The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-22
ON CROOKED THINGS
REV. TALMAGE'5 SERMON AZ
BROOKLYN YESTERDAY.

Crooked Governments, Crooked For
tunes, Crooked Disposition - How
the Divine Blessing viii Cause a Re-
distribution OF Property-God Never
Undertook Failure - How He in
His Providence Makes Crooked
Things Straight.
BRooKLYN, Sept 2L-The subject of
to-day's sermon was: Crooked Things"
Text, Isaiah 40 4: "The crooked shall
be made straight" Geometry, from
the time it was discovered on the banks Of
the Milo, which, by its overflow annually
obliterated the landmarks, and the restora-
ton of these landmarks made such science
nece sary-I say, Geometry, ever since
then has been busy with lines, straight
lines, curved lines, lines in angles and cones
and spheres, but has never been able to
evolve any beauty from line that was
merely crooked. The circle and the square
we're always considered admirable Isaiah
recognizes the circle and says: "The Lord
sits upon the circle OF the EARTH" The altar
Of the ancient tabernacle was "four
square," and the breast-plate of the priests
-four square, and heaven, according to St.
John, Is -four square" But the Bible has no
admiration for lines that are merely crooked.
Indeed, my text in prophesying the worlds
complete rectification declares: '"rhe
crooked shall be made straight"
There have been 80 many moral earth
quakes that many things have got into O.
terrible twist-crooked laws, crooked gov
ernments, crooked fortunes, crooked disposi-
tions-and many Of the efforts TO straighten
things have only made them more crooked.
al in.
and become pessimistic and give up life and
the church aud the world as dead failures
With such lachrymose behavior have no
sympathy. 1t is q promise of the Lord
Almighty: "The crooked shall be made
straight" propose. as | may be divinely
helped. to mention some of the crooked
things that are going to be Strengthened
Much of the wealth of the world Is in the
hands of the prof gate while many Of the
best people are subjected to distressing pri-
walton; and there is going to be a redistri-
button OF property. If 1t were possible, it
would be bad thing to have things di-
vtded equally. Some men are able to en-
dure more success than others, and pros.
perity that might not unbalance you might
destroy me. The declaration OF American
independence declares that all men are born
equal, but the opposite is the truth, for they
are born unequal. In no respect is this
more evident than in their capacity to
endure success, financial or social
l have seen men by the acquisi-
tion OF fifty thousand dollars made arrogant
and verbearing, and have known others
with their millions Of dollars childlike and
| unassuming and christian. We would all
be afiluent but the Lord cannot trust u.s. |
| am glad there are those he can trust Much
Is said against capitalists, but the world
would be very shaky world without them.
Who built the great railroads which, while
they give such facilities of travel, employ
tens of thousands Of laborers, supporting
them and their familiesa Capitalists. Who
built great ships that stir the rivers and
bridge the oceang Capitalists. Who reared
the thousands OF factories all over the land
in which hundreds Of thousands OF em-
ployes earn their daily breads Capitalists
Who endowed your colleges, and opened
free Libraries, and built asylums for the
orphan, the crippled and the insanea
Capitalists But for them there would not
be an academy of music. or a picture gall
lery, or free library or a steamboat, or a
railroad in America. Who put tho world
on seventy-five years beyond what it would
have been In enterprise. in comforts,
in educational advantage, in good
things without numbers Capitalistsl
Ihe more money man gets
the. .better IL 1t come honestly and is en-
ployed righteously. Nevertheless we all see
that there needs 70 be a redistribution of
property. Communism proposes to make
that distribution by torch and dagger aud
dynamite. Throw the midnight express
train off the track and put the factory into
confiagration. Disrupt society. Burglar
ize. Assassinate. Such people believe
neither in God nor man nor woman, and
they know how to make things worse, but
never have made and never can make any
tning better
l tell you how there will come a redis-
tribution of property. Under the divine
blessing good people will get more alertness
and acumen and assiduity. Many good
people are kept In straitened circumsta ces
because they have been indolent, or lacked
courage to take honest advantage of circum-
stances, and were too stupid to get on.
With the very same surroundings others
went on to competency. In the better days
to come good men will have their faculties
wakened, and will in consequence rise to
larger share OK prosperity. On the other
hand, estates wrongfully accumulated will
dissolve. If not the sons, then the grand
sons will make the money fly, and 1t will
gradually scatter in their hands, and be-
come part Of the general wealth. Then,
as to vast properties righteously gathered
and there are thousands of them--such
estates will contribute toward helping the
unfortunate, not more by charities than by
helping struggling people into lucrative
business, and the man who has amassed
oHOukh bhu a piub Will AueTo lS a
young merchant without any capital, will
start him on Fulton street, and "Thers
Is young mechanic who has no
means OF his own, and l will put
him on career Of prosperity,'s
and "There is farmer with too big mort
gage on his land, and / will help him lift
the encumbrence." The fact is that IL the
kindliness and generosity manifested by
moneyed men toward the struggling during
the last tifty years, increases In the same
ratio for the next fifty years. there will be
condition of society paradiaic. We are
going to have a multiplication of William
e. Dodges, and Peter Coopers, and James
Senoxes, and George Peabodys. So will
come redistribution, and the crooked will be
made straight.
Mind this: God never yet undertook a
failure. The old book which is worth all
other books put together, makes it plain
that God has undertaken TO regulate this
world by Gospel influences, and if he has
the power he will do what he says he will,
and no one who amounts to anything will
deny his power. God has said hundred
times 81 will,n but never once has said II