The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-10-23
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Brooklyn Divine DiscourseO
ON "The Lords Razor"
Cod,s Dealing with Nations That Need
Acknowledgements Accidents ~ Fac.
tors in the Administratisn
Of Divine Jcstice.

BROOKLYN, n. ". OCTOBER AL-DT. Aoi'
mage preached this morning on the sub
iect: "The Lords Razor" The Brooklyn
Tabernacle was crowded. At all the serv.
ices held there are people from all parts
of this land aud from foreign laEds. One
characteristic Of the audiences is the great
number of clergymen present. Before the
sermon to-day, DR.. Talmage read and ex-
pounded the elh chapter of the Fl st Book
O. Samuel, the story Of David allowing
Saul, his enemy, 20 escape, taking only a
piece of his robe, by whica Saul might see
tina, David had had him in his power. Tie
opening hymn was:
The morning light is breaking,
The darkness disappears;
Tire sons of men are waking
To penitentiai tears.
Dr. Talmage's ext was:
In the same day shall the Lord shave with
a razor that is hired-namely, by them be-
yond the river, by the King of Assyria.-
Isaiah, vii, 60
D. Talmage said:
The Bib,e is the boldest book ever writ.
ter. There are no similitudes in Ossian or
the nisd or the Odyssey so daring. Its
imagery sometimes seems on the verge OF
tie reckless. but only seems so. The fact
is that Col would startle and arouse and
p-opel men and nations. A tame and
li,nrinS sirnilifude would fail to accom-
p'isa the objects. While there are times
when he employs in the Bible tie gentle
dew aud the morning cloud, and the dove
AMI the daybreak in the presentation of
truth. we often find the iron chariot, the
lightning, the earthquake, the spray, the
sword, and in my text the razor.
This keen bladed instrument has advanced
In usefulness with the ages. In Bible
times and lands the beard remained uncut
save in the seasons of mourning and hu-
initiation, but the razor was always a suS-
cessive symbol. David says of Dosg,
his antagonist: "Thy tongue is sharp
razor working deceit,ully;" that is,
it pre.ends to clear the face, but
is really used for deadly incision.
In this mornings text this weapon of
the to;le appears un Ter the following cir
cumstances. Ju lea nee led to have some
of lis prosperities cut off and God sends
a2ainSt l. three Assy rian kings-frst Sem
nscaerib, then Esraha Id IN and af erward
Nebuchadn szzar. These three sharp inva-
sicnS that cut down the glory of Judea, are
compared 20 so many sweeps of the razor
across he face o: the land. And these
circums anc-s were called hired razor,
because God took the Kings Of Assyris,
with whom he had no symna:hy, to do the
work, and paid the n in palaces and spoils
and annexa:ions. These Kings Were hired
to execute the divine bshests. And now
the text, which on the first reading may
have seemed trivial or inapt. is charged
with momen Gus import: "ln the same
dav shall TIE Lord shave with razor that
is hired, namely by them beyond the river,
by the King OF Assyria."
Well, if Gcd's judgments are rasors, we
hal better be careful how we use them on
other people. In careful sheath these do
rnestic weapons are put away where no
ore ty accident may touch them, and
where tie hands of children may no. reach
them. Such instruments must be careful
" handled, or not handled a. all. But
how recklessly some people WELD the
judCmen: Of God. II a man meet with
business misfortune, how many there are
ready to cry ont: "That is Judgment of
God upon him because ne was unscrpulous,
or arrogant, or over-reaching, or misery.
thought ne would get cut down! Whist a
clean sweep of every thing! His city house
ana country house gone. His stables emp
tied OF al the fine bays and so-rels and
grays that used 70 prance by his door. All
his resources over.hrown and that he
prided himself on tumbled into demoli-
ton. Good for him" Stop, my
brother. Dent sling around too freely the
judgments OF God, for they are razory.
Some of the most wicked business
men sGccaed and they live and die in
prosperity, and -oms OF the most honest
an conscientious are driven in.o bank
ru2-cy. Perhaps his manner was unfor-
tunate ami he was not really as proud as
he looked TO be. Some OF those who carry
their heads erect and look imperial are
humble enid, wiiil- many a man in
seedy coat AMI SLOUGH hat and unblacked
shoes is as proud as Lucifer. You can
not tell by a mans look. Perhaps he was
not uDsci upl!ous in business. for there
are two sides 10 every story, and every
bo3y toat accompiishes anything for him.
sci or Others gets in Jus 'riousiy lied about.
Perhaps his business isfortune was not
a puuishm n, bu. he fa:herly discipline
to prepare him for Heaven. and God may
love him far more than he loves you who
can pay dollar for dollar and are pur
down in the commerc al catalogues as A
J. Whom toe Lord loveth he gives $780,
DO and les die on embroidered pillow:
No; whom the Lord loveth he ca as ,eneth.
Better keep your hand of the Lords ra-
hes md
do no. deserve it II You wan. to shave
OF some Of the bristling pride ofyour own
heart, do SO; but be very careful how
you Put the sharp edge on others
How l do dislike the behavior of
those persons, who, when people are vn-
for yunste, say: ~ told you so-setting
prnished-served him rigat." II those l.
hold you-so's got their desert they would
long ago have been pitched over the ba tie
ments- The mote in their neighbour ewes,
% small that It takes a IN :crozc5pe to find
II, gives them more trouble than the beam
which obscures their own optics. With
Air cmesimes supercillious and some
times Pnara cal, and always bias
pneRous, they take the razor of divine
judgment and sharpen Il on the hone of
their own hard hearts, and then 20 Co
work on men sprawied ous at full length
under disaster. cutting Inercilessly. They
be IL by soft expression o: sympathy
and pity and alt praise. and latter the
victim ali over .esore hey put on he
sharp edge. Let US be careful how we
shooS at o hers lest We take down The
wron- one, .emsmberFpg the sercant of
& ng William hutus who shot a deer, BIZ.
the arrow glanced q gainst tree ami killed
the King. Insresd of going OIL: with
shafts 20 p;erc- and razors to cst. We rad
besrer i'm tate the friend OF Richard Cueu.