Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-02-14
Dr.TALMAGE SERMON
THE GREAT DIviNE'S ELOQUENT
MESSAGE
Subject: EJ"rtment From Eden-It Shows
Idl-ncss a. Bad For Ian-BlessinCs OF
Labor - J,;cres Are More Equally
Divided Than Il Generally Understood

rom EdPn-tf Show
Idl-ncss = Bad For Nan-Biessings OF
| Labor - Js;cres Are More Equally
Divided Than Is Generally Understood
Copyright IaH.l
| WASHINGTON. d. C.-There Il a great
| solacc n this discourse of DIR. Talmagc
| for those whose lives have many anxieties;
| text, Isaiah iii, 10. Say We to the right
| eous that it shall be well with him
Here Is a promise for people who are
all right, but who viii come and ge; 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 ccntu-
! ries ago that started the human race in the
wrong way, and we have not got over it
| yet. we know 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.
II it were any OF your business, they could
give you an inventory OF fralltles and mis-
takes and infelicities that would be aston
| lshlng. Here, then, you say, Is Bible
promise that goes a-begglng. Say We 70
the righteous that it shall be we'll 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-
dlctlon OF my text II they viii first do the
right thing. Over here in the next street
was man who IN great mlstortunes lost
ali he had and was positively beggaTed,
but d letter comes from some European
city, where the land records are kept, an
nCunclng to him that a great fortune is
his. Now he Is opu'ent as he was pau
periZed. He dofTs his rags and puts on
respectable attire and moves into home
appropriate for man OF vast estate. Ills
worldly circumstances were all wrong last
|
next street is a man who was from perfect
health Frustrated. and he seemed to be
sick unto death. but a sliillful physician
took correct diagnosis of his disease. and
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.
b. sin we have all been morally bank
rupted. Christ the Lord from His inf
mite riches pays our debts and emDara-
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
diseased but Christ. the physician. by
bath in the fountain of His grace. cures
Now, to our spiritual health are
all right That Is the way we come to the
Righteousness spoken Of in the text. 1t is
a contributed righteousness a made-over
Righteousness, an imputed righteousness.
The moment you get into right relations
with Christ the Lord that moment you can
appreciate the magnificent comfort of the
text, and | defy you in all this great book.
from the first verse of the first chapter of
Genesis to the last verse of the last chap
tel of Revelation. to find me a passage
with higher and deeper, and broader and
longer comfort than that of the text,
which is deep the Atlantic Ocean
half way between the continents, and high
as the sun when the clock is striking II
at noon. But | shall be swamred with
the oceanic tides of this subject unless the
ye to the righteous that it shall be we'll
with him.
Bear in mind that but few people can
stand worldly success. Water IS a good
thing. but too much of it will drown.
Fire is a good thing. but too much of it
will destroy. Light is a good ching, but
too much of it dazzles and blinds. Sue
cess is a good thing, but too much Of it
has overwhelmed many for this world and
the next. If it were best for Us, we would
all be miilonaires, live in palaces like the
Alhambra, and be as personally attractive
as Cleopatra appeared to Antony. But
the most of folks could not endure such
superabundance, and it is absolutely nec2a-
sary in order to keep them right that 999
men out of 1000 should find life struggle.
1t keeps them out of mischief. After
Adam was elected from the premises
where by ten minutes of employment a
day he could keep the garden and dress it
the best thing that could happen to him
was compulsiOn to work and fight. The
ground that bioOmed with spontaneous
flowers and rustled with harvests that
owed nothing to pillow or hoe became hos
tile, and bramble was substituted for rose,
and the panther growIed where before he
faWned, and horn and fang and hoof be
came beligerent. That Ede-.ic ejectment
shows us as nothing else ever could that
idIeness or only a few minutes OF employ
ment a day are doom and overthrow. Put
it down among your blessings that you
have to work hard with brain or hand or
foot or all three of them.
How many men do you know worth
$3.50, 900 who are devOut and cOnSecTatCd
and humble and generous and employing
their means for the worlds REDEMPTION?
You could count them up on the fingers
of your two hands even II by accident OF
war you had lost one or two OF the fingers.
AS to the realm OF personal attractiVeness,
how many women radiant OF countenancc
and graceful of form do you know who are
unaffected and natural OF manner and
deeply pious before God, using their
beauty for the retirement Of the world
and not for selfish purposes? [ only take
the risk of asking the question and leave |
to you the risk of answering it. These |
things [ say 20 show YOU that in order 10
have the promise OF the text fulfilled IN
your case it is not necessary you have pine
nOmenal worldly success.
Notice. also that God gives the righteous
the power to extract good out of evil. and |
by divine chemistry to change the bitter |
into the sweet ard the harmful into the |
beneficial. The promise that it shall he |
we'll with you does not imply that you are
to be free from trouble. There * 10 es-
4LoL oil hor 70