The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-04-21
THE HUMAN FACE.
DR.. Talmage Brings Words Of Cheer
to Homely People.

With God I'm Their Lives and Love In
Their Hearts the Homeiicst Face
May Become TRANSPORTED
and Attractive.
As the subject of a recent sermon in
the Brooklyn tabernacle Rev. T. De-
Witt Talmage took 1.-THE Human
Face" basing his words on thestext:
A mans wisdom maketh his face 60 shine
and the holiness Of his face shall be changed.
.-Ecclesiates, wills, l.
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-
ci3ed by the Almighty, and we can mot
chknge them; but under God we de-
eide whether we shall have counte-
nances benignant or balefuls sour or
sweet, wrathful or genial, benevolent
or mean, honest or scoundrelly, inn
pudent or modest, courageous or cow
ardly, frank or sneaking. In all the
works of God there is nothing more
wonderful than the human counte-
nance. Though the longest face is
less than twelve inches from the hair
line of the forehead 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 one billion and six hundred
million of the human race may be dis
tinguished from each other by their
facial appearance. The face is ordi-
narily the index of character. 1t is the
throne of emotions. It is the battle
field of the passions. It's the catalogue
of character. 1t is the map of the mind.
Now, what practical religious and
eternal use would make of this SUBJ
iect? am going to show that while
we are not responsible for features,
the Lord Almighty having decided
what they shall be pre-natally, as the
Psalmist declares when He writes: ''In
Thy book all my members were writ
ten which in continuance were fash
toned when as yet there was none OF
them," yet the character which under
God we form will chisel the face most
nightly. Every man would like to
have been made in appearance an
Alcibiades, and every woman would
like to have been made a Josephine.
We all want to be agreeable. Our
usefulness depends so much upon 1t
that l consider. it important and Chris
tan 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 guild oftobacco out
of his mouth before hU begins te
preach, or Christians with beard un
trimmed, making them to look like
wild beasts come out of the liar, yea
unkempt, uncombed, unwashed, disa
greeable men or women, are
hindrance to religion more than :
recommendation.
And now am going to tell you o
some of the chisels that work for the dis
figuration or irradiation of the human
countenance. One of the sharpsst ant
most destructive of those chisels OF tn
countenance in Cynicism. That sour
the disposition and then sours tn
race. III Rltco q ~e~@~ y
the lip 1t draws now the corners
the mouth and initiates the nostril Q
with malodor. What David said Il
haste they say in their deliberation
"All men are liars;" everything is &C
ing to ruin. All men and women ar
bad, or going to be. Society and tn
church are on the down grade. Tel
them of an act of benevolence, an
thew saw he gave that to advertis
himself. They do not like the presen
fashion of hats for women, or OF coal
for men. They are opposed to the az
ministration, municipal, and state, an
national. Somehow, food does nc
taste as it used to, and they wondt
why there are no poets, or orators,
preachers, as when they were boy
Even Solomon, one of the wisest, an
mt one time one of the worst, OF mel
calls into the pessimistic mood, an
cries out in the twenty-first chapter
proverbs: .sWho can find a virtuo'
womaup. If he had behaved himse
better and kept in good associations
would not have written that interrog
ton point implying the scarcity ofgot
womanhood. Cynicism, il q habit,
Il is with tens of thousands OF peopl
writes itself all over the features; hen
so many sour visages all up and dow
the church and the world. One go'
rav to make the world worse is TO 81
Il is worse. Let depressed and fol
boding opinion of everything Ia
nossession of you for twenty years a
You will be sight to behold. 1t
the chastisement of God that wher
man allows his heart to be ours
with cynicism his face becom
ploomed and scowled and lachrymos
and blasted with the same midnigl
But let Christian cheerfulness t
its chisel upon a mans countenan.
Feeling that all things are for
rood. and that God rules. and that
Bible being true the worlds horsii
ton is rapidly approaching, ana
dav when beer-mug, and dem'Joi
and distillery, and bomb-sheil' .
rife-pit; and seventy-four pounde
and roulette tables, and corrupt BOO
and satanic printing press Will hs
omit work, the brightness that con
from such anticipation not only 81
zest to his work, but shines in his e.
end CLOVIS in his cheeks and klndie