Evening star., 1886-10-19
A Binsptemer,s Doom.
TALMAGE DECLARES THE ACCURACY OF An A
TONISHISG STORY

TALMAGE DECLARES THE ACCURACY or An AS
ToNIsHISG STORY.
In a recent sermon the Rev. DR. 1almage dis
cnssed blasphemy aud its consequences. He
drew from ancient and modern history for In
stances OF the sudden aud awful punishment,
inflicted by divine power upon blasphcmers,
and warned his hearers To avoid the sin as one
that brings them into special danger from an
offended Providence. His most striking illus
iration was an incident that he declared hap
pened only last August. lie gives To a Sun re-
porter the following correct version OF his narra-
i've:
80 common has blasphemy become that the
public mind ana the public ear have got used
TO Ii, aud a basphemer goes up ana down this
country I'm his lectures defy ing the plain Law
against blasphemy, and there Is not n mayor in
America that has back bone enough TO interfere
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. That Is am attack on God This
country Is pre-eminent Tor biasphemy. The
crime rs multiplying in intensity. God very
often shows what he thinks of II, but for the
most part the fatality is hushed up. 1 give
you fact that is proved 10y scores of witnesses
This last August OF $50 "A man got provoked
at the continued drought and the ruin of his
crops, and ia the presence Of his neighbors
cursed God, saying that he would cut His heart
out III He would come, calling him n liar and
coward and flashing knife. And while be was
speaking his lower jaw dropped, smoke issued
from mouth aud hostris, and the heat OF his
body was SO intense IL drove back those who
would come near. Scores ol people visited the
scene and saw the basphemer i'm the awful
process of expiring. DO not think that God has
been silent OF your case, profane swearet
that lie is dead. Is there nothing now In the
peculiar feeling OF your tongue or nothing in
the numbness OF your brain that indicates Ihat
God may come 10 avenge your blasphemies or
Is already ayenging them: There are hum
dreds OF such cases. Families Keep them still
TO avoid the horrible conspicuity. Physicians
suppress them through professional confidence.
Mr.. Talmage was asked for a circumstantial
account OF the biasphemer, who was miracu.
lously burned to death. His response was as
follows: Il appreciate the desire for further
details i'm this matter, but purposely avoided
locating the event, and the reasons that actualed
Inc then impel me now To keep the affair from
the public. Such an event IL q terrible thing
for the family and friends OF the man who was
punished, and il was cat of consideration for
them that omitted To state where the scene
was laid. That ii is strictly true, however, I
have conclusive evidence. L forget Just how it
WAS brought to my attention. 4 heard Ii re-
ported by somebody or got my first information
from a private letter, cannot say which. but L
am inclined TO think il was the latter. But no
matter. L asked a trusted friend of mine TO
investigate for me, and he did So Some corre-
spondence ensued, which he turned over TO me,
and from ii 4 am assured that the affair aid
actually and exactly take place as describe IL.
l have the correspondence still, but 1 think
had better Keep IL to myself"