Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-07-14
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt TalmaGc. d. D.

tTatlOn anu lnrucnJ tllat tTut anu ell
during happiness and satisfaction are
not to be found in worldly success. but
in embracing the offer of salvation
through Christ. Tho text is Mark xii,
81 Thou art not far from the kingdom
Of Cod
What is to you tho saddest word in
al! the English language? Edgar Al
Ian Poe, that brilliant genius of Amer
lean literature. whose designations en-
dungconed him in chamber Of hor-
rors as ghastlv as that in which Thorn
ms De Quincy was compelled to live
and whose raven of delirium tremens
sounded his death kncll when he had
just reached forty years of age. has
roadc the word "nevermore" awful In
its significance. In it we hear the
black bird of dc1noniacal despair croak-
ing n dirCe. In II are heard the sobs
of break ing hearts and are seen the
ghostlke horrors of living charnel
house. "NcvcrmOrc! Ncvcrmore. Ncv-
ernorc" To many that word will al
ways he the saddest of all words.
Thomas Carlyle, the great English
cssaYist and philosopher, the master Of
mighty sentences and prose master
pieces, dipped his pen in the rcddest Of
all inks when he wrote the word
fought" The great author Of the just
ly famous philosophical dissertation
upon The French Revolution de-
clarod that the word ought IS the
saddest of all words. It has in it all
the harsh and rcvcrberating voices
which run the gamut of relnorSe. Car
lylc'S conception of the imperial force
of that word ought" had in it the
thunder of sinai, and to the offender
r"crcant to duty it still sounded, min
glcd with the taunts of the icndS of
th" eternal inferno. dcriding and mock
ing the miserable sufferer with the re-
mindcrS of the bliss he might have en-
ioycl if he bad done as he ought.
Some have declared that the saddcst
of all words is gone" others death"
others despair" But today | want to
call your attention To another word
which think is the saddest word ever
uttered by man. 1t was that which
King Agrippa spake to Paul when on
the Roman tribunal of Caesarca PHI
lippi ice said: almost! Almost thou
pcrSuadcst me to be Chrfstian.' All
yes, King Agrppa was 50 near the
kingdom of God that Just one step
forward would have placed the Roman
f Of 4 hriS
step more would have changed him
from It pagan into humble and re-
pcutant follower of the Nazarenc. But
that one top was never taken. King
Agrippa vas almost" persuaded 70 be
Christi n. but his almost never
brought LIN into safety and eternal
life
Today IN going TO Try to help some
of You to overcome that Saddost of all
words almost" ! am going 10 show
some Of You that. like the scrib" Of my
text WhO cHmc TO question Jesus. you
are not far from the kingdom of God
but am also going to show you tina.
to be almost" saved and Yet not saved
/ Is to be lost completely and utterly lost
just as much as We're the poor Fellows
who were iHprisoncd few wears age
in the iron hulk Of the steamers burn
Ing ut the Nharfs Of l1ohokcn, in New
York harbor. Frantically they stood al
the barred portfolios. FranticullY they
/ stretched forth their arms through tht
iron gratingS. The could see the blue
waters Of the harbor They could hea,
the calls of the would be rescuers hare
mt work Rut they We're lost entirely
/ lost. though there was only one step
| between them and perfect safety.
| Advantage Of ii Christian Home.
Almost saved, Yes, you are. How
! do I know it: learn how near 20,
| have come TO salvation as look at IN,
entries on those white pages sewed be
tween the Old and the New Tcstamcnt'
of the family Bible. BY this record o
the family births and deaths | fin,
your father was Christian. You
mother was n Christian. Your sisters
and brothers were all Christians.
find also that your parents reconsecrat
ed their lives for Gods service whei
they held You before the sacred alta
on the dny you were baptized. 1t is {
very easy matter for you to become
Christian. with such n family history.
Ills true" says some young man It
| me, Il was born in a CHRISTIAN home
| am not near, however, but very. YER!
far from the kingdom of God. Why
after left my Christian home ! seem
| cd to he possessed not with sever
devils. but seventy times seven devils
No sooner did | leave home and g
away from mother and father than
plunged into life of dissipation
drank, | gnmblcd, basphemed. die
everything | ought not to have done
and left undonc everything | ough
to have done. 1t is said that whel
Iysimachus was fighting against III
Getao he was cntrappcd by his enc
mics in the desert sands His thirs
became so great that he offered hi
whole kingdom for drink Of water. a
Tsau sold his hrthright for IA mess o
pottagc. But no sooner had Lysi
machuS slakcd his thirst than he cried
All, wrctched me, who for such
mcmontary qualification should hay
lost so great Il kingdom Though
have been brought mp in IA Christian
home, for the momentary satisfying o
my evil desires | have stltlcd all thos
pure influences of the past | am Xix
"A man who, to quench his thirst. ha
none more than 10 barter away KING