Democratic messenger., 1895-10-26
RACE cot RISE EVILS.
REV. Or. TALMAGE DISCUSSES THE
SUBJECT OF TURF GAMBLING.
The Christian and Common Sense View of
Trials of Speed by the Horse-sin Re-
gins with Betting The Way tn Drive n
Horse.

The Christian and Common Sense View of
Trials of Speed by the Horse Sin Re-
gins with Betting The Way to Drive n
Horse.
NEW YORK. Oct. 2O.-In his sermon for
today. Rev. DIR. Talmagc discusses topic
which for months past has been familiar
one In the daily prcSs-viz, THE Dissi-
laiions of the Race Course His text
was Job xxx. 10, 81, 25: HAST thou
given the horse strength Hast thou
clothed his neck with thunder: He paweth
in the valley and rejoiccth; he gocth on to
meet the armed men. He saith among the
trumpets, ha, hal and he smcllcth the bat
tie afar of, the thunder OF the captains,
and the shouting"
We have scccntly had long columns of
intelligence from the race course and mul-
titudcs ilockcd To the watering places TO
witness equine competition, and there is
lively discussion in all households about
the right aIs. wrong Of such exhibitions of
mciilc and speed, ana when there is her
cSy abroad that the cultivation OF horses
ilcctncss Is an iniquity instead of COM
mcndablc yirtuc-at such time n sermon
Is demanded II every minister who would
like To defend public morals on the one
hand and who is not willing to sce an un-
righteous abr.dgmcnt of innocent amusc-
mcnt on the ether. In this discussion !
shall follow no sermnnic precedent. but
will give independently what consider
the Christian and common sense view Of
this potent. all absorbing and agitating
question of the turf
A Noble Beast.
There needs To be redistribution of
curoncts among the brute creation. For
ages the lion has been called the king Of
beasts. knock off its coronct and put
the crown upon the horse, In every way
noblcr, whether In shape ar spirit or sa-
gaciiy or intelligence or affection ar Use
fulncSs. He Is scihihuman, and knows
how to reason ON n small scale. The cen
taur of oldcn times, part horse and part
man, sccnS To he u suggestion of the fact
that the horse Is something more than n
beast. job in my text sets forth his
strength. his beauty, h majesty. the pant
ing of his noSiril the nawing of his houf
and his enthusiasm for the battle What
Rosa Bonhcur did for the cattle and what
Landsccr did for the dog. job with
mighiicr pencil does for the horse. Eighty
eight Times does the Bible speak Of him
He comes into every kingly procession and
into every great occasion and into every
triumph. Ii Is very evident that job and
David and Isaiah and Ezekiel and .Tere-
miah and John were fond Of the horse He
comes into much Of their imagery. A red
horsc-;hat meant war. \ black horse
that meant famine. a pale horse-that
meant death. a white horsc-that meant
victory. Good Mordecai mounts him while
Haman holds the bit. The churchs ad-
vance in the Bible is compared to n COM
pany of horses of Pharoah's chariot. .Icre-
miah cries out, ''lIow canst thou contend
with horscs;" Isaiah says. 1.-The horse's
hoofs shall h. counted rs flint" Miriam
claps her cymbals and sings, 1.-THE horse
and the rider hath he thrown into the
sea" 81. John, describing Christ as COM
ing forth from conquest TO conquest, repre-
sents him rs seated on white horse In
the parade of heaven the Bible makes us
hear the clicking Of honfs on the golden
pavement "a il says. "Thc armies which
were in heaven followed him on white
horses" should not wonder If the horse,
SD banged and bruised and beaten and
outraged on earth. should have some other
place where his wrongs shall he righted.
/ do not assert IL, hut say l should not
be surprised II, after all. St Johns de-
scriptions Of the horses in heaven turned
out nut altogether To be nguratiye but
somewhat literal.