DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON. Heart Disease. “1s thine heart right?” 11 Kings 10: i8, Wir mettled horses at full speed, for he was celebrated for fast driving, Jehu, the warrior and king, returns from battie, But seeing Jehonadab, an acquaintance, by the wayside, he shouts * Whoa! whoa!l’’ to the lathered span, Then leaning over to Jehonadab, Jehu suiutes him in the words of the text— words not more appropriate for that Liour and that place than for this hour and place, IS THINE HEART RIiGnr? I should like to hear of your physical health, Well, myself, I like to have everybody else well; and so might ask, is your eyesight right, your hearing right, your nerves right, your lungs right, your entire body right? But I am busy to-day taking diagnosis of the more important spiritual conditions, I should like to hear of your financial welfare, 1 want everybody to have plenty of money, ample apparel, large storehouse, and comfortable residence; and I might ask, is your business right, your income right, your worldly sur- roundings, right? But what are these financial questions, compared with the inquiry as to whether you have been able to pay your debts to God; as to whether you are insured for eternity; as to whether you are ruining yourself by the long-credit system of the soul. I have known men to have no more than one loaf of bread at a time, and yet to own a government bond of heaven worth more than the whole material universe, The question 1 ask of you to-day is not in regayd to your babits, I make no inquiry about your integrity, or your chastity, or your sobriety. I do not mean to stand on the outside of the gate and ring the bell; but coming up the steps, I open the door and come to the private apartment of the soul; and with the earnestness of a man that must give an account for this day’s work, I ery out, Oh, man, oh, woman immortal, is thine heart right? I will not insult you by an argument to prove that we are by nature all wrong. If there be a factory explosion, and the smoke-stack be upset, and the wheels be broken in two, and the engine unjointed, and the ponderous bars be twisted, and a man should look in and say that nothing was the matter, you would pronounce him a fool. Well, it needs no acumen to discover that OUR NATURE IS ALL ATWIST and askew and unjointed. The thing doesn’t work right. The biggest trouble we have in the world is with our souls, is all right, Impossible! A farmer never puts the poorest apples on top of his barrel; nor does the merchant place the meanest goods in his show window, The best part of us is our outward life, I do not stop to discuss whether we all fell in Adam, for we have been our own Adam, and have all eaten of the for- bidden fruit, and have been turned out of the paradise of holiness and peace; and though the flaming svurd that stood at the gate to keep us out, has changed position and comes behind to drive us in, we will not go, The Bible account of us is not exag- and wretched and miserable amd blind stands shivering on our doorstep on a bread as we are of spiritual help, Blind: why, the man whose eyes perished in the powder blast, and who for these ten years has gone feeling his way from street to street, is not in such utter darkness as we. Naked: why, there is not one rag of holiness left to hide the shame of our sin, Sick: why, the lep- rosy has eaten into the head and the be some idol in your house not yet des- troyed.” The heathen confessed that there was one sdol of beaten gold that he could not bear to give up. After a while, when that was destroyed, in an- swer to the prayer of the Christian the sick man got well, Many a man has awakened in his dy- ing hour to find his sins all about him, They clambered up on the right side of his bed, and on the left side, and over the headboard, and over the footboard, and horribly devoured his soul, Repent! the volee celestial ores, Nor longer dare delay ; The wretch that scorns the mandate, dies, And meets a flery day.” Again, we need A BELIEVING HEART, A good many years ago a weary one went to the hills of Asia Minor, and with two logs on His back cried out to all the world, offering to carry their sins and sorrows, They pursued Him. They slapped Him in the face, They wocked him. When He groaned they groaned. ‘They shook their fists at Him. They spit on Him, They hound- el Him as though He were a wild beast. 1lis healing of the sick. His gight-giving to the blind, His mercy to the outcast, silenced not the revenge of the world, His prayers and benedic- tions were lost in that whirlwind of execration., Away with Him! Away with Him ! Ah! it was not merely the two pieces of wood that He carned ; it was the transgressions of the race, the anguish of the ages, the wrath of God, the sor- row of hell, the stupendous interests of an unending eternity, No wonder His back bent, No wonder the blood start- ed from every pore. No wonder He crouched under the torture that made the sun faint, and the everlasting hills tremble, and the dead rush up in their winding-sheets as He cried: “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” But the eup did not pass. None to comfort, There He hangs! hand done that it should be.thus crush- ed In the palm? It has been healing the lame and wiping away tears, has that foot been doing that it should be so Jacerated ? It has been going about doing good. Of what has THE VICTIM Tree ity 2 Guilty of saving a world. Tell ve heavens and earth, was there ever such another criminal ¥ Was there ever such a crime? On that hill of carnage, that sunless day, amid those howling rioters, may uot your sins and mine have perished ? 1 believe it. Oh, the ransoin has been so wide, that when He brought them world, Oh that 1 might, out of the blossom of the spring, or the flaming foliage of the autumn, make one wreath for my Lord | Oh that all the triumphal arches of the world could be swung in one gateway, where the King of Glory Ob that all the harps music might, in one anthem, speak His praise | But what were earthly flowers to Him who walketh amid the snow of white lilies of heaven! What were arches What wee all earthly music to Him when the hun- the hosannah of A REDEEMED EARTH after song rising about the thione of God and of the Lamb, high place, let Him hear us be heard. forgive that man the wrong he did me about that house and lot ; I will forgive that man who overreached me in that in; I will forgive that man who sold me a shoddy overcoat ; I will for- give them-—all but one. That man I CANNOT FORGIVE. The villain—I can hardly keep my hands off him. If my going to heaven depends on my forgiving him then I will stay out.’ Wrong feeling | If a man lie to me once, I am not ealled to trust him again, If a man betray me once, I am not called to put confi- dence in him again. But I would have no rest if I could not offer a sincere prayer for the temporal and everlasting welfare of all men, whatever meannesses and outrage they have inflicted upon me, If you want to get your heart right, strike a match and burn up all your old grudges, and blow the ashes away, “If you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your® heavenly Father for- give you your trespasses,” A BAILOR OVERCOME, An old Christuan black woman was going along the streets of New York with a basket of apples that she had for sale. A rough sailor ran against her and upset the basket, and stood back expecting to hear her scold frightfally, but she stooped down and picked up the apples, and said, ‘God forgive you, my son, as 1 do.” The sailor saw the meanness of what he had done, and felt in his pocket for his money, and in- sisted that she should take it all Though she was black, he called her mother, and said, *‘ Forgive me, mother, I will never do anything so mean again.” Ah! there is a power in a forgiving spirit to overcome all hardness, whether they will accept or not. Again, a right heart is AN EXPECTANT HEART, it i= a poor business to be building castles Enjoy what you have now, Don’t spoil your comfort in the small house, because you expect a larger one, Don’t fret about your income when it is three or four dollars per day, to have, after a be twenty thousand a year. heavenly things, the more we think the better, I like to see a He them in our possession, all full of heaven, He sings heaven. He dreams heaven. sleep have had THE GOOD PLACE OPEN TO US, We saw the pinnacles in the sky, heard the click of the hoofs of the white victors rode, and the clapping of the eymbals of eternal triumph. And while in our sleep we were heaven, Some our pillow. novances more bearable, In the medst of the city stands A BTATUR imagined that marble I never It seems not lifeless, If the spirit of Josephine be disentabernacled, the soul of the Empress has taken possession of this figure, I am not vet satisfied thet it is stone. The puff of the dress on the arm seems to need but the pressure of the finger to indent it, The figure at the bottom of the robe, the ruffle at the embroidery of the satin, the cluster of lily and leaf and rose in her hand, the poise out of the sky, her face calm, humble, pointing A WAY TO HAVE IT REMEDIED, 1 speak of the thirst of your hot tongue, only that I may show you the living stream that drops ciystaliine and spark- from the Rock of Ages, and pours a river of gladness at your feet, If I show you the rents in your coat, it 18 because the door of God's wardrobe now swings open, and here is a robe, God, and of a cut and make that an angel would not Le ashamed to wear, If I snatch from you the black, moldy bread that you are munching, it is only to give you bread made out of the finest wheat that grows on celestial hills, and baked in the fires of the Cross; and one crumb of which would be enough to make all heaven a banquet. Hear it, one and all, and tell it to your friends when you go home, that the Lord Jesus Christ can make the heart right, A REPENTING HEART, First we need a repenting heart, If for the last ten, twenty or forty years of life, we have been going on in the wrong way, it is time that we turned around and started in the opposite di- rection, If we offend our friends we are glad to apologize. God is our best friend, and yet how many of us have sever apologized for the wrongs we have done Him! There is nothing that we 80 much need to got rid of as sin. It is a horri- ble black monster, It polluted Eden, 1% killed Christ, It has blasted the world. Men keep dogs in kennels, and rabbits in a warren, and cattle in a pen. Wiat a man that would be who would shut them up in his parlor. But this foul dog of sin, and these herds of trans. gression, we have entertained for many a long year in our heart, which should too long withheld, we now surrender into Thy keeping. When Thou goest Looking up yond, the great heavens where all woman's wrongs shall be righted, and dance, CELESTIAL WINES, They have some old wine in heaven, not used except in rare festivities. In this world, those who are accustomed to use wine on great occasions, bring out the beverage and say. ** This wine old.” than eighteen centuries oid, the wine-press alone, When grisvous sinners as we come back, me- thinks the chamberlain of heaven cries out to the servants, ** This is unusual joy | Bring up from the vaults of heaven that old wine. Jill all the tankards, Let all the while-robed guests drink to the immortal health of thoce new-born sons and daughters of the Lord Al mighty.” There i2 joy in heaven among the angels of God, over one singer that repenteth ; and God grant that that one must be you | uc Spin, to have a right heart it niust - A FORGIVING HEART, An old writer says: *“To render good for evil is Godlike; good for good is man-like ; evil for good Is ¢ like.” Which of these natures have wo? Christ will have nothing to do with us as long as we keep any old ge, We have all been cheated a about, There are le who dislike us s0 much that if we should come down to poverty and Sisfraca) 1 would aay, * Good for him Bitoe 1 tel bow 80 7" They do not understand us, Une Sahetifiod at nature say or Yyas you t good ¢rack a . when at last you find his ina Hight , give it to him, Flay him alive, 6 quarter. Leave nota Tag of bp. tation, Jump on him with feet, i coln—sarcasm for will never drop their petals, The children of Goi, whether they suffer on earth in palaces or hovels, shall come to that GLORIOUS REST, Oh, heaven, sweet heaven! at thy gate we set down all our burdens and griefs, The place will be full. Here there ase table, but there are no vacant chairs in heaven, The crowns all worn: the thrones all mounted. Some talk of heaven as though it were a very hand. some church, where a few favored spirite would come in and sit down on finely cushioned seats by themselves, and sing psalms to all eternity, No, no. “I saw a great multitade that no man could namber, standing before the throne. He that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and it was twelve thousand furlongs’ ’—that is, fifteen hundred miles in circumference, Ah! Heaven is not a little colony, at one corner of God's dominion, where a man’s entrance depends upon what kind of clothes he has on his back, and how much money he has in his purse ; but a vast emopire, God grant that the light of that blessed world may shine upon us in OUR LAST MOMENT. The roughest time we had in crossing the ocean was at the mouth of Liver. pool harbor. We arrived at nightfall, and were obliged to lis there till the morning, waiting for the rising of the tide, before we could go up the city. How the vessel pitchxl and writhed in the water! sometimes, the last Sls uf the an isa le, waves of temptation re BA soul, but he wails for the morning, At last the light, dawns, and the of joy rise in his soul, and he suils up and caste the veil, t? What question ean compare wi It is Do A BUSINESS QUESTION, to go out of that woon have HE in New York, you will not have the handling of a yard of cloth, or a pound of sugar, or a penny-worth of anything ; that soon, if a conflagration should start at Central Park and sweep everything to the Battery, it would not disturb you; that soon, if every cashier should ab- scond, and every insurance company should fail, it would not affect you? What are the questions that stop this side the grave, compared with the ques- tions that reach beyond it? Are you making losses that are to be everlasting? Are you making purchases for eternity? Are you jobbing for time when you might be wholesaling for eternity? What question of the store is so broad at the base, and so altitudinous, and so overwhelming as the question, *‘Is thy heart right?” Or is it A DOMESTIC QUESTION? Is it something about father, or mother, or companion, or son, or daughter, that you think is comparable with this ques tion in importance? Do you not realize that by universal and inexorable law, all these relations will be broken up? Your father will be gone, your mother will be gone, your companion will be gone, your child will be gone, you will be gone, and then this supernal question will begin to harvest its chief gains, or deplore its worst losses, roll up into its mightiest magnitude, or sweep its vast circles, What difference now does it make to Napoleon III whether he triumphed or surrendered at Sedan? Chiselhurst, whether he was or exile? ‘They laid him coffin out in And sox will be the difference, whether in world we or walked, were what roxle kicked out, while laying hold of every moment if the great future, and burning is the plain, simple, practical, thrilling, agonizing, ovérwhelming question, *‘Is thy heart right?’’ Have you within you heart? if not, 1 must write upon your soul GEORGE WHITEFIELD upon the window-pane with his « ring. iamond fi ] He tarried in an elegant house recognized in that house, Before in the morning, with his ring he wrote upon the window-pane, “One thing thou lackest.'' After the guest was gone, the housekeeper came up and looked at the window, and saw , and called her husband and God through ministry of the window-glass, them all to Jesus, Though may today be surrounded have need of nothing, if you are not the children of God, with ring of Christ's love, sols, “One thi fhe 14 i the Kigrhe 1 pray that whatever else you not miss heaven, It is a home Your soul You fo lose, Casting all for the Kingdom. you say, ‘I will start, but William III made proclamation, when there was a revolution in the north of Scotland, that all who came oath of allegiance by the 31st of Decem- *o return with the rest of the rebels, last one that should take the oath, post poned starting for this purpose until two days before the expiration of the term, A snowstorm impeded his way, the time was up and past. While others were set free, Mac Jan was mis- erably put to death, late and arrived too late, for ever the amnesty of the Gospel too late. Remember the mistake of Mac Tan! Longfellow in the Tyrol Dialect. A ——— n——— ences to the Arounder., singular experience when I was in the Tyrol,” said he, is said, by drinking snow water, Well, spruck one night, and as I sat down in the large public room of the inn a Ty- rolean came in who, my landlord said, was the poet of that region. He took advantage of the first opportunity to introduce me to the poet and we sat down and chatted itogether and drank Bavarian beer, which was brought us by rosy-cheeked maidens in short petti- coats, and more than hall of them had goitres ; the older ones especially had great pendulous affairs, Among other Sige the poet said he had translated a number of Longfellow's poems into the dialect of fhe Tyrol, The most popular one, he said, was * Exceleior,’ which he read over to me, But there was some- thing the matter with ft. *‘Are you sure it is a good translation P77 I asked, “Certainly,” he saul, “except that 1 had to adapt it to some of the peculiar ities of our country you know. *’ . that's it, is it)" smd I, “that explains it.”” The second stanza of the poem, literally turned back into English, read, “Oh, stay,” the maiden said, ‘‘oh, joiter, and rest thy head upon thy goitre I Sm IOAN iss. An English firm have, after EE a with phosphorus Sttwngth snd SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON, Buxpay, Duc, 25, 1887, HOME READINGS, Monday, Dec, 19: 8: 5-18. Lesson 11. Tuesday, Dee, 20: 9:18 lessonlV. Wednesday, Dee, Matt. 9 : 85-88; 10 ; Matt, 10 : 3242, Thursday, Dee, Matt. 11 : 2-15. 11 : 20-30, Friday, Dec, 23; 12 : 1-14: lesson X. lesson 1. Matt, Matt, B : 18.97, Tesson 111. Matt, Matt, 9 : 18.31. 21: lesson V. 1-8, Lesson VI, VII, Matt, 23: Tesson Lesson VILLI, Matt. 1-4. Matt, 13 : 51- Lesson 1X. Matt, 13 : Lesson X11, Matt, The Angel's Song. — I ———— ——— TITLES AND GOLDEN TEXTS, GOLDEN TEXT YOR THE QUARTER! Thine, O Lord, 1s the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is tn the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.—1 Chron, 29 : 11. I. THE CEXTURION'S FAITH. I have not found so great faith, no, not 1m: Israel, — Matt, 8 : 10, II. THE TEMPEST STILLED, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little Matt, 8 : 26, ITI. POWER TO FORGIVE SINS, The Son of man hath power on earth Matt. 9:06, o forgive sins, IV. THREE According to your you, ~-Matt, 9 : 20, V. THE HARVEST AND THE LABORERS, ye have received, freely give, MIRACLES, faith be it unto . CONFESSING CHRIST. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also be- fore my Father which is in be w 32. VII. CHRIST'S WITNESS TO JOIN, He was a burning and a shining lig} John 5: 35. VIL Come JUDGMENT AND MERCY unto me, all ye that lal 1 are heavy la will gi Matt, 11:2 VE YOu Ie THE SABBATH, io well on the THE » word of ( BOWE yOil, —11kke ts i PARABLE OF THE TARES harvest is the end of the are the ang Ths reapers 13 : 39. Xii. OTHER PARABLES, L the ened of the world: forth, and sever Wig (RIT came REVIEW BIBLE Lesson 1 Superintendent : answered LIGHTS. And under my roof : but and my servant shall be healed, For 1 , and he goeth ; and to another, doeth it (Matt, Scholars : 1 have not found so great a Teachers: All things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9: 23). All : Increase our faith (Luke 17 : 5). Lesson 2 —Superintendent; And he was entered into a boat, his And behold, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep, And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, save, Lord ; we perish. ... Then Scholars : Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Matt, 8: 26), Teachers: Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for 1 am thy God (Isa, 41 : 10). All : Therefore will we not fear, the mountains be moved in the heart of the seas (Psa. 46: 2). Lesson 3 «Superintendent: And he and came into his own city. And be- of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer ; thy sins are forgiven (Matt, 9:1, 2), Scholars : The Son of man hath power to forgive sins (Matt, 9: 6), Teachers: Him did God exalt with his right band to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to lsrael, and remission of sins (Acts b : 31), All : Hide thy face fror my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities (Psa. 51 : 9), Lessow f~—Superintendent: And as Jesus passed by from thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and say- ing, Have mercy on us, thou son of David. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him : and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that 1 am able to do this? They say unto: him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying Matt, 9: 27, 20), Scholors: According to your faith be it unto you (Matt, 9 : 20). Teachers: All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11: 24). All : Bless the Lord, O my sou 1, and forget not all his benefits (Psu. 10d ; 9), 5.8 tendent : Then Lesson The harvest truly is i hurvert few. Pi 8 Shortie the Lord of Sie his harvest, fis twelve VOT and preach the gospel to the whol creation (Mark 16 : 15). All: As much as in me ls, I am read to preach the gospel (Rom, 1 : 35), Lesson 6.—Buperintendent ; He tha receiveth you recelveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me, He that receiveth a prophet in the name of 8 prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward ; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a right. eous man shall receive a rightecss man’s reward, And whosoever shall give t« drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily 1 say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward (Matt, 10 : 40-42) Scholars : Whosoever therefore shali confess me before men, him will I con- fess also before my Father which is in heaven (Matt, 10 : 32), Teachers : They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day that I do make, even a peculiar treasure ; And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him (Mal, 3: 17). All: Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom {Luke 23 : 42). Lrgson 7.—Superintendent : Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist ; yet he is but little in the kingdom of And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth vio- 4 or all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah. which (Matt. 11: 13-14). Scholars : He was a burning and a 18 10 come 1. 80 let vour light shine before that they may see your good and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matt, 5: 16). All: The night is far spent, and the day isat hand : let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light (Rom, 13 : 12), Lesson 8, At that Even men, works, Teachers : Superintendent : thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and fram the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea Father, for so it was well-pleasing in All things have been me of my Father: and no the Father ; neither doth any know the Father, save and he whomsoever the Son aim (Matt, 11 : 25- : 11:11 ¥ : 5 . st Ole HLV0 mie, aii 5 LA ght, de- lHvered unto ~~ ts ROVE On, BAVe heavy laden Matt. 11: 28). Him that t out (John Cast me not away sa. 51 : 11 Lesson 9. —Superints and are * YOu rest 'eachers : COINS inn p0) in now All: ise cas naent : And into u went thelr a withered hand. And they asked him, saving, Is it lawful to heal on the sab- bath day? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man there be of you, shall have sheep, and if this fall into a pit on sabbath day, will he not lay hold on , and lift it # How much then is yan of more value than a shoop ! { Matt. Lest that out lawful to do well on (Matt, 12: 12). sabbath was made for for the sabbath Teachers : The and not Mark 2 : 27). All: Blessed is the man that doeth son of man that heoldeth that keepeth the sabbath Haan |B Superintendent : Behoid, ; and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, Lesson 10. and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, they were scorched ; and because they had no root, they withered away. And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked them : and others fell the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty (Matt. 13: 38). Scholars : The seed is the God {Luke 8 : 11). Teachers: Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to gave your souls (Jas 1:21). All : Thy word have I laid up In my heart. that I might not sin against thee (Psa. 119:11). Lesson 11.—Snpevintendent : And the servants of the householder came and said anto him, Sir, didst thon not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this, And the ser- vants say unto himg Wilt thou then that we go and gather them wp? But he saith, Nay ; lest hapily while we gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. let both grow together u itil the harvest (Matt, 13: 27-30). Scholars: The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels (Matt, 13 : 30), Teachers : As for transgre they shall be destroved her : the latter end of the wicked shall be cut off (Psa. 37 : 38), : Heal me, O Lond, and I shall be healed ; save me, and I shall be saved (Jer. 17 : 14) Lesson 12, Superintendent : Again, the kingdom of heaven is lis unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodiy pearls: and baving found one pearl of sat price, he went and sold all that had, and bought it. Again, ihe kingdom of heaven is like untoa net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach ; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away Matt, 13: 45-48 Scholurs : So world : : word of