The semi-weekly messenger., 1900-06-08
FRUITS OF VICTORY. -
DIR. TALMAGE ON THE REWARDS OF
FAITHFUL ENDEAV0R.
The Lesson of Christ in Overcoming
the Obstacles Which Beset His Fol-
Observation-Disclosures in the Compile
ton of Good Work

In this discourse DIR. Talmage shows
in an unusual way the antagonisms
that Christ oyercame and finds a bal
sam for all wounded hearts; text,
John xvii, 4, II have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do
There is a profound satisfaction in
the completion of anything we have
undertaken. We lift the capstone
with exultation. while, on the other
hand. there is nothing more disappoin-
ting than after having toiled in a GER
tain direction to find that our time is
wasted and our investment proftless.
Christ came to throw up highway on
which the whole world might, if it
chose, mount into heaven. He did IL.
The foul mouthed crew who attempt
ed to tread on him could not extin-
guish the sublime satisfaction which
he expressed when he said, L have
finished the work which thou gavest
me to do.
Alexander the Great was wounded,
and the doctors could not medlcate
his wounds, and he seemed to be dying
and in his dream the sick man saw
plant with a peculiar flower, and ne
IL
his wound and that inn
was cured And Alexander, waking
from his dream, told this to the phy-
sician, and the physician wandered
out until he found just the KIND OF
plant which the sick man had describ-
ed, brought it to him. and the wound
was healed. Well. the human race
had beeen hurt with the ghastliest OF
all wounds-that of sin. 1t was the
business of Christ to bring a balm for
that wound-the balm of divine res
toration. In carrying this business
to a successful issue the difficulties
were stupendous.
In many of our plans We have our
friends to help US; some to draw
sketch of the plan, others to help US
in the execution. But Christ fought
every inch of his way against bitter
hostility and aimed circumstances all
calculated to depress and defeat.
In the first place, his worldly occu-
patton was against him. 1 find that
he earned his livelihood by the car
penter's trade-an occupation always
to be highly regarded and respected.
But you know as we'll as l do that In
order to succeed in any employment
one must give his entire time to II,
and 1 have to declare that the faugues
of carpentry were unfavorable to the
execution of a mission which required
all mental and physical faculties.
Through high, hard, dry, husky, in
Sensate Judaism to hew way Tor a
new and glorious dispensation was
stupendous undertaking that was
enough to demand all the concentrat-
ed energies even of Christ. We have
a great many romantic stories about
what men with physical toll have &C
complished in intellectual departments
but you know that after man has
been toiling all day with adj and saw
and hammer, plane and axe, about
all he can do is to rest. A weary body
is an unfavorable adjunct to toiling
mind. You, whose life is purely me-
chanical, if you were called to the up
building of a Kingdom, or the procla-
nation of a new code of morals, or
the starting of a revolution which
should upturn all nations, could get
some idea of the incoherence of Christs
occupation with his heavenly mission.
THE SPIRITUAL UPBUILDING.
In his fathers shop no more inter-
course was necessary than is ord1narl-
ly necessary in bargaining with men
that have work to do; yet Christ, with
hands hard from use of tools of trade,
was called forth to become pubic
speaker, to preach in the face Of mobs,
while some wept and some shook their
fists and some gnaShed upon him with
their teeth and many wanted him out
respectful assemblages is not so easy
as it may seem, but it requires more
energy and more force and more con-
centration to address an eXaSperated
mob. The villagers of Nazareth heard
the pounding of his hammer, but all
the wide reaches of eternity We're to
hear the stroke Of his spiritual up
building.
So also his habits of dress and diet
were against him. The mighty men Of
Christ's time did not appear in ap-
parel without trinkets and adorn-
ments None of the Caesars would
have appeared in citizens apparel.
Yet here was man, here was a pro-
fessed king, who always wore the
same coat. Indeed, it was far from
shabby, for after he had worn it a
long while the gamblers thought it
worth railing about, but still it was
far from being an imperial robe. 1t
was a coat that any ordinary man
might have worn on an ordinary oc-
casion.
Neither was there any pretension in
his diet, No cupbearer with golden
chalice brought him wine to drink.
On the seashore he ate fish, first hav-
ing broiled it himself. No one fetched
him water to drink; but, bending over
the well in Samaria, he begged drink.
He sat at only one banquet and that
not at all SumpluOuS, lOT W ISlIcNc lnC
awkwardnesS of the host one OF the
guests had to prepare wine for the
company.
Other kings ride in a chariot; he
walked. Other kings as they advance
have heralds ahead and applauding
subjects behind; Christ,s retinue was
made up of sunburned fishermen. Oth-
er kings sleep under embroidered can
opy; this one on a shelterless hill
Riding b11t once as far as now re-
member, on a oolt-and that borrowed
His poverty was against him. 1t re-
quires money to build great enterpris-
es. Men of means are afraid of a pen
niless protector, lest a loan be de-
manded. It requires money to print
books, to build institutions, to pay IN
structors. No wonder the wise men
of Christ's time laughed at this penni-
less Christ. Why" they said, who is
to pay for this new religion? VINO
is to charter the ships to carry the
missionaries? Who is to pay the sal
aries of the teachers? Shall wealthy,
established religion be discounted by
q nanniless Christi The consequence