The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-12
A Brief Comment On TaImage's Peace
War Sermon.

AS Chaplain of the Thirteenth Regi-
ment, New York, r.. Dewitt Talmage
recently delivered before the said regi-
ment his anual sermon. In intrOduc-
ing his subject, the text for which he
took from Isaiah, 34th chapter,
fifth verse, "My sword shall be bathed
in heaven" he says, that "three hun
dred and fifty-one times does the Bible
speak of that sharp keen, curved, in
exorable weapon" He comedies that
arbitrament will eventually take the
place of war between nation and ma
ton, but pending that time and even
after its consummation, a strong mil
itary force and arsenals in the cities
will be requisite. He continues, "Well
done, then, 1 say to legislatures, and
governors, and mayors, and all Of
iicials who decide upon larger armor-
les and better places for drill and more
generous equipment for the militia.
| The sooner the sword can safely go
back to the scabbard to stay there, the
better but until the hilt clangs against
the case in that final lodgment, let tile
sword be kept free from rust {: sharp
all along the edge, and its point like
needle, and the handle polished, not
only by the chamois of the regimental
servant, but by the hand of brave and
pstriatic officers, always ready to do
their full duty. Such swords are not
bathed in impetuosity, or bathed in
cruelty, or bathed Gin oppression, or
bathed in outrage, but bathed in hea-
ven.n
Referring to the swords "divine
mission,n be adduces the prophecy
concerning Chrisl's coming-"Out of
his mouth went sharp, two-edged
sword" 1t seems pity that the elo-
quent apologists for the divine mission
of the sword, did not pursue farther
the analogy which the New Testiment
furnishes, that the word of the Lord is
sharper than any two-edged sword, "
that in pierceth even to the dividing
asunder of the joints and the marrow,
and discerner OF the thoughts and
intents of the heart" 1t is through
the intellect, the heart, the soul of
man, that in this gospel day the minds
and the consciences of the people are to
be powerfully reached, the errors are
to be corrected, and wrong to be righ-
ed.
The "sword bathed in heaven" we
therefore judge, being two-edged, is
Straight and goes forward to its pur-
pose. Its "divine mission" was we'll
exemplifed by our Saviour, when in
his sermon on the mount he explained
to his disciples and to the gathered
multitude, that the eye for eye and
tooth for tooth dispensation were for
ever done away. at the same time that
he enunciated the new principle and
practice which would make the olden
time procedure altogether obsolete.
Further, reproving the impulsive Peter
for his defense of Him with the carnal
sword. He showed that not even for
the defense of the incarnate Truth
not for the correction of great wrong
should the worlds weapons of oftense
or defense be employed. MY king
dom is not of this world,". was the
memorable declaration which Christ
was then moved to put forth; ''1f my
kingdom were of this world, then
would my servants fight" Ought
we not then to agree with the conclu-
sion of Tertullian, founded upon the
above, and fortified as it was by the
contemporary general practice of the
Primitive Christians that "Christ, in
disarming Peter, unbelted every Sol
rw-Josiah w. Leeds.