The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-05-07
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Eleventh Discourse Of the Series
On the Marriage Ring"

The Law OF Heredity-Traits OF Character
That Run In FamiIles-The RESPONSE
blIity OF Ancestry-Eequeathins
Moral Tendency.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
eleventh sermon of the wharfage Ring"
series at Fayette, Mo-, before an audience
that packed every available portion OF the
building in which it was delivered. The
subject was "Heredity," Mr.. Talmage TAX
ing for his text:
whose son art thou. thou young mani.
Samuel. xviii. s.
Never was there . more unequal fight
that that between David and Goliath.
David five feet high; Goliath ten. David
q shepherd boy, brought up amid rural
scenes; Goliath a warrior by profession.
Goliath mountain of braggadocio; David
q marvel Of humility. Goliath armed with
an iron spear; David armed with a sling,
with smooth stones from the brook. But
you are not to despise these latter weap-
ons. There was q regiment Of singers in
the Assyrian army and regiment OF
singers in the Egyptian army, and they
made terrible execution, and they could
cast stone with as much precision and
force as now can be hurled shot or she'll.
The Greeks in their army had singers who
would throw leaden plummets inscribed
with the irritating words, "Take this J"
80 it was mighty weapon David en-
ployed in that famous combat.
A Jewish rabbi saws that the probability
Is that Goliath was in such contempt for
David that in q paroxysm OF laughter he
threw his head back. and his helmet fell
OF, and David saw the uncovered forehead,
and his opportunity had come. and taking
this sling and swinging it around his head
two or three times, and aiming ut that un-
covered forehead he crushed it like an egg
shell. The battle over, behold a tahleau:
King Saul sitting, little David standing,
his fingers clutched into the hair of the
decapitated Goliath. As Saul sees David
standing there holding in his hand the
CHASTITY, reeking. staring trophy, evidence
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:
uOSC SOu oEt tuOos thOu yOuuS kAaus
The king saw what you and l see. that
this question of heredity is mighty ques-
ton. The longer live the more believe
In blood-good blood, bad blood, proud
blood, humble blood, honest blood, THEW
ing blood, heroic blosd, cowardly blood.
The tendency may skip . generation
or two, but IL Is sure to come out,
Is In . little child you sometimes
see similarity to great grandfather
whose picture hangs on the wall. That the
ply steal and mental and moral qualities
are Unbeatable is patent to any one who
keeps his eyes open. The similarity is 80
striking sometimes as to be amusing.
Great families, legal or literary, are apt to
have the characteristics all down through
the generations, and what is more per-
ceptible In such families may be seen on
. smaller scale in all families. A thou
sand years have no power to obliterate the
difference.
The large lip OF the house Of Austria Is
seen In all the generations, and is called
the Hapsburg lip. The House OF Stuart
always means in all generations cruelty
and bigotry and sensuality. Witness
XstcCA VI 0COS0s w iSn0SS Su6ll00 L. 0uu
Charles III. Witness james I. and James
II. and all the other scoundrels OF that inn
perisl line. Scottish blood means per-
sistence, English blood means reverence
for the ancient, Welsh blood means
religiosity, Danish blood means fondness
OF the sea, Indian blood means roaming
disposition, Celtic blood means fervidity,
Roman blood means conquest.
The Jewish facility for accumulation
yon may trace clear back to Abraham. of
whom the Bible says, Ale was rich in sill
yer and gold and CATTLE" and to Isaac and
Jacob, who had the same characteristics.
Some families are characterized by
and they have tenacity Of life
positively Methuselish. Others are char
asterised BY Goliathian stature, and you
can see II for one generation, two genera
tions, i've generations, in all gen.
erations. Vigorous theology runs
on In the line Of the Alexanders. Tragedy
runs ON In the families Of the Kembles.
Literature runs ON In the line Of the Troll
lopes. Philanthropy runs on In the line of
the Wilberforces. Statesmanship runs on
In the line Of the Adamses. Henry and
Ses0o8luo Va N6SaIIo IeuBtOuS, all tuoiT
families religious. The celebrated family
Of the Casini, all mathematicians. The
family of Medici-grandfather,
SON and Catherine-an remarkable for
keen intellect. The celebrated family of
Gustavus, al warriors.
This law Of heredity asserts itself with
ont reference to social or political con-
dition, for you sometimes find the ignoble
in high place. A descendant Of Edward
/. ton gathsrer. A descendant Of Ed
ward III. doorkeeper. A descendant OF
the Duke Of Northumberland . trunk
maker. 0oms Of tAs mightiest families of
England are extinct, while some Of those
most honored in the peerage 20 back to an
ancestry Of hard knuckles and rough sx.
terror. This law Of heredity Is entirely in-
dependent Of social and political condition.
Then you nnd avarice, and Jealousy, and
ssnsuality, and fraud having full swing
In some families. The violent temper Of
Frederick William IL the inheritance of
Frederick the Great. II is not theory to
b st forth by worldly philosophy only,
bot by divine authority. Do You not re-
nsmbr how the Bible speaks Of "a chosen
gsneration," Of 'sthe generation OF the
Of s'ths generation Of vipers, -
q N "untoward generation" Of SO stub