The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-01
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Religion as an Exhilaration -
Christianity is Uplifting and Dispels
Melancholia and Gloom-Fate offounE
Men Who Go in For Sinful Amusements

Christianity is Uplifting and Dispels
Melancholia and Gloom-Fate of Young
Men Who Go in For Sinful Amusements
ICoypright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse
DR.. Talmage sets forth religion as an eN-
hilaration, and urges all people to try its
uplifting power; text, Proverbs III, IL,
"Her ways are ways of pleasantness:
You have all heard of Gods only begot-
ten Son. Have you heard of Gods daugh-
ter? 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 music. Her name
is religion. My text introduces 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 different effect upon me from the effect
sometimes produced. Every year l tear
out another leaf from my theology until 1
have only three or four leaves left-n
other words, very brief and pialn state
ment of Christian belief. -, .e,,,,
An aged Christian minister SAID: When
7 was q young man, / knew everything;
when cot to be thirty-hve years OF age,
in nv creed I had only hundred doc
trines of religion; when got to be forty
wears of age I had only fifty doctrines OF
religion; when / got to be sixty years OF
age l had only ten doctrines of religion,
and now am dying at seventy-lve years
of age, and there is only thing l know,
and that is that Christ Jesus came INTO
the world to save sinners. And SO nave
noticed in the study of Gods word, and IN
my contemplation of the character OF Ooo
and of the eternal world, that IT is neGesc
sary for me to drop this part of my belief
and that part of my belief as being non,
essential, while I cling to the one great
doctrine that man is a sinner, and Ch1st
ia his Almighty, and divine Saviour.
Now. I take these three or four leaves
of nv theology, and / find that, IN the
first place and dominant above all others,
is the sunshine of religion. When SO
into room have passion tor throwing
open all the shutters. That is what l
want to do this morning. we are apt 10
throw so much of the sepulchral into our
religion and to close the shutters and to
null down the blinds that is IS only
through here and there crevice that the
light streams. The religion Of the LORD
Jesus Christ is religion of Joy lndescrlo-
able and unutterable. Wherever l can
find bell I mean to ring 1t. -.
If there are any in this house TINS morn
ING who are disposed to hold on 10 thelf
melancholy and gloom, let them now oe,
part this service before the 1alrest ana
brightest and the most radiant eeing OF
all the universe comes in. Gods Son mas
left our world, but Gods daughter IS here:
Give her room! Hail, Princess of Heayen
Hail. daughter of the Lord God Almighty!
Come in and make this house thy throne
In setting forth this idea. the dominant
theory of religion is one or sunshlne,
hardly know where to begin, TOR there are
80 many thoughts that rush, upon my soul.
A mother saw her little child seated on
the floor in the sunshine and with spoon
in her hand. She said, MY N, CARING, ring wnas Ihs
child at am getting o spoonful of this
sunshine" Would God that to-day 1
MIGHT present YOU with a cleaning cha,
lice of this glorious, everlasting gosoei
First Of all, find great deal Of sun.
shine in Christian society. l 40 not
know of anything more doleful than the
companionship of the mere tunmaSers OF
the world-the Thomas Hoods, the Cnaries
Lambs, the Charles Mathewses OF the
world-the men whose entire BUSINESS ~
is to make sport. =, :.
They make others laugh, but If you
will examine their autobiography. or, b.
ocraphy YOU will find that down in their
soul there was a terrific disquietude.
Laughter is no sign Of happiness. ;r Ihe
maniac laughs. The hyena laughs. The
loon among the Adirondacks laughs. The
drunkard, dashing his decanter against
the wall, laughs. :. ~
sinful amusement and sinful merriment.
Such men are cross the next day. Ihey
snap at you on exchange or they pass you,
not recognizing you. Long, ago quit
mere worldly society for the reason 1T
was so dull, so inanc and so stupid. My
nature is voracious of joy. must have
it.
I always walk on the sunny side of the
street, and for that reason l have crossed
over into Christian society. l like their
mode of repartee better. l like their
style of amusement better. They live
longer. Christian people, sometimes no
tice. live on when by all natural law they
ought to have died. / have known per-
sons 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 defiance OF the
laws of anatomy and physiology. but they
had this supernatural vlvaclty OF the gos-
pel in their soul, and that kept them ahve.
Put ten or twelve Christian people IN
b room for Christian conversation, and
you will from eight to ten o'cloclI, hear
more resounding glee, see more bright
strokes of wit and find more thought and
profound satisfaction than in any, merely
worldly party. Now, when say worldly
party,h I mean tnat to which you are in
vited because under, all the elrcum-
90, and, leaving the shawls on the second
Aoor, you 90 to the parlor to 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 on
long trains and in effort to keep the
corners of the mouth up, to the sign OF
pleasure and going around with an idiotiic
he-he about nothing until the collation. IS
served, going back again into the parlor
to resume the weather and then at the
close going at very late hour to the host
and hostess and assuring them that you
have had q most delightful evening and
then passing down off the front steps, the
slam of the door the only satisfaction OF
the evening.
o young man come from the country to
spend your days IN city hte, .wheTe are
me tell you, while there are manv places
of innocent worldly amusement, it is most
wise for you to throw your body, mind
and soul into Christian society. Come to
me at the close of five years and tell me
what has been the result of this advice.
Bring with you the young man who re-
fused to take the advice, and who went
into sinful amusement. He will come dis
sipated, shabby in apparel, indisposed to
look any one in the eyes, moral character
eighty-fve per cent. OF. You will come come
habits good, soul saved, and all the in
habitants of heaven, from the lowest
angel up to the archangel and clear past
him to the Lord God Almighty, your CO.
adjutors.
This is not the advice of nisanthrope.
There is no man in the house to whom
the world is brighter than it is to me. 1t