Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-04-18

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WASHINGTON. April 14-In this dis
course DIR. Talmage sets forth religion
as an exhilaration, and urges all peo-
ply to try Its uplifting power; text.
Proverbs Ill, II, Her ways are ways
of pleasantness."
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 music. Her name Is Reli-
gion. My text introduces her. Her
ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
her paths are peace" But what Is re-
ligion? The fact is that theological
study has had a different effect upon
me from the effect sometimes pro-
duced. Every year / tear out another
leaf from my theology until l have
only three or four leaves left-in other
words, very brief and plain state
ment of Christian belief.
An aged Christian minister said:
when l was a young man, I knew
everything; when l got to be 35 years
of age, in my creed | had only hun
dred doctrines of religion; when 1 got
to be 40 years of age, had only 80
doctrines Of religion; when l got to be
60 years of age, had only 10 doctrines
Of religion; and now L am dying at IS
years Of age, and there is only one
thing I know, and that is that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sim
ners." And SO I have noticed In the
study of Gods word, and in my con-
temptation of the character Of God
and Of the eternal world, that 1t Is
necessary for me to drop this part Of
my belief and that part of my belief
as being nonessential, while cling to
the one great doctrine that man II .
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 9TH
ers, is the sunshine of religion. When
go into room, have passion for
throwing open all the shutters. That
is what 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
crevice that the light streams. The re-
ligion Of the Lord Jesus Christ is re-
ligion Of Joy indescribable and unut-
terable. Wherever l can find bell
mean to ring it.
Sunshine of Religion.
II 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 fairest and the brightest and the
most radiant 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 setting forth this idea, the domi-
nant theory of religion is one of sun
shine. I hardly know where to begin,
for there are so 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 darling, what are you
doing thereT "Oh," replied the child,
81 am getting spoonful Of this sun
shine" Would God that today 1 might
present you with cleaning chalice of
this glorious, everlasting gospel sun
shine!
First of all, find great deal Of sun
shine in Christian society. / do not
know of anything more doleful than
the companionship Of the mere fun
makers Of the world - the Thomas
Hoods, the Charles Lambs, the Charles
Mathewses Of the world-the men whose
entire business 1t Is to make sport.
They make others laugh, but If you
will examine their autobiography or BIZ
ography you win find that down In
their soul there was terrific Dispute
tude. Laughter is no sign of happiness.
The maniac laughs. The hyena laughs.
The loon among the Adirondacks
laughs. The drunkard, dashing his de-
canter against the wall, laughs.
There is terrible reaction from all
sinful amusement and sinful merri-
ment. Such men are cross the next
day. They snap at you on exchange or
they pass you, not recognizing you.
Long ago 1 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.
Promotes Longevity.
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.
like their style Of amusement better.
They live longer. Christian people,
sometimes notice, live on when by all
! have known persons who have con-
tinued In their existence when the doc
tor said they ought to have been dead
ten years. Every day of their exist
ence was a defiance of the laws Of anat-
omy and physiology, but they had this
supernatural vivacity Of the gospel in
their soul, and that kept them alive.
Put 10 or IL Christian people in a
room for Christian conversation, and
you will from to 10 o'clock hear more
resounding glee, see more bright strokes
Oh VIII anu uuu IuOIe luOuSut duu pTO-
found satisfaction than in any merely
worldly party. Now, when l say a
worldly party" mean that to which
you are invited because under all the
circumstances Of the case 1t is the best
for you to be invited, and to which you
60 because under all the circumstances
of the case 1t is better that you go, and
leaving the shawls on the second floor
you go to the parlor to give formal sal
utation to the host and the hostess and
then move around, spending the whole
evening in the discussion of the wealth
er and in apology for treading on Ions
trains and in effort to keep the corners
of the mouth up to the sign of pleas
ure and going around with an idiotit
he-he about nothing until the collation.
Is served and then, after the collation.
Is served, going back again into the
parlor to resume the weather and then
a fha ole -