The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-23

"ASd2St1ON, ApEH 1f--1n 1llS Q1S-
course DR.. Talmage sets forth religion as
an exhilaration and urges all people to
try its uplifting power; text, Proverbs
iii, IL, "Her ways are ways Of pleasant
ness"
You have all heard Of Gods only be-
gotten Son. Have you heard of Gods
daughter? She was born in heaven. She
came down over the hills of our world.
She had queenly step. On her brow was
celestial radiance. Her voice was mu-
sic. Her name is Religion. My text in.
PRODUCES her. "Her ways are WAYS OF
pleasantness, and all her paths are
peace" But what is religion? The fact
is that theological study has had a diff.
ferent effect upon me from the effect
sometimes produced Every year I tear
out another leaf from my theology until
L have only three or four leaves left-in
other words, a very brief and plain state
ment of Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said
When l was a young man, I knew ev-
erything. When 1 got to be 80 years of
age. in my creed I had only a hundred
doctrines Of religion. When 1 got to be
4O years of age, I had only so doctrines
III iSiiSlOH. l. SOI 10 De OO years
of age, l had only ten doctrines Of reli-
gion, n now l am dying at Is years of
G and there is only one thing I know.
and that is that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save Sinners" And so I
have noticed in the study Of Gods word
and in my contemplation Of the character
of God and Of the eternal world that it
is necessary for me to drop this part of
my belief and that part Of my belief as
being nonessential, while I cling to the
one great doctrine that man Is a sinner
and Christ is his Almighty and Divine
Saviour.
Now, 1 take these three or four leaves
Of my theology, and I find that in the
first place and dominant above all 9TH
ers is the sunshine of religion. When I
go into q room, / have a passion for
throwing open all the shutters. That is
what l want to do this morning. We
are apt to throw SO much of the sepul-
chral into our religion and to close the
shutters and to pull down the blinds that
1t is only through here and there a crew
ice that the light streams. The religion
of the Lord Jesus Christ is a religion Of
joy indescribable and unutterable. Wher-
ever I can find a bell I mean to ring it.
If there are any in this house this
morning who are disposed to hold on to
their melancholy and gloom. let them
now depart this service before the fair
est and the brightest and the most ra-
diant being Of all the universe comes in.
Gods Son has left our world. but Gods
daughter Is here. Give her room. Hail,
princess Of heaven! Hail, daughter of
the Lord God Almighty! Come in and
make this house thy throneroom.
In ca%<snp fou<h <hse :Ioc <lo 11r;nopk
theory Of religion is one Of sunshine. 1
hardly know where to begin. for there are
so many thoughts that rush upon my
soul. A mother saw her little child seat
ed o the floor in the sunshine and with 81
spoon in her hand. She said. My dar-
ling, what are you doing there?" "Oh,"
replied the child. 81 am getting a spoon
full Of this sunshine" Would God that
today I might present you with a gleam-
ing chalice of this glorious. everlasting
gospel sunshine!
Sunshine Of Christianity.
First Of all, I find q great deal of sun
shine in Christian society. l do not know
of anything more doleful than the COM
partnership of the mere funmakers Of the
world-the Thomas Hoods, the Charles
Lambs, the Charles Mathewses OF the
world-the men whose entire business it
is to make sport. They make others
laugh, but il you will examine their au-
photography or biography you will find
that down in their soul there was a ter
rife disquietude. Laughter is no sign of
happiness. The maniac laughs. The n.y.
ena laughs. The loon among the AdirOn-
dacks laughs. The drunkard. dashing mis-
d~ecanter against the wall, laughs.
There is a terrible reaction from all
sinful amusement and sinful merriment.
Such men are cross the next day. They
snap at you on exchange or they pass
you, not recognizing you. Long g I
quit mere worldly society for the reason
it was so dull, SO inane and so stupid.
My nature is voracious Of joy. I must
have it.
l always walk on the sunny side of the
street. and for that reason !! have crossed
over into Christian society. | like their
mode of repartee better. I like their
style of amusement better. They live
longer. Christian people. ! sometimes
notice. live on when by ell natural law
they ought to have died. | have known
persons who have continued in their eX-
istence when the doctor said they ought
to have been dead ten years. Every day
of their existence was a defiance OF the
VI ou1tO"y ahu pus SiOloSss ouN
they had this supernatural v~ivacity OF
the gospel in their soul. and that kept
them alive.
Put 10 or II Christian people in a room
for Christian conversation. and you will
from s to 10 O'Clock hear more resound
ing g,ee, see more bright strokes of wit
and find more thought and profound sat
isfaction thar in any merely worldly
party. Now, when l say a worldly par
ty" | mean that to which you are invit-
ed because under all the circumstances
of the case it is the best for you TO be in
vited. and to which you go because under
all circumstances of the case il is better
that you go, and, leaving the shawls OF
the second floor. you 90 10 the parlor 10
give formal salutation to the host and the
hostess and then move around. spending
the whole evening in the discussion of the
weather and in apology for treading OF
long trains and in effort to keep the cor
ners of the mouth up to the sign CT pleas
ure. and going around with an idiotic
he-he about nothing until the collation. is