The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-09-05
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago, Aug 31.-Sound advice In
view of the uncertainty of life is given
lin this sermon by Rev. F. De Witt Tai
mage on the text Isaiah xxxviii, 1,
"Set thine house in order, for thou
shalt die"
am going to stay aboard this planet
as long as 1 can When the time comes
for me to die, 1 believe sufficient grace
will be given to me with which to die.
But have never felt less like dying
than at the present time. Ny home
was never so happy, my friends never
more kind, my work never more alb
sorbing. Present earthly life is mex
pressibly sweet to me. l feel in refer
ence to it a great deal as did Christie
pher North, the physical and literary
athlete, who with his friends and chill
tdren, used to race over the heather of
old Scotland, his yellow curls a-f1ying
in the winds, singing and shouting as
he ran, because he was bubbling over
with joy and animal spirits. 1 am in
love with the world because l like the
people who are in it.
But, though earthly life may be
as to myself, yet there must come to
all a time when we shall have to die.
Perhaps, like Hezekiah of my text,
who besought God by prayer to in
crease his earthly day. we may be able
to prolong our existence ten, fifteen or
even twenty years by rigidly obeying
the well tested physical laws of health.
Dio Lewis, the great lecturer upon n.y.
giene, once declared that every normal
healthy child born into the world
ought to live to be at least 100 years
old. He asserted that nearly all the
members of the human race do not
live out half their earthly life be-
cause they do not eat the right kind of
food, wear the proper clothing and
take the proper amount of exercise.
But though the longevity of the hui
man race might be increased to 100 or
even 200 years, though the present gen
Grafton might be able to reach the two
hundredth and fiftieth milestone which
marks the highway of life's journey
instead of only the twentieth or If
tieth or SEVENTEEN milestone, yet for
every man and woman there must
come at last an end to earthly exist
ence. The Bible distinctly and en-
phatically states it. All history proves
it Though Dio Lewis himself rigidly
practiced the laws of health which his
keen and far reaching intellect framed;
though he only ate just enough food to
replenish the amount of waste tissue;
though he wore the proper clothing
and daily took the proper amount of
physical exercise, yet Dio Lewis him
self had to die. So the same words
of warning which the prophet Isaiah
brought to the sick ruler in the ancient |
Jerusalem palace l bring to you. They
are just as pertinent for the present |
generation as they were to the Hebrew
king who lived nearly 5000 years ago. |
The First Steps Necessary.
In anticipating his earthly demise |
common sense man should in the first |
place set his temporal house in order. |
That means he should, if necessary, |
get his life insured. He should make |
out his last will and testament. He
should appoint the executors of his es
tate, and the future guardian of his .
children. He should explain the de-
tails of his business and invest his
moneys in such a manner as that his
executors can easily carry out his
plans. He should train up his chill
dren or his lieutenants so that they
may carry on his work after he Is
dead. He should, if desirable, buy
his family plot and make all arrange
ments for the last resting place of him
self and his loved ones. We have con-
tempt for the man who has so little
interest in the temporal welfare of
his wife and children that he will not
make last will and testament.
But, Mr.. Talmage," answers some
one, 81 would do as you say, but l am
very superstitious about this matter of
making a will. intend to make a will
and fix up my temporal affairs when |
feel that my life is drawing to an
earthly close, but not now. l have al
ways superstitiously felt that when a
man makes his last will and testament
he will certainly die before the year is
out. Therefore | want to postpone
making my will as long as possible"
Although l am, comparatively speak
ing, young man, yet l have had a
great deal of experience in sickrooms
and by deathbeds, and, my brother,
want to warn you as a friend that in
all probability when you come to die
you will not have any time to fix up
your estate and make an intelligent
will and last testament. In all proba-
Ibility. you will be in such physical and
mental weakness that yOb will not
have enough strength to do anything
else but lie in your bed and murmur a
few words of farewell until you are
gone Therefore, my brother, what
you want to do in reference to setting
your temporal house in order through
the influence of your last will and tes-
lament you had better do right away.
When death comes, your brain may be
too feeble to plan and your fingers too
trembling to hold a pen.
Furthermore, my friend, that state /
ment of yours about being supersti- I
tious in reference to making a will is ,
very foolish. 1t is as foolish as the SUI 1
persttion some people have about I
sitting one of thirteen at a table or 1
looking at the new moon over the
wrong shoulder or carrying a new
born babe downstairs before he is car
ried upstairs. 1t is so foolish that /
am surprised it should be anywhere ,
entertained among intelligent people.
You will not die because you make
your last will and testament, but you l
ought to make your last will and tesla
ment in reference to your temporal af- |
fairs because your death is inevitable. I