The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-09

he puts il aside very cautiously for fear the
name OF God may be on il. That is one
extreme. We 90 TO the other. Now, what
is the cure for this habit? 1t is q mighty
habit. Men have struggled for years to
get over IL. There are men in this house
OF God who would give half their fortune
to get rid OF II. An aged man was in the
delirium Of fever. lie had for many
years lived most upright life and
was honorcd in all the community;
but when he came into tho dclirum
of this fever he was iull Of imprccation and
profanity, and they could not understand
1t. After he came 10 his right reason he
explained IT, lie said: "Whcn | was q
young man, was very prolune. CON
quered the habit, but had TO struggle all
through life. You haven't for forty years
heard me say an improper word, but il has
been an awful struggle. The tiger is
chained, but he is alive yet"
Ii you would get rid OF this habit, want
you, my friends, To dwell upon the useless
ness of IL, Dill a volcy OF oaths ever start
q heavy load? Did they ever eNtirpale
meannoss from customer Did they ever
collect bad debt2 Did they ever cure a
toolhacheY Did they ever stop the twinge
Of the rheumatism Did they over help
| you forward one step in the right dircciionP
Come now, tell me, We who have had the
most experience in this habit, how much
have you made out of it? Five thousand
dollars in all your life? No. One thousand2
No. One hundred2 No. One dollar
No. One cent? No. II the habit he no
utterly useless, away with Il.
But you say: 81 have struggled to over.
tl.l.h al. A
not been successful" You struggled in
your own strength, my brother. II ever
man wants God IL IL in such crisis OF
his history. God alone by his grace can
emanCipatc you from that trouble. Call
upon him day and night that you may be
delivered from this crime. Remember
also in the cure Of this habit that il
arouses Gods indignation. The Bible
reiteratcs from chapter 20 chapter, and
verse after verse the fact that it is accused
for this life and that IL makes man miscr.
able for eternity. There is not a sin In all
the catalogue that IL so often pcrcmptoily
and suddenly punished in this world rs
the sin Of profanity. There is not-a VIII
lagc but can give an Illustration OF u man
struck down ut the moment of imprcca.
ton. A couple OF yeam ago, briefly ~.
fering b. this In sermon, gave some in
stances in which God had struck swcarcrs
dead at the moment Of their profanity.
That sermon brought TO me from many
parts Of this land aud other lands state.
ments OF similar cases OF instantaneous
visitation from God upon blasphemers
My opinion is that such cases occur some
where every day, but for various reasons
they are not reported.
In Scotland club assembled every
week for purposes OF wickodncss, and
there was n competition rs To which could
use the most hofrid oaihs, and the man
who succeeded WIS 10 be president oi the
club. The competition went Oh. A man
uttered an oath which conloundcd hi.
comrades, and lac was made president ol
the club. His tongue began 10 swell, aud
Il protrudcd from the mouth and he could
not draw tin. and lac died, aud the ply
mcians said: This In the s,rangcst Thin
We ever saw; We never Klw any account h
the books like uuto II; we can't undoi
stand It," i understand H. lilo curse
! God and died.
At Catskill, N. Y, n group Of men sioo
In blacksmith's shop during violcn
thunderstorm. Thew camo crash Q
thunder and some oi tho men tcmblod
One man saidi "Whv | don't see VIVA
YOU arc afraid Of. ! am not aiaid To n
out in front OF the shop and defy the Al
mighty. am not afraid Of lightning !
And lac laid wager ON the subject, AM
lac went out aud shook his iist at tn,
heavens, crying "Strkc, " YOU dare
aud instantly hc fell under bolt What
destroyed him7 Any mystery about III
Oh, mol He cursed God aud died.
oh, my brother, God will not allow hi.
sin 10 go unpublished. There ans STYLES oI
writing with manifold sheets. 80 that d
man writing on one leaf writes clcal
through ten, fifteen, of twenty sheets, aud
~ every profanity We utter pic. right
down through the leaves oi the book ol
Gods remembrance. II ~ no exceptional
sin. DO YOU suppose you could count ih,
proianiios OF last week the pruianilies Of
office, store, shop, iaciory7 they cursed
God, they cursed his word, they curse,
his only begoilcn Son.
One morning. on Fulton street. M wa,
passing along, heard q man swear by IN,
name Of Jesus Ny hair lifted. Ny blooc
ran cold. My breath caught My loo,
halted. DO you SUPPOSE that God W ~
| gmyaicd2 Dionysius used 10 have q cave
In which bis culpns were incmccratcd,
aud he listened Al the top Of that cave
aud he could hear every grOan; ho could
hear every sigh, aud lac could hear ever,
whisper Of those who wcrc imprisoned
| lilo was tymnt God " not q tyranl: bul
lac bends over this world aud he hears cy.
/ crything every yoicc Of praise every
voice Of imppcation. lle hoarr u all. The
oltbs seem 20 die on the mir, but they have
eternal echo. They come back from tho
ages 10 come.
I.iston I.islonl Gan blasphemcu shall
have their place In tho lake which burn.
eth with FIRE aud birthstone, which IL the
second death" Aud NJ according 10 the
theory 81 some, q man commits In the next
world the sins which he committed in thi.
world-ii unpardoncd, unrgenoraicd-
think Of a mans going on cuming In the
name Of God 10 all eternity
Tho habit grows. You start with o
small oaih-you viii como 10 the large
oath. ] saw Aman die with AN oath bo-
tween his teeth. Voltaip only gradually
came b. his tremendous iinprccnilon; but
the habit grew on him until IN tho last
moment, supposing Christ stood at the
/ bed, he exclaimed. "Crnsh tina, wretch
Crush that wretch" Oh, my brother,
you begin 10 swear and there II nothing
| impossible for you In the wrong direction.
Who IL this God whose name You are
using in swcarng7 WHO Ia hol Il he a
/ tyanR Has he pursued you all your life
/ lOng7 Has no starved you, frozen YOU,
tyrannizcd over your No. lie has loved
| YOU, lac has sheltered YOU. he watched
| -. ..t.lt A.. ..tlI .aag.l. 80, t.Ut.I.f