Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-11-17
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIYINEs SUNDAY.
SERMON

of the trivial, accidental. sentimental or
worldly, but my text shows that God scru-
tinizes pictures, and whether they are good
are had, whether used for right or wrong
purposes, is matter Of Divine observation
and arraignment. The divine mission of
pictures IL my subject.
That the artists pencil and the engravers
knife have sometimes been made subservient
TO the kingdom Of the bad is frankly admit
ted After the ashes and scoria were re-
moved from Herculaneum and Pompeli the
walls Of those cities discovered to the explor
ers a degradation in art which cannot be ex-
aggerated. Satan and all his imps have al
ways wanted the lingering OF the easel; they
wotid rather have possession of that than the
art OF printing for types are not SO potent
and QUICK for evil as pictures. The powers
OF darkness think they have gained a tri-
umph, and they have, when in some respect
able parlor or public art gallery they can
hang canvas embarrassing to the good, but
fascinating TO the evil
1t is not In a spirit of prudery, but backed
up by Gods eternal truth when / say that
you have no right to hang in your art rooms
or your dwelling honses that which would
be offensive togood people IL the figures pic
tured were alive in your parlor and the
guests Of your household. A picture that
you have to hang in somewhat secluded
place, or that in public hall you cannot with
a group OF friends deliberately stand before
and discuss, ought to have knife stabbed
into it ut tine top and cut clear through to
the bottom, and stout finger thrust in on
the right Side ripping clear through to tho
left PlinY, the elder, lost his life by going
near enough to sec the inside of Vesuvius,
and the further you can stand off from the
Never till the Books of the Last Day
are opened shall we know what has
been the dire harvest Of evil pictorials and
unbeconiing art galleries. Despoil a mans
imagination anil he becomes moral carcass.
The show windows Of English and American
cities in which the low theatres have some
times hung long lines Of brazen actors and
actresses in style insulting to all propriety,
have made a broad path to death for multi
tudes Of people But so have all the other
arts been at times suborned of evil. How
has music been bedraggledl Is there any
place so low down in dissoluteness that into
10 mas not Teen carried David's harp, and
HANDLES organ, and Gottschalk's piano and
Ole Bulls violin; and the flute, which though
named after So insignificant O thing as the
Sicili9n eel, which has seven spots on the
side like flute holes. yet for thousands of
years has had an exalted mission Architec-
ture, born III the heart of Him who made the
worlds, Under its acres and across its floors
what bacchanalian revelrles have been en-
actedl 1t is not against any OF these arts
that they have been so led into captivity
What poor world this would be if it were
not for what my text calls pleasant pict-
uresP refer to your memory and
of the holy Scriptures has not
been nightly augmented by the woodcuts
or engravihgs in the old family Bible, which
father and mother read out of, and laid on
the table in the old homestead when you
were boys and girls The Bible scenes which
we an carry IN our minds were not gotten
from the Bible typology, but from the Bible
pictures To prove the truth of it in my
own case, the other day l took M the old
family Bible, which Inherited. Sure enough,
whet have Carried in my mind of Jacobs
ladder was exactly the Bible engraving OF
Jacob s ladder; and so with Samson carrying
on Inc gates OF Gaza; Elisha restoring
the Summarizes SON. the massacre Of
the innocents; Christ blessing little
children; the Crucifixion and thu
Last Judgment. My idea of all these is that
OF the old Bible engfavings which l scanned
before could read word That is trus
with nine-tenths of you. III could swing
open the door of your foreheads would And
that you are walking picture galleries. The
great Intelligence abroad about the Bible
did not come from the general reading of tho
book, for the majority of the people read it
but little, If they read It at all: but all the
sacred scenes haye been put before the great
masses, and not printers ink but tho
pictorial art must have the credit of the
achievement First, painters pencil for the
favored few, and then engraver's plate or
woodcut for millions on millionsl What
overwhelming commentary on the Bible,
what reinfofeemeDt for patriarchs, prophets,
apostles and Christ, what distribution OF
6criptural knowledge of all nations, in the
paintings and engravings therefrom of
Holman Hunts "Christ in the Temple:n PauL
Veronese's 'Magdalen Washing the Feet Of
Christ" Raphael's "Michael the Archangel:D
Albert Durer's Dragon Of the Apocalypse
.a.aIn mAN A. -
Fiery Serpents." Tintoret's "Flight into
Egypt Rnben's "Descent from the Cross p
Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper" Claude's
Queen Of Sheba:n Belini's sMadonna at
Milan" Orcagna's last Judgment aud
hundreds OF miles Of pictures il they were
put in line, illustrating, displaying drama
tizing. irradiatiDg Bible truths until the
as on canvas, not so much in ink as in all the
colorg OF the spectrum. In 1888 forth from
Strasburg, Germany, there came child that
was to eclipse in speed and boldness and
grandeur anything aud everything that the
world had seen since the first color
appeared on the sky at the crea-
years Of age he published marvellous litho-
graphs Of bis own. Saying nothing of what
be did for Millions Paradise Lost. - emblazon.
ing it on the attention of the world, be takes
up the Book OF Books the monarch of litera-
gure, tne Bible, and In his pictures, 1.-THE
Creation Of Light, "The Trial Of Abraham's
Faith" "The Burial Of Sarah" "Joseph Sold
by his Brethren 1.-THE Brazen Serpent
"Boaz and Ruth, David and Goliath y .rhe
TRANSPORTATION" 1.-THE Marriage in Cana. y
Babylon Fallen" and two hundred and
i've Scriptural scenes in all, with boldness
and grasp and almost supernatural afIiatus
that make the heart throb. and the brain
reel, and the tears start, and the cheeks
blanch, and the entire nature quake with the
tremendous things OF God and eternity and
the dead. actually staggered down the
steps Of the London Art Gallery under the
power Of Dofes Christ leaving the
Pratoriup." Profess you TO be a Christian
man or woman, and see no divine mission M
art, and acknowledge yon no Obligation
either in thanks 10 God or man.
lt is no more the word OF God when mt
before rs In printers ink than by slrillfuIly
laying on OF colors, or designs on metal
through tncjsion OF corrosion. What lesson
in morals was presented by Hoxarth. the
painter, in his two pictures, "fhe Rake's
Progress, ard "1he Missrs Feast,r and by
Thomas Coles engravin9s Of the ''Voyave Of
Human Life and the Course Of Empire.1
and by Turner'S Slave Shin God hi Artl
Christ in Artl Patriarcls, prophet, All
apostlesin an Angels in anti Heaven 10
Tho world and tho church our'it to come
% the higher appreciation OF the divine
mission OF pictures. vet the auth0rri ~ thon,