The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-12-19
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE, DID,,
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

SDlCdSO, IJtC. lt'--AA Dlttl LII a lliOL
generous and kindly treatment of en-
ployees and friends is made by Rev
+. De Witt Talmage in this sermon o.
the text Proverbs Xxx, IA, 1T is naugh
it is naught, saith the buyer, but whel
he is gone his way then he boasteth."
Do you see that Jerusalem gentleman
vending his way in and out among the
crowded booths and stores? Do you
see him stop and pretend to be eXamin
ing some article as though he were
making up his mind whether or not to
buy? He is in truth, stopping to hear
q conversation which is taking place
between an old Hebrew merchant and
a Young man who has just arrived, per-
haps from the far east, with camels
laden with a large assortment of eX-
pensive shawls. "Well," says the young
man to the old merchant, chow much
will you give? have put every cent
into this enterprise. | must sell those
shawls right away. My creditors are
beginning to crowd me hard. My men
want their pay right away. Those
shawls are the best l could get in the
east. They cost me $4,000 cash. |
have come a long distance with them,
and you certainly ought to give me
enough to meet my expenses" The old
man shrugs his shoulders. He says:
MY young friend do not care what
those shawls have cost you. They are
utterly valueless to me. l do not want
them at any price. The moths have
got into some of them. For my pur-
poses they are ruined. Besides that,
those shawls are all out of style. They
would be a perfect drug upon the mar
ket. | wish you would leave the shop.
/ have lot of business to attend to,
and | have no time to waste"
The young inexperienced seller bites
his lip until the blood almost comes.
Then he thinks of his wife and little
babies He feels he is staring ruin in
the face. He knows he must make a
sale right away, else he will become a
bankrupt. He again says, Cant you
give me anything for those shawlsT'
The old merchant at first says nothing.
Then he answers: well, young man,
you seem to be in hard luck. l will
give you $4,000 if you want me to
take the damaged goods off your
hands" The tears begin to start from
the young mans eyes. He is too brave
to show them. He goes to the corner of
the street and stands there for awhile
to think While he is there the old
merchants eyes sharply follow him.
Then the young man comes back at
last and says: 81 guess | will take your
offer. That means must lose all the
money | ever made in my life. That
means / will not only throw away six
months hard work, but that now am
utterly ruined. Here is a receipt for
the money. Give me the money and let
me go to my tent and tell my wife we
are both ruined" Hardly has the
young man left when King Solomon,
for he is the listener, sees the old He
brew merchant begin to rub together
his hands in glee. A broad, sardOnic
smile overspreads his merciless face.
He calls to his partner and says:
Isaac, come here and see these goods.
Did you ever see such beauties? Why,
those shawls are worth at least $4,000
clean profit. | never struck better
bargain. That young man simply gave
them away to me. Just look at them,
Isaac. | bought them for $4,000, at
least $4,000 less than they cost. ]
must go and tell Rebecca how much
we have made this morning. Forty
thousand dollars clear profit! Aha, who
would ever have thought that young
man could be such a foolE' Is this not
a rational Interpretation of my text,
SIT is naught. it is naught, saith the
buyer, but when he is gone his way
then he boasteth|
The Meaning of Solomon.
While this conversation takes place
between the deceitful old merchant and
his partner, methinks | can see a trOu-
bled look come over the face of the dis
guised king who is standing near by.
Methinks l can hear him soliloquize:
"How contemplate and despicable is
this wholesale system of swindling de-
precautions! How deceitful and damn
ing it was for that old merchant to de-
spoil that young merchant | must en-
body among my proverbs for the bene-
fit of all my people a warning against
this almost universal and sinful habit"
That night, while the great king is sit
ting alone in his palace study, he takes
up his pen and adds another sparkling
gem to his casket of scintillating jew
els of wisdom. | would interpret the
lesson of this text not only in the mer-
chants parlance. but also in reference
to the wicked depreciations of every
walk in life, no matter where the sinful
practice may be found.
Discouraging depreciations are found
in the home as well as in the street, by
the domestic fireside as well as in the
Jerusalem stores. in the nursery as
well as in the public market place. In
China it is never considered gentle
manly or polite for a man to speak well
of his relatives. In America it is also
the custom of some parents, brothers
and sisters never to speak euIogistical-
ly to any of their dear ones. no matter
how much they may be proud of them
and their successes. They say they are
afraid to praise them. They fear lest
they should give them a conceited idea
of themselves and spoil them. There
fore their policy is to peck at all the
faults of their loved ones. but never
commend them for their virtues.
Now, my friends, as far as 1 can IN
derstand our social life, the greatest
need of the world today is not FOR a
few more gigantic factories to run