Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-03-02
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine'S Sun
day Sermon.
Subject, 1.-THE Human Face"


lation brings out the better meaning of the
text, which sets forth that the character OF
the face is decided by the character of tho
soul. The maiu features Of our countenance
were decided by the Almighty. and we can
not change them, but under Col we decide
whether we shall have countenances be-
nignant or baleful. sour or sweet, wrathful
or genial, benevolent or mean, honest or
scoundrelly. impudent or modest, courage
Gus or cowardly. frank or sneaking. In all
the works of Got there is nothing more
wonderful than the human countenance.
Though the longest face is less than twelve
inches from the hair line OF the forehead TO
the bottom of the chin and the broadest face
is less than eight inches from cheek bone TO
cheek bone, yet in that small compass GO1
has wrought such differences that the $780,
coo, 900 of the human race may be dis
tinguished from each other by their facial
appearance.
The face is ordinarily the index of charac-
ter. 1t is the throne OF the emotions. 1t is
the battlefield OF the passions. 1t is the
catalogue of character. 1t is the map OF the
mind. 1t is the geography of the soul. And
while the Lord decides before our birth
whether we shall be handsome or hOmely,
we are by the character we form deciding
whether our countenance shall be pleasant
or disagreeable. This is so much so that
some ofthe most beautiful faces are unattrac-
tive because Of their arrogance or their de-
ceitfulness. and some of the most rugged
and irregular features are attractive because
OF the kindness that shines through them.
Accident or sickness or scarifcation may
veil the face so that it shall not express the
soul, but in the majority OF cases give me a
deliberate look at mans cOuntenance
and | will tell you whether he is a
cynic or an Optimist, whether he
is a miser or philanthropist, whether he is
noble or ignominious, whether he is good or
bad. Our first impression OF man or
woman is generally the accurate impression.
You ut the first glance make up your mind
that some man is unworthy OF your friend
ship. but afterwarj, by circumstances being
put into intimate association with him, you
come to like him and trust him. Yet stay
with him long enough. and you will be com
PEELED to return TO your original estimate OF
his character. but it will be after he has
cheated you out OF everything he could lay
his hands on. 1t is Of Gods mercy that We
have these outside indexes OF character.
Phrenology is one index, and while It may
be carried to an absurd extent there is no
doubt that you can Judge somewhat OF "a
mans character by the shape of his head.
Palmistry is another index, anawhilc it may
be carried into the fan eiful and NEGRO mantle
there is no DOUBT that certain lines in the
palm Of the hand are Indicative Of mental
and moral traits.
Physognomy is another index. AMI while
the contour of the human face may some
times mislead us we can generally, after
looking into the eye and noticing the curve
of the lip and the spread OF the nostril. an
the correlation OF all the features. come TO q
right estimate OF a man character. II It
We're not so, how would we know whom 10
trust and whom to avoid? Whether we will
or not. physiOgnOmy decides a thousand
things in commercial and financial and So
cial and religious domains. From one ill
OF the Bible to the other there is no science
go recognized as that OF physiognony, and
nothing more thoroughly taken for granted
than the power OF the soul to tranSlgure tho
face. The Bible speaks of the face
OF Cod the "iace Of Jesus Christ,
the "face of Esau. the "iaco o,
Israel" the face OF JOB the face
OF the old man. the shining "facs Of Mos =, ~
the wrathiul "iace of Pharaoh, the ashes
on the face OF humiliation. toe resurrection
airy staff oD the face of the dead child. tho
hypocrites disiguring their face. and in my
text the Bible declares, "A mans wisdom
maketh his face 10 shine, and the sournass
Of his face shall be sweetenel." II the Bible
has SC much to say about physiognomy. we
do not wonder that the world has ma 1e il
study from the early ages. In vain the Eng
lsh Parliament in the time OF George IT,
ordered publicly whipped and imprisoned
those who studied physioynomy. Intelligent
people always have stu lied it and always
will study it. The pens OF Moses and Joshua
and JOB and John AMI Paul rs well as Of
Homer and HippOcrates AMI Galen AMI
Aristotle and Socrates and Plato and LGvatar
have been dipped into it, and whole libraries
Of wheat and chat have been garnerel on
this theme.
Now, what practical religious and eternal
use would make Of this subject? am 60
ing to show that while we are not response
bic for our features, the Lord Almighty hav
ing decided what they shall be prenatally, as
the psalmist declares when he writes, In
thy book all my members werc written,
which in continuance were fashioned when
as vet there was none of them yet the
character which under Col We form will
chisel the face most m ghtily. Every man
would like TO have been made in appearance
an AlcibiadeS. and every woman would like
10 have been made a Josephine. We all want
TO be agreeable. Our usefulness depends 50
much upon it that l consider it important
and Christian for every man and woman to
be as agreeable as possible. The SLOUGH, the
slOven. the man who does not care how he
looks, all such people lack equipment for
usefulness. A minister who has to throw a
quid Of tobacco out Of his mouth before he
begins to preach or Christians with beard IN
trimmed, making them TO look like wild
beasts come out Of the lair-yea, unkempt,
uncOmbed, unwashed, disagreeable men or
wOmen-are hindrance to religion more
than recommendation.
Now, my text suggests how we may, indie
pendent Of features, make ourselves agree
able, "A mans wisdom maketh his face to
shine and the sourness of his face shall be
sweetened.' What | say may come too late
for many Their countenance may by long
years of hardness have been frozen into stol-
idity, or by long years Of cruel behavior they
may have HerOdized all the machinery Of ex-
preston, or by long years Of avarice they
may have been Shylocked until their face is
rs hard as the precious metaithey are hoard
ing. but am in time to help muItitudes il
the Lord will. That it is possible 10 over
come disadvantages OF physiognomy was in
this country nightly illustrated by one
whose life recently closed after having
served in the Presidential cabinet
at Washington. By accident Of fire in
childhood his face had been more piteously
SCARED than any human vlsage that l ever
saw. BY hard study he arose from being a
poor boy TO the very height of the legal pro-
fession. and when an Attorney General for
the United States was needed he entered the
Presidential cabinet. What triumph over
destroyed human countenance,
do not wonder that when an opposing at
torney in Philadelphia courtroom cruelty
referred TO this personal Disagreement Ben
jamin j. Brewster replied in these words
"When I was a babe was beautiful blue
eyed child I know this because my dear
dead mother told me so, hut was one day
playing with M sister when her clothes took
fire, and | ran 10 her relief aad saved her
but in doing so my clothes took fire. and the
fire was not put out until my face was as
black as the heart OF the scoundrel who has
just now referred TO my Disagreement.
Heroism conquering physical disabilities
That scholarly regular features are not nee
cssary for making powerful impression wit
ness Paul, who photographs himself as in
BODILY presence weak, and George White
field, whose eyes were struck with strabis-
mus, and Alexander II. Stephens. who sat
with pale and SICK face in inyalid's chair
while be thrilled the American congress with
his elOquence, and thousands OF invalid
preachers and Sabbath-schoOl teachers and
Christian workers. Aye, the most glorious
being the world ever saw was foreseen by
Isaiah. who described His face bruised an
gashed and scarifled and said Of Him. CHS
vlsage was so marred, more than any man"
So you see that the loyelies; face in the uni
verse WIS a scared face.
And now | am going to tell You oi 50 ne OF
the chisels that work for the designation or
A.