The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-24
Talmage on Tobacco.
no Wit Talmare said

Rov. De Witt Talmage said:
nOne reason why there are so many
victims to this habit is because there are
so many ministers of religion who smoke
and chew. They smoke until they get
bronchitis, and the dear people have to
pay their expenses to Europe. Ihey
smoke until the nervous system breaks
down. They smoke themselves to death.
I could name three eminent clergymen
who died of cancer in the mouth, and IN
eyery case the physician said it was to-
hacco. There has been a clergyman whose
tombstone was all covered up with
euIoov. which ought tn have had the
honest epitaph, Killed by too much
Cayendishp Some Of them smoke un-
til the room is blue, and their spirits are
blue. and the world is blue, and every
thing is blue.
"Time was when God passed by such
sins. but it becomes the duty OF the
American clergy who indulge in this mar
cotic to repent. How can man preach
temperance to the people when he Is hlm,
self indulging in an appetite like thatE
T have seen a cnspidore in a pulpit where
the minister would drop his cud before
he got up to read Blessed are the pure
in heart and to read about Rolling sln
"a a sweet morsel under the tongueP and
| in Ieyiticus to read about unclean
animals that chew the cud. nave
known presbyteries and general assem-
blies and general synods where there was
a room set apart for the ministers 70
/ smoke in. have seen ministers Of re-
/ licion. their boards anointed not With
| holy oil, such as ran down Aaron g beard,
/ hut with poisonous saliva. oh! 1t IS
sorry spectacle, conseerated man,
holy man of God, looking around for
/ something. which you take to be look
| ing for a larger field of usefulness. He
i not looking for that at all. he i
only looking for some place where ne
4 can discharge a mouthfd1 of tobacco
juicel !.
al am glad the Methodist Church O
the United States in nearly all Its con
ferences has passed resolutions agains
{ this habit and it is time that we had al
, anti-tobacco reform in the Presbyterian
Church, and the Episcopal Church an
|. the Baptist Church, and the Congregd
] tional Church. About sixty years ago,
young man graduated from Aneoye
!, Theological Seminary into the ministry
/ He went straight to the front. e
7 had an eloquence and personal magne
|, ism before which nothing could stand
hut he was soon thrown into the insau
asylum for twenty years, and the doctG
said it was tobacco that sent him ther
According to the custom then in yogu
NJ was allowed q small portion OF tobact
. every day. After he had been the
q nearly twenty years, walking the fio'
s one day he had q sudden return OF reaso
s and he realized what was the matte
= He threw the plug of tobacco thTouI
Il tho iron crates. and said What brougl
q me here9 What keeps me here! WI
nf am here7 Tobaccoi tobaccol y, Go
4 helnI helpl and I'll never use
40 arain. He was restored. He "
Is brought forth. For ten years he succe
Eli fully preached the gospel Of Jesus Cnrl
ser and then went into bilssfui INN
IS tality.
he aThere are ministers Of religion
re- day indulging in narcotics, dying
a. inches, and they do not know What
,erl the matter with them. might IN
I = word. give my own experience. Il Z
81 ten CIGARS to make q sermon ] got v
81 nervous. One day I awakened to
-, outrage / was infiicting upon nlys
80 / vas about to change settlements an
IA generous wholesale tobaeconist in z
l ITe sdelphia said if would only come
Il PHILADELPHIA he would, all the res
ST INV life, provide me with cigar. fire.
agh charge. -
lset II said to myself, Il IN these
L t;mes when cigars are 50 costly, and
o,,e salarv 4 small, 4 smoke mone til.
.sng iss onoht "a. what would do If I had q
and fnftons and flIimitable supply2 And
IL ar,d there. twenty years ago, Iqnit {
ssste Ise as,d forever. II made new man Of
ever and though I have since then don
-ssz. TnaIell hard work as any one, / thi
s * | Nave lad the best health God ever be
.hss s aman With. a minister Of religion /
no afford to smoke.