Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-10-29
PICTURED DIVINITY.
mr.. rALxAGYs ELOQUENT SERMON les
TBRDAY.
The Divine Mission Of Pictures Works Of Art
that Poison the Mind and Damn the
Sul-A Duty Toward Art
Its Uses.

BROOkLNN, OctoDcI So.-Aho AsN'' -
Dswitt Talmage, d. D., preached ct the
Tabernasls this morning. A vast eongre-
ration attended the service. The pastor
exuounGei q ,chspter about the room Of
sssageIy in Ell kitl, after which the hymn
beginning:
thine earthly Ssbbaths Lord We love,
But there's q nObler rest above"
was sung. Professor Browne presided at
The grand organ and rendered Concerto
in B ast by Handel. The subject Of DR..
TAlmage's discourse was ''The Divine
Mission of Pictures" His txs was
Isaish, Oh. 2, parts Of the 10Th and 18th
vrses: "The way Of the Lord Of Hosts
shall be upon all pleasant pictures" He
said:
Picturss are by some relegated to the
realm Of the trivial, accidental, seoti-
msatal or worldly, but my text sho Va that
God scrutiniZss pictures, and whether
thew are good or bad, whether rssd for
right or wIoog purposes, Is q matter OF
Divine observation and srraignment.
TIE divine mission of pictures 10 my
subject.
That the artists pencil and the engray-
er's knife have sometimes been made sub
ssrviert to the kingdom Of the bad is
frankly admitted. After tshes and scoria
were removed from Hsrculanem and Pom
MI the walls of those cities discovered to
ne exp oTers degradation In art which
elnnot be exaggerated. Satan and all his
imps have al ways wanted the fIiog Ct the
easel. They would rath,r have poses
sons Of that than the art of printing, fo'
types, are not go potsn quiet for evil as
pictures. Tie powers Of darkness think
they have gained triumph, and thsy
have, when in some respect able or par
los or public at gallery they can hang q
canvas embarras ding to thu geod, but fss-
cinating to the evil.
PICTURES THAT DAMN.
It is not in q spirit Of prudey, but
backed mp by Gods eternal truth, when
say that you have 10 right to hang In
four art rooms or your dwelling HOUSES
that which would be offensive to good peo-
ple if the figures pictured wtrs alive in
YOUR psrlor and guests of your household.
A picture that you have to hang in some
what secluded place, or that in public
hall you cannot with groupef friends de-
hberstely stand before and discuss, ought
10 have kuifs stabbed into il at TIE top
and cut clear through TO the bottom, and
n stout finger thrust in on the hight side
ripping clear through to the left. Piny,
the elder, lost his life by going near en-, ugh
70 see the inside of VesuIius, and the
further you can stand off from the burning
crater Of sin tis batter.
The world and the church ought to come
e. the higher appreciat ca of the Divine
mission Of pictures, yet the authors of
them have generally been left to semi
starvation. West, the grtat painter, toiled
In unappreciation till, being great skate r,
while on the ics be formed the sequAint-
aacs of Gen. II Dwe, Of the Ecgliah army,
and through coming to admire West ss q
skater. they gradually came to appreciate
"a much that which he secompl sized by
his hand as by his heel Poussin, the
mighty painter, was pursued, and had
nothing with which to defend himself
SO ainst the mob but his ant s;'s portfolio,
which he held over his head to ksep of
the stones burled ut him. The pictures Of
Richard Wilson, of England, were sold for
fabulous sums of money after his death,
bat the living painter was glad to get for
80 "Alcyone" 8 piece Of Stilton cheese
From 1910 to 1913 there were 4, 800 pic
fRres willfully destroyed.
THE ARTISTS TRIALS.
But so it has been in all deeartments Of
noble work. Some of the mightiest have
been hardly bestead. Oliver Goldsmith
had such big patch on the coat over his
left bIe:st that Whsn hs went any where
he he kept hat in his hand e;esely pressed
over the patch. The world renowned
Bishop Asbury lad 3 salary of S6i year
Painters are not the only oUeJ who have
endured the lack Of appreciation. List ne !
of weal b take under their pstIopags the
s1ff,rng men OF art. They lift no COM
plant; tssy make no strike for higher Wa
gss. But with q keeness Of nervous or
can z stion which almost always character
izsS genius. III SO artists suffer more than
AM Oae but God can realizs. Thsre ntets
TO be a concerted effort for the s1ee ring
artists CT America, not sentimental dis
course what We owe to artists, bat con-
tracts that will give them livelihood; for
am in full sympathy with the Christian
h.mer, who was very busy gathering bis
fall apples, and s)ms one asked him to
pray for poor family, tbs father Of which
rad broken his leg; and tbs busy farmer
said: II cannot stop now to pray, but
You can 20 down into the cellar and get
soms corned beef, and butter and eggs and
potatoes; that is all that can do now"
Artists may wish for our prayers but they
also want prsc' icsl help from men who can
give them work.
Brook'yp, and all olhar American cities
need great galleries Of art, not only opsn
Annuel for few days on exhibition, but
which IN Ill stand open all the year rouad,
an from early morning until tsn o'clock
ut night, snd free to all who would come
and 90. What 8 preparation for the wear
and tear of the day five minutes loos In
the mOrning at some picture that will open !
q DOR iuto s)me larger realm than that in |
which our population daily drudge. Or
what good thing the
HALF HOUR OF ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITY |
On the wsy home in the evening from ex-
hauss;on ttaS demands recuperation for |
mind and SOU as we'll as body, VINO viii
10 f Brooklyn or the city wte'e you live
what W w. Corcoran did for. Washington,
and what / am told John Wannam lker,
BY the donation of De Munkacsy's great
picture, Christ before PLATE"
s going to do for Philadelphia.
Men Of wealth, if You a'e
.oo modest to build and endow such q place
during your lifetime, why rOt go 10 your
ron ssfe and take ont your last will and
.estams nt, and make eodicil that shall
,uild for the city OF youI residence athrone
or American art? Take some of that
money! that would otherwi;e s2ol your
.hildren, and build an art gallery that
hall associate your name forever Eot only
With tue great masters Ofpainting who are