Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-10-09
HIS UNIQUE SERMON.
REV. Or. TALMAeE breaches ON
DIVINE cHlRoGRAPHY.

Character In Handwriting-ALet Letter From
Home-Names Written In the Book Of
Eternal Life-Ink Made From the Cal
vary Sacrifice.
WASHINGTON, Oct I've send ont
this, one Of the most unique sermons
DR.. Talmage ever preached. 1t is as
novel as wide sweeping and practical
His subject is Divine Chirography, "
the text being Luke Z, 30, Rejoice
because your names are written in
heaven.
Chirography, or the art Of handwrit-
ing, like the science Of acoustics, IS IN
very unsatisfactory state. While con-
structing a church. and told by some
architects that the voice would not be
heard in building shaped like that
proposed, came in much anxiety to
this city and consulted with Professor
Joseph Henry Of the Smithsonian insti-
tuition about the law of acoustics. he
said: go ahead and build your church
in the shape proposed, and 1 think II
will be all right. 1 have studied the
laws Of sound perhaps more than any
man Of my time, and l have come 80 far
as this: Two auditoriums may seem to
be exactly alike and in one the acoustics
NAV be good and in the other bad. "
In the same unsatisfactory stage Is
chirography, although many declare
they have reduced it to science There
are those who say they can read charac-
ter by handwriting. 1t is said that the
way one writes the letter "l' decides
his egotism or modesty, and the way
one writes the letter 80" decides the
height and depth Of his emotions. 1t If
declared a cramped hand means
cramped nature, and an easy, flowing
hand a facile and liberal spirit. But II
there be anything in this science, there
must be some rules not yet announced
for some of the boldest and most ag
eressive men have a delicate and small
penmanship, while some Of the mos
timid sign their names with the height
and width and scope Of the name o.
John Hancock on the immortal docu
ment. Some Of the cleanest in person
and thought present their blotted ano
spattered page, and some OF the rough
est put before us an immaculate chirog
raphy. Not our character, but the copy
plate set before us in our schoolboy daI
! decides the general style Of our hand
writing. So also there is fashion IL
penmanship, and for one decade the let
ters are exaggerated and in the mex
minifed, now erect and now aslant
now heavy and now fine. An autograph
album is always a surprise, and yo'
find the penmanship contradicts tn
character of the writers. But while tn
chirography Of the earth is uncertain
our blessed Lord in our text present
the chirography celestial. When ad
dressing the 20 disciples standing befor
him, he said, Rejoice because you
names are written in heaven"
The Book Of Life.
OF course the Bible, for the mos
mart. when speaking Of the heavenl
world, speaks figuratively while talk
ing about book, and about trumpets, an
about wings, and about gates, an
about golden pavements, and abou
orchards with 10 crops Of fruit--on
crop each month-and about the whit
horses of heavens cavalry. But we d
we'll to follow out these inspired m cts
phors and reap from them courage an
sublime expectation and consolation an
victory. We are told that in the HEAVIER
ly library there is book OF life. Pel
hans there are many volumes IN Il
When we say book, we mean all VIII
ten by the author on that subject
cannot tell how large those heavenl
volumes are, nor the splendor Of the
binding, nor the number of their page
nor whether they are pictorialized wit
some exciting scenes Of this world.
only know that the words have not bee
impressed by type, but written ont ,
some hand, and that all those who' III
the 20 disciples to whom the text wa
spoken, repent ana trust tno hOAu ~
their eternal salvation surely ha'
their names written In heaven. 1t ma
not be the same name that we carrie
ON earth. We may, through the mcoi
siderateness Of parents, have nan
that is uncouth. or that was afterwar
dishonored by one after whom we wei
called. do not know that the 40 81
frances Of the names Of the 20 disciple
correspond with the record in the gene
logical table. 1t may not be the nan
J by which we were called on earth, b'
. Il will be the name by which heav'
will know us, and we will have 1t Al
nounced TO us as we pass in, and v
I will know it 30 certainly that we wi
not have to be called twice by 1t, as
i. the Bible times the Lord called son
people twice by name; saul, Saul
''samuel, Samuelp' martha, MARTHA
When you come mp and look for yo'
name in the mighty tones OF eterni
and you are 90 happy as tofnd 1t ther
: xop win notice that the penmanshin