The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-15
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Elections."


erinss and the hghtnings and the NOISE Of me
TRUMPET and the mountain smoking. ."-Exo-
duS Xxx, IL.
MY text informs you that the lightnings
and earthquakes united their forces to wreck
a mountain Of Arabia Petrea in olden time,
and travellers to-day finds heaps Of porphyry
and greensboro rocks, bowlder against bowl
der, the remains of the first law library.
written, not on parchment or papyrus, but
on shattered slabs Of granite. The corner,
stones Of all morality, OF all wise law. OF all
righteous Jurisprudence, OF all good Govern
ment are the two tablets Of stone on Whcn
were written the Ten Commandments.
, All Roman law. all French law, all English
law, all American law that is worth anything,
all common law. civil law, criminal law,
martial law, law Of Nations were rocked In
the cradle Of the twentieth chapter Of Exodus.
And it would be we'll in these times OF great
political agitation if the newspapers would
print the Decalogue some day In place OF the
able editorial. The fact IS that some people
suppose that the law has passed out OF exist
ence and some are not aware Of some OF the
passages OF that law, and others say this or
that is Of the more importance, when no one
has any right to make such an assertion.
These laws are the pillars of society, and II
you remove one pillar you damage the whole
structure.
I have noticed that men are particularly
vehement against sins to which they are not
particularly tempted and find ho especlai
wrath against sins in which they them
selves indulge. They take out one gun from
this battery of ten guns. and load that,
and unlimber that, and fire that. They
say. EThis is IN Armstrong gun, and TINS
Is a Krupp gun, and this Is Nordenteldt
fiye-barreled gun, and this Is Gatling ten
barreled gun. and this is Martini thirty
seven-barreled gun" But J have to tell
them that they are all OF the same calioer,
and that they shoot from eternity to eternity.
Many questions are before the people In
the elections all over this land, but I shall
try to show YOU that the most important
thing to be settled about all these candidates
Is their personal, moral character. The Dec
alogue forbids idolatry, image making, pro
family. maltreatment Of parents, Saboath
dissertation, murder. theft, ircontinence,
lying and covetousness. That Is the Deca-
logue by which you and I will have TO De
tried, and by the same Decalogue you and 1
must try candidates for Office. -,
OF course we shall not find anything like
perfection. five do not vote until we find
an immaculate nominee, we will never vote
at all. We have so many faults OF our own
we ought not to be censorious or maled1c-
tory or hypercritical in regard to the faults
ofothers The Christly rules as appropriate
for November as any other month In the
wear. "Judge not that ye be not judged,
for with what measure ye mete It snail De
measured TO you again
Most certainly are we not to takethe state
ment OF redhot partisanship as the real char
acter OF any man. From nearly all the great
cities of this land receive daily or weekly
newspapers. sent to me regularly and In COM
pliment, SO I see both sides-I see all sides
and it is most entertaining and most regular
amusement to read the opposite statements.
The one statement says the man is an angel.
and the other says he Is devil, and spit
the difference and find him half way be-
tween.
There never has been an honest or respec-
table man running tor the United States
presidency, or for a judgeship, or for the
rnayoralty, or for the shrieyalty since the
foundation Of the American Government, II
we may believe the old files Of the newspa-
pers In the museums. What mercy it is
that they were not all hung before they were
inaugurated! II man believe one-half OF
what he sees in the newspapers in these
times, his career will be very short outside OF
Bloomingdale insane asylum.
was absent two or three years ago dur
Ing one week OF political canvass, and
was dependent entirely upon what read IN
regard to what had occurred in these cities,
and read there was procession In New
York Of 5000 patriots and minute after
read in another sheet that there were IT, 900.
and then read in regard to another process
sion that there were 10, 600, and then read
In another paper that there were $4,000.
A campaign orator in the Rink or the
Academy of Music received a very cold re-
ception-a very chilling reception-said one
statement The other statement said the
audience rose at him. So great was the en-
thusiasm that for long while the orator
could not be heard, and it was only after lift
ing his hand that the vociferation began to
subsidel One statement will twist an inter-
view one way, and another statement will
twist an interview another way. You must
admit it is very difficult thing in times like
these to get a very accurate estimate OF a
mans character, and I charge you, as your
religious teacher. charge you to caution
and to mercifulness and to prayer.
I warn you also against the mistake which
many are making and always do make OF ap-
plving different standard of character FOR
those in prominent position from the stand
ard they apply for ordinary persons. However
much man may have or however nlSn the
position he gets. he has no especial liberty
given him in the Interpretation OF the Ten
Commandments. A great sinner Is no more
to be excused than O small sinner. Do not
charge Ilustrious detection to eccentricity
or chop of the Ten Commandments to suit
especial cases. The right Is everlastingy
right and the wrong is everlastinCly wrong.
II any man nominated for any Office in this
city or State differs from the Decalogue, do
not fix up the Decalogue, but fix him up.
The law must stand. whatever else must fall.
I call your attention also to the fact that
you are all aware ot-that the breaking Of
one commandment makes it the more easy to
break all of them--and the philosophy is
plain. Any kind OF sin weakens the con-
science, and il the conscience is weakened
that opens the door for all kinds OF trans
gression. II, for instance, q man so into this
political campaign welding scurrility as his
chief weapon, and he believes everything bad
about a man and believes nothing good, how
long before that man himself will get over
the moral depression. Neither in time nor
eternity.
Ill utter falsehood in regard to q man, l
may damage him, but get for myself ten
fold more damage. That is gun that kicks.
If, for instance. q man be profane, under pro-
vocation he will commit any crime. say
under proyocation. For, ii rcan will NAL
treat the Lord Almighty, would he not NAL
treat his fellow man? II man be guilty OF
malieasance in Office, he will under provoca-
tion commit any sin. He who will steal will
lie, and he who will lie will steal.
If, for instance, man be impure, it opens
the door for all other iniquity, for in that
one iniquity he commits theft OF the worst
kind, and covetousness of the worst kind,
and alsehood-pretending TO be decent
when he is not-apd maltreats his parents by
disgracing their name, il they were good.
Be careful, therefore, how you charge that
sin against any man either iu high place OF
low place. either in Office or out OF office,
because when you make that charge against
man you cnarge him with all villainies.
with all disgusting propensities, with all
Eottenness.
A libertine is beast, lower than the yer.
min that crawl over a summer carcass
L. s:x-i.,! tho srrira hna