The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-09-20
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SACRAMENTAL DAY AT THE BROOK.
LYN TABERNACLE.

LYN TABERNACLE.
Tho Learned and Eloquent Divine Dis
courses on the Philosophy of the Chain.
Its Rattle Heard and Its Coil Seen fran
Genesis to Revelation.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 16.-Today was
sacramental day at the Tabernacle, and
the more than four thousand communi-
cant members were joined by thousands
from ali parts of this country and from
other lands in the sacred eommemora-
ton. The Rev. T. De Witt Tadmage,
d. D., preached from Ezekiel vii, 90:
"Make cliainr' He said:
At school and in college in announcing
the mechanical powers, we glorified the
lever, the pulley, the inclined plane, the
screw, the axle and the wheel, but my
text calls us 20 study the philosophy Of
the chain. These links of metal, one with
another, attracted the old Bible authors,
and we hear the chain rattle and see its
coil all the way through from Genesis to
Revelation, flashing as an adornment, or
restraining as in captivity, or holding in
con- junction as in case of machinery. To
do him honor. Pharaoh hung a chain Of
gold about the neck of Joseph, and Bel
shazzar one about the neck Of Daniel :
The high priest had on his breastplate
two chains of gold. On the camels'
necks as the Ishmeelites drove up to
Gideon jingled chains of gold.
The Bible refers to the church as hav-
ing such glittering adornments, saying:
"Thy neck is comely with chains of
gold" On tho other hand, chain
means captivity. David the psalmist ex-
ults that power had been given over his
enemies 'to bind their kings with
chains" The old missionary apostle
cries out: 'For the hope of Israel, / am
bound with this chain" In the prison
where Peter is inoarcerated you hear one
day great crash at the falling off OF his
chains. st. John saw an angel tcome
down from heaven to manacle the pow
ers of darkness, and having "a great
chain In his hand" and the fallen angels
are represented as Preserved in everlast-
ing chains,' while In my text for the ar
rest and limitation of the iniquity Of his
time, Ezekiel thunders out, 'Make a
chainr'
What | wish to impress upon myself
and upon you is the strength ip right and
wrong directions, of consecutive forces,
the superior power of a chain of influ-
ences, the great advantage of a congeries
of links above one link, and in all family
government and in all effort to rescue
others and in all attempt to stop iniquity
take the suggestion of my text and make
chain
That which contains the greatest i'm
portance, thai which encloses the most
tremendous opportunities, that which of
earthly things Is most watched by other
worlds, that which has beating against
its two sides all the eternities. is the
cradle. The grave is nothing in import
ance compared with it, for that is only a
gully that we step across in a second, but
the cradle has Within it a new eternity
Just born and never to cease. When
three or four years ago the Ohio river
overhowed its banks and the wild fresh
cts swept down with them haryests
and cities, one day was found floating
on the bosom of the waters cradle with
child in it all unhurt, wrapped up snug
and warm, and its blue eyes looking into
the blue of the open heavens. 1t was
mentioned as something extraordinary.
But every cradle is, with its young pas
sengeT, floating on the swift currents of
the centuries, deep calling to deep, Ohios
and St. Lawrences and hiississippiS of in
} fuence, bearing it onward. Now what
shall be done with this new life recently
launched2 Teach him an evening
prayer2 That is important, but not
enough. Hear him as soon as he can re-
cite some gospel hymn or catechism?
That is important, but not enough.
Every Sabbath afternoon read him a
Bible story? That isimportant, but not
: enough. Once in while lesson, once
ina while prayer, once i'll while re-
straining influence? All these are i'm
portant, but not enough. Each one
, of these influences is only link, and il
= will not hold him in the tremendous
emergencies of life. Let it be constan
instruction, constant prayer, constant
application of good influences, a lone
line of consecutive impressions, reaching
; from his first year to his fifth. and from
his fifth year to his tenth, and from hi
tenth year to his twentieth "Make
chain~
Spasmodic education, paroyysnal dis
cipline, occasional fidelity, aInount t
nothing You can as easily hold an an
/ chor by one link as hold u child to tn
f; right by isolated and intermittent faith
fulness. The example must connect witt
j the instruction. The conversation mus
0 combine with the actions. The weeilda.
A consistency must conioin with the Sun
/; day worship. Have family prayers b.
all means; but be petulant and incon
sistent and unreasonable ia your house
hold, and your family prayers will be
: blasphemous farce. So great in our time
!, | are the temptations of young men to dis
q sipation, and young women to social fol
a lies, that it is most important that th
a first eighteen wears of their life b
/ charged with religious power that wi
{ hold them when they get out of th
o harbor of home into the stormy. ocean @
o active life. There is such thing as in
pressing children so powerfully wit
s good that sixty years will have no NOR
power to etTace it than sixty min
u utes What a rough time that youn
: man has in doing wrong, CAREFUL
!, nurtured as he was! His father an
g mother have been dead for years, or owe
. in Scotland, or England, or Ireland; bu
r. they have stood in the doorway of ever
IA dram shop that he entered, and unde
h the chandelier of every house of dissipf
u tion, saying: .'My son, this is no plac
for you. Have you forgotten the oil
S folks2 Don't you recognize thes
N wrinkles, and this stoop in the shoulder
N and this tremulous hand? Go home, n
d boy, go home! BY the God to whom W
II consecrated you, by the cradle in whic
: Is we rocked you, by the grass grow
y y graves in the old country churchyare
a by the heaven where we hope yet
i. meet you, go homel Go home, my boy
Il 60 homer And some Sunday you WI
ID be surprised to find that young man sue
le denly asking for the prayers OF II
it. church. Some Sunday you will see hi
at the sacrament and perhaps drinkir
"a SGs "