Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-08-08
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago. Aug. "a message of rev.
erence and appreciation for people who
have passed life's meridian is coutain-
cd in this discourse by Rev. Frank De
Witt Talmage ON the text Psalm xcii,
ii, "rhey shall stin bring forth fruit
in old sge.'
Old age is haunting specter. 1t has
terrorized the generations past more
than even the fear OF death. The most
hated and feared of all the Grecian
philosophers was he who used to stand
upon the street corners of Athens
frightening the passersby with these
solemn words: You will be an old
man. You viii be an old woman" He
frightened the passersby because most
people do not want TO become old.
They are afraid of coming to the time
when they will be a burden to their
children and their friends. They are
afraid of the time when their earning
capacity shall cease, for then. In the
race OF life, they will be jostled and
left far behind by the speed and the
strength of the younger generation.
Iney are afraid OF the years when
they VIII have to walk with n cane or
crutch or sit in an invalid chair wait
Ing for the time when the coffin maker
will finish their caSket and the under
taker viii order their grave to be dug.
To show how depressed some people
are over the fact of growing old
would read letter which 1 received
some time ago from one of my people:
Dear Mr.. Talnage-Last night in your
sermon You stated that this IS the age for
young men, You did not have time 10
speak one word in favor of the useful
ness OF the old people 1 was sorry.
knew OF some sitting near TO me who
would be heavy hearted on account of
their old age This morning an aged
member OF your church called upon me.
He said he was so depressed over your
remarks last night that he could not
sleep. With tears in his eyes, he said,
Il wonder IL old people viii be wanted in
heaven Now. my dear pastor, i would
like you, IL possible. to preach n sermon
upon the blessings of old age 1 would
like you to preach sermon TO cheer up
those who have passed the zenith of their
earthly life and are sliding down the 9TH
er side and nearing the landing place OF
eternity. You will. will you not7
1t is in answer to the request in this
letter that am going to speak this
morning to the old folks. 1 will gladly
try TO refute the popular fallacy that
old age for the Christian is merely
time for tears. for physical and men,
tai pains. and for depressing helpless
ness. 1t was n true thing that an aged
minister said to Jacob A. Riis. the
Now York reformer, my son, / am on
the sunshiny side of sixty, because /
am near TO the glories of heaven"
The words Of my text do not state that
an aged Christians twilight of life
upon earth is n gloomy and n sullen
sunset They do emphatically imply
that the last days of an aged Chris
tian's earthly life should be among his
happiest and most useful days. Those
days should be compared to the time
when the orchards branches are bend
ing under the heavy load OF the rip
ened autumnal fruit.
old Ages Testimony.
The aged Christian is able from his
own experience to testify of the pro-
tecting care OF Divine Fathers love.
Thedinerence between the testimonyo of
an old man and very young man is the
difference between knowledge and sup
position. between fact and surmise. 1t
Is the difference between the words of
n veteran who carries the scars, the
"Srord cuts and the bullet wounds of
many battlehelds and the words OF the
rudy faced youth who has not vet
won his shoulder straps or seen any,
thing but the recruiting officers pa
pers- 1t is the difference between the
experience of an old pilot OF the Hugh
river. the most dangerous nayiyable
river In the world, who has for MANY
years guided the boats up TO the
wharfs OF Calcutta, and the experience
or the cabin boy who has not vet
learned how to handle n wheel. IL Is
the difference between the diagnosis
or the old. gray haired physician who
has prescribed for hundreds of fever
patients and the diagnosis of the young
medical graduate who has Just re-
ceived his diploma. IT is the difference
between the words of the young states
man Just elected to congress and the
words or the first president OF the
United States when he was about to
leave the presidential chair for the
last time. When George Washington
delivered his farewell address at the
Inauguration OF John Adams, the
American people did not reverence his
words because he welded a more
trenchant pen than Thomas jefferson
or because he was more impassioned
orator than Patrick Henry. They rev.
erenced his words because he spoke
as one having authority. He spoke as
one who had led the American armies
during the darkest days OF the Revo-
iutionary war. He spoke as one who
had stood at the helm when the ship
or state was just launched. He spoke
as one who had been willing to offer
his life as sacrifice for his country's
GOOD The American people listened
10 him In the same spirit with which
the French audience heard the aged
patriot Lafayette when the chairman
introduced him with these beautiful
words: Fellow citizens, I would have
you listen reverentially to the speaker
OF the day because sixty years of a
noble lie are about to address you"
God's Promise True.
My aged Christian friend, there NAV
be other brains just as keen as yours |
There may be other hearts Just as |
willing to make sacrifice for their Lord |
ana Master as yours. but no Christian |
can as powerfully testify OF the pro-
tecting care Of Heavenly Father as
you can TESTIFY unless he can truly |
speak out of his own experience. The /
saint who is nearing the end of life
has the clearer view of heaven. You
can speak about the goodness of God
from personal experience as my IA
ther spoke TO me few years before
his death by telling me this remark
aDie incident: When he was q young
minister, he used to keep a diary, in
which he made n record of oil tba ~ |
quests he made to God concerning
matters which were then weighing up
on his heart. BY some mishap he lost
That diary, and he forgot about those
prayers he had offered. Some twenty
or thirty years. later he found that
diary. When he opened it and read
the many requests that he had made
nearly quarter of a century before.