The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-11-07
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent lsivine,s Sermon Dc.
livered in Washington.
Subject: "Ths Coming Redemption.

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Glimpses of our cities redeemed Now,
boys and girls who play In tho streets run
such risks that multitudes OF them end in
ruin. But, in the coming time spoken OF,
our cities will be SO moral that lads and
lasses shall be as safe In the public thorough
fares as In the nursery.
Pulpit and printing presses for the most
part in our day are busy In discussing the
condition OF the cities at this time; but would
1t not be nealthfuliy encouraging to all
Christian workers. aud to all who are toll
ing to make the world better, il we should
for a little while look forward to the time
when our cities shall be revolutionized by
the Gospel of the Son OF God, and all the
darkness of sin and trouble and crime and
suffering shall be gone from the world?
Every man has a pride In the city of his
nativity or residence. If 1t be city distin-
guished for any dignity or proves. Caesar
boosted of his native Rome, Virgil of Mantua,
Lycurgus of Sparta, Demosthenes OF Athens,
Archimedes of Syracuse, and Paul Of Tarsus.
l should have suspicion of base-heartednass
in man who had no especial interest in the
city of his birth or resitence-no exhilara-
ton OF the evidence of its prosperity or its
artistic establishment, or its Intellectual ad-
vancement.
city where he has not behaved we'll! People
who have had free ride in the prison van
never like the city that furnishes the vehicle.
When find Argos and Rhodes and Smyrna
trying to prove themse elves the birthplace OF
Homer, conclude at once that Homer be-
haved 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 its Faneuil
Hall and to Its Common, and to Its superior
educational advantages. Philadelphia must
continue to point to its Independence Hall
and its mint, and its Girard College. Wash
ington must continue to point to its Won
drous Capitoline buildings. III should find
q man coming from Rny city, having no
pride in that city, that city having been the
place OF his nativity, or now being the place
OF his residence, 1 would feel like asking:
"What mean thing have you done there?
What outrageous thing haya you been guilty
of that you do not like the placer
I think we ought-and l take 1t 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 m:ser-
able 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!
I know there ara sorrows, and there
are SINS and there are sufferings all around
about us; but as in some bitter, cold winter
day. when we are .hreshing our arms around
US to keep our thumbs from freezing, we
think OF the warm spring day that will aft
awhile come; or in the dark winter night we
look up and see the northern lights, the VIM
dows of heaven illuminated by some great
victorv-just SO we LOOK up from the night
of suffering and sorrow and wretchedness
in our cities, aud we see light streaming
through from the other side, and we know
we are on the way to morning--more than
that. on the way to "a morning without
clouds"
want you to understand. all you who are
toiling for Christ, that the castles OF sin are
all going to be captured. The victory for
Christ in these great towns is going to be 50
complete that not a man on earth or an
angel in heaven, or a devil In he'll will dis
pute it. How do know? I know just is
certainly as God lives and this is holy truth.
The old Bible is full of it. II the Nation Is
to be saved, OF course all the cities are to be
saved. 1t makes great difference with you
and with me whether we are toiling on to-
ward defeat, or toiling on toward q VIC
tory.
Now. in this municipal elevation Of which
I speak, / have to remark there will be
greater financial prosperity Than our cities
have ever seen. Some people seem to have
morbid idea of tho millennium, and they
think when the better time comes to our
cities and the world people will give their
time up to psalm-singing and the relating of
their religious experience, and, as all social
life will be purified, there will be no hilarity,
and, as all business will be purified, there
will be no enterprise. There is no ground
for such an absurd anticipation. In the
time of which speak, where now one for
frvpn Ia NJ fha. yuin IA q bup1raJ for
tunes made. We all know business pros
perity depends upon confidence between
man and man. Now when that time comes
OF which speak, and when all double deal
ing, all dishonesty, AMI all fraud are gone
out OF commercial circles, thorough conf
dence will be established and there will be
better business done, and larger fortunes
gathered, aud mightier successes achieved.
The great business disasters OF this country
have come from the work OF goddess specu-
lators and infamous stock gamblers. The
great foe to business Is crime. When the
right shall have hurled back the wrong, and
shall have purified the commercial code, and
shall have Numbered down fraudulent estab-
lishments, aud shall have put into the hands
OF honest men the keys OF business, Blessed
time for the bargain makers. am not talk
ing an abstraction. am not making guess.
am telling you Gods eternal truth.
In that day of which speak, taxes will be
mere nothing. Now, our business men are
taxed for everything. City taxes. county
taxes, State taxes, United States taxes. stamp
taxes, license taxes, manufacturing taxes
taxes, taxes, taxes! Oar bus ness men have
to make small fortune every year to paw
their taxes. What fastens on our great in-
dustries this awful load2 Crime, individual
and official. We have to pay the board OF
the villains who are incarcerated In our pris-
ons. We have to take care of the orphans OF
those who plunged into their graves through
sensual indulgencies. We have to support
the municipal governments, which are vast
and expensive just In proportion as the GRIM
inal procivities are vast aud tremendous.
Who support the a!mshouses and police sta
lions, and all the machinery OF municipal
government? The tax payers.
But in the glorious time of which speak,
grievous taxation villa have ceased. There
will be no need OF supporting criminals there;
will be no criminals. Virtue will have taken
the place OF wee. There will no orphan asy-
lums, for parents will be ao,e TO leave COM
potency to their children. There will be no
voting of large sums Of money for some
municipal Improvement, which moneys be-
fore they get to the improvements drop into
the pockets of those who voted them. No
Oyer and Terminer kept up at.vsst expense
TO the people. No impaneling of iuries 10
try theft and arson and murder and SANDER
and blackmail. Better factories. Grand ar
chiteciure. Finer equipage. Larger Tor.
iunes. Richer opulence. Better churches.
In that better time, also, coming to those
cities, Christ's churches will be more nu-
merous and they will be larger, and they be
more devoted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
and they will accomplish greater influences
for good. Now, it is often the case that
churches are envious OF each other, and de-