Democratic messenger., 1893-11-11
CHRISTIAN CITIZENS.
REV. Or. TALMAGe ATTACKS THE
EVIL. OF PARTISAnSHlP.

Christianity Can Remedy the Flood eff
Ind-cency BaII"t Box PcrIIs Il Scath-
Ing Sermon by the Tabernacle Pastor.
BROOKLYN, Nov ',.-ln his sermon
this forenoon Rev. DIR. Talmagc touched
ON topic which is just now uppermost.
while the agitation in political circles is
raging in all parts of the land The ser
mon is pertinent and useful and is based
on the text, Acts xix, -: Some there
fore cried one thing. and some another.
for the assembly was confused. and the
more part knew not wherefore they were
come together. And they drew Alcxan-
der out of the multitude. the Jews put
ting him forward. And Alexander beck
oned with the hand. and would have
made his defense unto the people. But
when they knew that he was a jew. all
with one voice about the space of two
hours cried out. Great is Diana of the
Ephesips."
Ephesus was upside down. II was
about the silver question. A manufac-
turer of silver boxes for holding heathen
images had called his laborers together
to discuss the behavior of one Paul. who
had been in public places assaulting
image worship. and consequently verv
much damaging that particular busi-
ness There was great excitement in the
city. People stood in knots along the
streets, violently gesticulating and call
ing each other hard names. Some Of the
people favored the policy Of the silver
smith; other people favored the policy of
Paul. There were great moral questions
involved, but these did not bother them
at all.
The only question about which they
seemed to be interested was concerning
tho wages and the salaried positions.
The silversmith and his compcers had
put mp factories mt great expense for the
making Of these silver boxes. and now,
If this new policy is to be inaugurated,
the business will go down. the laborers
will be thrown out of employment and
the whole city will suffer. Well. what
is to be done? "Call n convention, says
some one, for in all ages u convention
has been panacea for public evils. The
convention is called. and as they want
the largest room in the city they take
the theater.
Having there assembled. they all want
to get the floor. and they all want to talk
at once. You know what excitement
that always makes in a convention,
where great many people want To talk
at once. Some cried one thing. some cried
another. Some wanted to denounce.
some wanted to resolve. After awhile
n prominent man gets the floor. and he
begins To speak. but they very soon hiss
him down, and then thu confusion rises
into worse uproar. and they begin to
shout. all of them together. and they
keep ON until they are red in face and
hoarse in the throat. for two long hours
crying out: Great is Diana of the
Ephesians! Great is Diana of the Ephe-
sians!'
The whole scene reminds me of the ex-
citement we have almost every autumn
mt the elections. While that goddess
Diana has lost her worshipcrs and her
temples have gone into the dust. our
American people want 10 set up u god in
place of her, and they want MS all to bow
down before it. and that go'l is political
party. Considering our superior civiliza-
ton, have to declare to You that tho
Ephesiam idolatry was less offensive in
the sight Of t;od than is this all absorb
ing American partisanship.
While there are honest men. true men,
Christian men. who stand in both po-
litical parties and who come into the
autumnal elections resolving to serve
their city or their state or the nation in
the best possible way. have noticed
also that with many it is n mere contest
between the ins and the outs those who
are trying to stay i'll and keep the outs
out, and those who are trying to get in
and thrust the ins out. And one party
cries, Great is Diana Of the Ephesians!'
and the other party cries. Great is Di-
ana of the Ephesiansr' neither of them
honest enough to say. Great is my
pocketbook"
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DISCUSSED.
Once or twice year il is my custom
to talk to the people about public affairs
from what ! call a Christian standpoint.
and this morning have chosen for that
duty. | hope to say u practical word.
History tells us of sermon once
preached amid the highlands of Scot
land-a sermon two hours long-on the
sin of luxury, where there were not more
than three pairs Of shoes in the audience,
and during our last war u good man
went into hospital distributing tracts
and gave a tract on 1.-The Sin of Dane
ing" to n man both Of whose legs had
been amputated! But hope this morn
ing topresent an appropriate and adapt
ed word, as next Tuesday at the ballot
box great affairs are to be settled.
The Rev DIR. Emmons in the early
history Of our country in Massachusetts
preached about the election of Thomas
jefferson TO the presidency. The Rev.
DIR. Mayhew of Boston in the early days
of our republic preached about the repeal
IF the stamp act. There are times when
ministers of Christ must look of upon
public affairs and discuss them. We
need go back to no example. Every man
is, before God. responsible for his own
duty.
If the Norwegian boasts of his home
Of rocks. and the Siberian is pleased
with his land of perpetual snow: if the
Roman thought that the muddy Tiber
was the favored river in the sight of
heaven. and If the Laplander shivcrs out
his eulogy of his native CLINE. and if the
Chinese have pity for anybody born out
side of the "Flowery Kingdom" shall
not we. born under these fair skies and
standing day by day amid these glori-
ous civil aud religious liberties. be pub
lie spirited? propose To tell tn. people
very plainly what ! consider to bc their
Christian duty mt the ballot box.
First, set yourself against all political
falsehood. The most monstruus lies
ever told in this country are during the
a FavOritc in Kentucky.
Mr. w NJ ferry who has been IN the