The Wahpeton times., 1888-06-28
TALMAGE'S SERMON.

TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Brooklyn Divine Discourses on the
Relations That Should Exist
Between Pulpit and Press
These Two Great Powers should Per.
feet Treaty to illuminate and
Facilitate the World.
Rev. 7. De Witt Talmagc, D. d.. tool, for
the subject of his discourse. ..pulpit and
Press Made Allies"
The children Of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light
Luke xvi, g.:
He said: Sacred stupidity and solemn in.
competence and sanctified laziness are here
rebuked by Christ He says worldllngs are
wider awake for opportunities than arc
Christians. Men of the world grab occa.
sions while Christian people let the most
valuable occasions drift by unimproved.
That Is the meaning of our Lord when he
says: "The children Of this world are in
their generation wiser than the children Of
light"
A marked illustration of the truth Of that
maxim is In the slowness OF the Christian re.
Egion to take possession Of the secular print.
ng.press The opportunity / $ open and has
Tor some time been open, but the eccesias.
ucal courts and the churches and the minis.
ter Of religion are fer the most part allow
Ing the golden opportunity to pass unim-
proved. That the opportunity is open de.
clare from the fact that all the secular news.
papers are glad of any religious facts or sta.
tis,ics that you present tlicin. ANY animated
and stirring article relating to religious
themes they would gladly print. They
thank you for any information III regard to
churches. II u wrong has been done 10 any
Christian church or Christian institution
you could so into any newspaper OF the land
and have the real truth stated. Dedication
services, ministerial ordinations and aStoral
Mstailatlons, cornerstone laying Of a church,
anniversary Of charitahl, society will have
reasonable space in any secular journal if it
have previous notice given. If have some
great injustice done ne there is not an edi.
torial or u rcportolial room in the United
States into which could not so and get my.
self set right; and that is true OF any we'll.
known Christian man. Already the daily
week publishes us mucn religious informa.
ton and high moral sentiment as does the
weekly religious press. Why, then, does
not our glorious Christianity embrace these
magnificent opportunities! have before
me subject OF first and last Importance:
How Shall we secure the secular press a. q
mlghtler reinforcement 10 religion and the
pulpit?
The first thing toward this result is cessa-
non OF indiscrlminate hostility against newx-
papcrdom. You might as we'll dcnounce
the lcgai profc.s on !,ec:,,lse of the shysters.
Or the medical profession because of the
quacks, OF merchandis, because OF the swim.
ding barsaln.makers, as 10 slan,.bany news
papers because there are rccrcant editors
and unfair reporters and unclcan columns.
Gutenberg, the Inventor Of the art of
printing, was about to destroy his types and
eXtinguish the art because it was suggested
70 him that printing might he kuhorned into
the service of the devil. iut atterMurd he
betlought himself that the right ,ee Of tie
art might more than overcome the evil use
OF It, and 50 he slarcd the type and the in.
felltgenee of all following ages. But there
are many to-day in the depressed mood of
Gutenberg with upllftcd hammer wanting
TO pound to pieces the type, who have not
reached his better mood in which lie saw
the art OF printing 10 be the rising sun of
the worlds illumination. If instead Of fight.
Ing newspapers We spend tie same lclgtl
OF time and the same vehcmcnce in mar.
shaling. their help III religious directions, we
would be as much wiser as the man who re t.
consent of the raiiwaysupcrintcndcntt 10 f;lsten
Q car to the end OF II railroad train shows
oStlSt sSlASC uc WllO IllllS HIS WNeCitlar.
row up the track to meet and drive back the
Chicago limited express. The siIltcst thing
that 4 man ever does is to fight ne newspaper.
Tor you may have the floor for utterancc per-
haps one day in the week While the news
paper has the floor every day Of the week.
Napoleon, though mighty man, had many
weaknesses, and one OF the weakest things
he ever did was to threaten t!.at if the Eng.
ish newspapers did not stop their adverse
criticism of himself he would with four hun.
dred thousand bayonets cross the channel for
their chastisment.
Don't fight newspapers. Attack proyokcs
attack. Better wait until the excitement
blows over and then go Ill and get Justice, for
get 1t you will if yon have patience and com.
mon sense and equiIoise Of disposition. 1t
ought TO be mighty sedatiye that there is
an enormous amount OF common sense in the
world, and you will eventually be taken for
what you are really worth, and you cannot
be pufted up and you cannot be written
down, and if you are the enemy Of good 80.
ctety that fact will come out. and il you are
the friend OF good society thar fact will be
established. I know what 1 am talking
about for can draw on my own experience.
All the respectable newspapers as far as
know are my friends now. But many Of
you remember the time when was the Most
continuously and meanly attacked man in
this country. God gave me grace not to an.
swer back and Kept silence for ten years,
\ and much grace 1t required. What said
was perverted and twisted into just the OPP
poslte Of what / dld &ay. NV pcrson was
maligned and was pr sented us a gorgon.
and was maiiciously described nv persons
who never saw me as monstrosity in body,
mind and soul. There were millions OF
people who believed that there was q large
tofa IN this pulpit, although We never had
anything but chair, and that during the
Singing Ly the congregation was accustomed
to lie down on that sofa and dangle my feet
over the end. Lying New York correspond.
ents for ten years misreprc>ented our church
services, but we waited and people from
every neighborlood OF Chrstend1m came
here to find the magnitude Of the falsehoods
concerning the church and concerning my.
self. A reaction set in, and now we have
justice. full justice, more than Justice, and rs
much over.praise as once We had under-ap.
preciation, and no man that ever lived was
30 much indebted to II newspaper press for
opportunity to preach the gospel US am.
Young men in the ministry, young men in
all professions and occupations. wait. You
can afford to wait. Take rough misrcpsen.
tation as u Turkish towel to start up your
languid circulation, ora system of massage
or Swedish movement whose Jokes and pulls
and twists and thrllsts are salutary treat
ment There Is only one person you need to
manage. and that is yourself. Keep yonr
disposition sweet by communion with the
Christ. who answered not again, the society
OF genial people, and walk out in the sun.
shine with your hat off and YOU will come
out all right. And don't join the crowd of
people in our day who spend much of their
time damning newspapers.
Again, in this effort TO secure the secular
press - mightier reinforcement of religion
and the pulpit, let us make 1t the avenue of
religious information. II you put the facts
0f churches md ,f;o,,s, ~ Ch.;.e;...