Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-09-26
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE, DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terian Church, Chicago

harassed men and women in this SER
mon by Rev. Frank DE Witt Talmage,
on the text Ecclesiastes xii. 3, 1.-The
grasshopper shall be burden
n unique text, capable of many diff
ferent Interpretations. Some suppose
the Solomonic burden of the grass
hopper, or. more strictly speaking, of
the eastern locust, refers to the nag
ging pains OF the chronic dyspeptic
The locusts, properly cooked. were edi-
bic. They constituted one of the most
delicate of foods. They were often
served to invalids and TO those whose
weak stomachs were unable TO assimi-
late any other kind OF diet Thus
some commentators assert that the fig
ure of the text is that OF an old man
contorted with pain because his diges-
tive organs have given out. The din
ner OF iocusts which he has eaten in
stead Of being transformed into blood
and bone and nerve and muscle is
lying like a lump of lead within him.
Others assert that the text is the figure
of an aged man whose emaciated body.
with its shriveled limbs and curved
backbone, has taken upon itself the
form OF n lean grasshopper. Thus
to have been changed into this chirp-
ing insect because the Greek gods who
had promised him immortality upon
earth had refused to endow him with
eternal youth.
But, though many interpretations are
offered to explain the meaning OF my
text, there is one simple Interpretation
which, believe, will appeal to the
common sense OF all. Solomon used
the figure Of the chirping grasshopper
TO illustrate the fact that if we do
not have the grace of God in our hearts
there will come n time when the little
annoyances of life will tease and tanta
lie and trouble US, even as the buzzing
OF an insect can destroy the slumbers
OF sleeping invalid or as the SIAM
ming Of a door makes n nervousIy pros
trated patient start up in fright aud
bcdews his cold forehead with clamp1y
sweat. The wisest OF all men seems to
say to you and me, ''The religion of the
Lord Jesus Christ is Just as essential
for the little troubles as for the big.
for the insectile trials as for the noun
famous Affections" The purpose of
this sermon is to discuss some of the
little annoyances of life and to state
how. by the grace OF God. we may
combat them. / want TO present this
theme to those whose physical and
mental frames have been prematurely
weakened by the strenuous. hardwork-
ing lives they have been compelled to
lead as well as to those whose once
strong bodies are bordering upon nerv-
GUS collapse on account OF the natural
approach OF old age.
Petty Annoyances.
The kitchen and bedroom and nurs-
cry and parlor OF the average home re-
veal many of the so called petty an
noyances which can render morbid and
unhappy the minds and the hearts of
the inmates, especially of the wives
and mothers. 1t is the annoyance of
trying to build fire early in the MORN
Ing, when the damper will not work.
that exemplifies how the grasshoprer
may become n burden. 1t is the trou-
BILE OF getting the children of 10 school
at the right time when the tired moth
, er finds that her boy has worn a hole
In one of his stockings and there Is
not another clean pair TO put on. It Is
the annoyance OF hunting up a pair or
scissors which your little girl lost when
she took them TO make dolls dresses.
IL Is the annoyance OF having the
butcher and the groceryman fail to
bring home the vegetables and the
meats In time TO be cooked for dinner.
And then there is the annoyance to the
wife OF having her husband complain
because his meals are not served ON
time. 1t is the nagging annoyance that
comes every little while to ali good
housekeepers OF having n lot OF people
drop In for dinner at the last moment
when you are not expecting them and
wen you have nothing suitable in the
[tHer TO cook for them. 1t Is the
sane kind OF annoyance that Martha,
3pithe little village of Bethany, expert
hces when her brother Lazarus
, reught Christ and some OF the disci-
$les to the home Or 1t is the annoy
ance OF having company call when the
children have been playing hide and
seek In the parlor and have turned the
Furniture upside down as though q cy-
clone had struck il, or the annoyance
or being seen on the stairs by some |
particular friend when your hair is |
nnkempt and your dress is disordered |
from working in the storeroom or from |
packing or from putting up lace cur |
tains or from canning peaches or MAX |
ing currant jellies for the next winters |
supply.
The housekeeper's little annoyances |
would not amount to much IL there |
We're only few of them and If these |
annoyances came but seldom. But the |
trouble with the burden of the grass
hoppers is that this insect always trav-
els In multitudes. They advance by
swarms, by hundreds, by thousands,
by millions. They travel In such great
numbers that they make the huge
monsters In the African forests turn
and fee In wild terror for their lives.
They will destroy every harvest In
their tracks and eat bare every tree
branch. Their advent is q curse. and
their departure nearly always leaves
complete desolation- In the life of Sir
Thomas Graham, the great financier
who built the Royal Exchange of Lon
don. We read that he was left found
ling In country field. His mother
was poor woman, who deserted him.
Sr Thomas, as baby, was discovered
In that field and his life was saved
through the ch,rping Of a grasshopper.
winch attracted boy to the place
where the child was lying. But TINT ia
The only instance in all history which I
we remember where life was saved
~ a grasshopper. AS rule, the To- I
gusts travel In such swarms that their /
mission seems to be to destroy life and
lot to save 1t. I
Solomon's Advice.
IL Is the accumulation of little insect '
lnnoyances in the home that wrecks
he nervous systems and mentaHhappi- 4
less OF our wives and mothers and Sis {
ers, not the individual annoyances {
Which may only come once In a week.
month or In year. Many woman
ould bravely meet great trouble in 9
Ire. Many woman could contem- {
late her execution as calmly and self {
assessed as did Nathan Hale the Rev