The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-12
MANY LISTENERS.
Rev. Charles NJ. Sheldon Preach
es to Large Audience.
Visiting Newspaper Men At
tended the Services.
TT WAS JUST A SERMON
Nothing Out Of the Ordinary
Was Said.
Causes of Dissatisfaction, Theme
of the Discourse.
II WAS JUST A SERMON

Central Congregational church was
literally packed at the Sunday morning
service In addition to the usual con-
gregation many people were present
from other churches to hear the last
sermon preached by Mr.. Sheldon before
he begins his editorial experiment. Not
only was the seating capacity of the
church taxed, but standing room was
also at a premium
Many of the visitors were attracted
by the hope that Mr.. Sheldon would say
something publicly concerning the ex-
pertinent, but in this they were disap-
pointed. He made no reference TO it
whatever, and the services were like.
those of any other Sunday at Central
church.
The sermon, like all of Mr.. Sheldon's,
was very simple. There was no osten-
tation of any kind, or any attempt at
oratory. In the congregation were some
of the special correspondents OF the
metropolitan papers over the country,
who have been sent to Topeka to write
up the Howe-Sheldon week for their
papers. Most of these last night wired
a report of Mr.Sheldon's Sunday services
to their various papers, and it is proba-
bic that the simple sermon delivered by
Mr.. Sheldon yesterday morning was
given a wider circulation than any SER
mon ever delivered.
Mr. Sheldon's text was the words of
the 9SaIInlSl, snail De SaIlSIIeQ. Wnen
l awake, with thy likeness" In his in
PRODUCTION he explained that the pass
age was sometimes applied to the fu-
ture life, but he did not apply it in that
manner. He thought David meant that
he would be satisfied, every morning,
when he aWoIxe, with the likeness of the
things God had placed around him.
There is a great deal of disSatisfac-
tion in the world" said the minister.
and it is well to consider the sources
of this dissatisfaction. In the first place
there is sickness. III health is the cause
of a great deal of dissatisfaction. Yet
it is not necessarily so. Many sick peo-
pie are SatiSfed-satiSfied not with the
condition of sickness, but they have
that within them which makes them
happy
Another source of dissatisfaction is
poverty. We are all acquainted with
this. We meet it every day and most
people have experienced it for them
| selves. People worry and fret because
they have not the luxuries of life. There
are mortgages to be lifted and interest
payments which they cannot meet, ard
yet poverty is not necessarily a cause
for dissatisfaction. Many poor people
are satisfied and happy.
Strange as it may be, another cause
! of dissatisfaction is exactly the oppo-
site Of poverty-richeS. To many rich
people their wealth is simply a source
of worry. Many of you have perhaps
read COrellTS book 1.-The Sorrows of
Satan" You remember how it starts
| out with a young author struggling
/ along in an attic, seeking for wealth
| and distinction. AT length he secures it.
| He becomes very rich marrieS the girl
of his choice, and has every luxury that
| money can purchase, and yet he is not
happy. Il possible he is more dissat,s-
| fed than Re was when he was strug
| Cling along in poverty in his little at
! tic, and It Was only after a sudden fin
! anciaI reverse takes his riches from him
and leaves him in comparative W5nt,
| that he discovers the true source of sat
! iSfaction.
satisfaction. The man who sees nothing
that is good or worthy of commenda-
ton in the world is not happy. He criti-
cises everything in the universe, and
dares even to believe that if he had Gre
ated the world he could have done it
better than God did. He thinks God
| made a mistake in everything. The man
| who Slurs the virtue of women and says
every man has his price is a curse to
| himself and to those around him. 1t is
| impossible for pessimist to be salts
fed.
Still another source of dissatisfac-
ton is envy. People are constantly
| wishing they were in some one else's
! place, or they break the cOmmandantS
by wishing they had what somebody
else has You perhaps remember the
| story of the poor woman who was one
| day walking along the street with her
! two beautiful children, when she saw
| a rich woman drive by in her elegant
carriage. And the poor woman was
| envious of the rich woman and thought
| if she only possessed such riches she
| should be happy. And the rich woman
saw the poor woman with her children
| and she wished the children were hers
/ to take the place of two who had been
taken from her, and she would have
been perfectly willing to trade places
| with the poor woman if it would have
| given her the children. Thus each was
envious of the other, and neither was
happy and satisfied.
But let US see what will give salts
faction. The text says, I shall be salts
| fed, comma, when 1 awake comma,
| with thy likeness I shall be satisfied
each morning, when I awake, with the
likeness of the things around me.
In the first place the consciousness
| of redemption gives satisfaction. The
| knowledge of sins forgiven and that one
is a son of God is satisfying.
/ Another thing which gives SatlSlac-
ton is an Intelligent optimism. Not Il
blind optimism, but one which looks
| around in the world, take recognizance
of the existence of sin and of evil, gives
its influence due weight and then sees
the good that there is and has faith in
| the future This is Gods world and
not the devils. The world is growing
better and not worse. 1t is better today
than it was in the time of Christ. Why
Because there are more good people in
it. There were doubtless many good
people then, scattered over the world
among the heather, people who lived
up to the light they had-men like
Socrates and Plato, who would doubt
less have accepted Christ if they had
known Hin-but there are many more
good people today.
Another source of satisfaction is the
habit of giving. 1 wonder that men
/ Il not DIV tho GafjzfapfiOr