Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-07-25
POWER OF HEREDITY.
REV. DR.. TALmAGE ON PRoCLlWTIEs
DUE TO ANCESTRY.


hut, No Matter What our Birthright May
re, We Can re Sons and Daughters Of
God and Heirs Of Immortality Clio
rious Inheritance.
WAsHINGToN. July % This sermon by
Rev Dr. Talmage on hcredity will bring
all the family records into requisition and
lead people to study their own proclivity
toward good or evil The text chosen was
Samuel xvii. IS. Whose son art thou
thou young man.
Never was there more unequal fight
shan that between David and Goliath
David feet high Goliath 10; David a
shepherd boy brought up amid rural
scenes, Goliath a warrior by profession;
Goliath mountain Of braggadocio. David
a marvel OF humility; Goliath armed with
an iron spear. David armed with sling
with smooth stones from the brook. But
you arc not To despisc these latter weap-
ous
Mighty Weapon.
There was regiment OF singers in the
ASsyrian army. and a regiment Of singers
in the Egyptian army. and they made ter
with ~ much accuracy and force rs now
can be- sent shot or she'll. The Greeks in
their army had singers who would throw
lcadcn plumLctS inscribed with the irri-
tatint. words Take this 80 IL was n
mighty weapon David employed in that
famous combat A Jewish rabbi says that
the probability is that Goliath was in such
contempt for David that in "A paroxysm OF
laughter he threw his head back and his
helmet fell off. and David saw the uncover
cd forehead. and his opportunity had come,
and taking this sling and swinging IL
around his head two or three times and
aiming il at that uncovered forehead crash
cd il in like an cggshell. The battle over
behold the tablcau: King Saul sitting; lit
tie David standing, his fingers clutched
into the hair of dccapitated Goliath As
saul sees David standing there holding in
his hand the glastly, rocking, staring
trophy. evidence Of the complete victory
over Gods enemies. the king wonders
what parcntage was honored by such hero
ism. and in my text he asks David his
pedigree, Whose son art thou, thou young
mani
The king saw what you and see, that
this question of hercdity is n mighty ques-
ton. The longer live the more believe
blood, humble blood, honest blood, thiev-
ing blood, heroic blood, cowardly blood.
The tendency may skip n generation or
two, but IL is sure tn come out as in lit
tie child You sometimes see a similarity to
a great grandfather whose picture hangs
on the wall That the physical and mental
and moral qualities are Unbeatable is pat
ent to any one who keeps his eyes open.
The similarity is So striking sometimes as
10 he amusing. Great families. regal or
literary, arc apt to have the characteristics
all down through the generations, and
what is more pcrccptihlc In such families
may be seen on n smaller scale in all fam
lilies. A thousand years have no power to
obliterate the difference. The large lip OF
the house of Austria is seen in all the gen
crations and Is called the Hapsburg lip
The house of Stuart always means in all
generations cruelty and bigotry and sensu-
ality. Witness Queen of Scots. witness
Charles and Charles ii, witness James l
and James III and all the other scoundrels
of that line. Scottish blood means per
sistencc, English blood means reverence
for the ancient, Welsh blood means reli-
giosity. Danish blood means fondncss for
| the sea, Indian blood means roaming dis
position, Celtic blood means fervidity, Ro-
man blood means conquest. The Jewish
facility for accumulation you may trace
clear back 10 Abraham, of whom the Biblc
says he was rich in silver and gold and
cattle, and 10 Isaac and Jacob, who had
the same characteristics. Some families
are characterized by longevity, and they
have tcnacity Of life positively Mcthuscl-
ish. Others are characterized by Goliathian
/ stature, and you can see il for one genera.
ton, two generations, five generations-in
all the generations.
Vigorous theology runs down in the line
of the Alcxandcrs. Tragedy runs on in
the family of the Kcmblcs Literature runs
on in the line of the Trollopcs. Philan-
| thropy runs on In the line of the WILDER
forces. Craftsmanship runs on in the line
Of the Adamscs You see these peculiari-
ties in all generations. Henry and Gather
inc Of Navarro religious. all their families
religious. The celebrated family of the
! Casini. all mathcmaticians. The cele-
DRAFTED family of the Medici, grandfather,
son and Catherine. all remarkable for keen
intellect. The celebrated family Of Gus
taVus Adolphus. all warriors This law Of
hcre,iity asserts itself without reference TO
social or political condition, for You some
| times find the ignohlc in high place and
the honorable in obscure place \ descend
ant of Edward n tollgathcrcr. A de-
sccndant of Edward III a doorkcepcr A
descendant OF the Duke of Northumber-
land a trunkmaker Some Of the might
est families of England are extinct, while
some of those most honored in the peeragc
| 60 back to an ancestry of hard knuckles
and rough exterior
A.