Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-08-07
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington pivine's
Sunday Sermon.
Subieet: .sThe Law of Heredity."

I
that between David and Goliath; David five
feet high, Goliath ten; David shepherd boy
brought up amid rural scenes, Goliath
warrior by profession; Goliath mountain OF
braggadocio, David q marvel OF humility;
Goliath armed with an iron spear, David
armed with sling, with smooth stones from
the brook. But you are not to despise these
latter weapons. There was a regiment OF
singers in the Assyran army and regiment
of singers in the Egyptian army, and they
made terrible execution, and they could cast
q stone with as much accuracy and force rs
now can be sent shot or shell. The Greeks
in their army had singers who would throw
leaden plummets inscribed with the irritat-
ing words, "Take this!'
So it was mighty weapon David en-
ployed in that famous combat. Jewish
rabbi says that the probability is that Goliath
was in such contempt for David that in
paroxysm OF laughter he threw his head
back and his helmet fell off, and David saw
the uncovered forehead. and his opportunity
had come and taking this sling and swing
ing it around his head two or three times,
and aiming it at that uncovered forehead,
crashed il in like an eggshell. The battle over.
behold Che tableau King Saul sitting little
David standing, his fingers clutched into the
hair of decapitated Goliath. AS Saul sees
David standing there holding in his hand the
"
the complete victory over Gods enemies, the
king wonders what parentage was honored
by such heroism, 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 heredity is
mighty one.
The longer I live the more I believe in
blood-good blood. bad blood, proud blood,
humble blood, honest blood, thievlng
Wood, heroic blood, cowardly blood. The
tendency may skip generation or two, but
it is sure to come out, as in a little child
YOU sometimes see a similarity &c great
grandfather whose picture hangs on the
wall That the physical and mental and
moral qualities are Unbeatable is patent to
any one who keeps his eyes open. The SIM
ilarity is so striking sometimes as 10 De
amusing. Great families, regal or literary,
are apt to have the characteristics all down
through the generations, and what is more
perceptible in such families may be seen on
| a smaller scale in all families. A thousand
years have no power to obliterate the dit
ference.
The large lip of the house of Austria is
seen in all the generations and is called the
Hapsburg lip. The house OF Stuart al
ways means in ali generations cruelty ana
bigotry and sensuaity. Witness Queen OF
Scots. Witness Charles / and Charles IL.
L
other scOuudrels OF that line. Scottish blood
means persistence, English blood means
reverence for the cncent, Welsh Blood
means religiosity, Danish hood means fond
ness for the sea. Indian blood means roam
Ing disposition, Celtic blood means fervid-
ity, Roman blood means conquest. Inc
Jewish facility for accumulation you may
trace clear back 10 Abraham. Oh whom the
Bible SAYS. che was RIGA in silver aud gold
nd
had the same characteristics. Some families
are characterized by longevity, and they have
atenacitv of life positively Methuse,isb. 9th
ers are characterized by Goliathiau stature,
and you can see it for Cne generation. two
generations. five generations, in all the gem
erations. Vigorous theology runs down IN
the line OF the Alexanders. Tragedy runs
on in the family OF the kemb'es. Literature
runs on in the line of the Trollopes. Phil
anthropy runs on in the lines OF tho Wilber-
forces. Craftsmanship runs on in the line OF
the Adamses You see these pecu'iaritieS in
all generations. Henry aud Catherine OF
Navarro religious, all their families religious.
The celebrated family OF Casini. all mAthe-
maticians. The celebrated family o: $40
Medici, grandfather, son aud Catherine, all
remarkable for keen intellect. The celebrat-
ed family OF Gustavus Ad0lphus, all war
riors.
This law of heredi:y asserts Itself without
reference to social or political condition. for
you sometimes find the ignoble III hlgh place.
and the honorable in obscure place. A &C.
seen liant OF Edward ] II toll gatherer A
descendent of Edward III doorkeeper. A
descendant OF the Duke OF Northumberland
q trunk makeI. Some of the mign,iest fem
lilies OF England are extinct, while some oil
those most Aonored in The peerage 80 BACK
? to an ancestry of hard knuckcS and rouGn
!, exterior. This law OF herediiy is entirely
independent Of social or political conditions
r Then you find avarice aud jealousy and SEN
suality and fraud having full swing in some
families. TIE violent temper OF FredericK
William is the Inheritance OF FREDERICK tue
Q Great. It is not q theory founded by world
S ly philosophy, bu: by divine authority. NC
YOU nc remember how the B.b.e speaks Oh a
chosen generation, OF the generation OF the
= righteous, o. the generation Of vipers OF al
4 urtovard generation, Of stubborn genera
ton, OF the injqutY of the fathers visiret
uDon the children unto the third and fourth
4 generations? so that the text comes tc-da!
= with the force OF q pro.ectile hurled from
d migStiest catapur. ''Whose son art thoa
c thou young MANI"
"WCll" says some one, that theory CHS
I charges me from all responsibility. Born o
/ sanctife PARENTS we are bound 10 be good
u and we cannot help ourselves. Bora OF un
evil, and we cannot help ourselves" NV
inaccuracies. As much as ifyou should say
'"rhe centripetal force in nature has ten
f. dencyto bring everything 10 the center, an
II therefore all come to the center The cen
. trifugal force in nature has tendency I
. throw everything to the periphery, an
IS therefore everything Will 90 out to the per
t. phery." You know as we'll as know tha
10 you can make the centripetal force oYercou
the centrifugal. aud you can make the ceI
IL trifugal overcome the centripeta as wac
re there is mighty tide OF good in famll
n. that NAV he overcome by determination
- evil: as in the case OF Aaron Burr, the libe
~ tine, who had for father President Burr, II
III cOnSecrated; as in the case of Pierrepont 4
t. wards, the scourge o. New YORK socie
IN eighty wears ago, who had Christian ance
-" try, while on the other hand, some OF Il
~ best men and Women OF this day are tho
re who have come Ct an ancestry OF when
g. would mol be courteous to speak IN the
presence The practical ana useful obIe
of this sermon is to show you that IL W
have come o. q Christian ancestry tnsn "
u are solemnly bound to preserve and Gevei(
the glorious inheritance. or ii you nave con
OF a depraved ancestry then it is your du
TO brace Yourself against the evil teuden
lie by all PRAYER ANA Christian determinatio
II and YOU are 10 find out the family frailtit
-. and in arming the castle put the strons'
" guard at the weakest gate. With the
to smooth stones from tne brook l hope
on strike you, not where David struck Goliai
4o in the head, but where Nathan struck Davl
os in the heart. "Whose son art thou, IL
young MANI
~. There is something in all winter holida
old fO1l-c / think MANY