Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-17
A CHAIN FOR LIFE.
THE INFLUENCES THAT SURROUND EACH
INDIVIDUAL NAN.
DR.. Talmags's Eloquent Sermon Last Sunday-Ths
Importance Of Beginning Alright and Con-
tipued Unwsarisd Effort for the
Cause Of Religion.

Importance Of Beginning Alright and Con-
tipued Unwsarisd Effort for the
Cause Of Religion.
speeia! telegram 10 the Reotaer.
BROOKLYN, September 16.-To-day wa
sacramental day at the Tabernacle, ant
the more than four thousand communican
members were Joined by thousands from
all parts of this country and from othe
lands in the sacred commemoration. Th,
Rev. T. DsWitt Talmage, D D., preached
from Ezekiel vii, %: make chain?'
He said:
At school aud in college in announcing
the mechanical powers, we gloriied tn
lever, the pulley, the inclined plane, tn
screw, the axel and the wheel, but M
text calls us to study the philosophy o
thu chain. ThsIiss inks Of metal, one will
another, attracted the old Bible authors
and we hear the chain rattle and see it
coil all the way through from Genesis Il
Revelation, flashing as an adornment, o.
restraining as in captivity, or holding il
as in case of machinery. tt
do him honor, Pharaoh hung chain o
gold about the neck of Joseph, and Bel
shazzsr one about the neck Of Daniel. Th'
high priest had on his breastplste TIVE
chains of gold. On the clmels' neck a'
the Ishmaelites drove up to Gideon, jinglet
chains Of gold.
What wish to impress upon myself
and upon you is the strength id right anc
wrong directions, of executive forces, tht
superior power of chain of influences
above one irfence, the great advantage oI
a ccngeries of links above one
lux, and in all family government and il
all efforts to rescue others, and in all at
tsmpt to stop iniquity, take the suggestion
of nv text and make u chain!
That which contains the greatest impor
tance, that which encloses the most tire
mendous opportunities. that which OF earth
ly things is most watched by other worlds
that winch has beating against its two
sides all the eternities, is the cradle. The
grave is nothing in Importance compared
with it, for that is only n gully that We
step across in second, but the cradle has
within it new eternity, just born and
never to cease. When three or four years
ago.
THE OHIO RIVER
oyeIflowed its banks and the wild freshete
swept down with them hsrvests and cities,
one day was found floating on the bosom
of the waters q cradle with child in it all
unhurt, wrapped up snug and warm, and
its blue eyes looking iuto the blue of the
open heavens. 1t was mentioned as some
thing extraordinary. But every cradle is,
with its young passenger, floating on the
swift currents of the centuries, deep call
ing TO deep. Ohios and st. Lswrences and
MIssissippis OF influence, bearing it on
ward. Now what shall be done with this
new life recently lauchedP Teach him an
evening prayer? That is important, but
not enough. Hear him ~ soon as he
can recile some gospel hymn or catecbism 7
This is important, but not enough. Every
Sabbath afternoon read him Bible story.
That IL important, bat not enough, Olce
in a while a lesson, once in while q
prayer, once in a while a restraining intia-
euce9 All these are important, but not
enough. Each one of these Influences is
is only link, and 1t will not hold him In
the tremendous emergencies Of life. Let
il be constant instruction, constant prayer,
constant application of good influences, a
long line OF consecutive impressions,
from his first year TO his fifth,
and from his fifth year to bis tenth, and
from his tenth year to his twentieth.
make IA chainP'
Spasmodic education, paroXysmal disci-
pline, occasional fidelity, amount to moth
ing. You can ss easily hold an anchor by
one link as hold child TO the right by
isolated and intermittent faithfulness The
example must connect with the instruc-
ton. The conversation must combine
with the actions. The weekday consist
ency must conjoin with the Sunday wOr-
ship.
THEY NEED THE CHAIN.
All people between thirty and forty
years OF age, yes, between forty and fifty
aye, between fifty and sixty years, and
rs well, need surround
ing conjunction of good influences. In
Sing Sing, Auburn, Moyamensing, and all
the other great prisons, are men and
women who went wrong in mid-life and
old age. We need around us q Gordon OF
good influences. We forget to apply the
well.knOwn rule that chain is no strong
er than its weakest link. If the chain be
made up of thousand links and nine hun
dred aud ninety-nine are strong, but one
is weak, the chain will be in danger oi
breaking at that cne weak link. We may
be strong in thousand excellences and
yet have one weakness which endaDgsrs
us. That is the reason that we sometimes
see men distinguished for whole round
of virtues collapse and go down. The
weak link in the otherwise stout chain
gave way under the pressure,
Tbs frst chain bridge was built In Scot
land. Walter Scott tells how the French
initiated it in a bridge across the river
Seine. But there was one weak point in
;tat chain bridge. There was a middle
DDiI bIldL WbS VI pbOi ulnVCilhI, DuS tucN
did not know how much depended on that
middle bolt of the chain bridge. On the
opening day q procession started, led on
by the builder Of the bridge; and, when
the mighty weight Of the procession was
fairly on it, the bridge broke and precipi-
tssed the mnltitudes The bridge was all
right except in that middle bolt. So the
bridge Of character may be made up of
mighty links strong enough to hold q
but if there be one weak spot,
that one point unlocked after may be the
destruction Of everything And what
have gone down for all time
aud all eternity because in the chain
bridge of their character there was lack
ing strong middle bolt. He had bat
one fault and that was svarice; hence,
forgery. He had but one fault and that
was q burning thirst for intoxicants;
hence, his fatal debsuch. She had but
one fault and that al inordinate fondness
for dress, and hence her own and her hus-
bands bankruptcy.
SHE HAD BUT ONE FAULT,
and that quick temper; hence the dis
graceful outburst. What We all want is
to have put around us strong chain Of
good influences. Christian association is
q link. Good literature is a link.
Church membership is a link. Habit of
prayer is link. Scripture research is a
link. Faith in God is a link. Pot TO-