The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, October 17, 1900, Image 7
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| b^ TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SUNDAY'S DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
I "abject : Spread the Coupe'? TCftort* of
tlie Churches Should !!*? Directed
| Toward Ravine Slnnem_They Should
| Get in Sympathy With Strangers.
^ [Copyrlj&t Mou.l
' Washington. D. C.?In this discourse
Dr. Talmaec points to fields of usefulness
ml that are not yet thoroughly cultivated,
if and shows the need of more activity. The
test is Romans xv, 20, "Lest l'shouIS
build upon another man's foundation."
In laying out the plan of his missionary
jF.v > tour Paul sought out towns and cities
which had not yet been preached to. lie
i : goes to Corinth, a city famous for splendor
and vice, and Jerusalem, where the
priesthood and the sanhedrin were ready
to lean with both feet upon the Christian
religion. He feel9 he has especial work
to do, and he neans to'do it. What was
Hr. the result? The grandest life of usefulness
that a man ever'lived.^We modern ChrisE
tian workers are.jiot- apt to imitate Paul.
P' We build on ofner people's foundations.
fit we erect a caarca. we ici i,? hk lfc
filled with fairiww&ll of "#hom ha** ween
. . pious. Do we gather a Sabbath-school class,
we want pood boys and giils, hair combed,
faces washed, manners attractive. So a
church in this day is apt to be built out
Df other church*.. Some ministers spend
all-their tiine in fishing in other people's
ponds, andvjh^y throw the line into that
:hurch pond and jerk out a Methodist.
i and throw, the line .into another church
j[ pond and luring oat a ^Presbyterian. or
there il a religious row. in n^ghhor^
ing dwch. and a .Arhole phqpl pi fis*'
\ wa&faix irom that pond, Jinf wfe tan
jji in with ^n^swe^t^^he net;
motet- and circumference of this p!arf#wSi ,
did notjUkpn ^ 1S the latitawnKM
t longitude ana majnecar auu ciruuiium^^
' of want and NWe and sin that no?,fio5jSH
can cal?ttl-.te. This one roiritaaT^Bng
nent ot -wretchedness reaches acnH^jffl
^ , zones, and 'if I were called to
graphical boutffTdry I would say
bounded on thi^-sorth and south attyjT past
and west ty the great heart of God's syrri-"
pathy and Iov?^.?h, it is a great world!
Since 6 o'clock this morning 60,800 persons
have been born, and all these multiplied
populations are to be reached by the g<*?pel.
In England or in our Eastern American
cities we are being much crowded,
and an acre of ground is of great value,
but in Western America 500 acres is a
-?-II tm*m 9fS (VY1 nprpc ia nn linilSU.il
n possesaion. There is a vast field here and
everywhere unoccupied, plenty of room
M more, not building on another man's foun/
dation.
Kr We need as churches to stop bombard*
E> ing the old iron-clad sinners that have
L been proof against thirty years of ChrisJp
tian assault. Alas for that church which
S".'' lacks the' spirit of evangelism, spending
on one chandelier enough to lisrht 500
souls to glory, and in one carved pillar
Be; ' enough to have made a thousand men
"pillars in the house of our God forever,"
and doing less good than many a log
R?. . cabin meet'ng-house with tallow candles
stuck in w>oden sockets and a minister
who has n?ver seen a college and does
not know the difference between Greek
and Choctaw! We need as churches to
get into sympathy with the great outside
world, and let them know that none are
so broken-hearted or hardly bestead that
they will not be welcomed. "No," savs
some fastidious Christian: "I don't like to
|! ' be crowded in church. Don't put any one
in my pew."
My brother, what will you do in heaven?
When a great multitude that no man can
number assembles, they will put fifty in
your pew. What are the select few to-day
assembled in the Christian ehurchcs com'
pared with the mightier millions outside
of them? Many of the churches are like
a hospital that should advertise that its
patients must have nothing more than
toothache or "run rounds," but no broken
Bra heads, no crushed ankles, no fractured
thighs. Give us for treatment moderate
85^-. sinners, velvet-coated sinners and sinners
with a gloss on. It is as though a man
SpjcHh. had a farm of 3000 acres and put all his
Eyjja. work on one acre. He may raise ever so
Kg!. large ears of corn, ever so big heads of
v wheat ? he would remain poor. The
church of God has bestowed its chief care
on one acre, and has raised splendid men
jny women in that small inc'osure, but the
.. i-IJ iU. ),J \Tnrth
Iuem 19 me WUHU. Hi.a mciiiio ?wt?u
and South America, Europe, Asia and
Africa and all the islands of the sea. It
is as though, after a great battle, there
were left 50.000 wounded and dying on the
field and three surgeons gave ail their
time to three patients under their charge.
The major general comes in and wiys to
the doctors, "Come out here and look at
the jiearlv 50,000 dyinc for lack of surgical
attendance." "No," say the three doctors,
standing there fanning their patients,
"we have three important cases here, and
we are attending to them, and when we
are not positively busy with their wounds
it takes all our time to keep the flies cff."
In tbis awful battle or sin' and sorrow,
(i ?,, where millions have fallen on millions, do
not let us spend all our time in taking
care of a few people, and when the comfnand
comes, 'Co into the world," say
practically: "No, I cannot. I have here
& few choice cases, and I am busy keeping
off the flies." There are multitudes to,,
day who have never had any Christian |
f worker look them in the eye ana wun
earnestness in the accentuation say,
"Come!" or they would long ago have
been in the kingdom. My friends, religion
is either a sham or a great reality.
If it be a sham, let us disband our
churches and Christian associations. If
it be a reality, then great populations are
? .on the way to the bar of God unfitted for
the ordeal. And what are we doing?
In order to reach the multitude of outtiders
we must drop all technicalities out
of our religion. When we talk to people
- about the hypostatic union and French
encyclopediamism and Erastinianism and
tComplutensianism, we are impolite and as
little understood as if a physician should
talk to an ordinary patient about the per?
icardium and intercostal muscle and scorP",
butic 6;Tnptoi"s. Many of us come out of
I the theologicai seminaries so loaded up
Viat we taiie the first ten years to show
[v mir people how much we know and the
: next ten years to get our people to know
a? much as we know, and at the end we
find that neither of us knows anything
as, we ought to know. Here are hundreds
of thousan Is of sinning, struggling and
dying people who need to realize just one
thing?that Jesus Christ came to save
them and will save them now. But we
K' " got in^o a profound and elaborate defini?
tion of -That justification i8,.and after all
If the work there are not, outside of the
L learned professions, 10.000 people who can
9 tell what justification is. I will read you
j- the definitions: "Justification is purely a
! forensic act, the act of a judge sitting in
the forum, in which the Supreme Ruler
and Judge, who is accountable to none,
and who alone knows the manner in which
the ends of His universal government can
best be obtained, reckons that which was
done by the substitute in the same man
Iner as it it naa oeen aone dv mose wno
* /. believe in the substitute, and purely on I
\if fccrount of this gracious method of reel:Kooning
grants them the full remission of
'tbeir sins."
Now, t is justification? I will tell
you what justification is?when a sinner
believes, God lets him off. One summer
in Connecticut 1 went to a large factory,
and I saw over the door written the
words, "No Admittance." I entered and
saw over the next door "No Admittance."
Of course I entered. I got inside and
found it a pin factory, and they were
making pins, very serviceable, fine and
useful pins. So the spirit of exclusiveness
has practically written over the outside
door of many a church, "No Admittance."
An>d if the stranger enters he finds practically
writ; \ over the second door. "Mo
Admittance," while the minister stands
in the pulpit hammering out his little
nicetiee of belief, pounding out the technicalities
of religion, making pins.
In the most practical, commor-sense
l way and laying aside the non essentials
it?r.
' * :'
and the hard definitions of refigion go out
on the God given mission, telling the people
what they need and when and now
they can get it.
Comparatively little effort as yet hns
been made to save that large class of persons
in our midst called skeptgrs, and he
who goes to work here will not be buildinc
upon another man s foundation There
is a lnrcre number of them. They are
afraid of us and our churches, for the reason
we do not know how to treat them.
One cf this class met Christ and heard j
with what tenderness and pathos and !
beauty and success Christ dealt with him: '
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and |
with all thv mind, and with all thy |
strength. This is the first and great |
commandment, and the second is like ur.to |
it?namely, 'inou shalt love thy neighbor j
as thyself. There is none otner com- I
mandment greater than these." And the
scribe said to Ilim, "Well. Master, Thou
hast said the truth, for there is one God,
and to love Him with all the heart, and
all the understanding, and all the soul,
oil tno cfrnncrt-h is more than whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when |
Jesus saw that he answered discreetly He j
Said unto Him, "Thou art not far from t
the kingdom of God." So a skeptic was
saved in one interview. But few Christian
people treat the skeptic in that way.
Instead of taking hold of him with the
gentle hand of love we are apt to take
him with the pinchers of ecclestasticism.
You would not be so rough on that man
if you knew how he lost his faith in Chris- j
tianity. 1 have known men skeptical from
the fact that they grew jp in houses where
religion ~s overdone. Sunday was the
most awful day in the we?k. They had i
religion driven into them with a trip ham- I
mer; they were surfeited with prayer j
me^ings; ihpjr^were scuffed and choked i
v.itfiPvcateCTi'sml; tbfg were often told .
that ?eyjme-the wwst bovs the parents ;
evcrJfce?WesVj|e tjie* liked to ride down i
tor.,lead Bunyan's "Pit- j
Kher fnd mother talked of
rew down the corners of j
1 rolled up their eyes. If
vill send a boy or girl to
a another that isit.^ If I
tripped to skepticism
wwsljf -vlronged by some
ssed to be a Christian,
ler in business wlo turned
class scoundrel, though a
professed Christian. Many years ago they ;
lost all faith by what happened in an oil i
company which was formed amid the pe- j
troleum excitement. The company owned [
no land, or, if it did, there was no Bign of
oil produced, but the President of the j
? . . _.j 1 ? i
company was a Presbyterian erner aim mc i
Treasurer was an Episcopalian vestryman, j
and one director was a Methodist class j
leader, and the other directors prominent I
members of Baptist and Congregational I
churches. Circulars were got out telling
what fabulous prospects opened before
this company. Innocjnt men and women
who had a little money to invest, and that
little their all, said: "I do not know anything
about this company, but so many
good men are at the head of it that it
must be excellent, and* taking stock in it
must be almost a3 good as joining the
church." So they bought the stock, and
perhaps received one dividend, so as to
keep them still, but after awhile they
found that the Company had reorganized,
and had a different president ana a different
treasurer and different directors.
Other engagements or ill health had
caused the former officers of the companv
with many regrets to resign. And all
that t..e subscribers of that stock had to
show for their investment was a beautifully
ornamented certificate. Sometimes
that man, looking over his old papers,
comes across that certificate, and it is so
suggestive that he vows he wants none of
the religion that the president and trustees
and directors of that oil company
professed.
Oh, skepticism is a dark land! There
are men Svho would give a thousand
if tHov nnsseased them, to get
back to the placid faith of their fathers
and motners, and it is our place to help
them, and we may help them, never
through their heads, but always through
their hearts.
These skeptics, when brought to Jesus,
will be mightily effective, far more so than
those who never examined the evidences
of Christianity. Thomas Chalmers was
once a skeptic, Robert Hall a skeptic, i.
Robert Newton a skeptic, Christian Evans
a skeptic. But when once with strong
hand they took hold of the chariot of the
gospel they rolled it on with what momentum!
If I address such men and women to-day
I throw out no scoff. I implead them by
the memory of the good old days when at
their mother's knee they said, "-.ow I
j rlnrn
lay mc aown iu siet-jj. uuu i>.> . _ ,
and nights of scarlet fever in which she J
watched you, giving you the medicine in I
just the rieht time, and turning your pil- I
low when it was hot, and with hands tnat i
many years ago turned to dust soothed
away your nain and with voice that you
will never hear again, unless you join her
in the better country, told you to never
mind, for you would feel better by and
by, and by that dying couch where she
looked so pale and talked so slowly, catchins
her breath between the words, and you
felt an awful loneliness coining over vour
sou!?by all that I beg you to come back
and take the same religion.
It was good enough for her; it is good
enough for you. is ay, I have a better pian
than that. I plead by all ..he wounds and
tears and blood and groans and agonies
and death throes of the Son of God, who
approaches you this moment with torn
brow and lacerated hands and whipped
1 1 ' Ma 1 ll TTfl
DacK ana saying, umu
who are weary and heavy laden, and I will
give you rest."
Again, lucre is a field of usefulness but
little touched, occupied by those tfhd are
astray in their habits. All northern nations!
like those of North American and
England and Scotland ? that is, in the
colaer climates?are devastated by alcoholism.
They take the tire to keep up
the warmth. In southern countries, like
Arabia and Spain, the blood is ao warm
they are not tempted to fiery liquids. The
great Roman armies never drank anything
stronger than water tinged with
vinegar, but under our northern climate
the temptation to heating stimulants is
most mighty and millions succumb. When
a man's habits go wrong, the church drops
him, the social circle drops him, good influences
drop him?we all drop him. Of
all the men who get oil the track but few
even get on azain.
Destitute children of the street offer a i
... ? I
field of work comparatively unoccupied.
Tlie uncared for children are in the majority
in most of our cities. When they
grow up. if unreformed, they will outvote
your children, and they will govern your
child re... f
The whisky ring will hatch out other
whisky rings, ana grog shops will kill
with their horrid stenc.li public sobriety
unless the church of Odd rises up with outstretched
arms and iniolds this dying population
in her bosom.
Public schools cannot do it. Art galleries
cannot do it. BlaekweH's Islano cannot
do it. Almshouses cannot no it.
Jails cannot do it. Church of God, wake
up to your magnificent mission! You can
do it! (jet somewhere, somehow to work!
The Prussian cavalry mount by putting
their right foot in the stirrup, while the
American cavalry mount by putting their
left foot into the stirrup. 1 do not care
UUW yuu iiiuuuv jvut ?toi VU?&5V? ** j ^
only get into this battle for God and get i
there soon, right stirrup or left stirrup
or no stirrup at all. The unoccupied fields
are all around us, and why should we
build on another man's foundation? I
have heard of what was called tiie "thundering
legion." It was in 179 a part of the
Roman army to which some Christians
belonged, and their prayer.?, it was said,
were answered by thunder and lightning
and hail and temped which overthrew
an invading army and saved the empire.
And I would to God that our churches
might be so mighty in prayer and work
that they would become a thundering legion
before which the forces of sin might
be routed and the gates of hell might
tremble. Launch the gospel ship for another
voyage. Heave aw y now, lads! |
Shake out the reefs in the foretopsail!
Come, 0 heavenly wind, ind fill the canvas!
Jesus aboard will assure our safety.
Jesus on the sea will beckon us forward. I
.Te3us cn the shore will welcome ua into
harb?or. J
GOD'S MESSAGE TO MAN
PRECNANT THOUGHTS FROVI TH:
WORLD'S CREATEST PROPHETS
Fancies?The I.'cam and The Mote-Myi
tery in tiod's Dealings ? Prayers o
Thomas A. Kerupis ? Wealth H'orih;
of Ambition?Essence or Salvation.
God spoke to me through (ho floivers am
said: <
"Heaven's sweetness aud purity i
show
In these, my cliildreu. Loye tliem wel
for they
Are part of 'Me." I bowed my hcadTouehed
their faces with my lips. ]
know
They will return my soft caress souk
day.
God murmured low, across the sea, and
said:
"My love and My own constancy 1
show, -.i
Through this gr^at sea that grows alway."
I looked, aud lo, a wondrous light thai
led
As to heaveu's gate?And, by this, 1
know \
Life's rough, dark stream shall meet
God's sea some day!
?Etta Wallace Wheeler in Universalis'
Leader.
The Uemn and Tho Mote.
It is difficult to see others as they
really are. Vet by taking thought
enough we can form a fairly accurate
conception of their characters and their
abilities. It is still more difficult to see
ourselves as we are. - Probably if any
i.I i:_.. if n
uilU ;iiiiwiiu uw i:i;uni i can/ir, n uuij ivi u
moment, exactly liow he appears to
others, he would be greatly surprised.
The character that we think we possess,
the character which others think wo
possess, ami the character which we
realjy possess, may be three very different
"things. It should be the aim of iife
to harmonize them with each other and
with a fourth, the character which we
ought to possess. The lesson of the fact
that it is almost impossible to understand
each other perfectly, even in the
case of intimate friends, should promote
a profound humility. How often it is
that we are credited with being far better
than we are. with having a quality
and a degree of power, wisdom and, especially,
nobility of character, which in
our own hearts we know that we have
not attained. It is something to be
grateful for when wo know that we
seem to others to illustrate high excollonee,
because it encourages and helps
them to believe that we are what we
seem; and if we honestly try to realize,
as fully a* they think we realize, our
ideals, no hypocrisy is involved. But we
know, even if they do not, how pitifully
We often fail of being what we are supposed
to b">. No one can realize this
without being humbled, and with tijis
lesson ef humility must be joined 4$?*
son of charity. What is true of u#''!s
true of others. If we need some allowance
for our shortcomings, if we are a$
truly better, very often, than we seem to
be, as we also sometimes are worse than
wo seem to be,, so are our friends. The
knowledge of our own \yeaknesses and
faults shotijd make us very gentle in
judging them, and, if we suspect sometimes
that they may not be as' wholly
admirable as they seem, we. know* of a
surety that they often are far more deserving
of love, trust and eVen admiration
than they appear.
?. \ ^ : '
Mystery In God's Dealings.
When we are oppressed by the impost
uuit.v or iuuioming uou s ueaungs wiui
us and are face to face with mystery, as
we sometimes stand face to face with a
fog, we should remind ourselves that, if
there were no mystery in God's dealings
with us, ire should very soon cause to be
able to trust him. It is the element of
mystery in every human character which
sttpplies a large part of its attractiveness.
You may know your friend never
so well, yet you do not know him wholly.
You, may have summered, and wintered
him for years. You may, think that
every-operation of his mind ajad every
reason for hia conduct .are {perfectly un-,
derstood by you, and doubtless in the
main you are correct. Yet every now
and then he surprises you by some unforeseen
utterance or action, revealing elements
in his nature which you have at
least imperfectly comprehended. It is
because of this elusiveness, this unfathomablene.es,
this mystery, which is an
uufailing element of every human character,
that we do not become unendurably
weary of one another: and if this be
true of each of us within our 'finite and
limited capabilities and natures, how
much more true it must be of God.
1* - I
prayers of Thomas A. Kejnpis.
I beseech ihee, my most gracious God,
preserve me,from the cares of this life
lest I should he tool ijiuch entangled
therein: and from the1' many necessities
of the body, lest I should bfe ensnared
by pleasure: and from whatsoever
is an obstacle to the soul, lest, broken
with troubles, I should lbe overthrown.
Amen.
0 Thou, who hast made the earth so
fair and shaped our.eyes that we might
see its beauty and our ears that' we
might hear its melody, we than|v thee
for the gift of life" and for thy presence
that is life's abiding happiness and hope.
Fix our heart on heavenly things; but
let us not despise the earth which thou
hast made our dwelling place. In thy
love let it be to us the house of God, the
very gate of heaven. Let thy holy will
he done iji us from day to day. Help us
to be patient in life's trials; strong in its
temptations, immovable in raitn and
?onrage. ever looking for the tokens of
thy presence and the hope of thine appearing.
For thou art not far off. but
near. 0 tlion- our spiritV; Life and Joy:
and thou hast given ns power to become
thy children through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Anleu.
Wealth Worthy of Ambition.
Blessed secret! to learn how to do
without things. We need to learn this
secret of full life in Christ in spite of
nhinor deprivations, because we cannot
have all the things that we want?even
rich men have been known to want
more things?and some of us have to do
without things which, 0:1 the plane of
physical life, are quite desirable. If we
can gain wealth it is well to have it. if
we receive' it as coming from (Jod and
use it for His glory; but tf we do imt
possess this wealth, which is the lowest
wealth in the gift 'of (iod. we are exhorted
to earnestly covet the best gifts?
that wealth of heart and soul which lies
open for the taking to every follower of
rti?Ij Irl, V.ihIh' nf ntn.
m-ir 11 nr?Uiii ...w v...? ,/, ? ...
bition; .wealth whic h is . offered freely
and without stint; the unsearchable
riches of Christ, which will make us
wealthy, to all eternity. Christ never
asks us to do without thi.-: wealth, the
true rielies, bat He says: "A.-k. and it
shall he piven you; seek, and ye shall
find: knock, and it shall be opened unto
j ou."?Advance.
The very essence of salvation is to win
the will to righteousness. When that is
accomplished the work is virtually done.
The work of Christ then is to do his will,
is to win the frill to righteousness.?Rev.
Dr. Crane.
BLOW TO THE PURE FOOD LAW.
Chicago Ruling That Guilty Knowledge
Mast Be Shown.
The new Illinois pure food law was
given a death blow when Judge Smith, in
the Criminal Court, at Chicago, ruled that
no conviction can be made unless it is
shown that the storekeeper had guiltv
knowledge of the selling of impure food.
Representatives of the State rure Food
Commission expressed their disappointment
at the result of their efforts to e?force
the law, and admit that punishment
can be meted out in but few cases, because
it is almost impossible to show a
guilty knowledge on tJ.e part of the store
teener.
m
\ ,
.JTHE SABBATH SCHOOL
.1 . * '
1 INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER 21.
[ ' anu the instruction He gave. They came
I to ace Jesu9 because they were penitent,
. a fact which should have led the Pharisees
to rcjoice rather than to murmur.
2. "The Pharisees." The leading party
among the Jews; "the orthodox defenders
of the law." They were very strict out*
I wardly, but neglected the weightier matters
of the law, such as justice, mercy,
humility and purity of heart. "And
Scribes." The teachers of the law, also
called 'lawyers1' and "doctors of the law."
Many of them were Pharisees and also
members of the Sanhedrin. "Murmured."
The proud murmur and condemn; the
humble hear and learn. They found fault
with Him (1) because He allowed outcasts
and vicious persons td approach Him, and
(2) because He associated with them. "Receiveth
sinners." Yes, precious truth!
Christ receiveth sinful men. He takes
them in His arms, forgives and saves
them, and admits them into the circle of
disciples. They kept far from other- relii
gious teachers, but were drawn to Christ.
| "And eateth with them." This was conofrlprpH
sranHjilous: it was contrary to the
tradition of the elders. Jesus was the
friend of the sinner, but not of the sin;
they hated the sinner. Jesus associated
with sinners for the purpose of drawine ,
them away from their sins to Himself.
3. "He spake this parable." In order fo !
justify His course and show the true spirit
I of the gospel to the lost Ho speaks the
parables of this lesson. Something like (
this parable we had in Matthew 18:12. J
There it was designed to show the care .
God takes for the preservation of saints,
as a reason why we should not offend
them; here it is designed to show the
pleasure God takes in the conversion of
sinners, as a reason why we should rejoice :
in it. '
i 4. "What man of you." The words are
I emphatic. He makes it personal and ap- !
; peals to their ordinary human feelinsrs.
j If they would pity a lost sheep ought He
: to be criticised for showing pity to a lost !
; man? "If he lo3e one of them." The
j whole flock of mankind, both Jews and .
Gentiles, belongs to the divine Shepherd, j
The lost sheep is an emblem of a heedless, !
thoughtless sinner, one who follows the i
corrupt dictates of his own heart, without '
| ever reflecting upon his conduct. Wo
! creature is more defenseless, or more in .
j danger of being devoured by dogs and
I wild beasts than a sheep. Who but a
[ Pharisee or a devil would find fault with
I the shepherd who endeavors to rescue his
! sheep from danger and ruin! "Leave the
! ninety and nine." Not that the shepherd
does not have a care for the ninety and
hine-'-they. are all precious to him, but
-they are safe.' It is the lost one that now
needs, his attention. "In the wilderness."
The . plains on which the sheep were pas- I
tured. All uncultivated ground- was
sailed' "wilderness." "Go after that which
is lost." Siitners are lost to God, lost to >
holiness and., heaven. Jesus goes after
them, by Hi*' spirit, by His providenc&,
through His Wit ten word, by His church.
He searches diligently with' a "yearning,
active, trader sympathy," with a heart
I ftHed with true love, bent on findujg and
restoring the wanderer.
5. "Hath found it." This is not to be
understood as teaching that Christ saves
men independent of any action on their
i oart. See on verse 7. "On His shoulders."
fce bore our sins in His own body on the
tree. 1 Pet. 2: 24* Isa. 53: 4-0; Heb. 9: !
28. "Bejoicing." Love and pity explain 1
the gentleness with which the shepherd \
treats the sheep when he finds it. Mercy
i for the lost one and joy within himseH j
are the shepherd's feelings. . '
C. "He calleth together." The joy is so
great that it needs to be imparted. Those 1
who are animated by the same1 compassion
the shepherd manifested will rejoice with ,
him. This sheep was of no greater value
than any one of the ninety and nine that
had not wandered away; it was the rescue j
that caused the rejoicing.
7. "Joy shall bean heaven." The angels
take an interest ,in the affairs of this
world. They rejoice (v. 10) when the lost
return. "That, repenteth.", Sinners must
repent in order to Be saved. The parable
represents the shepherd as finding^ the
sheep, taking it upon his shoulders^ and
carrying it to the fold, the sheep having
no will in the .matter; but in the applica- j
tion let us remember that the sinner de
cides whetner he -will accept or reject tne ,
love .^nd mercy of Christ. -This parable/
teaches: 1. That man is lost. (1) By ignorance-of
the tmth. (2);By falling into
vice. (3) By his own heedlessness. 2.
That he may be found and restored. ^1)
Christ-is seeking him. (2) 'He must repent.
3. That his recovery occasions joy. i
(1) To himself. (2) To Christ. (3) To
friends and neighbors. (4) To angels. ,
8. "If she lose one piece." The same
as the Greek drachma and the Roman denarius.
In value about 16 cent3. This parable
illustrates the preciousness of the hu- >
man soul. The loss of one out of ten is a
much more serious one than in the pre- I
ceding parable. "Seek diligently." A new j
idea is brought out in this parable. Pity i
moved the shepherd, but self-interest .
moved the woman to search for the coin.
And so Christ teaches that man has value
in the sight of God. 1. The owner of the
coin as representing God is, (1) anxious to
find that which is lost, (2) diligent in seek'
ing.in dark places, (3) successful. (4) filled I
with joy at the? recovery. 2. The coin as
representing man is, (1) of real value, (2) |
unconscious of loss, (3) hg'.pless. But man
is different from the coin in that he is ,
an active, responsible beins, and must repent
in order to return to God.
9. "Rejoice with me." The cause of rejoicing
was that the coin had been found,"
not that it was of greater value than the
other pieccs which had not been lost.
When sinners come to Christ, God, good
men and angels all rejoice. If these Pharisees
had not been so blind they might
have seen how little of the spirit of heaven
they had within them; they found fault
when Jesus received and saved the lost.
10. "Over one sinner." One soul is precious.
To be associated with Christ in the
work of saving men is the highest calling
we can engaee in in this world. Let us
all atrive to be soul winners.
HEIRS OF LONC.LOST FATHER.
Two New Orlenn* Boy* Own Half ol
Onyx Mine In Mexico.
Two New Orleans boys, August and
William Peres, are heirs to a half interest
in a valuable onyx mine in Puebla, Mexico.
Recently Augustus Peres, father of the
boys, died in Mexico, whither he went
twenty years ago, leaving the two boys
and their mother at New Orleans. The
father did not return and the mother
died. Recently the boys had a letter from
the Secretary of State making inquiries
for the heirs of Augustus Ptres, who had
died leaving them his half interest in the
onyx mine.
Grand Portal Destroyed.
The terrific northwester which lashed
Lake Superior recently, not only did considerable
damage to shipping, but also
completely destroyed the Grand Fortal,
the principal attraction of the Pictured
Hocks and one of the great natural curiosities
of the world. The crash of the
Portal's fall was heard for nearly twenty
miles, though the actual falling was unwitnessed
by human eye.
Vnln8 of Lake Erie Fisheries.
In the Like Erie fisheries 3728 men are
employed bjd $2,719,654 capital. Last
year e catclAvas valued at $1,150,890. '
I
" Subject: The Loat Sheep and the LoM
' Coin, Luke xv? 1-10?(lolden Text:
7 l>uke xv., 1C ? Memory Verse*. 4-7 ?
Commentary on the Day'n Lesson.
J 1. "Then drew near unto Him." They
"were drawing near unto Him" (P- V-) *?
[ b|ar Him. They came to His ministry
j wit^ an assurance that He would receive
1 them into His kingdom. "Publicans and
I sinners." The publicans were the tax
gatherers. They were odious to the whole
[ nation on account of their occupation and
| their>unscrupulousness in carrying it on,
> and were persons from whom the religious
i held aloof because of their gross and sen|
sua' life. "To hear Him." They did not
[ co merely to see Him, or t6 solicit for
| cu but to hear His excellent doctrine
v! sj '
THE GREAT DESTROY?!
,
, SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOU
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
An Object Lcsaon From Maine?The E
feet Upon the Rlalng Generation <
Next to r-'o Intoxication Is Treme
<Iou?? Inebriety Made Unfamiliar.
Drunkenness in London is said to 1
on the increase?especially among wome
j The second installment of Bashkirtse
' memoirs is summed up by more than 01
critic as the work not of an inebriate he
self, perhaps, but as the natural hyster
of a scion of a race of inebriates. Liter
: ture and eth;.cs join hands in declarir
| that the futare welfare of art no le:
! than bumanii.y depends largely upon lei
| liquor being introduced into the indivii
j ual. In face of all this it is interesting I
read that Maine is considering the reue;
; of her far-famed Prohibition law. 'Wei
j however impotent and insincere this la
| may be it has worked wonders in the sin
pie matter of making inebriety; unfimilis
t<y' that State. Men, may object to n<
j being able'to procure a glass of wine ?
dinner on a.steamship off the coast <
Maine; women may declare that the e
, feet of a law which may be evaded by pa;
ing a fine instead is, morally, just as ba
as drunkenness. But the influence c
next to1 no saloons amj, virtually, no ii
I toxication, is not to oe gainsaid. Upo
j a rising generation the effect of such
i state of things muat be tremendous. T
j put liquor out of reach is one thing; t
! throw the high light of the unusual upo
i the effects of liquor is better than th
i "awful example" that any temperance let
! turer ever felt obliged to keep tipsj
j "Why, a drunken man's a curiosity here,
said a Maine native. "I dunno when I'v
, seen one 'round,' n<>t since the last cii
cus, I guess, an' that was a good man
years ago. You oughter have seen th
folks stare at him. The boys and girl
whose memories couldn't go as far bad
as the last drunken man couldn't tak
their_ eyps off'n him. They ius' follerei
liim 'rnnnil 'sif hp wna nnp <v t.hp aicrtit.?
So he was. Everybody was a-sayin t
everybody else, 'Did you see the drunkei
man?' an' 'Look at the drunken man,' an
'Come quick and have a look at th
drunken man.' He was a curiosity, grea
deal more than the elephant and th
bearded lady and the snake charmer. I
they'd charged to' look at that drunkei
man, same's they did at the elephant
what a pile o' mpney they'd made!"?Nen
York Sun. '
" A Tragedy of Drink.
It is amazing to what depths stroni
drink and a> roving instinct will bring >
man; There walked into my town ?thi
other day a tramp printer who secure<
employment at his trade. He is a younj
fellow under thirty, but he tells a remark
ible tale of hie ups and downs, giving am
pie confirmation of all his story, whicl
he related in a modest manner after som<
questioning. This common tramp, nov
irnrlriiYff/Hnilv flt fViP MQA iQ fhp fl<m nf ;
wealthy printer and publisher, aiid ifas f
luxurious home, if he would but go to it
He is a graduate of Yale College, and haj
ivorked on nearly all the New York paperi
is a reporter. He was-once the editor ol
i prosperous small town daily; he is <
nachine operator, and understanding Ger
nan, Frenoh and Spanish, can operate the
machines in those languages, an<^ beaidef
;his he knows the printing business frotr
-op to bottom. . However, with all .hb tail
?nts. strong drink lias mastered him, sod
le nafc degenerated into a' tramp, ft
teems a pity.
The otner day I met aim just as he wa?
recovering from a spree. "Why don't you
jrace up and be a man?" said I. "JJrape
lp," answered he, "why, how can I when
very one says: 'Come and have a drink,'
md a saloon confronts me at every step,
t know I was once a top-notcher, and 1
lave the mental capacity to be so, again;
rot I lack the strength; perhaps you call
t thp moral courage. ?The Journalist.
f
A P?ll That Is Always Fall.' /
Th^e' is 'one pail that is* perpetually
ir ther oeer bucket, anjj it3 full'
ies? queans fcpiptiitess for< others^ means
icantjr?'wage tara even: ror tna
vorkmgmaa never 1 prinks, because
he money that allfaMim to make a denand
/or t^prodGct-ofchiB strength arid
ikill. goea. infltead^to tmr-tiU, of the saoonkeeper.'
The fullness 61 the beer pail
neans gaunt famine ifa the homes of drinkng
meii?Starving, half-clad, half-frozen
children and despairingv women, means
icrimped living and harassing scantiness
n the Home of the honest and sober la>orer,
because of the Economic waste of
nore than a billion dollars every year.
American labor will never be fully emjloyed
and well paid until the beer pail
s empty and the door of the den where
t is filled closed fast, and the political
>arty that prates loudly of "prosperity,"
ind as well its chief opponent whose stock
n trade is usually believed to be "calahity,"
both lovingly agree to keep the beer
jail full ind the saloon wide open.?New
Toice. \ ,' , .
"
"The Meanest Business on Earth."
In one of our large cities there is a mai
who keeps a first-Class restaurant, and his
;wo children, one of them an interesting
x>y of about ten years of age, wait on the
jable. A friend who was much attracted
by the manliness and gentleness of the
ad, said: "You have a splendid waiter."
''Yes," said. the proprietor, "he is my
jon. I used to sell liquor. The boy came
lome one day and said: 'Papa, we fellows
it school had a discussion to-day about
the business in which our parents were
engaged, and the question was asked:
'What does your father do?' One of
them said: 'My father works.' Another
said, 'My father is a merchant.' Another
said, 'My father is a lawyer.' I said, 'My
father sells liquor.' And then one of the
boys spoke up and said, 'That is the meanest
business on earth.' And then h?
looked around and asked, 'Father, is that
so?' And I said, 'Yes, John, it is, and 1
am going to get out of it. God helping mf
I wul get out of it.'"
A Congestion of Public Homes.
In Ireland in 1896 the total number ol
licensed houses was 18,751. In that coun
try the congestion of public houses was
terrible. In one city (Tralee) in on?
etreet. forty yards long, so narrow thai
two carts cannot pass in it, there an
twelve public houses. In another towr
there are ten to a population of >179, ir
another one house in three, in anothei
one to every thirty persons. ;r:' ' .
?' Burred From the Order.
In the Modern Woodmen Society the
official organ announces: "A camp clerl
has no right to receive du.es and asaesS
ments from a person who has engaged ic
the liquor business. When the membei
engages in the liquor business he void:
his certificate, and the local clerk does
not make his certificate valid by receivinf
dues and assessments from him."
The Crusade in Brief.
Th^re are fiitv-two official temperanc<
committees in Russia, each receiving i
state subvention of $25,000.
ilt is personal influence and personal ex
ample that count, and the moderate drink
er does not reach the highest level o
manhood.
The Russian Government is grapplinj
with the nuestion ot tne restriction 01 m<
liquor traffic, and is showing some succes;
in its methods.
It is reported from Liverpool that, ow
ing to the improvement in the tenemen
houses in that city there has been i
marked falling off in drunkenness.
In Mobile twenty per cent, less whisk]
is sold now than formerly.
Many moderate drinkers wish then
was some way in which they could ge
moderately drunk.
It is -aid that, taking the South, as <
whole, there was a decrease in rum drink
ing last year of about fifteen per cent., a
compared with the previous years.
We need to be more busy in making te<
totalers and organizing tncm for uggrc:
sive temperance work, keeping before u
as an ideal the prohibition of the liquu
trallic.
In Savannah it i.s claimed that ther
has been a decrease of twenty-five pe
' .liifinir thr> nn?
cent, in tut; iiiibi\) uuiw, ?
eight and ten years. In Atlanta the d<
^ estimated at twenty per cent
V,
s *
i ahcisehet
,t fiyj1:
'8 To TT?ih Whlt? Velli. ^
38
3a Take a lined saucepan, and in it
make a strong solution of soap and
S water, put the veil into it and place
lf over the flre to simmer for about twenty
ty minutes; then squeeze the veil in
a' warm soan and water till it ifl auite
Jt clean; rinse in cold water, then again
it in a little cold water to which has
>? been added a few drops of blue and
? one lamp of sugar. Shake the veil
d gently and pin it on a clean towel tq
,? dry. ' , .
i- ^ n
< Flower* In Booms.
a The principal things to be considered
? in relation to pot flowers in rooms are
n light, moisture and. air, with absence
e of draft Judicious watering of plants
:r' in rooms is, perhaps, the most impor>'
tant feature in their management, a
c feature that is, unfortunately, in many
- cases not understood, the water being
^ givon mechanically and with no re9
gard to change, of Bt.ason. By a too
k eager desire for their welfare delicate
? plants are often surfeited with water.
, There are, of course, exceptions to
0 every rule, but in a general way the
* following rules are applicable:
1 In winter keep plants (not growt
ing fast at the time) rather dry; in
& spring increase the quantity of wa?
ter with their activity and the sun's
1 power?that is to say, keep the plants
v In a medium state, of moJstnre; in summer
water them dally,, and in autumn
decrease the amount of1 water given
^ with the length of the day and the
^ returning torpidity of the plants until
| the dry state of winter is again
reached. All this resolves Into the
folowlngj
Plants when grown fast may have
\ free supplies ofl water, which must
) be lessened their growths approach
i 'maturity, until the return of their
\ growing season.
J. ' \ , ;t.,
Hew to Wash Dlaliea.
{.v; Dish washing is more frequently
\ i neglected in its details than any other
; branch of household menage. To get
the dishec washed and put .'away is
f( vthe only aim of the average maid,
' ?4Jttd unless the housekeeper oversees
1' s &e^ work and insists upon its being
' ddn&ypijoperly, streaky plates and
i t;'.-rough cup8 with yellowed streaks
t about the'handles and in the creases
! are .JSUre to appear, while broken,
1 nicked and cracked dishes will be her
, despair. Better far cheap dishes with
odt nicks and cricks and with dainty,
: ' polishedsurfaces, than the finest ware
'FCtoWy cared for.
The 'china should never be mixed
with vthe cooking and kitchen utensils
and dishes. The latter should be
waftbfed first and put away. Then the
* "soap plates should be held under runnlr?(T
xcfltor nr riliincrbri lnt/% o nnn nf
O f ' V? ^/<UAi^V,U ?UW U [/?IU vii
cleair-water and piled together." The
meat and fish plates and entree dishes
should be thoroughly scraped, rinsed
like the soup plates, and each kind
plied together. The dessert dishes
should follow the same course. Cups
with fragile handles should occupy
an isolated position on the dish table.
Spoons with bowls all pointing one
way/and knives and forks should be
laid in separate heaps. Two good
sized pans; one for washing and one
for rinsing, and a dish drainer are all
needed, and should be placed in position,
with soapsuds as strong as the
hands will bear in the dish washing
pan. First wash the glassware, then
plunge it quickly into the hot water
/ in the rinsing pan; place it in the
drainer and dry, and put it away as
soon as all are washed. Next wash
and dry the cups and saucers in the
flflmo irnr nn/1 nnt ft mm nnroxr Thon
wash, wipe and put away the sliver,
cleaning the teaspoons first. All the
other dishes can be washed, rinsed and
drained together. Water just below
the boiling point should be poured
over the china to rinse It.
It wijl take determination and patience
to get a maid into the habit of
washing her dishes in this way, but
it can be done, and in one family
where this method is always used broken
and nicked dishes are almost unknowc.
There should be no sound
from the dishes during the entire process.
n ~~ rri
. i -loi iseJold aeapes
Silver Cake ? Beat to a cream onehalf
cupful of butter and one cupful
of sugar, add one-half cupful of milk,
; one teaspoonful of vanilla, the beaten
whites of three eggs, two cupfuls of
flour, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar
and one-half teaspoonful of soda.
Stewed Chicken With AsparagusStew
a fowl cut in joints and season
when half-cooked. When done remove
from the liquor, cover closely and keep
, hot where it will not dry. Cook two
i bunches of white asparagus in the j
broth and remove to five half slices of
- toast. Thicken the liquid with flour,
j let simmer ten minutes, then stir in
the beaten yolks of two eggs, with a
t cupful of cream, seasoning if needed,
and a tablespoonful of lemon juice.
Tour over the asparagus and fowl?
the asparagus placed in the centre of
the platter, the fowl arranged about It
neatly.
Curried Salmon?Put In a saucepan
a tablespoonful of butter and a tablespoonful
of chopped ouions and cook
slowly together till the oniou changes
color. Add a tablespoonful of flour
and a teaspoonful of curry powder;
mix with the butter, then add threea
? ?
quarters or a pine or uiiik. >vneu
smooth add moiv seasoning if liked;
i- draw to one side and si aimer ten min*
Utes. Add one pound of salmon
r (ennned or boiled) freed from bones I
e and skiu and broken in good-sized
r pieces. Gently cook ilfteen minutes
ll longer and serve with boiled rice in a |
1 4,?n^j-ate dish.
?
^r -
NEGRO DIES AT THE STAKES ?|
Large Crowd Wajph^tfte ^ames 43 |j/.
They Consume^e Victim.
Asxnnlted i.TCMto Woqwo in Alabama* ^
Wlioso Hanbana FIrfefl t|?e Pile?Wa?
(t*un Down by Bloodhou ntlg,
Wetumpka, Ala. (Special).?WInfleld
TowDsend, alias Floyd, a negro, was
burned at the stake In the little town
of Eclectic, Qrteen miles rrom tni?
placc. a few days ago. The crime
with which he was charged was an '
assault upon Mrs. Lonnie Harrlng*
ton, whose husband set fire to thq
brands, wliich reduced Townsend'a
body to ashes. The victim was a
nephew of a man hanged her? a week
ago for a similar crime.
Mr. Harrington was engaged at a
cotton gin in Eclectic and lived one
mile out of town. The negro came
td the house and told Mrs. Harrington
that her husband had senc him
to get twenty cents from hpr. She
told him she had no change. Then
the negro left, but returned In about
ten .minutes. The woman's screams
were heard by Bob' Nichols, another
negro, who was passing along the <t ~
road at the time. 'He ran to t~e*
house in time to see the negro escape.
The news spread rapidly. All the
stores In Eclectic were closed, all 'the
gins and saw mills rfhut down; the
people left their -wagons in the road
and their plows in the field and gathered
for a pursuit of the negro. The
crowd divided, some scouring the
woods near the scene of the crime and
others went tq the penitentiary for
bloodhounds. \ v.
The dogs jwer?\not brought to the
scene until nearly dark. They were
taken to where the negro's tracks
cisappeared, and an excltine chase ensued.
The dog* stopped finally at a V
tree In front oRfldion's "store ou the
outskirts of the town. < The crowd
coming up soon discovered the negro
sitting on a llffcb^^e was brought
down at once. T&fcfisend was confronted
by Mrs. Htf^ngton, who post ? ?
tlvely Identified him. i ;*>;
Word was sent tPtty# ,other searching
parties that the negro had been - '?
found, and about ft O'clock a crowd
of several hundred waS In the little
village. The negro was then taken
to the edge of the village. The prep^
aratlons for death were quickly made.'
,A rope was flung over the limb of
a bie oak and a hundred stood ready
to lend a band at the rope.
Then a halt was called and the manner
of death discussed by the mob. ^
To decide the matter a vote was taken
and the balloting showed ft majority
of the crowd to favor death at the
stake. 1
The stake wag ppjjpared-and the
negro was bonna to It with chains.
Pine knots were piled about him. v ^
Townsen d's wild cries upon God for ;
mercy and help could be heard a.long
way. The crowd looked on, deaf to ::
his cries, and in an hour the negro .
was reduced to ashes.
Townsend, before being bound, confessed
the crime, and safd he was also
Implicated with Alexander Floyd, who
was Hanged a couple of weeks ago.
He said he and Fiord bad planned . ,
for other crimes of like character, bnt
that Floyd's execution put a stop to
them. ,
BELGIUM'S HEIR TAKES A BRIDE.
She I* the Ducheaa Elisabeth of Bavaria,
Daughter of a Celebrated Ocollat. - -' V>!
Munich (By Cable).?Prince Albert V
of Belgium, heir presumptive to the V>
throne of that country, married the
Duchess Elizabeth of Bavaria. The
civiL ceremony took place in the throne
room and was followed by a religious '
PRINCE ALBERT OF BELOrUSI.
service in the Chapel Royal, after
which there was a reception.
Pr: ice Albert of Belgium is the son
of Philippe, Count of Flanders, brother
of King Leopold of Be'gium. Tho
prince wrs born in 1873.
The Dichesn Elizabeth was born
in 1S76. She is a daughter of Duke
Charles Thecdore of Bavaria, the eel
ebrated oculist.
Big Whale In Delaware Bay.
A large whale measuring probably
forty feet In length was seen in Del- ,
aware Bay, about a hundred feet from
shore, at Cape May. N. J, He dived
after a few miuutes and did not reappear.
_ .
Bay State Democratic Ticket.
The Democrats of Massachusetts
have nominated a State ticket headed '
by Robert Treat Paine, Jr., of Boston.
Secretary Hay Kctarna to Daty.
Secretary Hay has returned to Washington
from his outing in the New
Hampshire hills, and resumed his official
duties at the State Department
somewhat improved in health, but not
entirely recovered from his recent Indisposition.
Woman Centenarian l>le?.
Mrs. Ai:u Bryan Ilowe died at
TVliItclin!1 Y oirml vr>nr? Shf?
was probably the oldest person in t
Northern New York. Had she lived
three? mouths longer she would have
lived in three centuries.
Nerntjr CileHnmjja,
A trust has been formed to control
the output and sale of lobsters and
other sea food.
A northeaster has destroyed Graud
Portal, one of the famous pictured
rocks on Lake Superior.
Paris is holding its first postage
stamp exhibition and the stamps ex
uiuucu are insureu ior ??uu,uw.
Disorders have broken out at Sunrai,
near Canton, China. Several villages
have been destroyed and others i
bfsi'>ir?d I