Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-11-10
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun,
day Sermon.
Subject: Elections"

trumpet ana me mountain smoking. "--EXO
dus Xxx, Is.
My text informs you that the lightning
and earthquakes united their forces to wrecl
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 which
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 gre
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 IL
you remove one pillar you damage the whole
structure.
l have noticed that men are particularly
vehement against sins to which they are not
particularly tempted and find 10 especial
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 "This is an Armstrong gun, and this
is a Krupp gun, and this is a Nordenfeldt
1ve-barreled gun, and this is a Calling ten
barreled gun, and this is Martini thirty
seven-barreled gum" But have to tell
them that they are all ofthe same caliber,
and that they shoot from eternity to eternity
Many questions are before the people in
the elections all over this land, but l 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, Sabbath
dissertation, murder. theft, incontinence,
lying and covetousness. That is the Deca-
logue by which you and l will have TO be
tried, and by the same Decalogue you and l
must try candidates for Office
o. course we shall not find anything like
perfection. If we 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 maledic-
tory or bypercritical in regard to the faults
for November as any other month in the
year. "Judge not that We be not judged,
for with what measure We mete it shall be
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 see both sides-I see all sides
and it is most entertaining and most regular
to read the opposite statements.
The one statement says the man is an angel.
and the other says he is q devil, and [ split
he difference and find him half way be-
ween.
There never has been an honest or respec-
able man running Tor the United States
presidency, or for judgeshp, or for the
or for the shrievalty since the
oundation Of the American Government, il
We may believe the old files of the newspa-
)ers in the museums What a mercy it is
hat they we're not all hung before they were
II a man believe one-h2lf Of |
what he sees in the newspapers in these |
lines, his career will be very short outside OF |
insane asylum.
| was absent two or three years ago dur
rs one week of a political canvass, and l
vas dependent entirely upon what l read in
egard to what had occurred in these cities,
md | read there was a procession in New
FORK of 5000 patriots and Il minute after
cad in another sheet that there were 1900,
md then | read in regard to another process
ion that there were 10 900, and then | read
d another paper that there were $4,000.
campaign orator in the Rink or the
academy of Music received a very cold re-
eption-a very chilling reception-said ono
The other statement said the
udience rose at him. So great was the en-
h"siosn' that for a long while the orator
ould not be heard, and 1t was only after lift
lg his hand that the vociferation began to
ubsde One statement will twist an inter-
lew one way, and another statement VIII
visit an interview another way. You must
Omit it is very difficult thing in times like
lese to get very accurate estimate OF
lan's character, and charge you, as your
sligious teacher, charge you to caution
nd to mercifulness and to prayer.
| warn you also against the mistake which
any are making and always do make of ap
lying a different standard OF character for
loss in prominent position from the stand
I'd they apply for ordinary persons. However
ucL a man may have or however high the
osition he gets, he has no especial liberty
veh him in the Interpretation of the Ten
great sinner is no more
no tACuSoU tudu u SiuHll biuu6T. 10 QOL |
large illustrious detection to eccentricity
chop off the Ten Commandments to suit
special cases. The right Is everlastingly
ght; and the wrong is everlastingly wrong.
any man nominated for any Office in this
ty or State differs from the Decalogue. do
ot fix up the Decalogue, but fix him up.
be law must stand. whatever else must fall.
call your attention also to the fact that
III are all aware of-that the breaking of
ne commandment makes it the more easyto
,eak all OF them-and the philosophy is
ain. Any kind of sin weakens the con-
fence, and If the conscience is weakened
at opens the door for all kinds of trans
'ession. II, for instance, man go into this
)litical campaign welding scurrilty as his
lief weapon, and he believes everything bad
'out a man and believes nothing good, how
ng before that man himself will get over
o moral depression. Neither in time nor
ornity.
II utter falsehood in regard TO man, l
ay damage him, but get for myself ten
Id more damage. That is a gun that kicks.
for instance. u man be profane, under pro-
cation he will commit any crime. l say
lder provocation. For, if a man will NAL
Eat the Lord Almighty, would he not mall
Eat his fellow man? If man be guilty Of
alfeasance in office, he will nder provoca-
IN commit any sin. He who will steal will
b, and he who will lie will steal.
If, for instance, a man be impure, it opens
g door for all other iniqulty, for in that
e iniquity he commits theft OF the worst
nd, and covetousness of the worst kind,
d pretending to be decent
zen he is not-and maltreats his parents by
'gracing their name, if they were good.
careful. therefore. how you charge that q
against any man either in high place or b
v place, either in Office or out OF office, k
cause when you make that charge against d
nan you charge him with all vllaines. K
tn all disgusting propensties, with all Il
tenness. a