The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1909-01-09
Calmage
Sermon
By Rev. -
Frank De Witt Talmsse. d. D.

New York. -. In this sermon
the preacher shows that the path OF
rectitude and duty is the only road TO
happiness. no matter how alluring 9th
er ways may seem TO us at times. The
text is Psalm xcvii. IL. Light is sown
for the righteous and gladness for the
upright In heart"
This Is an unfamiliar metaphor. We
are not accustomed to thinking of light
as Of something that may be sown. as
the farmer sows grain in the spring.
Light comes from heaven to drive
away the gloom Of the night. to revive
industry, TO start again the wheels OF
business life. to scatter the vultures.
winged or human. that prey in the
darkness. We are thankful to God for
the light that be sends to US every
dawn. But this conception that the
psalmist utters. Of light sprin"ing as
a harvest from seed sown. is novel TO
US. II suggests the idea Of the dark
ness Of sorrow or Of trial. In which
Gods children must live at times.
contrasting il with the encouraging as
surance that light is sown for them
which, though IL lies for time hidden
and buried. will yet germiAate and
fruit to their gladness..
This conception came to me with
special force as considered the topic.
IL had been raining for five or six
days II seemed as though the heav-
ems were porous sponge being squeez-
ed OF oceans of moisture Then came
the glorious sunrise. 1t came I'm great
tidal waves of light, 1t flooded the
earth. and it flooded the skies and it
sank into every pore OF the flesh. Oh.
Here is a little sunlight for you and a
little sunlight for some one else" as
though he was afraid OF wasting II. but
he seemed 10 food the earth with light
In lavish abundance. He seemed to
say: Here is light. oceans Of light.
light for the Bowers OF the fields and
for the birds OF the air and for mans
mental and physical existence. Take II
and battle in It and grow in 1t and
breathe It. Here is the sun as stel-
lar furnace burning with light" God
gives many blessings. but he gives no
blessing with richer abundance than
when he rolls out for man'the blessing
OF the sunlight Then ] turned and
read the words Of the text. Light is
sown for the righteous and eIadness
for the upright In heart" ai2
Sunshine For All. .Si2
God fulfills the promise OF my text.
in the first place. by the revelations be
gives to his children to solve the intri-
cate and mysterious problems OF ma
ture. God seems to say to fRap. "1f
you love me and will honor me.
viii put the resources OF the seas5and
Of the valleys and OF the hills audspf
the air at your disposal" God gives
literally the blessings Of nature to the
race regardless of its morsly conduct
Summer aud winter. seed time and
harvest. sunshine and shdwef.s are for
all. AS Christ said. '~Gud causes his
rain TO fall on the jusrand on thesnf-
just" and is kind 70 tn. unthankful
and the evil. But heAbas special bless
ings for those who are described in
this passage as the righteous and the
upright in heart. He honors them with
a more intimate knowledge of his
ways, a closer acquaintance with ma
ture and clearer view Of the re-
sources Of civilized life.
well. I do not understand that"
some one says to me. IF that is true.
how can you account for the fact that
some Of our greatest inventors did not
believe in God or hereafter or any
supernatural power? The men who
have explored for us the wonders OF
nature have not always been believers
in revelation. Then. besides. some Of
che most immoral aud depraved men
have been the most prosperous How
can your promise be according to fact?"
Why. my brother. what you state and
what state are in perfect accord with
Gods revelation Did you ever read
tile history of Pauls journey to Rome?
Why were all the passengers and the
crew Of the Alexandrian corn ship saw
Ned7 Because the ship carried Paul. the
servant of Christ God saved the crew
to honor the presence of his evangelist
The mere presence of the good is a
source OF blessing for the indifferent
and the bad. That is a Bible truth
taught again and again In the past
centuries. Have you pondered well
over Abraham's prayer when heplead-
ed for the salvation of doomed Sodom
and Gomorrah? What did God mean
when he gave those answers to the
patriarch OF old? Why. God simply
meant this: Abraham. If there are If
" or twenty OF even ten righteous per-
sons IN the wicked cities OF the plain
win save those two cities for the ten
righteous sake" You can put but one
Interpretation upon that answer any
way you look at It. God sometimes
bIesses those with whom his children
are compelled 10 live. as he sa''ed the
passengers of the Alexandrian corn
ship for Psui's sake.
All Blessed Tosether
Now. am not asserting that ell peo-
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