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About The Sioux County journal. (Harrison, Nebraska) 1888-1899 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1894)
The Sioux County Journal, VOLUME VI. HARKISON, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1894. NUMBER 32. TALMAGE'S SERMON. AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ON "OUT OF THE BRICK KILNS." Mora J 07 In Una Drop of Christian SatU fmrtloo Thn la Riven of Sinful IJllht -Nkpoleou. Voltaire and the Aportla Paul Dancer In Delay. The Tabernacle Pulpit. In the Brooklyn Tabernacle Sunday forenoon Hev. Dr. Talmage preached to a crowded audience on a subject of unusual I Die runt, as illustrating the sustaining power of religion to thoe who are in daily contact with the world, lie trials and temptations. The text chosen was Psalms lxvili, l.'i, "Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ve be as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her feathers wilh yellow gold." 1 suppose you know what the Israel ites did down in Kgyptlan slavery. They made brick. Amid the utensils ot the brickkiln there wero also other utensils of cookery the kettlys, the pots, the pans, with which they pre pared their daily food, and when those Boor slaves, tired of the day's" work, Jay down to rest, they lay down among the Implements of hard work. When they arose in the morning, they found their garment covered with the clay, and the smoke, and the dust, and be smirched and begrimed with the uten siU of cookery. lio after while the Lord broke up that slavery, and He took these poor slaves into a land where they had better garb, bright and clean and beautiful apparel. No more bricks for thorn to make. Let Pharaoh make his own brick. When David, in my text, comes to describe the transition of these jxor Israelites from their bondage amid the brick kilns into the glorious emancipation for which God had prepared them, he says, "Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye bo as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her leathers with vellow gold." Hlu a Hard Tankinaater. Miss Whately, tho author of a cele brated book, "Life in Egypt," said she sometimes saw people in the East cooking their food on the tops of houses, and that she had often seen, just before sundown, pigeons and doves which had during the heat of the day been hiding among the kettles and the nans, with which tne food was prepared, picking up tho crumbs that they might find. Jut before the hour of sunset they would spread their wings and fly heavenward, entirely un settled br the region in which they bad , mored. for the pigeon la a very cleanly bird. And as the pigeons flew away the sotting sun would throw silver on their wings ana gold on their breasts. Bo you see it is not a farfetched simile or an unnatural comparison when David in my texi saVs to these eman ciivitd Israelites and says to all those who are brought out of any kind of trouble into any kind of spiritual joy, "Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye 1k as the wings of a dove covered with sliver and her leathers with yellow gold." Bin is the hardest of all taskmasters. Worse than Pharaoh. It keeps us drudging In a moot degrading service, but after awhile Christ comes and He ays, "Let my people go." and we pass out from among the brickkilns of eijt Into the glorious liberty of the gospel. We put 00 tne clean robes of a Chris tian profession, and when at lat we oar away to, the warn! nest which God has provided for us in Heaven; we shall gaJatrer than a dove, Its wings covered with silyer and ito feathers with yellow gold, , I am going to preach something Which some of you do not believe, and that Is that the grandest mwsible adornment Is the religion of Jesus Cnrlxt. There are a great many peo ple who suppose that religion is a very different thing from what it realv is. The reason men condemn the Bible is because tnoy do not understand the Bible: they have not properly exam ined It Dr. Johnson said that Hume told a minister in the bishopric of Dur ,ham that he had never particularly .examined the New Testament, yet all this life wan warring against it. Halley, the atronomer. announced bis skep licintn to Sir lraac Newton, and 8ir Isaac Newton siiid: "Now, sir, I have examined the subject, and you have not, and I am ashamed that you, pro fessing to be a philosopher, consent to oendemn a thiag you never have ex amined." And so men reject the re ligion of Jesus Christ because they really have never Investigated it. They think it t-omethlng undesirable, omutbing that will not work, some thing Pecksniflian, something hvo eritical, something repulsive, when it Is ko bright and so tcautiful you might compare it to a chaffinch, you might compare It to a robin redbreast, you might compare it to a dove. ltt wings covered with silver, and its .eathora with yellow gold. Putin of Peace. But how Is It if a young man becomes a Christian' All through tho club rooms whore he associate, all through the business circles where he Is known, there is commiseration. They say: "What a pity that a young man who bad such bright prospects should so have been despoiled by those Chris tians, giving up all hi worldly pros pect for something which is of no par ticular present worth!" Here Is a young woman who becomes a Chris tian; her voice, her face, her manner the charm of the drawing-room. Now til tbroufh the fashionable circle the whisper foes, "What a pity that such t bright I if ht should have been ex tinguished, that such a graceful gait should be crippled, that such worldly proa pent should be obliterated!" Ah, my friends, It can bo shown that re lit Ion ' way are ways of pleasantness, Mid that all her paths are peace; that religion, Instead of being dark and fateful and lachrymose and repulsive, is Wight and beautiful, fairer than a dove, its wing covered with silver and its feathers with yellow gold. See, in the first place, what religion will do for a man's Heart I care not how cheerful a man may naturally be before conversion, conversion brings him up to a higher standard of cheer fulness. I do not say he will laugh any louder; I do not say but he may stand back from some forms of hilarity in which he once indulged, but there comes into his soul an immense satis faction, A young man not a Christian depends upon worldly success to keep hia spirits up. Now he is prospered, now he bad a large salary, now he has a beautiful wardrobe, now he has pleasant friends, now he has more money than he knows how to spend everything goes bright and well with him. But trouble comes there are many young men in the house this morning who can testify out of their own experience that sometimes to young men trouble does eorne his friends are gone; his salary is gone; his health Is gone; he goes down, down. He becomes sour, cross, queer, misanthropic, blames the world, blames society, blames the church, blames everything, rushes perhaps to the in toxicating cup to drown his trouble, but Instead of drowning his trouble he drowns his body and drowns his soul. But here Is a Christian young man. Trouble comes to him. Does he give up? No! He throws himself back on the resources of Heaven. Ho says: "God is my Father. Out of all these disasters I shall pluck advantage for my souL All the promises are mine; Christ Is mine: Christian companion ship is mine; Heaven is mlno. What though my apparel be worn out:1 Christ gives me a robe of righteousness. What though my money be gone? I have a title deed to the whole universe in the promise, 'All are yours.' Wliat though my worldly friends fall away? Ministering angels are my bodyguard. W'hat though my fare bo poor, and my bread bo scant? I sit at the king's banquet!" Fairer Thun the Uove. Oh, what a poor, shallow stream is worldly en oymont compared with the deop, broad, overflowing river of Go.i's peace, rolling midway In the Christian heart. Sometimes you have gone out on the iron bound beach of the sea when there had been a storm on the ocean, and you have seen the waves dash Into white foam at your feet. They did not do you any harm. While there you thought of the chapter writ ten by the psalmist, and perhaps you recite it to yourself while the storm was making commentary upon the pas sage: "Cod is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore will I not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. though tha -waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Oh, how independent the religion of Christ makes a man of the worldly success and worldly circum stances! Nelson, the night before his last battle. Bald: "To-morrow I shall win either a peerage or a grave in Westminster Abbey." And it does not make much difference to the Chris tian whether he rises or talis In worldly matters. He has everlasting renown anyway. Other plumage may be torn in the blast, but that soul adorned with Christian grace Is fairer than the dove, its wings covered with silver, and its feathers with gold. Nnolciii, Voltaire, and I'aul, Oh, doyou know of anything, my hear ers, that Is more beautiful than to see a young man start outforChrist? Here is some one falling; he lifts him up. Here is a" vagabond boy; he introduces him to a mission school. Here is a family treezing to death: ho carries them a scuttle qt coal. Thore an IWO, QW,M perishing In heathyj dafli nefi"; by all ;ossjbl(5 tucans tie Fries to send them the gospel. He may bje laugb'jd at,fand he iSy bo sneered at, and he may be caricatured, but ho is not ashamed to go everywhere, laying: 1 afn not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It Is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto sa'vation." Such a young man can go through everything. There Is no force on earth or in hell that can resist Mm. 1 show you three spectacles: Spectaclo the First - Naoleon passes by with the host that went down with him to Kgypt, and up with him through Russia and crossed the continent, on the bleeding heart of which he set his iron heel, and across tho quivering flesh of which he went grinding the wheels of his gun carriages in his dying moment asking his attendants to put on his military roots for him. Spectacle the Second Voltaire, bright ana learned and witty and elo quent, with tongue and voico and stratagem infernal, warring against God und ixiisoning whole kingdoms with his fidelity, yet applauded by the clapping hands of thrones and empires knu continents - his lust words, In de lirium Btipiiosing Christ standing by the bedsiclo his last words, "Crush that wretch!" Spectacle the Third-Paul Paul, insignllicano in person, thrust out from all roli nod association, scourged, spat on, hounded like a wild beast from city to city, yet trying to make the world good and Heaven full; announcing resurrection to thoso who mourned at tho barred gates of the dead: speaking consolations which light upthe eyes of widowhood and orphanage and want with glow of certain and oternal re lease; undaunted before those who could take his lifo. his cheek flushed with transport and his eye on Heaven; with one hand shaking defiance at all the foes of earth and ail the principal ities of hell, and with the other (beck oning messenger angels to come and boar hlin away as he savs: "I am now ready to be oilorod, and tho time of my departure Is at hand. I have fought the good fight: I have finished my course: I have kept the faith. Hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the rlghtous judge, will give." A Throne of the Tempert. Which of the three spectacles doyou most admirer When the wind of death struck the oonquoror and the infidel, they were tossed like seagull in a tempest, drenched of the wave and torn of the hurricane, their dis , mal voices heard through the j everlasting storm, but when the wave ana tne wina ol ttie earta struck Pau like an albatross he made a throne of the tempest and one day floated away into the calm clear summer of Heaven, brighter than the dove, its wings cov ered with silver, and ito feathers with yellow gold. Oh, are you not in love with such a religion a religion that oan do so much for a man while he lives, and so much for a man when he comes to die? I suppose you may have noticed the contrast between the departure of a Christian and the departure of an infi del. Diodorus. dying in chagrin be cause he could notf compohe a joke equal to a joke uttered at the other end of his table; Zeuxlg, dvingin a fit of laughter at the sketch of an aged woman -a sketch made by his own hand; Mazarin, dying playing cards, his friends holding his hands because he was not able to hold them himself. All that on one side, compared with tho departure of the Scotch minister, who said to his friends: "I have no in terest as to whether I live or die: if I die, I shall be with the Lord, and if I live the Lord will be with me." Or the last words of Washington: "it Is well." Or the last words of Mclntoen, the learned and great, "happy!" Or the last words of Hannah More, the Christian poetess, "joy!" Or those thousands of Christians who have gone, saying: "Lord Jesus, receive,, my spirit! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!'' "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" Behold the contrast. Behold the charm of the one; behold the darkness of the other. Now, I know it is very popular in this day for young men to think there is something more charm ing in skepticism than in religion. They are ashamed of the old fashioned religion of the cross, and they pride themselves on their free thinking on all these sub ects. My young friends, I want to tell you what I know from ob servationthat while skeptl' ism is a beautiful land at the start, it is the great Suhara desert at the last. ; The Dyltlg infidel. Years ago a minister's son went off from hoitie to college. At college he formed the acquaintance of a young man whom I shall call Ellison. Kill son was an infidel. Ellison scoffed at religion, and the minister's son soon learned from him the infidelity, and when he went home on his vacation broke his father's heart by his denunciation of Christianity. Time passod on, and vacation came, and the minister's won went off to spend the vacation and was on a journey and earn to y hotel. The - hotel kocpei ' said: "I am sorry that to-night I shall have to put you in a room adjoining one where there is a very sick and dy ing man. I can give you no other ac commodation." "Oh." said the young college student and minister's son. "that will make no difference to nie except the .matter of sympathy with anybody that is suffering! " The young man retired to his room, but could not sleep. All night long he heard the groaning of tho sick man or tho step ol the watchers, and his soul trembled. He thought to, himself: ''Now, there is only a thin wall between me and a departing spirit. 'How if Kllison should know how l feel? How if Eilbon should find out how my heart flutters? What if Ellison knew my skepticism gave way?" He slept not. In the morning, coming down, he said to the hotel keeper, "How is the sick man.?'1 "Oh," said the hotel keeper, "he is dead, poor felloVl The doctors told uh he could hoi last through the night." "Well," said the young mah, "what was the sick one's n.ame. Where is ho from?" "Well." said the feotel keeper, "he! is from Providence College' ''Providence College! Wrhat Is his name?" "Ellison." "ElUsop!" Oh, how the VQiing man was blunged! It was his old college mate -dead with out any hope, It was mffhy hours before the young man could leave that hotel. He got on his horse and started homeward, and all the way he heard something saying Jo him: "Dead! Lost! Dead! Lost!" Ha came to no satisfaction until he entered the Christian life, until he entered the Christian ministry' until he became . one of the most eminent missionaries of the cross, the greutest Baptist missionary the world hus ever seon Bince the uays of Paul no sujerior to Adonlram Judson. Mighty on earth, mighty in Heaven Adoniram Judson. Which do you like tho best, .ludson's skepticism or Judson 'a Christian lifo, Judson's sufforing for ChriHt's sake, Judson's almost martyrdom' Oh, young man, take your choice between these two kinds of lives. Your own heart tolls you this morning the Chris tian lifo is more admirable, more peaceful, more comfortable, and more beautiful. King nnd Qneens Forever Oh, if religion does so much for a man on earth, what will it do for him In Heaven? That is tho thought that comes to mo now. If a soldier can af ford to shout "HuzlZa!" when he goes into battle, how much more jubilantly he can afford to shout "Huzza!" when he has gained the victory! If religion is so good a thing to huve here, now bright a thing It will bo in Heaven! I want to see that young man when tho plorios of Heaven have robed and crowned him. I want to hear him sing when all huskiness of earthly colds is gone, and he rises up with the great do.xology, I want to know what stan dard he will carry when marching under arches of pearl In tho array of banners. 1 want to know what com pany he will keep in the land where I they are all kings and queens forever ana ever, u l nave lnaucoa ono or you this morning to begin a liottorllfe, then I want to know it. I may not in this world clasp hands with you In friendship, I may not hear from your own Hps the story of temptation and sorrow, but I will clasp hands with you whan the sea is ; passed and the gates are entered.- That I might woo you to a better life, and that I might show you the glories with which God clothes His aear children In Heaven, I wish I could this morning swing back one of the twelve gates, that there might dash upon your ear one shoatof the triumph, that there might Came upon your eves one hloM) of the splendor. Oh, when I speak of that good land, you involun tarily think of someone there that you loved father, mother, brother, sister, or dear little child garnered already. You want to know what they are doing this morning. I will tell you what they are doing. Singing! , You want to know what they wear. I will tell you what they wear. Coronete of tri umph! You wonder why oft they look to the gate of the temple and watch and wait. I will tell why they watch and wait and look to the gate of the temple. For your coming! I shout up ward the news to-day, lor I am sure some of you will repent and start for Heaven: "Oh, ye bright ones before the throne, your earthly friends ae coming. Angels poising midair, cry up the name. Gatekeeper of Heaven, send forward the tidings! Watchman on the battlements celestial, throw the signal'" lAmU) Phlllppe'i Mlxtoke. "Oh," you say, "religion I am going to heve. It is only a question ol time." My brother, I am afraid that you may lose Heaven the wav Louis Philippe est his Kmpire. The Parisian mob came around the Tuiierios. The Na tional Guard stood in defense of the palace, and the commander said to Louis Philippe: "Siiull I fire now? Shall I order the troops to fire? With ono voilcy we can clear the place. " "No," said Louis Philips, "not yet" A few minutes panscd on, and then Louis Philippe, seeing the case was hopeless, i-ald to the General, "Now is the time to tire." 'No,'' said the Gen eral, "it is too lute now. Don't you see that the soldiers ar exchanging arms with the citizens? It is too iate." Down went the tiirono of Louis Philippe. Away from the earth went the house of Orleans, and all because the King said, "Not yet, not yet!" May God forbid that any of you should ad joun this great subject of religion and should pustX)ne assailing your spirit ual foes until it Is tio late, too late you losing a throne in Heaven the way that Louis Philippe lost a throne on earth. Wbtm the Judge dent-ends in might, Clothod In majesty and ;;nia; When the eartb shall quake with fear, Wbere, oh, where, wilt thou uipeur? Calling Smith. MLss Kate ! ield related at some length an ex erien -e which she had in trying to sleep in a hotel In a Utah mining town, where the partitions between the rooms, were of boards merely, and quite innocent of lath and plaster.' The ordinary going and com ng of the early part of the night and the scoring of the later hours were bad enough, hut toward morn ing, when at last she had fallen asleep, a loud voi e hhoutcd from her keyhole: "Smith! Sm th!" As her name was not Smith, she made no re! onse, "Smith!" came the sbout again. "It's vinie to skip!" "My name Is not Smith," she than answered, "What is your name then? If it alnt Smith, it ought to be. You're down on tho register as Smith." 1-rom across ttie ball came the call of the day clerk, who occupied the room tilery "iSo, thai. alnfSmlth. Smith's at the end ofthe hall." "Well, this is tho end of the hall," came from tho neighborhood of the koyhole again. It was the voice of the porter "Ain't there two ends to the hall? It's the other end, you blockhead!" bo waata Smltb?" came a sharp voice Tro'th the distance. "Trffl Sm th." 'VVhat's the matter? I'm Smith," cauTo stTu another voice. "Well, whichever smith wants to get up at fouro'clock, him1 theonel" growled tho porter Both these Smiths slammed their doors with a vehement protestation that they didn't want to get up "It's Smith in Number One!" screamed the day clerk. The r ght Smith has nob been waked at all. ko the porter found No. 1, and pounded on the door so hard that everybody In the house who had not already been waked was aroused, and several 4 people rushed out Into the hall, thinking there was a tire. The porter went down complacently to the oillce on the floor below. "Well," he said to the night clerk, "I waked him up, anyhow!" Aniiolco. Oleomargarine Is a French Inven tion. It is said that It originated in the desirt to the French government to provide the poorer classes with a chear substitute for butter. M. Mege was employed, by tho govern ment to make experiments In this line, and the original process of making olen Is his work. But France has very t-trlct laws regulat ing the sale of oleo. I ndcr statutes for the "repression of frauds in the sale of butter," it is absolutely for bidden to offer for sale, Import or export under tho name of butter, oleo or any other butter substitute, under penalty of line and imprisonment, con fiscation of the articles and publica tion of the convictions. The sale, transportati on, and importation of butter substitutes are permitted only whan they are In packages legibly labeled with their true name. As far as French law can go, the oleo tub must stand on Its own bottom. A woman likes to be a heroine to one man: a man has an ambitlou to be a hero to a hundred romen. THE COMMERCIAL BANK. ESTABLISHED 1888.1 Harrison, Nebraska. BL & BOWSTUt, President. CL F. Coma, Vi -Pin slim, D. EL QRISWOLD, Cashisr. AUTHORIZED CAPITAL. $50 000. Transacts a General Banking Business. CORRESPONDENTS: Exchange National Bank, $ew York, Ut.TXD Statu National Bank. Omaha, Foot National Bank, Chadroi Interest Paid on Time Deposita. OTOHAFTS SOLD ON ALL PARTS OF EUROPE. THE PIONEER P harrrvacy, J. E. PHINNEY, Proprietor. Pure Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils and Varnishes. -ABTTJTS' MATERIAL. School Supplies. Prescriptions Carefully Compounded Day or Night, Simons & SBHLEY, Harrison, Nebraska, Real Estate Agents, Have a number oi bargains in choice land in Sioux county. Parties desiring to buy or soil ical estate should not fail to call on them. School Lands leased, taxes paid for non-residents; farms rented, eta CORRESPONDENTS SOLICITED.