The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-28
DIR. TALMAGE ON HEREDITY.
"The Marriage Ring Sermons Contin'
ued with a Discourse in Missouri.
The Strength of Inherited Traits, as Strik'
ingly illustrated from the Worlds His
tory-The Hope for Sins Children.

Sermon at Fayette, No.. March 81.
Dr. Talmages subject was "Hereditys' and
his text Samuel xvii, So: ''Whose son art thou,
thou young mani" Following is the sermon in
full, which is the eleventh in the series on THE
Marriage Ring"
Never was there more unequal fight than
tAat between David and Goliath David five
feet high Goliath ten. David shepherd boy
brought up amid rural scenes, Goliath warrior
by profession. Goliath a mountain of braega-
docia, David marvel of humility. Goliath
armed with an iron spear, David armed with
sling with smooth stones from the brook But
you are not to despise these latter weapons.
There was a regiment of slim gers in the
Assyrian army, and regiment of singers
IN the Egyptian army. and they made terrible
execution; they could cast stone with az much
precision and force as now can be hurled shot or
shell. The Greeks in their army had singers
who would throw leaden plnmmets inscribed
with the irritating words: Take thisf' So it was
mighty weapon David employed in that famous
combat
A Jewish rabbi says that the probability is
that Goliath was in such contempt for David
that in a paroxysm of laughter, he threw his
head back and his helmet fell off, and David saw
the uncovered forehead and mis- opportunity had
come, and taking this sling and swinging it
around his head two three times. and aiming
an egg-shelL The battle over, behold tabeau:
King Saul sitting, little David standing. his fin
gers clutched into the hair of decaptated Goliath
AS Saul sees David standing there holding in his
hand the CHASTITY, reeking staring trophy, evi-
dence OF the complete victory over Gods enc
mics, the King wonders what parentage was
honored by such heroism, and in my text he
asks David his pedigree Whose son art thou,
thou young man?'
The King saw what you and gee, that this
question of heredity is mighty question. The
longer live the more believe in blood-good
blood, bad blood, proud blood. humble blood,
honest blood, thievng blood, heroic blood, cow
ardly blood The tendency may skip genera
tion two. but it is sure to come out as in
little child you sometimes a similarity to
great grandfather whose picture hangs on the
wall. That the physical. and mental, and moral
qualities are Unbeatable is patent to any who
keeps his eyes Open The similarity is so strik-
ing sometimes to become amusing. Great
families. legal and literary, are apt to have the
characteristics all down through the generations,
and what is more perceptible in such families
may be a smaller scale in all families.
A thousand years have no power TO obliterate
the aimuroRces
The large lip OF the house of Austria is seen in
all the generations, and is called the Hapsburg
lip. The house of Stuart means in all genera
tons cruelty, and bgotry, and sensuality. Wit
ness Queen of Scots. Witness Charles / and
Charles IL Witness James l. and James III, and
all the other scoundrels of that imperial line.
Scottish blood means persistence. English blood
means reverence for the ancient. Welsh blood
means religioeity. Danish blood means fondness
for the sea, Indian blood means roaming DISPOSE
ton, Celtic blood means fervidity, Roman blood
means conquest.
The jewish facility for accumulation you may
trace clear back to Abraham, of whom the Bible
says he was rich in silver. and gold,
and CATTLE and to Isaac and Jacob, who
are characterized by longevity, and they have
o tenacity of life positively Methuselish.
Others are characterized by Goliathan
stature and you can see it for one
generation. two generations, five generations.
In all generations. Vigorous theology runs
on in the line of the Alexanders. Tragedy runs
in the families of the Kembles Literature runs
on in the line of the Trollopes. Philanthropy
runs on in the line of the Wilberforces. States
manship runs III the line of the Adamses.
Henry and Catharine of Navarro religious; all
their families religious. The celebrated family
of the Casini, all mathematicians. The cele
brsted family of the Neutrality-suspicious., son
and Catbarine-all remarkable for keen intellect.
The celebrated family of Gustavus Adolphus, all
warriors This law of heredity asserts itself
without reference to social or political condition,
for you sometimes find the ignoble in high place
and the honorable in obscure place. A descend
ant of Edward / a toll-gatherer. descendant
of Edward III door keeper. descendant of
the Duke of Northumberland trunk-m maker.
Some of the mightiest families CT England are
extinct while some of those most honored in the
peerxge go back to an ancestry of hard knuckles
and rough exterior This law of heredity is en-
tirely independent of socialor political condition
Then you find avarce, and jealousy, and sen
suality and fraud have full swing in some
families. The violent temper of Frederick
William is the inheritance of Frederick the
Great 1t is not theory to be set forth by
worldly philosophers only, but by divine author
ity. Do you not remember how the Bible speaks
of ~ chosen generation" of s'the generation of
the righteous" of 1.-THE generation of vipers" of
an ssuntoward generation" of "a stubborn gen.
of iniu 70 nj a ma st
: the children unto the third and fourth genera
tionl" So that the text comes to-day with the
force of a projectile hurled from mghtiest
catapulr. Whose son art thou, thou young
manW
.sWeil, says some one, t'that theory discharges
me from all responsibility. Born of sanctifed
parents are bound to be good and we cannot
help ourselves. Born of unrighteous parentage
we are bound to be evil and we cannot help our
selves"
AS much as Il you should say. ssrhe centrip-
etai force in nature has tendency TO bring
rything to the center, and, therefore. all
things to the center. The centrifugal
force iE nature has q tendency to throw out
everything to the periphery, and, therefore,
everything will go out to the periphery" You
know we'll as know that you make the
centripetal overcome ths centrifugal. and you
can make the centrifugal overcome the centri-
petal As when there is a mighty tide of good
IL family that may be overcome by determine
fion to evil, as in the case or Aaron Burr, the
hbertine who had for father President Burr the
consecrated; as in the of Pierrepont Ed
wards, the scourge of New York society seventy
years ago, who had Christian ancestry; while,
on the other hand, some of the best men and
women of this day are those who have come of
an ancestry of which it would not be courteous
to speak in their presence.
The practical and useful object Of this ser
mon is to show to you that If you have come of
q Christian ancestry then you are solemnly
bound to preserve and develop the glorious in
heritance; or, if you have come of depraved
ancestry, then it is your duty to brace yourself
against the evil tendency by all prayer and
Christian determination, and you are to find
out what are the family frailties. and in arming
the CASTLE put the strongest guard at the weak
est gate With these smooth stones from the
brook | hope to stcike you, not where David
l;aki Ill i,.k h.. Nh