Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-05-26
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago. May 25.-In this sermon the
Rev. Frank De Witt Talmage presents
in n picturesque and forcible way the
duty OF Christian fellowship. The text
is Matthew v, Al, "Whosoever shall
compel thee to 60 a mile. go with him
twnin.''
A keen. shrewd lawyer was one day
listening to John Wesley preaching.
The founder of Methodism had three
different headings for his sermon:
First. ''Get all you can without hurting
your soul your body or your neigh
bors." That is sensible" thought the
lawyer; unless n man is continually
reaching out for something he will new
er have anything. Industry is the foun-
dation Of all success" Second heading
''Save all you can. cutting off any need
less expense" fright again." muttered
the list Der. at is not so much what
man earns that makes him wealthy
as what ne saves" Third heading,
"Give all you can" There" exclaim-
ed the hard headed lawyer, 'the minis
ter has foolishly gone and spoiled ev
erything he has said. He ought to have
had foE his third heading, Give as lit
tie as you can You cannot save IN
less you keep what you have earned"
So some OF Christ's auditors felt that
no. was preaching the most foolish of
doctrines when he used the illustration
OF the. twain mile. They were ready to
obey the Mosaic law of justice. They
would assent to an eye for an eye,
Co hon nd
They would travel the first mile will
ingly and pay every penny that they
legitimately owed. but they were not
ready to turn the left cheek to a foe
after that enemy had deliberately
struck them Il singing blow upon the
right cheek. They protested against a
communiskie gospel, which allowed a
thief to run away with their whole
wardrobe. with their cloak as well as
their coat. They would not enslave
themselves TO any merciless taskmas-
ter. Fer every days labor they must
have a fun days pay. Yet Christ's
statement is strikingly true. 1t is right
in reference TO the temporal life as well
as the spiritual The willingness to
travel the twain mile is the forerunner
of all true success. The unwillingness
to travel the twain mile is the cause Of
almost certain failure.
The twain mile is the place of test
ing. Lt is where the powers that be
choose the men who are to be honored
in life's service. There the human race
is sifted. There the faithful are sep
arated from The irresponsible, the ener-
getie from the slothful. the true man
from the false. the self sacrificing from
the selfish. the one purpose man from
the indolent. lazy. shiftless individual
who lives without definite aim. The
twain mile is the thrashing floor of hu.
man life. where the wheat is separated
from the chaif. the rich grain from the
useless tareS.
The Crowded First Mile.
Most of the human race are huddled
together and jostling each other dur
ing the first nile. where they only dc
what they have to do. But in the sec
ond on the twain mile of life's journey
where a man does more than he is ask
Cd to do. he always has plenty of ell
bow roon. As the great Statesman
once said There is plenty of room a
the top OF the ladder of success, al
though thousands of hands may b.
reaching for the lowest rung."
Every merchant knows of the sep
arating CIR testing influence of thu
twain mile. When a position in tn
store became vacant. whom, in all prob
ability. did you promote to the va
cancy-the clerk who has been in tn
store foP ten or fifteen years. the yOuni
man who has never been willing to d.
any more than he was compelled to do
Did you select the employee who wa
generally ten minutes late in the morn
ing. the clerk who has his hat in hi
hand ready 10 run for home as soon a
the hour hand points to the numera
6? Did you promote one who SCENE
to be Indifferent to his work and had
be watched day by day to be kept busy
as mether has to watch u little child
No. The young man who received tn
promotion was the poor country DO
who entered your store with no recon
mendation except the willingness
travel the twain mile. the Willingness
For years the twain mile young ma
was the first employee at work in til
morning. For years he was the la:
person to leave the store at nigh
When the work piled up upon his desl
unbidden by the head of his depar
ment he always stayed many hour
overtime until the work was done. p
was the yoQng man who threw himse
into. his allotted tasks with such il
tenSity that he made his employers il
terests his Interests.
Who is the leading member today
the New York bar-the lawyer wi
when he graduated and could not Fl
clients spent most his time in II
neighborins billiard hall? The your
man who became an expert in cal
playing ar in Judging the races? \
He thR. rpunu In who Studil