The age-herald., 1902-02-23

Washington, February 16-In this dis course Dr. Talmage advises us to do our best in the spheres where we are placed and not wait to serve God in resound- ing position; text. l. Corinthians x. 3l. Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory Of God"
 When the apostle in this text sets forth the idea that so common an action as the taking of food and drink is to be conducted to the glory of God, he pro- claims the importance of religion in the ordinary affairs of our life. In all ages of the world there has been tendency to set apart certain days, places and oc- casons for worship. and to think those were the chief realms in which religion was to act Now holy days and holy places have their importance. They give opportunity for special performance of Christian duty and for regaling of the religious appetite, but they cannot take the place of continuous exercise of faith and prayer. In other words, man can not be so much of a Christian on Sun day that he can afford to be Worldllng all the rest of the week. If a steamer put out for Southampton and go one day in that direction and the other six days in other directions. how long before the steamer will get to Southampton? It will never get there. And. though a man may seem to be voyaging heavenward during the holy Sabbath day, if during the fol- lowing six days of the week he is going toward the world and toward the flesh and toward the devil how long will 1t take him to reach the peaceful harbor Of heaven? You cannot eat so much at the Sabbath banquet that you can afford re- ligious abstinence the other six days. Heroism and princely behavior on great occasions are no apology for lack of right demeanor in circumstances insignificant and inconspicuous. The genuine Christian life is not spasmodic; does not go by fits and starts. It tolls on through heat and cold. up steep mountains and along dan gerous declivities. its eye on the everlast- ing hills crowned with the castles or the blessed, I propose to plead for an every day religion.
 In the first place we want to bring the religion of Christ into our conversation. When dam breaks and two or three villages are overwhelmed or an earth quake in South America swallows q whole city then people begin to talk about the uncertainty of life and they ina zine that they are engaged in posi- lively religious conversation No. You
 
 no grace of God at all in your heart. We ought every day to be talking religion. If there is anything glad about it. any thing beautiful about it. anything i'm portant about it. we ought to be contin- uously discussing. I have noticed that men just in proportion as their Christ ian experience is shallow talk about fun erals and graveyards and tombstones and deathbeds. The real, genuine Christian man talks chiefly about this life and the great eternity beyond and not so much about the insignificant pass between these two residences. And yet how few circles there are where the religion of Jesus Christ is welcome. Go into a cir cle even of Christian people, where they are full of joy and hilarity, and talk about Christ or heaven and everything is immediately silenced. As on a summer day when the forests are full of life, chatter, chirrup and carol-a mighty chorus of bird harmony, every tree branch an orchestra-if a hawk appear in the sky. every voice stops and the forests are still. Just so I have seen d lively religious circle silenced on the ap- pearance of anything like religious con versation. No one had anything to say save perhaps some old patriarch in the corner of the room, who really thinks that something ought to be said under the circumstances: so he puts one foot over the other and heaves a long sigh and says, "Oh, yes; that's so. that's so''
 1t Makes the Heart Glad.
 My friends, the religion of Jesus Christ