Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-24
CalnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmsee, d. ID.


Of the true enjoyment of life and tells
us how TO escape worry and the thou
sand and one Affections that make ex-
istence burden to so many OF us.
The text is Proverbs lii. IL, "All her
paths are peace"
At one OF our church prayer meetings
I had an experience that I shall never
forget. 1t was one of the happiest of
the many such meetings that | have at
tended Love seemed to be reigning
everywhere. The songs were sung as
If every one was enjoying them. The
prayers came yelling up from the
heart as the bubbling brook leaps over
the rocks of the mountain side. The
preacher was sitting In his chair, but
the meeting was being run by the peo-
pie. The hour in which we prayed
and sang and testified was gone too
soon. The subject of the evening was,
"Why the Christian life should be a
happy life and why 1t should grow
happier each year" 1t was great
subject to talk upon. Each Christian
was able to speak upon it out of the
experiences of his own life. Truly, 1t
seemed that each testimony WAS lit
tie better than the one that had pre-
ceded II. Then, when all our hearts
were overlooking with gratitude to
God for his many mercies, dear
friend arose and told this suggestive
incident:
'Some time ago in a northern city 1
N
seemed to be going against me. l did
not know which way to turn. Then as
II to intensity my discomfort the
weather was Indictment. 1t is always
harder for me to worship God when
the wind is from the east than when
the. sun is shining. But suddenly the
storm seemed TO break. From a rift in
the clouds the sun burst through and
flooded the branches of a great tree
just before me. Then as IL by magic u
flock of sparrows came from every di-
rection and few up into the branches
of that tree and began to twitter as If
In ecstasy. stopped aud said, II a lot
of sparrows could hunt out n little ray
of sunshine like that and be happy in
1t. surely /. who can battle I'm the sun
shine of Gods mercies aud promises,
should he happy too When my
friend sat down, i seemed to be sur
rounded by great flood of Gods sun
shine. In the glow Of that sunshine
there seemed TO arise before me the
innumerable blessings which crowd
into the Christians life. And then
there came to my mind these beauti-
full words Of my text: "Her ways are
ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peace"
The Paths of Peace.
The paths OF the gospel are fragrant
with peace, first. because those who
tread them learn to love the simpler
things OF life They have not n viii
ated or a depraved taste for pleasure
They can tune their songs of life to
the keynote OF Channing's symphony
They love the flowers and the birds
and the children. For them the pleas
ures of home are the sweetest and
dearest. They can find endless enjoy.
ment In walk through the woods and
in the cultivation OF garden in their
back yard. They would rather gather
around the piano in the evening hour
and with the members OF their fami
lies sing the old gospel hymns than
hear the most exquisite opera sung by
the most famous prima donna import
ed from foreign lands. They would
rather see their children play pranks
upon the nursery floor than go to see
the finest tragedians act their master
pieces I'm the theater. They do not need
cathedrals In which to worship God OIL
palaces In which TO find pleasure, but
they can take delight In the simple
things OF life. Like the poet. they car
sing in n garden the words:
Were !. o God. in churchlcss lands re
naming.
Far from ali voice OF teachers and oil.
vines,
My soul would find in flowers OF thine or.
daining
Priests. sermons. shrines.
l was deeply impressed with this
fact in reading the life of Phillips
Brooks. That prince OF preachers haC
the simplicity and the tenderness OF q
child. Witness the regret he had wheI
he felt himself growing out of the com
partnership Of children. Though hi
had no Child of his own, he adopted al
the children in the families OF his &C
Quaintance. When lie entered n hom,
he was like big boy out for frolic
lie could not be made to obey the rule.
and the regulations of the house Ill,
raised the standard OF mutiny agains
decorum. and every child ran to him
He would get down on his knees ant
play and romp as the merriest boy Of
the lot Then, when he was nearin.
the twoscore milestone. when on,
would suppose that. like Paul, h,
would be willing to put away childish
things. We find him writing these de
hghtful words OF regret to an old Phil
adelphia parishloner: 1.-The worst thin,
see about getting old or being old 1
that You get farther away from tn
young people. who are the best peopl
In the world: l never see n lot OF boy
without wanting to be among then
End wishing they would let me int,
their company and being sure 1.-The,
won't. hate to think that boys O
sixteen think of me rs I used to thinl
or men OF thirty-seven when / wa
their age" Gould there be q sweete
fragrance OF spring blossoms thai
that! Could you dream OF a great man
being simpler or purer and gentler and
more loving than Phillips Brook.
wanting TO play leapfro= or q game o.
baseball with lot of boys when ht
himself at that time was the honore(
guest or the great Dean Stanley ant
was preaching to Englands creates
men, who crowded Westminster able,
10 hang on his words?