, 1881-06-12

'eii, Fldi, Wei ~ i" came into the pulpit,
l saw its possibilities, have realized them.''
For ability to- construct and execute start
ing discourse all sporting men might with
safety place small change upon Brother
1almage- lie distances all competitors,
and that too in world which remembers
tne sermon Of him who preached on "The
Harp of Thousand Strings, Spirits of the
Just Made Perfect.'
And yet, admirable in many respects as the
orltion was, it was, it would seem, a little
defective in its subject matter. The style
and spirit were good, for there is pulpit
elegance in the free use of such words as
"fools,' and "frauds,'' and "idiots." and
''rlngs," and 'sllatns," and 'humbugs.',
because such terms, we'll applied, will pre-
vent the persons to whom they are applied
from being puffed up with self-conceit, and
will make them meek and lowly; but in the
main argument there are few weak points,
;E, as It. would appear to common observers.
Oldest is best, and that only low, vile souls
VIII interfere with that to which the public
is accustomed. Hence, the Southern phrase
lie has done gone dead" is SO dear to the
nesr2 es1 o,d heart that IT, man who should sug-
only a miserable land pirate. In religion
sncha man would make intidels, and would
destroy more souls by his "revise'' ill u day
IMAM la!ilage could save IN day and 4 half
by tie King James Testament. In the day
OF ING blessed King James it was quite COM
mon for people to. sing the tifty-eighth psalm
Ill the following rich method:
" The wicked are estranged from
The womb: they goe astrny
As soon us ever they are bOrtlo.
UtterinR lycs are they
III the stalwart logic of Brother Talnnage
the people were awfulty SWintlletl when they
were cheated out of these rhymes. If their
preachers and elders rayed around and de-
clarGd they would never touch any version
except tlle dear. sweet poetry OF their mem
ory. they cannot now be blamed, and if any
assembled audience gave Grounds OF APP
plause" to the old 'version,'' that would
show how. totally deprayed was the party Ut
the second part. The Kings version must
alive.
Of course no man living can be perfectly
certain that DR., Tamage ever is in the
wrong. 1t would ill-Decoine any one to at
firm that the distinguished Brooklyn preacher
has ever actually spoken hastily, for we all
know the l'l!lnit learning, and caution, and
profundity OF Brother Tainase. And yet we
are almost afraid that his fundamental doglla
that nothing old should ever be revised is
open to Il slight degree Of distrust; There
are many persons who feel that much Of the
thoughts AMI things Of yesterday should be
re'nade, OF reinoheletl, or revainpcG, or rcat-
Jnstcd, or - revised; There are "reylsed
law hooks,'' "reyised' 81 readers and spoilers,
''re,ised" everything. Each decade learns
not Il little and it should in some way attach
these improvements to all those things which
push themselves into the present from tile
less fortunate past.
These solemn nletlltations lead gently but
resistleSly to the opinion or surnise that
even Bro ther Talmage himself should DC ' re-
vised." 4 large committee should be alb
pointed to sit upon the present copy and COLI
pare it diligently with all other cop!es, Of
prea2Eers now lit common use or hidden
away in biography or legend, with power to
aud 70 or abstract from tile current edition.
The present version seems hastily gotten up,
and seems TO degree unauthorized. 1t has
more words than are necessary; has great
many had words; is not always consistent
within itself; IS full Of evident interpretations
the work OF some specialist or humorlst.
Under the hands Of prudent and bold IT.
yisit'lists THE Talmage'" might be made
very useful to this day and generaton tor it
terry attempted this task, but for some cause
the work fell through and we still have 1.-The -,
Enrcuised ana Unabridged 1uimttJe." This
is all evil which should soon pass away.