The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-04-25
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
DISCOURSE BY THE EMINENT DI.
VINE LAST SUNDAY.
Subject: Religion as an ExlIilaration -
Christianity is Uplifting and DispeIs
Melnncholia and Gloom-Fate of Young
Hlen Who Go in For Sinful Amusements

[CoypriFht 1901
WASHINGTON, ID. C.-In this discourse
Dr.. Talmage sets forth religion as an ex-
hilaration, and urges all people to try its
unlifting power; text, Proverbs III, II,
"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
uueenly step. On her brow was celestial
radiance. Fer voice was music. Her name
is religion. My text introduces her. Her
wavs are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace" But what is religion!
The fact is that theological study has had
different effect upon me from the effect
sometimes produced. Every year / tear
out another leaf from my theology until
nave 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
! was young man, | knew everything;
when ] got to be thirty-five years of age,
in my creed 1 had only a hundred doc
trines of religion; when | got to be forty.
years of age | had only fifty doctrines of
religion; when I got to be sixty years of
age / had only ten doctrines of religion,
and now [ am dying at seventy-five years
of age, and there is only thing L know,
end that is that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners" And so | 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 neces-
sarv for me TO drop this part Of my belief
and that part of nv belief as being non
essential. while I cling to the one great
doctrine that man is a sinner, and Christ
is his Almighty, and divine Saviour.
Now, | take these three or four leaves
Of my theology. and | find that. in the
first place and dominant above all others,
is the sunshine of religion. When | go
into room | have 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 sepulchral into our
relioion and 70 close the shutters and to
null down tba blinds that is is only
throreh here and there a crevice that the
liaht streams. The religion of the Lord
.Tesus Christ is a religion of Joy indescrib-
able and unutterable. Wherever | can
6oJ beII 7 Mean to ring II.
' Ts q ovi IN tbis house this morn
;,,[r w'bo are d;snosed to hold on to their
,eelo w o,iI oI"or lot them now de.
,ln,t ~, sar,,;ce before The fairest and
L p"iL 4 LIS "a No oost radiant heine of
81, ~ an . owes in Gods Son has
iaft ' o,I, ,morId bHt Goa's daughter is here.
Ciye her roomi Hail. Princess of Heavenl
1 1I ileI lIQlil IL IN ord cd Almightvi
pau, oaugnter % Cit az bn,,so INV throne.
Come III anu hi"Ne 'i''' -''''@0
ro1n: .4.;u f,,+h +h;s ;de, tba dominant
=, IN seCCin8 iortn ';its iuo" &c s,nsbinn
Iheory Oh relie h Is - I barr for there are
hafoly kn1w WHert ~ 70 ~ mo, NV soul
SO many IhousnIs ma 1;t+1a nb;id seated on
a., if an e the snnsb;nn and with spoon
the floor IN the sunsn1"e I'M. anu d MiJ What
IN her hano. pIe sa ~, s0I, y rnnIied the
are Sou i.f qolle liz srnorf,,I Of tbis
chlld am I geItIh2G "a !" s 1h"t to.Jav
sunshine would 10Y enai 49, cha
might present you WIN d siSa.ii"s e,o,,la,
lice OF tins giorlous' eEeri"s'ihs e0'P~'
sunshine ot doc, &c cum
FIRST OIL az, l nlu go 0I do not
shine IN CHRISTIAN society. 40. 10 4 4bo
know OF anything more uoieaul vii Iao.s Of
companionshlp Oh tne III Waedl .ut tho Cbar,es
the WorldIthe lhomas Ilo3us, 1ne C 20 +he
Lambs, the Charies N1atne"StSn ~ -
world-the men whose ehU4fe o0Sile'' ~
Is to make, sport. ,.,, h,,4 &c va,
Ihey make 3tners aux, NV Nv, or hi.
Will examine tnelr 3u tit tbe;r
ography you Will ma that ooTn IN t sn1oi
soul there was terrl1c alsqule'1TTIe e
Laughter IS no sign OF naPpineSTS ,rhe
maniac laughs. me hyeha laus ILs ne
loon among the AdlronoackS laughs. nc
drunkard,. dashlng his decanter against
the wall, laughs g. Ill
There is terrible, reacIloh lronI "a, a.
Sithul alhuocIheh' any ' IL rTLo,,
Such men are cross the next day. lhey
snap at you on exchange or they pass you,
not recognizing you. Long ago guy
mere worldly society Tor the reason ~
was so dull, so inane and so stupid MY
nature is voracious OF JOY L must nave
it. A.,
I always walk CT the sunny SIDE OF inc
street, and for that reason nave crossed
over into Christian society. Ike their
mode of repartee better. IKE thelr
style of amusement better. Ihey hve
longer. Christian people. sometimes no
tice, live on when by all natural law they
ought to have died. L have known per
sons who have continued IN their eNt
istence when the doctor SAID tney ouSnt
to have been dead ten years: Every, gay
of their existence was. defiance OF the
laws of anatomy and physiology. pnt they
had this supernatural .vlvaclty or the COS
pei in their soul, and that kept them awe.
Put ten or twelve Christian people IN
a room for Christian conversation, ana
you will from eight to ten O'Clock, near
more resounding glee, see more brlghGG
strokes of wit and lind more thought ana
profound satisfaction than, IN any merely
worldly party. Now, when l say worldly
party" I mean tnat to which, you are IN
vited because under all the circum-
stances of the case it is better That you
20 and leaving the ShaWiS on the second