Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-06-08
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Cnurch, Chicago

d. (mcagO, JQne TN tnls sermon the
preacher sets forth with enthusiasm
che delights OF the Christian ministry
and the opportunities Il offers TO the
graduates OF our learned institutions
as the ideal life of consecrated useful
ness. The text is Psalms xvi, g. The
lines are faHen unto me in pleasant
places"
Different occupations often imply diff
ferent enjoyments. All varieties or
flowers do not thrive equally well I'M
der the same colored glasses. The
nmusements which would be exhilara-
ton and restful relaxation for the ply
stefan may he drudgery and irritation
for the merchant. The owls and the
bats turn their days into nights and
their nights into days. The eagles and
the hawks do not circle about In the
heavens unless they can heat their
feathers by the flaming fires OF the sun.
The inhabitant OF one home may be
deaf and blind to the pleasures sur
rounding another fireside.
In the backwoods best learned this
interesting lesson. With my family,
was spending a summer vacation in
the country. In n rowboat. far from
n railroad station, | was tracing the
bendings and windlngs OF n little river.
Suddenly, ut n turn OF the stream, we
came 10 n small house nesting under
the protecting branches OF the tall
trees found there n woman living
practically alone. She had no children.
All day long her husband was off to
work | said to her: This Is an awful
place to live! You must be lonely and
heartsick with no companionship."
"Oh, no." she answered. III am never
alone. have hundreds of friends who
call and talk to me every day. DO you
see that little nest just at the end OF
my porch? Well, last spring the mother
bird came here as a bride and asked
me II she could build her home there,
and | said Yes Then she talked and
chartered on all the time she was
building II. She brought me her hus-
band and introduced me to him. She
told me when the eggs were laid and
when the eggs were Matched. She is
one OF my friends. Then just over
there under that bank a muskrat has
his home. and is raising his family.
He comes out every little while and
blnks at me and talks in the sign Ian
guage. Then there are my friends the
wild flowers and my friends the chick
ems and my friends the fish. which l
feed at the dock. Then the river it
self is a friend of mine. 1t has Ian
"a
which | listen. and when l get tired
and weary | am soothed by its SYM
patty. oh, no; do not pity me for be-
ing alone. My enjoyments are per-
haps not your enjoyments, but they
are many, very many. | would not
exchange my life for that of any one
l know" Happy woman that. Happy
because she was in the place where
she could use the qualities with which
God had endowed her. Happy because
like bee, she was able to find every
flower filed with nectar for her lips
Happy because every tree branch was
TO her n choir loft in which master
soloist was singing the sweetest sons
In all his repertoire.
The Happiest Life.
Well, my friends, as l needlessl.
pitied that poor woman living in tn
backwoods there are hundreds ant
thousands of people commiserating tn
supposed unhappy lot of gospel min
lister. These sympathetic cOmmisera
tons have become widespread. Their
are hundreds-aye, thousands-ofy oun
9th leo
teered for service in the Christian pu
pits, have been deferred on accoun
OF them, from consecrating themselve
to the gospel ministry. Now / want
speak specially this morning to tn
young men who are graduating froI
our colleges and schools, and If the
have adopted this view Of the Chri:
tian ministry being a joyless, gloom
life l want to set them right. l max
q direct appeal to the young men
enter the gospel pulpit, because 1t o
fers the happiest the most blessed an
the most exhilarating life on earth.
am going to make this plea with al
tobiographical authority by shown
the kindnesses and the sympathi'
which have surrounded me from Il
day OF my ordination down to the pre-
ent time.
The first objection generally made
the occupation of minister is that
is not money making professio
That is true. but II does offer som
thing far better in the Joy of noble co
secration. We have all at some tin
proved the truth OF Christ's word
that ii is better to give than to I
ceive. When the bower bird of To-
builded her home for the first time
our hearts we Immediately tried to ma
ifest that love in many different wa!
We laid at the feet of our ladylove o
gifts. as tho wise men from the ef
came to the manger with their preseI
OF gold and frankincense and myrl
We manifested our love in the little
tentions we daily bestowed and in
letters we would write. AS time pass
L.. Oh hat