The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-03-13
DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BYTHE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Christian Heroism-Those who
Bear Scars Won in the Service of
Jesus Christ Shall BE Richly Recon-
pensed-God Will Honor Them.
copyright 1861. !


pensed-God Will Honor Them.
copyright lscI.l
WASHINGTON. D. C.-In this discourse
DR.: Talmage praises Christian heroism and
tells of great rewards The text IS Gala.
of the Lord Jesus
We hear much about crowns. thrones.
victories, but l now tell the more quiet
story OF scars, honorable and dishonorable
There are Ii. all parts OF the world people
bearing dishonorable scars. They went
into the battle OF sin and were worSted,
and to their dying day they will have a
sacrltication OF body or mind OR soul
It cannot be hidden. There are tens OF
Grated to God and living holy lives who
were once corrupt. but they have been re-
generated, and they are no more what
they once were than rnbesence is eracia-
tion, than balm is viIciol. than nooday is
midnight. But in their depleted physical
health or mental twist or style OF tempta.
tion they are ever and anon reminded of
the obnoxious past. They have memory
that is deplorabe. In some twinge OF
pain or some tendency to surrender to the
wrong which they must perpetuai!y resist
they have an unwholeSome Renaissance.
They carry scars, dec scars, ignobie scars.
But Paul in my te:;t shows US scarit!-
cation which is badge of honorable and
self-sacri6cing service. He had in his
weak eyes the result OF too much study,
and in his body, bent and worn. the sigma
ture of scourgings and shipwrecks and
maltreatment by mohS. In my text he
shows those scars as he declares, 81 bear
in my body the marks OF the Lord Jesus"
Notice that it is not wounds, bYt scars,
and scar is healed wound Before the
scar is well defined upon the flesh the in
fammation must have departed. and right
circulation must have hsen restored and
new tissue must have 1een formcd. 1t is
a permanent indentation of the tesh-a
cicatrix Paul did well to show these
scars. They were positive and indispGta.
and soul he believed wnas he said: they
were his diploma, showing that he had
graduated from the school OF hardship for
Christ; they were credentials proving his
right to lead in the worlds evaagc:ization.
Men are not ashamed OF scars got in
battle for their country. No American is
embarrassed when You ask him, "Wkere
did YOU get that CASH across your lore
head"' and he can answer, That was
you ask some German. Where did You
lose ycur right arm" he is aoC ashamed
to say, Il lost it at Sedan" When you
ask IN Italian, Where did you lose your
eye?" he is not annoyed when he can an
swer, Il suffered tnat in the last battle
under our glorious Gari5aldi.' But re-
mind you OF the TACT tnat there are sears
not got in war which are just as Illus
trious. We had in this country years ago
an eminent advocate VINO was called into
the Presidential Cabinet as Attorney-Gen-
eral. In midlife he was in a Philadelphia
courtroom engaged in an important trial.
The attorney on the opposite side Of the
case got irritated and angry, and IN most
brutal manner referred to the dIstin-
gulshed attorneys dishgured face, face
more deeply Scared than any face l ere-
saw. The legal hero OF whom am speak
ing in his closing argument said: Gentle.
men OF the jury, when / was little child
was playing with my sister III the nurs-
cry. and her clothes caught fire, and l IAN
to her to put out the fire. succeeded,
but I myself took fire. and before it was
e1tinguished my face was awfully burned
and as black as the heart Of the scoIn-
6relly counsel on the other size of the
case who has referred TO my misfortune
The eminent attorney OF whom l speak
carried all his lie the honorable scar OF
his sisters rescue.
A young college student in England
found all the artistic word in derslve pur.
suit of William Turner, the painter. The
respects the most brilliant pen that was
ever PUT to paper-and wrote those five
great volumes on modern painting. the
chief thought CT which was his defense OF
the abused painter
The heroic author by some was SUE
posed in his old days 10 be cynical and
fault finding, and when saw him little
while before his death he was in decad-
ence, but know tina. over his face and eli
over his manner were the scars OF heroic
defense.
In the seventies OF his lifetime he was
suffering from the wounds and iatigues Of
the twenties. Long ailcr he mad quit the
battle with authors pen anc painters
pencil he bore the scars Of literary mar
tyrdom.
But why do we 20 so far for illustration
when l could take right out OF the memo
ries OF some whom | address instances
just as appropriate? To rear Alright sor
God and heaven large family OF children
in that country home was mighty under
taking. Far away from the village Gocto-.
the garnet mist contain the he-bs Cor the
cure Of all kinds OF disorders. Through all
infantie complaints the children OF that
family went. They missed nothing in the
way of childish disorders. Busy all day
was that mother in every form OF house.
work. and twenty times night called up
by the children, all down ct tlc same
time with the same contagion. Her hair
is white long while before it is time for
snow; her shoulders are bent long before
the appropriate time 70: STOPPING.
Spectacles are adjusted, some ior close
oy and some for far OIL. years before YOU
would have supposed he eyes would need
reinforcement. Here and there is a short
grave in her pathway, this headstonc
bearing the name OF tnis'child and another
headstone bearing the name Of another
child. Hardly one bereavement lifts its
shadow than anoIher bereavement drops
one.
After thirty years OF wifchocd and
motherhood the path turns toward the
setting sun. She cannot walk as IA as
she used to. Colds caught hang on longer
than formerly. Some OF the children are
in the heavenly world. for which they
were well prepared through maternal
fidelity. and others are out IN this word
doing honor to Christian ancestry.
When her life closes and the neighoors
gather for her obsequies, the officiating
Clergyman may find appropriate words in
the last chapter OF Proverbs: ''Her price is
far above ruhies. The ncart OF her hus-
band doth safely trust in her, so that ne
shall lave no need of spoil. She will do
him good, and not evil, all the days of her
life; she stretcheth out her hand to the
poor; she is not afraid OF the snow for her
household. for all her household are
clothed with scarlet. Her husband is
known in the gates when he sitteth
among the elders in the land; her children
arise up and call her blessed; her hus-
band also. and he praiseth her. Many
daughters have done virtuously, but thou
excellest them all.
Then after the Scripture lesson is read
let all come up, and before the casket is
closed look for the last time at the scars
of her earthly endurance.
She never heard the roll of gun car
riage or saw banner hoisted upon para
pet, but she has in all the features O. that
dear old face the marks Of many q conflict