you will have any
thing to do with 1t. There might be a
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 good title to this
world. II settle down upon it, in
the very year so settle down upon it
as permanent possession, may be
driven away from it. Aye, in five min
utes after give up my soul for the
world. I may have to part with the
world, and what kind of title do you
call that? There is only one way in
which can hold an earthly possess
sion, and that is through the senses.
All beautiful sights through the eye
but the eye may be blotted out; all
captivating sounds through the ear, but
my ear may be deafened; all luscious
ness of fruits and viands through my
taste. but my taste may be destroyed;
all appreciation Of culture and of art
through my mind, but may lose my
mind. What frail hold, then, have
upon any earthly possession
In courts of law, if you want to get a
man off property, you must serve
upon him a writ of ejectment, giving
him a certain time to vacate the prem
ises, but when death comes to us and
serves writ of ejectment, he does not
give us one second of forewarning.
He says: "Off of this place! You have
no right any longer to the possession. !"
We might cry out. Il gave you hun
dred thousand dollars for that prop
erty;" the plea would be of no avail.
We might say. 1--WE have a warrantee
deed for that property" the plea
would be of no avail We might say,
1--WE have lien on that storehouse; :"
that would do us no good. Death is
blind, and he cannot see a seal and
cannot read an indenture 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 prop
erty, your next question is about in
surance. 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 property. Now, / ask you what
assurance can you give me that this
world is not going to be burned up?
Absolutely none. Biologists tell us
that it is already on fire; that the
heart of the world is one great living
coal; that it is just like ship on fire
at sea, the flames not bursting out be-
cause the matches are kept down. And
vet you propose to palm off on me, in
return for my SOUL a world for which
In the first place, you give no title, and
In the second place. for which you can