The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-25
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Habit Of Profanity"

sore b0itS from the S0te or ms JoOt 1t,to ms
cro,cn. And he took him potsherd to
among the ashes. Then said has 1ctfe untc
him: .Dost thou still retain thine integrity ,
Curse God, and die Book of Job, Ii, Z, s
and 9.
A story oriental and marvellous Job was
the richest man in all the east He had cam
els and oxen and asses and sheep, and, what
would have made him rich without anything
else, seven sons and three daughters. 1t was
the habit of these children to gather together
for family reunion. One day Job is thinking
of his children as gathered together at a BAN
Quet at the elder brothers house.
While the old man is seated at his tent
door be sees some one running, evidently,
from his manner, bringing bad news. What
is the matter now." "Oh," says the messen-
ger, ga foraging party of Sabeans has
fallen upon the oxen and the asses, ana
wants except myself" Stand aside. Another
messenger running. What is the matter
now? "Oh," says the man, ''the lightning
has struck the sheep and the shepherds, and
all the shepherds are destroyed except my
salf.n Stand aside Another messenger rum
ming. What is the matter nows "Oh, he
says "the Chaldeans have captured the
camels and slain all the camel drivers except
myself" Stand aside. Another messenger
running. W QdL Is Oht
be says, "a hurricane struck the four cor
ners of the tent where your children were
assembled at the banquet, and they are all
dead"
But the chapter of calamity has not ended.
Job was smitten with elephantiasis, or black
leprosy. Tumors from head to foot-fore.
head ridged with tubercles-eyelashes fall
out-nostlils excoriated-voice destroyed
intolerable exhalations from the entire body,
NATL NTH nnna RI drpSe he sore he sits
down in the ashes with nothing but pieces Oh
broken pottery to use in the surgery OF his
wounds At this moment, when he needed
all encouragement, and all consolation, his
wife comes in, in a fret and rage, and says:
''This is intolerable. Our property gone,
our children slain, and now you covered up
with this loathsome and disgusting disease
Why don't you swearl Curse God and die!s
Ah, Job knew right we'll that swearing
would not cure one of the tumors Of his ago
nized body, would not bring back one of his
destroyed camels, would not restore one OF his
dead children. He knew that profanity would
only make the pain more uubearable, and the
poverty more distressing, and the bereave-
ment more excruciating. But, judging from
the profanity abroad in our day, you might
come to the conclusion that there was some
great advantage to be reaped from profan'
ity.
Blasphemy is all abroad. You hear it i'll
every direction. The drayman swearing at
his cart, the sewing girl imprecating the
tangled skein, the accountant curslng the
long line Of troublesome figures. Swearing
at the store, swearing in the loft, swearing
in the cellar, swearing on the street, swear
ing in the factory. Children swear. Men
swear. Women swear! Swearing from the
rough calling on the Almighty in the low
restaurant, clear up to the reckless ''Oh
Lordl' Of a glittering drawing room: and
the one is as much blasphemy as the other.
There are times when we must cry out to
the Lord by reason of our physical agony or
our mental distress, and that is only throw
ing out our weak hand toward the strong
arm of father. 1t was no profanity when
James A. Garfield, shot in the Washington
depot, cried out: ''My God, what does this
meanF' There is no profanity in calling out
upon God in the day of trouble, in the day
Of darkness, in the day of physical anguish
In the day Of bereavement; but am speaking
now of the triviality and of the recElesSneSs
with which the name of God is sometimes
used. The whole land is cursed with it,
A gentleman coming from the far west sat
in the car day after day behind two persons
made up his mind that he would make a
record Of their profanities, and at the end of
two days several sheets of paper were COW
cred with these imprecationS, and at the close
-ot the journey he handed the manuscript to
one of the persons in front of him. 'Is it
possible" said the man, that we have ut
tered so many profanitieS the last few days"
SIT IS" replied the gentleman. Then, said
the man who had taken the manuscript: ~
will never swear again"
But itisa comparatively unimportant thing
II man makes record Of our improprie-
ties of speech. The more memorable conSid.
"eration is that every improper word, every
oath uttered, has record the book of Gods
remembrance, and that the day will
come when al our crimes Of speech, If unre-
pented of, will be our condemnation. shall
not to day deal in distractions. I hate ab-
:.stractions. am going to have plain talk
with you, my brother. about habit that
you admit to be wrong.
The habit grows in tue community in the
fact that young people think it manly to
swear. Little children hardly able to walk
straight on the street, yet have enough dis
tinctiveness Of utterance to let you know
that they are damning their own souls or
damning the souls Of Others. 1t is an awful
thing the first time the little feet are lifted
to have them set down on the burning pave
ment Of hell
Between 16 and 20 years of age there is
apt to come time when young man is as
much ashamed Of not being able to swear
gracefully as he is of the dizziness Of his first
cigar. He has his hat, his boot and his coat
of the right pattern. and now, if he can
only swear without awkwarkness, and as
well as his comrades, he believes he is in the
fashion. There are young men who walk in
an atmosphere of imprecation-oath on their
lips, under their tongues, nesting in their
shock of hair. They abstain from it in the
elegant drawing room. but the street and the
club house ring with their profanities. They
have no regard for God, although they have
great respect for the ladies'! My young
brother, there is no manliness in that The
most ungentlemanly thing man can do is to
swear.
Fathers foster this great crime. There are
parents who are very cautious not to swear
in the presence of their children: in moment
Of sudden anger they look around to see If
the children are present when they indulge
in this habit. Do you not know, oh father.
that your child is aware Of the fact that you
swearl He overheard you in the next room,
or some one has informed him of your habit.
He is practicing now. In ten years he will
swear as we'll as you do. Do not, oh
fsther, be under the delusion that you may
swear and your son not know it. 1t is an
awful thing to start the habit in family
the father to be profene, and then to have
the echo Of his example come back from other
generations; SO that generations after genera
tions curse the Lord
The crime is also fostered by master
mechanics, boss carpenters, those who are al
tho head of men in hat factories, and in docl
yards, and at the head Of great business
establishments. When you go down to lool
at the work of the scaffolding, and you fint
it is not done right, what do you say! 1t
not praying. is it. The employer swears-
tne employees tempted to swear The man
says: II don't know why my employer
worth $4,000 or 500, coo, should have any
luxury should be denied simply because
am poor. Because am poor and dependent
on days wages, haven't I as much right to
swear as he has with his large incomef
Employers swear, and that makes so many
employees swear.
Tho bob;t ,leo oo,,,, fro,,, ;,G Grp,;tu nj