Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-02-08
W MANY ARE ALL RIGHT
Talmage Says by Sin We Have All
Been Morally Bankrupted.
ext, Isaiah Ill, 10, "Say Ye to the Righteous
That II Shall Be Well With lliIl."

tert 'nT ISAIAH I? 4; o Sav We TO the rigbt
eous that it shall be we'll with him."
Here is a promise for people who are
all right, but who will come and get it?
How many, or rather, how few, people do
you know who are all right? If it were
asked of any assembly that those who
were sinless should rise up, none would
rise, except imbeciles and religious cranks.
An accident happened near sixty centu-
ries ago that started the human race in the
wrong way, and we have not got over it
yet. We know a great many splendid men
and splendid women, but they will tell
YOU that they have not always done the
right thing or thought the right thought.
If it were any of your business, they could
give you an inventory OF frailties and mis-
takes and infelicities that would be aston
ishing Here, then, you say, is Bible
promise that goes a-begging, Say We to
the righteous that it shall be well with
him"
1t is my delightful work to-day to show
you that all the sons and daughters of
Adam and Eve may appropriate the bene-
diction of my text if they will first do the
right thing Over here in the next street
was man who in great misfortunes lost
all he had and was positively beggared,
but letter comes from some European
city, where the land records are kept, an
nouncing to him that a great fortune is
his. Now he is as opulent as he was pau
perized. He doffs his rags and puts on
respectable attire and moves into home
appropriate for man of vast estate. His
worldly circumstances were all wrong last
year; they are all right this year. On the
next street is a man who was from perfect
health Frustrated, and he seemed to be
sick unto death, but skillful physician
took correct diagnosis of his disease, anoI
by prompt and vigorous treatment re-
stored him to his former vigor. AS to his
health he was all wrong before. Now he
is all right. In these two ways illustrate
my theme.
BY sin we have all been morally bank
rupted. Christ the Lord from His inf.
mite riches pays our debts and empara'
discs us in His mercy. From His richest
wardrobe He put on us the clean robe of
His righteousness, and gives us a palace
in the heavens when we are ready to go
up and take it. Now, as to our spiritual
estate we are all right. We were morally
bath in the fountain of His grace, cures us.
Now, as to our spiritual health we are
all right. That is the way we come to the
righteousness spoken of in the text. 1t is
contributed Righteousness, made-over
| righteousness, an imputed righteousness.
The moment you get into right relations
Awith Christ the Lord that moment you can
Appreciate the magnificent comfort of the
\ext, and DEFY you in all this great book,
pm the first verse of the first chapter of
pests to the last verse of the last chap
hpf Revelation, to find me passage
Ahigher and deeper and broader and
comfort than that of the text,
is as deep as the Atlantic Ocean
between the continents, and high
YIN when the clock is striking II
~ NO. But ] shall be swamped with
= - L L. xho
Lord help me to Keep foothold: Say
ye to the righteous that it shall be well
with him." =.
Bear in mind that but few people can
stand worldly success. Water is a good
s2thing, but too much of it will drown,
Sire is good thing, but too much of it
destroy Light is good thing, but
good thing, but too much of it
erwhelmed many for this world and
xt. If it were best for us, we would
Pmillionaires, live in palaces like the
bra, and be as personally attractive
\ppatra appeared to Antony. But
of folks could not endure such
abundance, and it is absolutely necesi
sary in order to keep them right that 500
men out OF 1000 should find life struggle!
It keeps them out of mischief. After
Adam was elected from the premises
where by ten minutes of employment q
\ day he could keep the garden and dress it
U the best thing that could happen to him
Sas compulsion to work and fight. The
- that bloomed with spontaneous
and rustled with harvests that
othing to plow or hoe became hos.
bramble was substituted for rose,
panther growled where before he
and horn and fang and hoof be-
elhgerent. That Edenic ejectment
IS as nothing else ever could that
or only few minutes of employ
day are doom and overthrow Put
among your blessings that you
work hard with brain or hand or
all three of them.
many men do you know worth
% who are devout and consecrated
O1gs2d humble and generous and employing
their means for the worlds redemption!
You could count them up on the fingers
OF your two hands even if by accident or
war YOU had lost one or two of the fingers
As to the realm of personal attractlveness,
how many women radiant OF countenance'
D and graceful of form do you know who are
] unaffected and natural of manner and
deeply pious before God, using their
beauty for TIE betterment of the world
h and not forSelfsh purposes? 1 only take
he riSL. OF asking the question and leave
~, the risk of answering it. These,
! | say to show you that in order tol
the promise of the text fulfilled In,
case it is not necessary you have phe-,
Aal worldly success.
ice, also that God gives the righteous
over to extract good out of evil, and
divine chemistry to change the bitter
he sweet and the harmful into the
cial. The promise that it shall be
gith you does not imply that you are
free from trouble. There is no es-
rom, that. We all have family rela-,
and some of them will be making
ON this world, so that bereavement
universal inheritance. The differ
etween the prospered and those not
red is the difference in the amount
ln afford to lose. The more wealth
has the more he can lose, but one
an afford to lose million dollars
another man cannot afford to lose
lar. On larger or-smaller scale all
financial loss. Amid the rapidity of
olutions Of the wheel of national
ternational finance monetary per-
is as common as day or night.
so misinterpretation and SANDER
b all who live active lives. Our
thoroughly honest and above
nay come under suspicion. Every
pom at every term of court hears
ions of the decisions of what is
ircumstantial evidence. Innocent
fined or imprisoned or electro
cause of an unfortunate conjunc-
events What is true in court
true in all circles of domestic on
official life. You have been mis-
cd and misrepresented, or will be
stood or misrepresented. Then!
my text be true? My explanaJ
his: The man without any divine
his heart finds in these troubles
and unbelief and melanchoha
air. A Christian man finds in
mission and enlarged views ind
pport and reconsecration Be-
to the wording brings hard