Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-11-05


In recent sermon the Is ss Tai
mage discussed blasphemy and Its an ss
quence. He drew from ancient and mod
ern history for instances of the sudden
and awful punishment inflicted by Divine
power upon blasphemers and warned his
hearers to avoid the sin as one that brings
them into special danger from an offended
Providence. His most striking illustra-
tration was an incident that he declared
happened only last August. He gives to
a ''Sun" reporter the following corrected
version of his narratives:
$50 common has blasphemy become
that the public mind and the public ear
have got used to it, and blasphemer
goes up and down this country in his
lectures defying the plain law against
blasphemy, and there is not Mayor in
America that has backbone enough to in
terfere with him, save one, and that the
Mayor of Toronto. Profanity is worse
than theft, or arson, or murder, for these
crimes are attacks on humanity. This is
an attack on God. This country is pre-
eminent for blasphemy. The crime is
multiplying in intensity. God very often
shows what He thinks of it, but for the
most part the fatality is hushed up. give
you fact that is proved by scores of wit
nesses. This last August of 1886, a man
got provoked at the continued drought
and the ruin of his crops, and in the pres
ence of his neighbors cursed God, saying
that he would cut His heart out if He
would come, calling him liar and cow
ard, and flashing knife. And while he
was speaking his lower jaw dropped, smoke
issued from his mouth and nostrils, and
the heat of his body was so intense it
drove back those who would come near
Scores of people visited the scene and saw
the blasphemer in the awful process Of ex-
piring. Do not think that because God has
been silent in your case, 0 profane swearer!
that He is dead. Is there nothing now
in the peculiar feeling of your tongue or
nothing in tie numbness of your brain
that indicates that God may come to
avenge your plasphemies or is already
avenging them? There are hundreds of
such cases. Families keep them still to
avoid the horrible conspicuity. Physi-
clans suppress them through professional
confidence"
Mr.. Talmage was asked for circum-
stantial account of the blasphemer who
was miraculously burned to death. His
response was as follows: II appreciate the
desire for further details in this matter,
but purposely avoided locat ing the event,
and the reasons that actuated me then
impel me now to keep the affair from the
public. Such an event is terrible thing
for the family and friends of the man who
was punished, and it was out of consider
alton for them that I omitted to state
where the scene was laid. That it is
strictly true, however, I have conclusive
evidence. forget just how it was brought
to my attention. l heard it reported by
somebody or got my first information from
a private letter, cannot say which, but 1
am inclined to think it was the latter
But no matter. asked a trusted friend
to investigate for me, and he did So
Some correspondence ensued, which he
turned over to me, and from it 1 am as
sured that the affair did actually and ex-
actly take place as l describe it. I have
the correspondence still, but think had
better keep it to.emyself, ''-Ne,o York
Sun.