The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-12-17
THE PERSUASIVE WORD.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Says II Calls All
People TO GIadness.
Mat We Most Need-Ihe Star Of Faith
There Is Pardon For All.
TCopyrlrht. 1901. J

Copyright. 1901
WASHINGTON, ID. C.-In this discourse
DR.; Talmage calls al people TO gladness
and opens all the doors OF expectancy;
text1, Genesis vi. Is, Come" Revelation
xxn, II, Come"
Imperial; tender and all persuasive Is
enty-eight times is it found in the Scrip.
lures. 1t stands at the front gate OF the
Bible as in my first text. inviting ante.
diluvians into Hoah's ark and it stands
at the other gate OF the Bible. as IN nv
second text. inviting the postdiluviaus OF
all later AGES into the ark of n Sayiour's
mercy. Come is only word of four
letters, but it Is the queen of words. and
nearly the entire nation of English vo-
caouary bows to it's sceptre. 1t is an
ocean into which omDtics ten thousand
rivers of meaning. Other words drive,
but this beckons. All moods OF feeling
hath that word Come" Sometimes il
wccps and sometimes it laughs. Some
times 1T prays., sometimes it temots and
sometimes 1t destroye. 1t sounds from
the door of tho church and from the Sc
ragiios of sin. from the gates of heaven
and the gates of he'll. It is continent
and aecrescent OF all power. It is the
heiress of most of the future. "Come!"
You may pronounce It so that al the
heavens will be heard in it's cadences or
pronounce IL so that all the woes Cf time
and eternity shall reverberate in its one
syllable. 1t is the lip of saint and
Prohigate. It is the mightiest of all So
hcitants either for good or bad.
To-day ] weigh anchor and haul In the
p!!anks and set sail on that great word,
although I am sure / viii not be able to
reach the farther shore I will let down
the fathoming line into this sea and try
to measure its depths, and. though I tic
together all the cables and cordage I have
on board l will not be able TO touch bot
tom. All the power OF the Christian reH-
gion is in that word Come" The d:cta-
torial and commendatory in religion are
Of no avail. The imperative mood il not
the appropriate mood when we would
have people savinglv impressed. They
may be coaxed. but they cannot be driv-
en-. Our hearts arc like our homes-at q
friendly knock the door will be opened,
but an attempt to force open our door
would land the nssailant in prison. Our
theological semiuaries. which keep young
men three years in their curriculum be-
fore launching them into the ministry,
Will do well If in so short a time they can
teach the candidates for the holy Office
how to say with great emphasis and into
nation and power that one word come"
That man who has such efficiency in
Christian work, and that woman who has
such power to persuade people TO quit
the wrong and begin the right went
through a series OF losses, bereavements.
prosecutions and the trials OF twenty or
thirty years before they could make it a
the word come"
You must remember that in many cases
our Come" has q mightier Come" to
conquer before 1t has any effect Mt all.
just give me the accurate census, the sta
tistics OF how many are down in fraud. in
drunkenness, IN gambling. in impurity or
IN vice OF any sort, and | will give YOU
the accurate census or statistics of how
many have been slain by the word
come" Come and click wine glasses
with me at this ivory bar" Come and
sce what VIC con win at this gaming ta-
bic" Come, enter with me this doubt.
read those inidcl tracts on Christianity"
Come with me to place OF bad amuse-
ment." Come with me in q gay bout
through the underground life OF the
city If IN this city there are 10000 who
are down in moral character, then 10000
fell under the power of the word Come"
| was reading OF wife whose husband
had been overthrow by strong drink,
and she went to the saloon where he was
ruined, and she said, Give me bacl; my
husband" And the bartender, uointing
to a maud,in and battered man browsing
in the corner OF the barroom, said:
There he is. jim. wake up. Here's
your wife come for YOU" And the wom-
an said do YOU call that nv husband?
What have Won been doing with him? Is
that the many brow, is that the clear
eve. Is that tie noble heart that L mar
ried2 What vile drug have you given
: him that has turned him into a fend?
Take your tiger claws of az him. Uncoil
those serpent tods OF evil habit that are
crushing him. Give me hack my hus-
band, the one with whom | stood at the
altar ten years ago Give him back to
me" Victim was he. as millions of 9th
ers have oecn, OF the word Come"
Now, We want all the world over to
harness this word for good 40 others
/ have har1esscd it for evil and it will
draw the five continents and the seas be-
tween them-vcs IL will draw tire whole
earth back 70 the God from whom it has
| wandered. 70 Is that wooing and persua-
Z ufar fl.s,
! their sins Was sEepticism ever brought
| into love of the truth by an ebullition of
/ hot words against infdeiity2 Was ever
| the bosphcmer STONED in his oaths by
/ Remuneration o. basDhcmv? Was ever
| drunkard weancd from his cups by the
| temperance lecturers mimicry Of stag
I Rering steD and hiccough? No. 10 was.
/ Come with me to church to-day and
/ hear orr singing; Come. and let mo in
! troduce Won TO a Christian man whom
/ you will ne sure to admire" Come with
me into associations that arc cheerful and
/ good and irspiri0C:" Come with me into
Joy such as you never before expe-
With that word which has done so
/ much for others 7 approach you to-day.
! Are You all right with God? mo" you
| ssy, think not. I am sometimes
I alarmed when I think Of Him. ! fear
/ viii not be ready to meet Him in the last
! day Ny heart Is not right with God"
] Come, then, and have IL made right.
/ through the Christ who died to save YOU,
/ come, What is the use in waiting? The
! longer you wait the farther off you are
| and the deeper you are down Strike out
/ for heaven, You remember that n few
/ years ago n steamer called the Princess
! Alice, with q crowd of eycursionista
/ aboard. sank in the Thames, and there
| was an awful sacrifice of lie A hoatman
! from the shore put ont for the rescue. and
| he had a big boat. oud he got 10 90 full 10
| would not hold another person. and "a ne
| laid hold OF the oars 90 pull for the shore,
| leaving hundreds helpless and drowning.
| he cried out oh that I bad q bigger
/ boat" Thank Cod T am not thus linn
/ tied. and that ] can promise room for ell
] in this gospel boat Get I'M get I'M Add
/ yet there ia room Room in the heart Of
/ a pardouiug God Room in heaven.
also Apply the word of my text Co
| those who would like practical conf fort.
! II any ever escape the struggle of life. 7
/ have not found them They are not Ger.
/ taiuiy among Tho prosperous classes. In
most cases DO was % struggle an The wsv
\ MP tiQ tney reached the prosperity. and
since they have reached these heights
/ there have bren pcrplexitics. enxietieg
\ and crises which were almost enough TO
/ shatter The nerves and turn The brain
| 10 would be hard TO tell which have the
\ biggest fight i'm this world. the progrcri.
/ hn al