The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-17


for sweet and sweet for bitter. No man repent
eth of his sin, saying, What have doneY SIN,
then, is the violation of law; law is to govern
and control.
now what are we to understand by basphemyY
Blasphemy, strictly and morally speaking, Is an
indignity offered to God, by words, or writing,
or speaking disrespectfully or lightly OF his
authority. All the great interests of religion,
chastity, truth, mercy, kindness, long-suifering,
1t Is nlaspbemy to speak disrespecttuly or lightly
of these things; and this blasphemy is constantly
employed everywhere The name of God is
blasphemed by vile and vulgar profanity.
God, then, is blasphemed by the light and indf-
ierent way in which His ame is employed and
the light manner in which we speak OF His
authority and of His goodness. Ribaldry is
mean, lewd, brutal, and vulgar language.
! ask you then, whether this blasphemy and
ribaldry are not, every day that you live in this
land pCpularized by reason of those that mock
at sin? No wise man, noadiscreet man, no Just,
true, and noble man would do this. Human
society allow me to remark, can only live,
flourish and rise to great Sminence rs il is intel
ligent refined, virtuous. This you may rely
upon as a universal fact, tina. human society
can never rise to any eminence,-to any degree
OF eminence, only as that society is chaste ele
CANT, refined. l ask you, then, whether in
our Judgment in this respect, we are improving
opinion is that we are not; that we are every
day becoming more blasphemous; that we are
sFeaEing lightly OF God lightly OF His govern
ment, Indifferent to the great principle which
lit ua5 ltlu uOWll 10 IeGulale aOI CODIrOl us.
Why, the very youth Of the land are becoming
vile. This is as true as that we live to-day. For
example respect for age and station is de-
olinng rapidly, and has been for the last
thirty years IN the United States. | trace this
condition of things as far back as 1829-3O, and
along there, when the public press of this
country yssalled che wife OF one of the greatest
men of our land in the most bitter language.
Then young man, I saw where these things
would end when The Chief Magistrate OF the
nation was reproached rebuked. and vlihed
and all that was sacred and holy was assailed in
the vilest and the most cruel language--the man
whose character should be chaste and sacred in
the minds of men.
And oh, how cruel how malignant! how
devIsh must that heart be that Will speak i'll of
the character OF o woman! The very children
in the streets learn the lesson that they hear at
their fathers morning, noon ana evening festive
board. The boys could be heard and the girls
too. 1t has been getting worse from that day to
this. ] say that the very children in the streets
use the vllest vulgarity: and the lowest species
OF language is employed by mere children. This
language is conveyed TO them through the
pubic press, which commenced this trade of
abuse many years ago. even before the period
iugly OF the most vituperatiye and blasphemous
language.
The object of the press is to keep alive party
spirit This, then, IS is use. In this way you
lind that the very CHILDREN in the land have not
the slightest regard Tor Gods authority. We
are told in the 22d chapter and the 2Sth verse of
Exodus that thou shalt not revile thy gods
Chat is, the Judges), nor curse the ruler of thy
people. Now have you heard ths9 Is there a
man or woman in this house that has not heard
the very Chief Magistrate OF our own nation
spoken of in the yilest in the most vulgar terms,
and in the most blasphemous manner.
Haven't you heard the very boys say. "You old
doter, what do you know and turn round aud
Willy the character or the rulers Of the nation.
AND that is the very LANGUAGE that is employed.
The Apostle Paul makes a statement in the 5th
verse, 23d chapter of Acts. 1t was written after
he had rebukei the high priest. "Then," said
Paul, 81 wish not, brethren, that he was the
high priest, for it is written, Thou shalt not
speak evil of the ruler of thy people," Thou
shalt not speak evil OF the ruler OF thy people;
do they regard this These children about YOUR
streets and in your houses are doing it every
day.
There are men who do the same thing. and
some who profess t. be ministers OF the Gospel.
What ore we to think when the men calling
themselves ministers of the Prince of Peace,
ministers OF purity, ministers of love, do this p
the very men who should be spreading the
Gospel instead OF detamlng the character of the
rulers OF the nation. This is done IN the pre-
sence of men who call themselves gentlemen.
In the most elevated position of society it is
countenanced. l took up morning paper, not
long ago. and read that man said he would
rather go to hell with one man than to Heaven
with another.
In the name OF God. what will be the result of
all this? 1t is not the blasphemer and the VITu-
perative man that uses the language that Is so
terrible, that is SO horrible; but that such polluted
lips, that such vile blasphemy AGAINST God
should be countenanced and encouraged and
lifted up by intelligent men.
| remember taking up the Public Ledqer-a
very truthful paper 1t Island reading a report
of a meeting that was held in this city. mum.
ber of the ministers OF the Lord Jesus were
there 1t reported this-that one of the promi.
nent speakers, speaking of certain belngs-no
matter who they were-said he would chase
them to the gates of he'll, and you and Will
make faces at them as they go in. Now, in Gods
name. in the name Of everything that is human,
could such language be countenanced? 1t
was, the paper SAID, appiauded. Then do you
wonder at the drunkards Do you wonder at
the blasphemy Do you woHder at the lawness-
ness Do you wonder that the little boys have
become corrupt to the core? Do you not feel
that everything is going 10 destruction? Do
you wonder why fools mock at sin Think OF
II, q fell0W-creature standing at the very gates
OF hell, and mocking as he sees my poor soul
going down to condemnation Ny brethren,
my American Christian brethren, is that sub
jeOt of laughter appeal TO you in the name
OF God, is that a subject OF Laughter?
The Bible says that "tools mock at SIM The
boys and girls, fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen
years of age, have an impertlnence and assurance
that are alarming. 1t is not their fault so much
as It Is ours. Is is not the children that are to
blame so much as Inc people. Their parents
take the papers, and the children read them.
Why every thing is turned upside down. Accord
ing to report in the New York Herald, church
IN the city of Brooklyn was turned into pande.
mOnium.
You remember the recent tour of the Chief
Magistrate OF this nation, | do not say that /
am in favor of this journey, or these speech
makmgs; but have great respect for that office.
have always believed and maintained that it
was the most dlgnifed this side Of heaven. I
like that chair in the capital of this nation, first
consecrated by the Father of his Country, whose
memory love; that and the purity OF his char
acter is like the jasper stone in the temple of
God. II the Chief Magistrate of the country