The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-02-19
Spiritual Fire the Theme Of Rev.
DR.. Talmage's Sermon.
An Eloquent Discourse which Deali
with Practical Religion For
Everyday Pcopie-rublic
Worship Essential.


xix, "Quench not the Spirit"
The mighty phrase maker Paul is a
colner Of many superlatiycs. lie is no
stupid plautudinarian Everyday, com
monplace lnsipid, tasteless comparisons
have for him no attraction. lie never
harnesses dull eyed and spawned axi-
oms to his verbal chariot. His forge is
always redhot; his arms are cranes
his hammers pile drivers, his doors
foodgates; his streams are fathomless,
onrushing rivers Of molten iron; his
sparks are stars, and his seconds mil
lenniums.
We would, for our present lesson, use
one Of Paurs impressive, significant
words. His "quench" has a superla-
tive meaning. 1t is one of those sharp
pointed verbal chisels which can open
adamantne rock and I'm cutting power
outdlamond the diamond. 1t is one of
those intense lurid words which pic
ture their thoughts I'm colors Of blood
ITO quench' means to smother, as a
mother would extingush the flames
consuming the dress Of her burning
child by wrapping about the ilimsy
garments a heavy, wet blanket. jerkcd
from off the clothesline. "TO quench'
means to deluge, TO submcrge, as the
JohnstOwn fires were put out when
the Conemauch dam broke. In that
word "quench" Paul startlingly warns
all believing Christians against the
sin Of extineuishing the power of the
Holy Spirit which is now burning
within them as living fame. "Quench
not the Spirit is the command to the
Thessalonians. Smother not the di-
vine flames
Now come the practical questions:
How do many believing Christians
open the 1oodgates Of sin and drown
out their spiritual fires? How do many
Of our new converts chill their holy en-
thusiasm and dry their checks, wet
with penitent tears. and harden again
their hearts in sin? First and fore
most. by neglecting Gods place Of pub
lie worship. by turning their backs
upon the Sunday church services. by
claiming that they can pray to God
lust as well at home as i'm the week
night prayer meetings. BY asserting
that the communion Of the saints" in
n building which has been dedicated
to God as a "house Of prayer" is not
essential for true spiritual life. No
true convert should ever be guilty Of
casting a slur upon the public altar Of
Jesus Christ. It is hard work for a
live coal to keep warm and TO remain
a live coal outside of the CRATE. II IS
hard work for warm hearted. loving
Christian TO remain a spiritual olive
coalp unless be continually lives in
close contact with other loving Chris
tians. It is by the commingling Of
prayers that the best prayer is pro-
duced. 1t is by the commingling Of
testimonies that the best testimony
springs from our lips 1t is by "the
foolishness" Of preaching that sinners
are saved. Yesl And also by the fool
ishness Of preaching that they are
brought nearer week by week to the
personality Of Jesus Christ.
If public worship is not essential for
spiritual life, why did God decree that
Moses should build q tabernacle as
soon rs the hosts Of Pharaoh had found
a watery grave in the depths Of the
Red sea? At that tabernacle the He
brews were compelled TO worship. II
not essential. why did Christ during
his earthly ministry again and again
20 up to Jerusalem 70 attend
the feasts and again and again go
into the synagogues TO worship ana
TO pray? If not essential why did
Christ command his disciples TO as
semble I'm one place I'm Jerusalem and
await the coming Of the Holy Ghost!
If not essential. why did the Puritans
and the pilgrim fathers place such en-
phasis upon the attendance OF their
church members at the house Of Godf
We can laugh at these stern faced set
tiers Of New England. We can poke
fun at their "blue laws and their
plain ways. We can say that Cotton
Mather. their natural ouigrowth, was
the instigator Of the Salem witchcraft
prosecutions. But, laugh at the New
England Puritans as we viii. we know
they produced the highest type or
spiritual men then known We know
that for spiritual truth they were ready
TO die. We know that I'm order TO get
that truth I'm the public meeting house
they turned their backs upon the old
world and faced the new. 1t was in
public worship that the Puritan gospel
tbrived. It is in public worship that
the new convert should catch the glow
Of the spiritual fires, which viii make
his heart warm toward God and his
fellow man.
Public worship Is absolutely essen
tial for the spiritual life Of the average
man. Some years ago a country boy
was riding in the cars toward Phila-
delpbia. In the seat sitting next TO
him was an old man. After a long
conversation. I'm which the young man
told his seat mate that he was going
70 Philadelphia TO find work. the aged
man asked him for his letters. ooh.
yes" said the young fellow, "here Is
one from my old employer Here is one
from my schoolteacher Here is one
from my physician" "ls that alli
Have you not one from your minister|
asked his seat mate. Eyes, have that
also" "Well, my young friend" said
the old man, Il would advise you "a
present that letter to some church al
once. / am an old sea captain, and ]
have found out by bitter experience
that II Is safer when in harbor to tie
my ship up TO a wharf than 10 anchor
it out in midstream, to be aoated
around in the tides. BY bitter expert.
ence l have also found out that no
young Christian Is safe unless he is
bound up in Christian fellowship with
other Christians in Sunday services
and in the week night prayer meet.