Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-03-07
Dr.TALMAGE SERMON
THE GREAT DIVINE'S ELOQUENT
MESSAGE
Subject: Christian Eeroisn1-Those who
Bear Scars Won in the Service of
Jesus Christ Shall Re Richly Recon-
persed-God VIII Honor Them.
fCopyTight 1901.

WAsnIHGTOE, d. C.-In this discourse
DIR. 1almage praises Christian heroism and
tells of great rewards. The text is Gala
tians VI, II, Il bear in my body the MARKS
of the Lord Jesus"
We hear much about crowns, thrones,
victories, but ] now tell the more quiet
story Of scars, honorable and dishouorable.
There are IL all parts Of the world people
bearing dlshonoTable scars. They went
into the battle Of sin and were wOrsted
and to their dying day they will have a
specification OF body or mind soul
1t cannot be hidden. There are tens OF
thousands OF men and women now conse
Grated to God and living holy lives who
were once corrupt, but they have been re-
generated, and they are no more what
they once were than rubesencc is emacia
ton, than balm Is vltriol, than nOOday is
midnight. But In their depleted physical
health or mental twist OF style OF tcnpta-
ton they are ever and anon reminded of
the obnoxious past. They have memory
that IS deplOrable. In some tWlnge of
pain or some tendency to surrender to the
wrong which they must perpctually resist
they have an unWhOesOme Renaissance.
They carry scars, deep scars, ignoble scars.
But Paul In my text shows us a scarlti-
cation which 49, a badge of honorable and
se'f.acrifcing service. He had IN his
weak eyes the result of too much study,
and in MS body, bent and worn, the sigma
ture of scOurgings and shipWrCcks and
rnaltreatment by mobs. In my text he
shows those scars as he declares, Il bear
IN my body the marks Of the Lord Jesus"
Notice that 1t is not wounds, but scars,
and a scar is q healed wound Before the
scar Is well defined upon the flesh the in
Illumination must have departed and right
circulation must have been restored, and
new tissue must have been t)rmcd. It is
a permanent indentation of the fesh-a
cicatrix. Paul did we'll 10 show thesc
a
bic proofs that with all his body, mind
and soul he believed whac he said; they
were his diploma, showing that he had
graduated from the school Of hardship for
Chllst they were credentials proving his
right to lead IN the worlds cvangcliza ton.
Men are not ashamed Of scars got in
battle for their country. No American is
embarrassed when you ask him, Nv here
did you get that cash across your fore
Jead?' and he can answer, That was
from a sabre cut at San Juan" When
you ask some German, Where did you
lose your right ARM" he is not ashamed
to say, 81 lost it at Sedan" When you
ask an Italian, "Where did you lose your
eyeE" he is not annoyed when he can an
swer, Il suffered that in the last battle
under our glorious Garibaldi.' But / re
mind you of the fact that there are scars
not got in war which are just as illus
trious. We had in this country years ago
al eminent advocate who was called into
the Presidential Cabinet Attorney-G Gen
eral. In mldlife he was in Philadel phia
courtroom engaged IN an important trial
The attorney on the opposite side of the
case got lrntated and angry, and in most
brutal manner referred to the distin-
gulshed attorneys disfigured face, face
more deeply scared than any face | ever
saw. The legal hero OF whom | am speak
ing IN his closing argument said: Gentle
men Of the jury, when [ little child
L was playing with my sister in the nurs-
cry. and her clothes caught fire, and | ran
to her to put out the fire. [ succeeded
but 1 myself took fire, and before it was
extlngulshed my face was aWfully burned
and black as the heart OF the scoun-
drelIy counsel on the other side Of the
case who has referred to my 1nisfortune.'
The eminent attorney of whom I speak
carried all his life the honorable scar Of
his sisters rescue.
young college student in England
found all the artistic world in derisive pur-
suit OF William Turner, the painter. The
young graduate took up his PENN some
respects the most brilliant pen that vas
ever put to paper-and wrote those five
great volumes on modern painting, the
chief thought of which was his defense of
the abused painter.
The heroic author by some was sup
posed In his old days to be cynical and
fault finding, and when | saw him little
while before his death he was in decad
ence, but [ know that over his face and all
over his manner were the scars of heroic
defense.
In the seventies of his lifetime he was
suffering from the wounds and fatigues of
the twenties. Long after he had quit the
battle with authors pen and painters
pencil he bore the scars Of literary mar
tyrdom.
But why do we go SO far for illustration
when | could take right out of the memo
ries of some whom | address instances
just as appropriate? To rear Alright for
God and heaven large family of children
IN that country home was mighty under
taking. Far away from the village doctor,
the garnet must contain the herbs for the
cure of all kinds of disorders. Through all
Infantile complaints the children of that
family went. They missed nothing in the
way OF childish disorders. Busy all day
was that mother IN every form of house
work, and twenty times night called up
by the children, all down at the same
time with the same contagion. Her hair
is white long while before it is time for
snow; her shoulders are bent long before
the appropriate time for stopping.
Spectacles are adjusted, some for close
by and some for fan. off, years before you
would have supposed her eyes would need
reinforcement. Here and there is a short
grave in her pathway, this headstone
bearing the name OF this child and another
headstone bearing the name of another
child. Hardly one bereavement lifts its
shadow than another bereavement drops
one.
After thirty years of wifehood ana
motherhood the path turns toward the
setting sun. She cannot walk as far as
she used to. Colds caught hang on longer
IN the heavenly world. for which they
We're we'll prepared through maternal
fidelity, and others are out in this world
doing honor to a Christian ancestry.