The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-04-22
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Eleventh Discourse of the Series
On the Marriage Ring"

R Ah@
The Law Of Heredity-Traits of Character
That Run In Families-The RESPONSE
bility Of MISUNDERSTANDING
Moral Tendency.
Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage delivered the
eleventh sermon Of the marriage Ring"
series at Fayette, Mo-, before an audience
that packed every available portion of the
building in which 1t was delivered. The
subject was "Heredity," Mr.. Talmage TAX
ing for his text:
Whose SON art thou, thou young mani.
Samuel, XVII, 3d.
Never was there q more unequal fight
that that between David and Goliath.
David Ave feet high; Goliath ten. David
a shepherd boy, brought up amid rural
scenes; Goliath warrior by profession.
Goliath mountain of braggadocio; David
q 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 weap-
ons, There was regiment of singers in
the Assyrian army and a regiment OF
slingers 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, stake this"
So it was mighty weapon David en-
ployed in that famous combat. ~
A Jewish rabbi says that the probability
is that Goliath was in such contempt for
David that in 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 at that un-
covered forehead he crushed it like an egg
shell. The battle over, behold tableau:
King Saul sitting, little David standing,
his fingers clutched into the hair OF the
decapitated Goliath. As Saul sees David
standing there holding i'm 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:
whose son art thou. thou young man? q
The king saw what you and I see. that
! this question of heredity is mighty ques-
ton. The longer Hive the more believe
In blood--good blood, bad blood, proud
blood, humble blood, honest blood, THEW
ing blood, heroic blood. cowardly blood.
The tendency may skip a generation
or two,.. but it is sure to come out,
as in q little child you sometimes
. see similarity, to q great grandfather
whose picture hangs on the WALL That the
physical 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
3 Sand years have no power to obliterate the
difference.
The large Lip Of the house Of Austria h
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
Queen Of Scots. Witness Charles /. and
Charles III. Witness James I. and James
II. and all the other scoundrels of that i'm.
perial line. Scottish blood means per.
sistence, English blood means reverence
!. for the ancient, Welsh blood means
religiosity, Danish blood means fondnes.
of the sea, Indian blood means roaming
disposition, Celtic blood means fervidity
Roman blood means conquest.
The Jewish facility for accumulat ior
You may trace clear back to Abraham, OF
whom the Bible says, "He was rich in sill.
yer and gold and cattle,n and to Isaac and
Jacob, who had the same characteristics
Some families are characterized by
longevity, and they have tenacity of life
positively Methuselish. Others are char
acterised by Goliathian stature, and you
can see it for one generation, two genera,
tions, FIVE generations, in all gen.
erations. Vigorous theology run.
: 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 o.
the Wilberforces. Craftsmanship runs OF
in the line of the Adamses. Henry and
Catherine Of Navarro religious, all theil
families religious. The celebrated family
of the Casini, all mathematicians Tn,
celebrated family Of Medici-grandfather
SON and Catherine-all remarkable TO
keen intellect. The celebrated family O
Gustavus, all warriors.
This law Of heredity asserts itself with
ont reference to social or political con
dition, for you sometimes find the ignobl
in high place. A descendant of Edwar,
|. . toll gatherer. A descendants Of Ed
ward I'LL q doorkeeper.. A descendant o
the Duke Of Northumberland a trunk
8 maker. Some Of the mightiest families Q
England are extinct, while some of thos
most honored in the peerage go back to Al
ancestry Of hard knuckles and rough ex
terror. This law of heredity is entirely in
dependents of social and political condition
Then you find avarice, and jealousy, an
sensuality, and fraud having full swim
in some families. The violent temper 9
Frederick William is the inheritance q
Frederick the Great. It is not theory {
be set forth by worldly philosophy only
but by divine authority. Do you not re
member how the Bible speaks of ga chose
generation" of ssthe generation of til
righteous" Of 1.-THE generation Of vipers,
Of an ssun5oward generation" ar 50 stub