The Washington times., 1901-11-11
THE MINISTRY OF TEARS.
Dr. Talmage breaches at the East
ern Presbyterian Church.
sorrow Introduced Into World to
Make 1t Less Attractive and Henv-
en- Desirable - Collection Taken
Toward Liquidation of the Debt.


cred yesterday morning at the Eastern
| Presbyterian Church. Sixth Street and
| Maryland Avenue. where the sermon was
| delivered by the Rev DIR. T. Dewitt Tai
| mage Every available seat was occu-
! pied and chairs were placed in the aises
| and upon the platform to accommodate
the congregation The platform was
| adorned with chrysanthemums and callas
! in bloom.
/ The services opened with an organ pre-
| lude. The pastor of the church, the Rev.
| DIR. T. c. Easton. offered prayer. followed
| by a contralto solo by Mrs. Annie l..
Goodhue, who rendered open the Gates
| of the Temple After divine invocation
| by the Rev. DIR. Wills. the pastor of the
| church. DR.. Easton, stepped to the front
| of the platform.
| He said that he had seen many happy
and bright days. but none brighter than
yesterday. as the truest and best friend
of the church. DR.. Talmage was present
and would preach the sermon of the day.
DR. Talmage arose and in appealing to
the congregation for a generous eollec-
ton said;
This is a beautiful church; it is beau
tifully situated and has done great work
for the Lord and for the redemption of
the sinner. The Rev. DIT Easton. your
pastor. before he took charge of this
church filled one of the most prominent
pulpits on the Pacific Coast. Since ne
has been with you he has done good
work in the church and has succeeded in
reducing the inde btedEess by $4,000. The
interest on the mortgage is due this week.
and at the special collection which viii
be taken up today it is hoped that every
body will make a generous offering.
The text OF his sermon the Rev DR..
Talmage took from Revelations vii:l7:
And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes" In the course of his dis
course DR.. Talmage spoke Of tears shed
by Christian martyrs and heroes, and in
this connection he said in part:
What's the use of tears? Why not
substitute laughter? Why, when our fam
lilies are put together, not let them stay
together? Why all this trouble and wor-
riment and tears? It's easy enough TO
explain smile, Happiness, success and
JOY. But you may bring all your diction-
aries and treatises on chemical compounds
and ESSAYS and religious controversies-no
one can explain a tear.
The chemical composition OF tear
has been defined; it contains salt, lime
and other compounds Yes, hat what else
it is-what its cause is composed Of, no
chemist has yet aualyzed. Tears are the
acid OF soursd life, the fragments OF a
broken heart, are sorrow liquefed; it's
agony in solution.
Il viii speak today of the ministry OF
tears. It's the ministry OF tears to keep
this world from being too attractive for
US. II it weren't for tears we would never
here a thousand million years. And we
would not care to have our bodies disin-
tegrate and leave us. and hurry off to
heaven. No. we would say this world is
good enough for me But how can this
world be prevented from being too at
tracuve for US? You can't expect God to
ruin this world to make US anxious to
leave IT. The ministry of tears interyenes
and makes us long for a change and to
be anxious for rest.
The old man forrl Srly used to be very
much interested in the oook Of Genesis;
in the formation and creation of the
world; in the wonders. il the geological
hypo;heses. and the scientific researches
sprtng1ng from the ideas formed il read
ing the book of Genesis But now he
reads the Revelations He is old now and
the book of Genesis has no more attrae-
tion for him. He is interested in the
habit and the attire which is worn in
heaven, and in the music Of heavens and
the splendOrs of the eternal day
Yes. after one has gone through the
ordinary perpleXities Of life. he Is ready
to go. II is the business Of trouble to
make this world worth less. and make
heaven worth more. It's the ministry of
tears to make US feel our dependence on
God
king Alfonso, of Spain, used to say
he was sorry he was not present when
God created this world. What pretty
world ii would have been, had Alfonso
been present and assisted God, We all
z 10 ha
Father.
yes; you can tell by the prayers of a
man whether he is sincere or not; wheth-
er he has any trouble or not. You car
tell by the cadence Of his voice and by
the rise and fall Of his invocation. Some
times you hear men pray, and they start
of with the beautiful stars. the sun and
the moon. and give God a great deal Of
Information. Then they
come down to the tableland. and e%pati-
ate on the beautiful flowers in bloom, and
the sweet ncw-mown hay.
The man who prays does not call God s
attention to the stars and the moon: but
he tells him his troubles. and asks him to
assist him. and prays of him to forgive
him his sins Earnestness gives beauty
TO our prayers. But what a mean thing
IL is in you or me 70 make God the last
resort. instead Of the first.
Il will tell you how some good business
men sometimes act with the Lord. In
order to satisfy their creditors they dis
pose Of everything, and then. when they
II X.
down on their knees and pray to God to
help them. If they had prayed before
they got into trouble, they would be able
to pay 100 cents on the dollar. The Lord |
says: Why did not you call on me be |
fore? but he welcomes you, even in the |
'.it's the business Of trouble to throw
US back into the arms of our loving |
Father It's the ministry of tears that |
capacitates US for the office Of sympathy
When were, in prosperity, we like plenty |
Of young folks around us, We Ike to play.
to laugh. and to be happy. But when we |
get into trouble, then We want the old |
folks; they know what 10 do. and what |
to say and what not to say They have |
been there themselves and know what il |
is 70 be IN trouble and perpleSities. There |
have been great doctors in the past, there |
are great doctors now but there is no |
srander and better doctor in all the world |
than an old Christian mother. She |
knows how TO sympathize because she /
has seen trouble herself.
Where did David get his ink to write |
his psalms? Where did St. John get his |
ink to write the revelations Where did |
Paul get his ink TO write his epistles? |
Tney got Il out Of their tears Don't |
Il. nix God is against you because you've |
got trouble. He is preparing you for |
Something better And do you know why |
Christ is the greatest of all sympathizers2 |
Because he is the greatest Of all suf- |
ferers. You may shed tears now. but |
the greatest Injuries come AT last Heaven |
is the great consolation. TN be some |
time before you get used to heaven, the |
beautiful scenes Of Gods eternal day.
1T is very fortunate we are not told |
much of heaven IN the Bible. II We knew
we would unfit ourselves for the luxu- /
riOus splcndOr which Is awaiting us. All |
the idea We have of heaven II Ike the |
crystallization OF tears Hung on TO ssS
n little hint here and there Yes. heaven |
Is our consolation, and II is no fanaticism |
To send word up to those in glory by |
TIT q HI 80 yl,-...