The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-04-26
f'HE JIG D Il(AION.
DR.. Talnlage Urges All to Try It's
Z Uplifting Power.
Ho 3CharacteriEcs RoYigion ah God'e
Daughter - sermon from tho
Text, "Her Ways Aro Ways
4 Of Plensantncss.o

=
Copyright, 1901. by Louis Islopsch, N. II
Washington.g April "A.
In this discourse DIR. Talmago sets
forth religion as an }exhilaration, and
urges oil people to try It's uplifting
power; text, Proverbs 8, 17:s s.Her
ways arc ways Of pleasantness.'
You have oil heard Of Gods only
begotten Son. Have you heard Of
Gods daughter? She was born In
hills Of our world. Sho had quecnly
step. On her brow was celestial
radiance. Her voico was music. Her
namo Is Religion. My text intro
duces her. "Her ways are ways OF
pleasantness, and all her paths are
peace" But what is religion2 The
fact Is that theological study has had
different effect upon mo from the
effect sometimes produced. Every
year tear out anothcr leaf from
my theology, until I have only three
or four leaves lcft-in other words,
very brief and plain statement OF
Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said:
when I was q young man, knew
everything. When got to DO s5
years of age, in my creed had only n
hundred doctrines of religion. When
got to be 60 years Of age, I had
only 90 doctrines of religion. When
got to be 90 years Of ago had
only ten doctrines Of religion, and
now I am dying ut 75 years Of age,
and there is only ono thing I know,
and that is that Christ Jesus came
into tho world to save Sinners" And
80 Ihave noticed in the study Of Gods
word and in my contemplation Of The
character Of God and Of tho eternal
world that it is necessary for mo to
drop this part OF my belief and that
part Of my belief as being nonessen-
tial, while cling to the one great doc
trine that man Is sinner and Christ
Is his Almighty and Divine Saviour.
Now tako these three or four
leaves Of my theology, and find that
oil others is the sunshine of religion.
When go into room, have q pas
sion for throwing open all the shut
tors. That is what want to do this
morning. We are apt to throw SO
much Of tho sepulchra1 into our re-
ligion and to close the shutters and
to pull down tho blinds that it is only
through here and there creyice that
the light streams. Tho religion Of
the Lord Jesus Christ is religion Of
| Joy indescribable and unutterablo.
Wherever can find bell 1 mean to
ring It.
II there are any in this house this
morning who arc disposed to hold on
to their melancholy and gloom, let
them depart this service before tho
fairest and the brightest and tho most
radiant being Of all the universe comes
IN. Gods Son has loft our world, but
| Gods daughter is here. Give her room.
Hall, princess Of IIeaveni Hail, daugh.
ter OF the Lord Almighty! Come in
and mako this house thy throneroom.
In setting forth this idea the domi-
nant theory Of religion Is one Of sun
shine. I hardly know where to begin,
Tor there arc 30 many thoughts that
rush upon my soul. A mother saw her
little child seated on the floor in the
sunshine and with a spoon in her hand.
She said: my darling, what are you
doing there ?" "Oh," replied the child,
= am getting q spoonful Of this sun
shine" Would God that to-day r
might present you with a cleaning
chaiico Of this glorious, everlasting
Gospel sunshinc! I
First Of NIL, I find great deal OF
sunshine in Christian society. I do
not know Of anything moro doleful
than tho companionship Of tho mere
funmakers of the world-the Thomas
| Hoods, the Charles Lambs T.,
charles Mathewses Of the world tho
men whose entire business 1t is to
make sport. They make others laugh.
but If you will examine their auto
biography or biography you will find
that down in their soul there was a
terrific disquietudc. Laughter is no
sign Of happiness. The maniac
laughs. The hyena laughs. The loon
among the Adirondacls laughs. The
drunkard, dashing his deoanter
against the wall, laughs.
There Is terrible reaction from all
sinful amusement and sinful merri
msnt. Such men arc cross the next
day. They snap at you on exchange
or they pass you, not recognizing you.
Long ago quit mere worldly society
for the reason it was so dull, so inane
and SO stupid. My nature is voracious
Of JOY. must have it.
| always walk on the sunny side of
the street, and Tor that reason haye
crossed over into Christian society. I
like their mode Of repartee better. 1
like their style Of amusement better.
They live longer. Christian people, i
sometimes notice, live on when by all
natural law they ought to have died.
l have known persons who have con
tinued In their existence when the
docto: said they ought to have been
dead ten years. Every day Of their
existence was q defiance OF the laws
OF anatomy and physiology, but they
had this supernatural vivacity OF the
Gospel in their soul, and thnt kept
them alive.
Put 10 or IL Christian people in a
room for Christian conversation, and
you will from eight to ten o'clock
hear more resounding glee, see more
bright strokes Of wit and find more
thought ard profound satisfaction
than In any merely worldly party
Now, when say worldly party" ]
mean that to which you are invited
because under all the circumstances
of the case it is the best for you to
be invited, and to which you go be.
in which, BY tho light Of reason and
conscience, "a man might we'll ley down
| his lifa l Rnt fo NV mind nm ,,r,aoxA