Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-10-23
REY. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington pivlne'S
Sunday Sermon.
Subject: "DlvIne Chiro=raphy."

ChlrOgrapny, or tno art vi nan" "Aleb
like the science. OF acoustics, is IN very un-
satisfactory state. While con 'truct'ng
church. and told by some architects that the
voice would not be heard in building shapeo
like that proposed. L came in much anxiety
to this city and consulted with Prof. Joseph
Henry. OF the Smithsonian Institution, ABOUT
fhe law OF acoustics H said: go ahead
and build your church in the shape. pro-
posed, ana l think 1t will be all right
have studied the laws OF SOUND perhaps more
than any man OF my time: ami nave come
go far as this: Two auditoriumS may seem 10
be exactly alike, AMI in one the acou-tlcs
NAV be good and IN the other bad. In the
same unsatisfactory stage is chlrograpny,
although many declare they have reduced IL
TO q science. There are those who say tney
can read character by handwriting. is
said that the way one writes the letter
decides his egolism or modesty, and the way
one writes the letter go" decides the height
aud depth of his emotions. 1t Is declared
cramped hand meansa cramped nature, ana
an easy, flowing hand facile and iperai
spirit; but if there be anything in this science
there must be some rules not yet announced,
for soma of the boldest and most aggressive
men have a delicate and small penmansh1p,
while some OF the most timid sign their
tames with the height aud width and scope
bf the name OF John Hancock on the immor-
bal document. But vale the chirograpny
Of the earth is uncer. ain, our 'es5ed Loru
in our text presents the chirography celes-
EaI Whep addressing the seventy disciples
standing before Him, He said: "Rejolce be-
cause YOUR names are written in heaven.
OF course, the Bible, for tho most parf,
when speaking OF the heavenly world, speaks
fl0uraIiyely while talking about books AMI
about trumpets, an about wings and aDout
gates and about golden pavements and about
orchards with twelve crops OF fruiT-one
crop each month-anl about the wnlte
horses of heavens cavalry; but we do we'll 10
follow ont these inspired metaphors and reap
from them courage and sublime expectation
and consolation and victory. We are toid
that in the heavenly library there is BOOK
of Life. Perhap2 there are many volumes IN
it. When we say book, we mean All WITT
ten by the author on that subject. cannot
tell how large those heavenly volumes are
nor the spendor of their binding, nor the
number Of their pages, nor whether they are
pictorialized with some exciting, scenes OF lbs
world. l only know that the words have not
been impressed by type, but written OUT by
some hand, and that all those who, ike tne
seventy disciples TO whom the text was
spokep. repent and trust the Lord for their
eternal salvation, surely have their names
written in heaven. 1t may not be the same
name that we carried on earth. w" may,
through thu inconsiderateness OF parents,
have n name that Is uncoutn, or tnat was
afterward dishcnored by one after whom we
were called. do not know that the seventy
entrances of the names OF the seventy dis
ciples correspond with the record IN the
genealogical table. 1t may not be the name
by which we were called on earth, out IL VIII
be the name by which heaven will know US,
AMI we will have it announced 70 us as we
pass in. and We will know it so certainly thar
we will not have to be called twice Dy IT, AZ
in the Bible times the Lord called some PEG.
pie twice by name: "Saul! Saul! "Sauuei!
Samuel "Martha! Martha"
In examination Of your name In the
heavenly archives, II you 1ntit there at
ali. YOU will find it written with abold hand.
You have seen many signature that because
of sickness or old age had tremor in 1t, yet
il WAS rs bold as the man who wrote II:
MANY All order written on the battlefield ana
amid the thunder of the cannonade has had
evidence of excitement i'll every word ana
every letter and in the speed with which IL
was folded and handed to the officer as ne
put his foot in the swift stirrups, ana YET
tn It commander, notwithstanding nus trem.
bling han1. gives holiness OF order mat
shows itself In every word written. xou 40
not need to be told that trembling hand
QOeS DOI always HOdu NOW"AN'J
was with very trembling hand Charles
| Carroll. Of Carrollton, signel his name 10
| the Declaration Of American Independence,
but no signer had more courage and wnen
some one said, "There are many Charles
CAROLS. and it will not be known which ono
il is" he resumed the pen and wrote Charles
Carroll of Chrrolton. Trembling hand no
sign of tlmidity. The daring and defiance
seen in the way your name Is written III
heaven is challenge to all Garth and nell 10
come on if they can to defeat your ransomeu
soul.
Again, il according to the promise OF tho
text Won are permitte to look into the
volumes of eternity aud see your name there,
YOU will fnd it written in lines, in words. In
| letters unmistakahe. Some people nave
come 10 consider indistinct and almost un-
readable penmanship a mark OF genus, ana
so they affect it. Because every paragraph
that Thomas Chalmers, and Dean Stanley,
and Lord Byron, and Rufus 'Choate ana
other potent men wrote was puzzle, lmita-
tors make their penmanshlp puzzle. Ale4-
ander Dumas says that plain penmnnsnip Is
the brevet of incapacity. Then there are
some who. through too much demand upon
their energies and through lack OF time, lose
the capacity If making the pen intelllgloie,
| and much OF the writing of this world Is In
decpherab,e. We have seen piles OF mex
plicable chirograpby, and we ourselves have
helped augment the magnitude. we nave
not been sure of the name signed. or the
sentiment expressed, or whether the reply
was affirmative or negative. Thr ugh IN
distinct penmanship last wills and tesla.
ments have been defeated. widows ana
orphans robbed of their inheritance, rallroad
trains brought into collision through the
dim words OF telegram put into the hano
| 4 oaT,fa
mistakng their instructions, have peen
sacrificed in battle. l g5ksd Blsnop
Cowie, in Auckland, New Zealand, the
Bshop having been In many Of the wars
what Tennyson, in his immortal poem,
"The Charge of the Light Brigade,
meant by the woris "Some one had
blundered." and the Bishop said that
the awful carnage at Baaklava was the
result OF an indistinctly-written ano
Wrongly-read military order. "Some one
had blundered" But your name, once
written in the Lambs Book of Life, will Dc
30 unmistakable that all heaven can reao II
Mt the first glance. 1t will not Do taken iol
the name of some other, so that in regard &c
il there shall come to be dIsputaton. Not
,ne of the millions and billions and quad
hillions of the finally saye1 will doubt that
it means you and only YOU. On, the
glorious. the rapturous gertrude OF tha'
entrance On the heavenly roll. Not saved IL
a promiscuous way Not put into q
glorined mob. No, mol Though you came
up. the worst sinner that was ever saved
and somebody who knew you in this Iworlt
at one time as absolutely abandoned anc
dissoute should say: ~ never heard
your conversion and 1 do not believe yot
have right to be here" you could Jus
laugh laugh OF triumph, and, turning owe
the leaves containing the names OF the Re
deemed, say: "Read it for yourself ina