The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-12
DR. TALMAGES
 SERMON. :.

Washington, Jan. 5.--In this, Dr. Tal- mages first discourse for the new year. he speaks words of encourag sment to all the timid and doubting. The text is Ex- odus, xii, g. rThis m5n.h shall be unto you the beginning of months; 1t shall be the first month of the year to you"
 The last month of the old year has passed out of sight, and the first month of the new year has arrived. The mid night gate opened last Wednesday, and January entered. She deserves a better name. for she is called after Janus, the heathen deity, who, they supposed, pre- sided over doors and so might be expect cd to preside at the. opening of the year. This month was of old called the wolf month. because. through the severity of It's weather, the; hungry wolves came down. seeking food and devouring human life. In the missals of the middle ages January was represented as attired in white, suggestive of the snow. and blow ing the fingers, as though suffering from the cold. and having bundle of wood under the arm, suggestive of the warmth that must be kindled
 Yes, January is the open door of the year, through that door will come what long processtons, some of them bearing palm leaves and some myrtle. others with garlands of wheat and others with cy- press and mistletoe. They are coming. and nothing can keep them back-the events of a twelvemonth. It will, think, be one of the greatest years of all time 1t will abound with blessing and dlsas-
  versies of momentous import will be set tied. Year of coronation and dethroue- ment. year that will settle Cuban and Porto Rican and Philippine and South African and Chinese destinies. The tam- est year for many decade past has dug its millions of graves and reared it's millions of marriage altars.
 We can expect greater events in this population has so vastly increased there are ,so many more than in any other year to laugh and weep and triumph ana perish. The mightier wheels of mechan- Ism have such wider sweep. The fires are kindled in furnaces not seven times but seventy times heated. The yelocitles whirling through the air and sailing the seas and tunneling the mountains will make unprecedented demonstration. Would to God that before the new open ing year has closed the earth might cease to tremblc with the last cannon ade and the heavens cease to be lighted up with any more confiagration of home steads and the foundries that make swords be turned into blacksmith shops
 Grasp Present Opportunities.
 The front door of a stupendous year has opened Before many of you there will be twelve months of opportunity Tor making the world better or worse, happier or more miserable. Let us pray that it may be year that will indicate the speedy redemption of the hemisphere. Would to God that this might be the year in which the three great instru- ments now, chiefly used for secular pur- poses might be put 10 their mightiest use Tn tie worlds evangelization-the telegraph, the telephone, the ohonograph! Electricity has such potent tongue, such strong arm, such swift wing, such light ming foot, that 1t occurs to me that 1t may be the angel that St. John saw and heard in apocalyptic vision when he started back and cried out. T saw an- other angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people," They were tongues of fire that sat on the heads of the disciples at the Pentecost, and why not the world Prepare your batteries and make ready to put upon the wires the world wide mes- sage of "whosoever will.
 Furthermore, this month of January has the greatest height and depth of cold. The rivers are bound in crystal chains. The fountains that made highest leap in the summer parks now toss not one jet, for every drop would be a frozen tear. The sleds craunch through the hard snow. .Warmest attire the wardrobe can afford is put on that we may defend our selves Against sthe fury of the clements. Hardest of all the months for the poor, let 1t be the season of greatest gener- osity on the part of the prosnerous. How much scuttle of coal or a pair of shoes or coat or a shawl may do in assuagement of suffering between the 1st of January and the 1st of February God only knows Seated by our warm reg isters or wrapped in furs which make us independent of the cutting January blast, let us not forget the fireless hearth and the thin garments and the hacking cough and the rheumatic twinge of those who through destitution find life in winter