The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-09-25
THE WICKED CITIES.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Talks About
Wicked Metropolitan Life.
Redemption VIII Surely Come. But cnris-
tian Effort Must Come to the Front
and Aid in the Hercule-
An Task.

Witt Talmage on 1.-THE Wicked Cities
of the World" and their redemption,
was delivered before his Washington
congregation. 1t was based on the
text:
And the streets OF the city shall be full Of
BOYS and girls playing in the streets thereof
Zecharah Wills.
Glimpses of our cities redeemed
Now, boys and girls who play in the
streets run such risks that multltudes
of them end in ruin. But, in the com
ing time spoken of, our cities Will be
so moral that lads and lasses shall be
as safe in the public thoroug hfares as
in the nursery.
Pulpit and printing press for the
most part in our day are busy in DIS
cussing the condition OF the cltles al
this time; but would 1t not be health-
fully encouraging to all CHRISTIAN
workers. and TO all who are toillng TO
make the world better, If we should for
q little while look forward to the time
when our cities shall be revolutionlzed
by the Gospel of the Son OF God, ana
ali the da rkness of sin and trouble
and crime and suffering shall be gone
from the world?
Every man has pride in the city OF
his nativity or residence, if it be city
distinguished for any dignity or Prov
ess. Cesar boosted of his native
Rome, Virgil of Mantua, Lycurgus OF
Sparta, Demosthenes of Athens, Archl-
medes of Syracuse, and Paul OF Tar
sus. | should have suspicion of base
heartedness in man who had no es-
pecial interest in the city of his birth
or residence-no exhilaratlon at the
evidence of its prosperity or it's artistic
embellishments, or its intellectual ad-
vancement.
I have noticed that man never
likes city where he has not behaved
well! People who have had a free ride
in the prison van never like the city
that furnishes the vehicle. When l
find Argos, and Rhodes, and Smyrna
irving to prove themselves the birth
place of Homer, conclude at once
that Homer behaved well. He liked
them and they liked him. We must
not war on laudable city pride, or
with the idea of building ourselves up
at any time, try to pull others down.
Boston must continue to point to it's
Faneuil hall and to it's common, and
to it's superior educational advantages.
Philadelphia must continue to point
to it's Independence hall. and its mint,
and it's Girard college. Washin gton
must continue to point to its Won
drous capitoline buildings. If should
find man coming from any city, hav-
ing no pride in that city, that city
having been the place of his nativity,
or now being the place of his resi-
dence, would feel like asking: what
mean thing have you done there? What
outrageous thing have you been guilty
of that you do not like the placer"
| think we ought-and l take it for
granted you are interested in this
great work of evangelizing the cities
and saving the world-we ought to
toll with the sunlight in our faces. We
are not fighting in miserable Bull
Run of defeat. We are on our way to
final victory. We are not following
the rider on the black horse, leading
us down to death and darkness and
doom, but the Rider on the white horse,
with the moon under His feet and the
stars of Heaven for His tiara. Hail,
Conqueror, hail!
| know there are sorrows, and there
IRE sins, and there are sufferings al
around about us; but as in some bit
ter, cold winter day, when we are
threshing our arms around us to keeI
our thumbs from freezing, we think
of the warm spring day that will after
awhile come; or in the dark winter
night we look up and see the northern
light, the windows of Heaven illuml
mated by some great victory-just 81
we look up from the night of suffering
and sorrow and wretchedness in ou
cities, and we see light streaming
through from the other side. and W.
know we are on the way to morning
more than that, on the way to -
morning without clouds"
want you to understand, all you
who are toiling for Christ, that tn
castles of sin are all going to be car
,tured. The victosy for Christ in thes
great towns is going to be so complet
that not a man on earth, or an ange
Heaven, or a devil in hell will dis
mute it. How do l know? l kno'
lust as certainly as God lives and tina
this is holy truth. The old Bible i
full of it. If the nation is to be SAVED
of course all the cities are to be saved
1t makes a great difference with 20
and with me whether we are toilin
on toward defeat or toiling o
toward victory.
Now, in this municipal elevation
which speak, have to remark thel
will be greater financial prosperi'
than our cities have ever seen. Son
--.or,le seem To have a morbid idea