Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-25
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,,
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

'~oS q" ehiS StIuiOH DN keY. FRANK
DE Witt Talmage from the text Mark
VI, 81, Come We yourselves apart into
desert place and rest awhile"
A desert placel What does that
mean? Is Christ bidding his disciples
follow him over great sea of sand?
Does he want his companions to lose
themselves among the endless dunes
and live where neither beast nor bird
nor fish nor insect can live? Does he
desire them TO be terror stricken ut the
meanings of the simooms or to be
smothered In one of those awful desert
windstorms and be there as completely
lost as the merciless ocean can swallow
down a shipwrecked crew and leave
mo trace where the watery jaws have
opened and shut? No Christ is not
here abiding to Mesopotaman or
Persian or Sahara desert of sand
Christ is practically saying TO his dis
ciples, who are physically and mentally
worn out from too much work: Come
let us so out into the country where we
can be alone. Let us go among the
hills where we shall be separated from
these throngs of people who are con-
tinually following us to be physically
healed and spiritually fed. Let us go
OF alone, where we shall hear only the
rustliDg of the leaves and the singing of
the birds and the ripping OF the brooks
Let us HE away into natures haunts,
where we can see the deer playing in
the valleys and where we can stumble
through the wild vines growing Mt our
feet. Let us go away to the place
xx-hO flA Cd,
among the fresh green pasture lands"
Every human body needs the re-
cuperation of physical rest. When Dan
Tel Webster made his last visit to John
Adams, the aged eX-president said: 81
am as well as any man of nearly nine
ty years could expect to be. / find i
am afflicted with an incurable disease
called old age. My spirit is occupying
Il very shaky tenement, and, as far as
] can make out. sir, the Landlord does
not intend to make any more repairs"
That statement of John Adams was
figuratively right and yet literally
wrong. The human body, which was
once created out of dust, is being re
created up to the very brink of the
grave. We eat and drink and rest in
10 the bones, the muscles and the flesh.
And rest is just as essential for the
physical recreation as are food and
water and light.
Why Rest IL Needed.
The purpose OF this sermon is to
show that every Woodworking Chris
tan, at least once n year. should go
out into the country and take n vaca-
ton, prayerful nest, the same as
Jesus disciples, who left their work
TO take rest. 1t is every Christians
duty ut least once n year to leave the
home, the store, the factory and have
complete change of scene and food.
When Phoebe Cary came to die, look
ing up at her physician, she said:
Doctor, you can do nothing for me-
The reason / am dying is because for
years 1 would never take n rest. Even
when 1 went off into the country /
always took my books and pen and
worked" Thousands and tens of thou
sands OF the best brains and hearts of
the pulpit, the bar, the medical office
and OF all the Christian departments
OF life have simply killed themselves
in their young manhood and woman
hood because they would not obey
Christs command and take n rest.
Satan is n great strategist. He rare
ly attacks his enemies in the places
where he thinks they are invunerabIe.
he is always trying new schemes and
plans When Satan finds true Chris
tian who is consecrated TO Gods serv-
Ice, he Immediately calls together his
demoniac lieutenants and says: THAT
man must be stopped in his career of
good works. Those lips OF his must be
closed That hand must be made help
less. That pure heart must be struck
by some poisonous arrow. That foot
or his must be led along the stony
path OF sim" No vision OF earth can
arouse Satan into such frenzied pas
sion as the sight OF good man con-
secrating his years TO good works. So
Satan, when he sees good man con
secrating his life 10 good deeds, i'm
mediately dispatches his angels OF
temptation. First, Satan offers To that
good man all the allurements of popu-
lar applause and worldly pleasures.
The spirit Of temptation does not come
like wrinkled old bag, with her bony
hands changed into the shape of an
eagles claw, which can be used TO XIII
as we'll as tear away the quivering
flesh. But the spirit of temptation
comes in the form OF the evil spirit
like that which the artist once painted
He drew the spirit of temptation as a
beautiful angel. Her lips were wreath
ed In smiles. Her hair had hidden in
nf %
sun. Her lap was full OF flowers. Her
couch was the rim Of a cloud, while
under the shadow OF her flowing robes
crouched the demoniac form of death.
So Satan tries TO destroy the good man
by adulation, by applause. BY his
very successes Satan tries TO turn his
humble heart of love into a vain heart
OF sin.
Then IL Satan finds that worldly ap.
plause and the wine cup and the mid
night caronsal do not stop the career
of the good man who has consecrated
his life TO good deeds he tries another
mode He says: '.I will unkennel and
unleash ali the bloodhounds of perse-
sutton and misrepresentation and SIAN
DER and turn them upon the good mans
track will let this pack of demoniac
bloodhounds bury their white teeth
in bis limbs; 1 will let these blood
hounds leap upon him and try to tear
out his heart All, have made many
a good man ON account of Islander turn
and curse God! Perhaps can destroy
this man in this way"
How setan Kills by Overworix.
But after Satan has tried to destroy
this good man by both popular APP
plause and by the hounds of persecu-
ton and SANDER and has failed Satan
has one way left. Satan says TO him.
seif:~"1 cannot make that man give up
his God. but. I can kill him with over
work. 1can pile the Christian oppor-
tunities OF usefulness upon that bril-
liant, consecrated, young gospel min
ister; will keep him working during |
The day and during the night: / will |