The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-05-26
THE DUMB DEVIL
OR. TALMAGE'S ABLE SERMON AT
THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.

"a "'b'' he SplIlt Stlll LADFOau
BROOKLYN, May 5.--In his sermon
today Rev. DR.. Talmayc illustrated, in
potent and convincing language, the
duty incumbent upon Christians of em-
bracng every opportunity that oilers
in this lie to do good aud to advance
the cause of the kingdom of Christ by a
bold acknowledgment of their principles
before men. The text selected was
Mark iN, 25, "Thou dumb and deaf
spirit, l charge thee, come out of him."
llcre was case OF great domestic
anguish. The son Of tic household was
possessed OF an evil spirit which, among
other things, parallZc his tongue and
made him spccchlcss. When the innu-
cnce was on the patient, he could not
say word--artculation was imDossi-
bic. The spirit that captured this MEM
Der OF the household was dumb spirit
so called by Christ--a spirit abroad
today and as lively and potent as in
New Testament times. Yet in all the
realms OF scrmonology, | cannot find
Il discourse concerning this dumb devil
which Christ charged upon my text,
saying, Come out of him"
There has been much destructive su-
pcrsttlon abroad il the would concern
ing possession by evil spirits. Iudyr
the form of belief in witchcraii this de-
lusion swept the continents. Persons
were supposed to be posses sod with
some evil spirit which made tLem able
to destroy others. In The Sixteenth
century, i'll Gcncy0, 1900 persons were
burned to death as witches. Under one
Judge i'll Lorraine 900 persons were
burned to death as witches. In one
nciehhorhood OF France 1000 pcrsous
were burned. In Two centuries 900. GOO
persons were slain rs Witches.
SO mighty was the dcIusion thaL il
included among It's victims some OF the
greatest lntc!lccts Of all time, such as
Chlcl Justice Matthew Hale aud Sir Ed
ward Coke, and such renowned minis
tcrs OF religion as Cotton Mathcr, one
OF whose books benjamin Franklin said
shaped his life, and Richard Baxter and
Archbishop Cranmcra and Martin Luther,
and among writers and philosophers.
Lord Bacon. That belief, which has
become The laughing stock OF all srnsi-
bic people, counted its disciples among
the wiscst and best people of Swcd N.
Germany, England, France, Spain and
New england. But while we re- jgct
WtchcralL, any man who believes lhc
Bible must believe that there are dn-
bollcal agencies abroad in the world.
While there arc mnistcrnw spirits 10
bless, there arc internal spirits 10 Inn
der, 10 poison and to destroy. Christ
was speaking to spiritual existence,
when standing before the afflicted one
OF the text, he said, "Ihuu dumb and
deaf spirit, come ont of him"
Against this dumb devil OF the text |
put you on your guard. DO not think
that this agent Of evil has put hs blight
on those who by omission OF the vocal
organs have bad the golden Gates OF
speech boltcd and barred. Among those
who have never spoken II word are the
most gracious and lovely aud talented
souls that were ever ncarnutcd. The
rhaplans OF the asylumS for the dumb
can tell you enchanting stories OF those,
who never called the name OF father or
mother or child, and many Of the mos t
dcvout and praycrlul souls vii! never
IN tins world speak the name ct COO On
CHRIST. MAJ" Il deaf mute have seen
with the angel Of intelligence seated at
lhc window OF the eve who never came
forth from the Go"r Of the mouth.
What miracle of luvrlmcsH umI
knowlcdgc was Laura Brid4man. at
4NcM llalllpSnIlt. Not only without
lacnlty OF speech, but without hearing
and without sight, all these faculties re-
moved by sickness when two years OF
age, yet becoming wonder at needle.
work, at the piano, at the SEWN" ma.
rhlnc and an miclllgcnt student Of lhc
scriptures, AMI contOundnI lhjlos0-
piers, who came from all parts OF the
world I" study the phenomenon.
Thanks to Christianity for what it Las
done iol the amcliora,i"n oi the condi-
uon OF the deaf and the dumb. Back
IN the ages they were put to death as
having no night with such pAucitv OF
equipment {" live. and for centuries
they were clasScd among the idiut;c aHd
unsafe.
But in thc sixteenth century came
PEDRO Ponce. the Spanish monk: and II
the Seventeenth century came Juan
Pablo Bonct, anDthcr Spanish monk,
with dactylology or the finger alphabet;
ana IN our own century we have had
rn, Il 4