The Bossier banner., 1894-09-20
NUMBER 80.

ten cents, by command of the Bible, be-
long to Him. Is not God liberal &C
cording to this tithing system laid down
in the Old Testament-is not God lib
eral in giving us ninety cents out of
dollar, when He takes but ten? We do
not like that. We want to have nine
| ty-nine cents for ourselves and one for
God.
Now, l would great deal rather
steal ten cents from you than from
God. / think one reason why great
many people do not get along in world
ly accumulation faster is because they
do not observe this divine rule. God
says: ''Well, if that man is not salts
fed with ninety cents of a dollar, then
l will take the whole dollar, and l will
give it to the man or woman who is
honest with me-" The greatest obstacle
to charity in the Christian church to-
day is the fact that men expend so
much money on their table, and women
so much on their dress, they have
nothing left for the work of God and
the worlds betterment. In my first
settlement at Belleville, N. j., the
cause of missions was being presented
| OuC ctiDDdUl, u4O % p4Cb 1OA OAAS S'AeDA
ity of the people was being made,
when an old Christian man in the au-
dience lost his balance and said right
out in the midst of the sermon: "Mr.
Talmage, how are we to give literally
to these grand and glorious causes
when our families dress as they do?"
did not answer that question. 1t was
the only time in my life when l had
nothing to say!
Again, inordinate fashion is distrac-
ton to public worship You know
very well there are a good many people
who come to church just as they go to
the races to see who will come out first.
What futter it makes in church when
some women with extraordinary
! display of fashion comes in. What
, love of a bonnet!" says some one.
''What perfect fright" says five hun
2 dred. For the most merciless critics
y in the world are fashion critics. Men
+ and WON en- with souls to be saved
8 passing the hour in wondering where
q that man got his cravat, or what
n store that woman patronizes. In many
o of our churches the preliminary exer-
: cises are taken up with the discussion
\ of wardrobes Is it not wonderful that
!, the Lord does not strike the meeting
:. houses with lightning, amidst distrac-
Y tion of public worship! Dying men and
n women, whose bodies are soon to be
d turned into dust, yet before three
y worlds strutting like peacocks, the aw-
l. full question ofthe souls destiny sub
i merged by the question of navy-blue
q velvet and fan-train skirt, long
a enough to drag up the church aisle,
n the husbands store, office, shop, fac
n tory fortune, and the admiration OF
/ half the people in the building. Men
and women come late to church to show
n their clothes. People sitting down in
# the pew or taking up hymn book, all
n absorbed at the same time in personal
e array, to sing:
IS Rise, my soul, and stretch my wings,
A. Thy better portion trace;
. Rise from transitory things,
- Toward Heaven, thy native placel
,o adopt the Eyiscopalian prayer ant
!, say: Good Lord, deliver us!
It, The most CHASTITY death-beds OF
#, earth are the one where a man dies O.
Id delirium tremens, and the other where
ut a woman dies after having sacrificed
n all her faculties of body, mind and sou
u- in the worship of fashion. My friends
n we must appear in judgment to an
ne swer for what we have worn on ou
nd bodies, as well as for what repent
IS ances we have exercised with ou
1g souls. On that day L see coming In
re Beau Brummel of the last century
"a without his cloak, like which all En-
re gland got cloak and without hi
u- cane, like which all England gotta cane
without his snutf-box, he, the fop @
IN, the ages, particular about everything
W. but his morals; and Aaron Burr
of without the letters that down to oil
ch age he showed in pride, to prove hi
le. early wicked gallantries; and Absalor
he without his hair; and Marchiones
err Pompabour without her title; and Mr.
Arnold, the belle of Wall street, whe
~ that was the center of fashion, withor
&C. her fripperies of'vesture.
And in great haggardness they sha
c;- go away-into eteral expatriation; Will
of among the queens of heavenly societ
nd will be found Vashti, who wore til
IA modest veil before the palatial ba
chanalians; and Hannah, who annual
aP made little coat for Samuel ;
a.; the temple; and Grandmoth'
- Lois, the ancestress of Timoth
~ who initiated her virtue; al
tba Mary, who gave Jesus Chri
NJ NJ to the world; and many of you, Il
t wives and mothers and sisters al
~ ~ daughters of the present Christi'
-, IA church, who through great tribulatic
'ne are entering into the kingdom of Go
yes IN - 20 81 - IIa.ran ,.,ho, !
you III. ~ .sIyLosoay,. doetb the will
God, the same is my brother, my sist'
zoe my mother"
dis