The Baptist headlight. (Topeka, Kan.) 1893-1894, 1894-03-14
The Tabernacle Pulpit.


iii the Brooklyn Tabernacle Sunday
forenoon Rev. DR.. Talmage chose for
she sub ect of his sermon THE Human
Face and held his great audience
fascinated with the charm of his eiO-
Quence as he discOursed on SUBJECT
of universal interest. The text was
Ecclesiastes viii, l, "a mans wisdom
maketh his face to shine, and the bold
ness of his face shall be changed" or,
as it may be rendered, 1.-The sOurness
.Of his face shall be sweetened."
Thus little change in our English
translation brings out the better mean
ing Of the text, which sets forth that
The character of the face is decided by
the character of the soul. The main
features Of our countenance were de-
\. cided by the Almighty. and we cannot
change them, but under God we decide
whether we shall have cOuntenance
benignant or baleful, sour or sweet,
wrathful or genial, benevolent or
mean, honest or scoundrelly. impudent
or modest, courageous or cOwardly,
frank or sneaking. In all the works OF
God there is nothing more wonderful
tlan the human cOuntenance. Though
the longest face is less than twelve
inches from the hair line Of the fore
head to the bottom of the chin and the
broadcast face is less than eight inches
from cheek bone to cheek bone, yet in
that small compass God hath wrought
such differences that the 1000, 900
Of the human race may be distinguished
from each other by their facial ap-
.rDearances.
An Index of Character.
Sc mi Iva hn nd ~
character. It is the throne of the emo
ions. 1t is the battlefield of the pas
.siOns. 1t is the catalogue of character.
lit is the man of the mind It 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 countenances shall be
pleasant or disagreeable. This is so
much so that some of the most beautl-
full faces are unattractive because of
their arrogance or their deceitfulness,
and some of the most rugged and lr-
regular features are attractive because
of the kindness that shines through
them. Accident or sickness or scariti-
cation may veil the face SO that it shall
not express the soul, but in the majority
rOf cases give me a deliberate look at a
mans cOuntenance and | will tell you
whether he is cynic or an ODtlmlst,
whether he is a miser or phllan-
thrOpist, whether he is noble Or ignO-
miniOus. whether he is good or bad.
Our first impression of man or wO-
man is generally the accurate impress
sion You at the first glance make up
Your mind that some man is unworthy
Of your friendship, but afterward, by
!. circumstances being put into intimate
association with him, you come to like
him and trust him. Yet stay with him
bong enough, and you will be compelled
to return to your original estimate OF
his character, but it will be after he
has cheated you out of everything he
could Law his hands on. 1t is of Gods
mercy that we have these outside in
dexes 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 mans
character by the shape of his head
Palmistry is another index, and while
1T NAV be carried into the fanciful and
.necromantic there is OdOubt that GER
tain lines in the palm of the hand are
indicative of mental and moral trait S.
A scathIng Rejoirder.
Now, my text suggests how we may
independent of features, make our
selves agreeable, "A mans wisdom
maketh his face shine, and the sOurnes:
of his face shall be sweetened." What
II saw may come too late for many
Their cOuntenance may by long years
OF hardness have been frozen into
stolidity. or by long years of cruel be-
havior they may have HerOdized al
the machinery of expression, or by Ions
wears of avarice they may have beer
.ShylOcked until their face is as hare
as the precious metal they are hoard
inc. but am in time to help multitude
il the Lord will. That it is possible t.
overcome disadvantages OF phys1Og
nOmy was in this country nightly IL
Illustrated by one whose life recentl.
closed after having served in the
Presidential Cabinet at Washington
By accident OF fire in childhood hi
face had been more piteously scarre'
than any human visage that | eve
saw. BY hard study he arose from be
ing a poor boy to the very height @
the legal profession, and when an AT
torney General for the United State
was needed he entered the Presider
tial Cabinet What a triumph over de
-stroyed human countenance.
do not wonder that when an oppo:
ing attorney in Philadelphia cour
room cruelty referred to this persona
Disagreement Benjamin F. Brewste
replied in these words when | wa
a babe. | was a beautiful blue eye
child know this because my dea
dead mother told me 50. but | was on
day playing with my sister when he
clothes took fire, and | ran TO her re
lief and saved her, but in doing 30 III
clothes took fire, and the fire was M
put out until my face was a black ;
the heart of the scOundrel who b;
Just now referred to my dlshgur