Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-24
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE, DID,,
Pastor Of letters on Pork Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago
TO DE CONTINUED

Chicago, July 2o-Thcre are a scent
Of the pines and an atmosphere Of the
country In this sermon by Rev. Frank
De Witt Talmage from the text Mark
vi. 81, Come We yourselves apart into
a desert place and rest awhile"
A desert place. What does that
mean? Is Christ bidding his disciples
follow him over n great sea of sandl
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 be
desire them to be terror stricken at the
meanings of the simooms or to be
smothered in one Of those awful desert
windstorms and be there as completely
lost as the uerciless ocean can swallow
down a shipwrecked crew and leave
no trace where the watery jaws have
opened and shutf No. Christ is not
here alluding to Mesopotamian or q
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 go out Into the country where we
can be alone. Let us 60 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 60
Off alone, where we shall hear only the
rustling 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 at our
feet. Let us go away to the place
where the shepherd leads his focks
among the fresh green pasture lands"
Every human body needs the re-
cuperation Of physical rest. When Dan
lei Webster made his last visit to John
Adams, the aged eXpresident said IL
am as well as any man of nearly nine
. ty years could expect to be. find
am afflicted with an incurable disease
called old age. My spirit is occupying
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
| hSui ilSht oiid yCt iitNAuiit
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
, order to give nourishment and strength
. to the bones, the muscles and the flesh.
And rest Ia just as essential for the
physical recreation aR are food and
water and light
3 Why a Rest IL Needed.
, The purpose Of this sermon is to
; show that every hardworking Chris
j tan. at least once a year, should so
out into the country and take a vaca-
ton, prayerful rest the same as
Jesus disciples, who left their work
1 to take rest. 1t Is every Christians
duty at least once year to leave the
! home the store, the factory and have
q complete change Of scene and food.
y When Phoebe Cary came to die, look
2 Ing up at her physician. she said:
I doctor, you can do nothing for me.
The reason | am dying is because for
| years I would never take rest. Even
when l 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
, Christ's command and take rest.
q Satan is a great strategist. He rare
~ attacks his enemies In the places
y where he thinks they are invulnerable.
He Is always trying new schemes and
), plans. When Satan finds true Chris
tian who Is consecrated to Gods serv-
J. Ice, he Immediately calls together his
demoniac lieutenants and says: That
. man must be stopped in his career Of
y good works. Those lips of his must be
4 closed. That hand must be made help
a less. That pure heart must be struck
Z by some poisonous arrow. That foot
u Of his must be led along the stony
n path of uin." No vision of earth can
r arouse Satan into such O frenzied pas
sion as the sight of good man con-
!, secrating his years to good works. So
). Satan, when he sees a good man con-
II secrating his life to good deeds, i'm
a mediately dispatches his angels of
e temptation. First. Satan offers to that
: good man all the allurements Of popu-
lar applause and. worldly pleasures
h The spirit Of temptation does not come
|, like wrinkled old hag. with her bony
Il hands changed into the shape Of an
. eagles claw which can be used to Kill
as well as tear away the quivering
+, flesh. But the spirit of temptation
k comes in tive forN OF the evil spirit
like that which the artist once painted.
n lie drew the spirit of temptation as a
q leautiful angel. Her lips were wreath
"a d In smiles. Her hair had hidden in
- the brilliant colors OF the setting
. un. Her lap was full Of flowers. Her
=, ouch was the rim of a cloud, while
:, .nder the shadow Of her flowing robes