The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-02
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

Subject: Tho Good Religion Does "a in
This WorId-Christiau!'y and tho In
teiIect-Innueuco Of the Gospel In Busl-
nsss-can You Get Along without II:
WAoHINGToS, D. C.-In this discourse
Dr.. Taimage advocates the idea that the
Christian religion Is as good for this world
as the next, and will help US to do any.
thing that ought to be done at an; Tim.
othy iv, 8, Goodness is profitable unto
oil things, having promise Of the life that
now is and of that which is to come"
There is q gloomy and passive way of
waiting for events to come upon Us, and
there Is heroic way of going out to meet
them, strong in God and fearing nothing.
When the body of Catilinc was found on
the battlefield, it was found far in advance
Of oil lis troops and among the enemy, and
the best way Is not for us to lie down and
let the events of life trample over Us, but
to 60 forth in o Christian spirit deter.
mined to conquer. You are expecting pros.
perity, and I am determined, 50 far as
have anything to do with it, that you shall
not be disappointed, and. therefore, ! pro.
pose, as God may help me, to project upon
YOUR attention o new element of success.
You have in the business firm frugality,
patience, industry, perseverance,, economy
"A very strong business frm-but there
needs to be one member added, mightier
than them all, and not q silent partner
either, the one introduced by my text,
Goodness, which Is profitable unto all
things, having the promise of the life that
now is as we'll as Of that which is to come." "
that godliness Is important in its eternal
relations, but perhaps some Of you say,
"All I want is an opportunity to say
prayer before die, and all will be well" !"
There are a great many people who sup
pose that II they can finally get safely out
OF this world into . better world they will
have exhausted the entire advantage of
cur holy religion. They talk as though re-
lsion were o mere nod Of recognition
which we are to give to the Lord Jesus on
our way to heavenly mansion; as though
it were an admission ticket, of no use ex-
cept to give in at the door Of heaven. And
there are thousands of people who have
great admiration for q religion Of the
shroud and religion of the coffin and o
religion OF the cemetery who have no ap-
probation Of o religion for the bank, for
the farm, for the factory, for the ware
house, for the jewelers. shop, for the Office.
Now, while I would not throw any slur on
q post.mortem religion, I want to-day to
eulogize an ante-mortem religion. A relig-
ion that in Of no use to you while you live
will be of no use to you when you die.
Goodness is profitable unto all things,
having promise Of the life that now Is as
well as of that which is to come" And !
have always noticed that when grace is
very low in q mans heart he talks great
deal in prayer meetings about deaths and
about cofins and about graves and about
churehyards: I have noticed that the
healthy Christian, the man who is living
near to God and is on the straight road to
heaven, is full Of jubilans satisfaction and
talks about the duties. OF this life. under
right He will help him to die right.
Now, in the first place, I remark that
godliness is good for o mans physical
health. I do not mean to say that it will
restore q broken down constitution or
drive rheumatism from the limbs or neural.
gia from the temples or pleurtsy from the
side, but do mean to say that it gives
one such habits and puts one in such con.
dition as are most favorable for physical
health. That I believe, and that avow.
Everybody knows that buoyancy OF
spiri: Is good physical advantage: Gloom,
unrest, detection, are at war with every
pulsation Of the heart and with every res
piration of the lungs. They lower the VI
tality and slacken the circulation, while
exhilaration of spirit pours the very balm
Of heaven through all the currents OF life.
The sense Of Insecurity which sometimes
hovers over an unregenerate man or
pounces upon him with the blast Of ten
thousand trumpets OF terror is most depict.
ing aad most exhausting, while the feeling
that all things are working together for
our good now and for our everlasting wei
fare Is conducive to physical health.
You will observe that godliness induces
industry, which is the foundation of good
health. There is no law Of hygiene that
will keep lazy man well. Pleurisy will
stab him, erysipelas will burn him, jaun-
dice will discoior him, gout will cripple
him, and the intelligent physician will
not prescribe antiseptic or febrifuse
or anodyne. but saws and hammers
and yardsticks and crowbars and pick:
axes. There is no such thing as good
physical condition without positive work
Of some kind, although you should sleep
on down of swan or ride in carriage OF
softest upholstery or have on your table
all the luxuries that were poured from the
wine vats OF Ispahan and Sh;raz. Our re-
ligion says: Away to the bank, away to
the field, away to the shop, away to the
Do something that will enlist all
the energies OF your body. mind and SOUL
"Diligent in business. fervent IN spirit,
serving the Lord" while upon the bare
back OF tine idler and the drone comes
down the sharp lash OF the apostle as he
Gays, IF any man will not work, neither
shrll he eat"
Oh, how important Is this day, when so
much is said about anatomy and physio-
logy and therapeutics and some new style
OF medicine is ever and anon springIng
upon the world, that you should under
stand that the highest school Of medicine
is the school OF Christ, which declares that
"codiiness is profitable unto all things,
having the promise of the life that now is
as we as OF that which is to come" So
if YOU START out two men in the world with
equal physical health, and then one OF
hem shall get the religion OF Christ IN his
heart and the other shall not get it. the
one who becomes a son OF the Lord Al
mighty will live the longer. With long
life will satisfy him and show him My
salvation"
Again I remark that godliness is good
for the intellect. l know some have sup
posed that Just as soon as q man enters
into tn, Christian life his intellect goes
into bedwartins process. So far from
that, religion will give new briliiancy. to
the intellect, new strength to the lmasina-
tion. new force 20 the will and wider
swirg to all the intellectual faculties.
Christianity is the great central trc ut
which philosophy has lighted its brightest
torch.
The religion OF Christ is the fountain
,u. OF which learning has dipped its clear
,st draft. The He!icon poured forth no
such inspiring waters as those which flow
rom under the throne Of God clear As
,rystai.
Religion has given new energy to pscsy.
Keeping in Dr.. YounSs Night Thoughts
eachiac III Cowper's Task" flaming IN
Charles Wes!ey's hymns and rushing with
,rc.,lncc.,.. snirndnr through Milton