The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-24
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE
Subject: "An Ill East Wind"

TEXT: "And the Lord brought an east
wind upon the land all that day and all that
night. ."-Exoaus <, l3.
The reference here is not to cyclone, but
to the long continued blowing Of the wind
from an unhealthful quarter. The north
wind Is bracng. the south wind Is relaxing,
but the east wind is irritating and full OF
threat. Eighteen times does the Bible speak
against the east wind. Moses describes the
thin ears blasted by the east wind. The
psalmist describes the breaking Of the ships
OF Tarshish by the east wind. The locus!s
that plagued Egypt were born in on the east
wind The gourd that sheltered Jonah was
shattered by the east wind, and IN all the
5000 summers, autumns. winters, springs OF
the worlds existence the worst wind that
ever blew is the east wind. Now, II God
would only give us q climate OF perpetual
nor'wester, how genial and kind and placid
and industrious Christians we would all be!
But II takes almighty grace to be what we
ought to be under the east wind.
Under the chilling and wet wing OF the
east wind the most OF the worlds viliainies,
frauds, outrages. suicides and murders have
been hatched out. I think II you should
keep a meteorological history Of the days Of
the year and put right beside It the criminal
record OF the country you would find that
those were the best days for public morals
which we're under the north or west wind,
and that those were the worst days for pub
lie morals which we're under the east wind.
The points Of the compass have more to 90
with the worlds morals and tho church's
piety than you have yet suspected. ReV. III.
Archibald Alexander. eminent for learning
and for conservation, when asked by one OF
his students at Princeton whether he always
had full assurance Of faith. replied, Eyes.
except when the wind blows from tne east.
DR.. Francia, dictator Of Paraguay, when the
wind was from the east, made oppressive en-
actments for the people, but when the
weather changed repented him OF the cruel
ties, repealed the enactments and was IN
good humor with all the world.
Before I overtake the main thought OF my
subject / want to tell Christirn people they
ought to be observant Of climatical changes.
Be on your guard when the wind blows from
the east. There are certain styles OF tenpta-
tions that you cannot endure under certain
styles OF weather. When the wind blows
from the east. II you are OF nervous tenl-
permanent, 60 not among eXasperatIng people,
try not to settle bad debts. do not try to
settle old disputes, do not talk with hsot
on religion, do not go among those people
who delight in saying irritating things, do
not try to collect funds for q charitable
institution. do not try to answer an insulting
letter. II these things must be done, do them
when the wind is from the north, or the
south. or the west, but not when the wind Is
from the east.
You say that men and women ought not to
be so sensitive and nervous. admit 1t, but
7 am not talking about what the world ought
to be. I am talking about what the world 1s.
While there are persons whose disposition
does not seem to be affected by changes in
the atmosphere, nine out Of ten are nightly
played upon by such influences. OChristian
man under such circumstances do not write
hard things against yourself. do not get wor-
red about your ductuating experience. You
are to reminder that the barometer In your
soul is only answering the barometer OF the
weather. Instead Of sitting down and being
discouraged and saying, ~ am not a Chris
tian because don't feel exhilarant," get up
and look out OF the window and see the
weather vane pointing In the wrong quarter,
and then say; "Get thee behind me- satan,
thou prince Of the power Of the air; get out
OF my house; get out OF my heart, thou de-
mon Of darkness horsed on the east wind.
Away" However good and great you may
be in the Christian life, your soul will never
be independent OF physical condition. I
feel am uttering q most practical useful
truth here, one that may give reliefto great
many Christians who are worried and de-
spondent az times.
DR.. Rush, o monarch in medicine, after
curing hundreds Of cases OF mental depreS-
sion. himself fell sick and lost his religious
hope, and he would not believe his pastor
when the pastor told him that his spiritual
depression was only consequence OF physi-
cal depression. Andrew Fuller, Thomas
Scott, William Cowper. Thomas Boston,
David Brainerd, Philip Melanchthon were
mighty men for God, but all OF them illus
independent Of his physical health. An emf
nent physician gave as his opinion that no
man ever died q great triumphant death
whose disease was below the diaphragm.
Stackhouse, the learned Christian commen-
tor, says he does not think Saul was insane
when David played the harp before him. but
1t was hypochonGria coming from inf1am-
nation of the liver. Oh. how many good
people have been mistaken in regard to their
religious hope, not taking these things into
consideration!
The dean Of Carlisle, one Of the best men
that ever lived, and one OF the most useful,
sat down and wrote: Though I have en-
deavored to discharge my duty as we'll as
could. yet sadness and melancholy of heart
stick close by and increase upon me. I tell
nobody, but am very much sunk indeed,
and wish could have the relief OF weeping
as used to. My days are exceedingly dark
and distressing. In word. Almighty God
seems to hide His face, and intrust the Sc
cret hardly to any earthly being. know
not what will become Of me. There is doubt
less good deal of bodily afiiction mingled
with this, but It is not all so. bless God,
however. thatY never lose sight OF the cross.
and though should die without seeing any
personal interest in the Redeemer's merits,
hope that I shall be found at his feet. will
thank you for word at your leisure. My
door is bolted at the time am writing this,
for am full Of tears"
What was the matter with the dean OF Car.
iisle? Had he got to be a worse man? No.
The physician said that the state OF his pulse
would not warrant his living minute Oh,
If the east wind affects the spleen, and affects
the lungs, and affects the liver. it will affect
your immortal soul: Appealing to God fol-
Eelp, brace yourself against these withering
blasts and destroying influences, lest that
which the psalmist said broke the ships OF
Tarshish shipwreck you.
But notice in my text that the Lord con-
trois the east wind: The Lord brought the
east wind" He brings it for especial pur-
pose; it must sometimes blow from that
quarter. The east wind Is just as importan;
as the north wind, or the south wind, or the
west wind. but not so pleasant. Trial must
come. The text does not say you will
escape the cutting blast. Whoever did escape
it? Especially who that accomplished any
thing for church or state ever escaped it?
was in the pulpit OF John Wesley, in Lon
don, a pulpit where he stood one day and
said, II have been charged with all the
crimes in the catalogue except oue-that oi
drunkenness and a woman arose In the
audience and said. "John, you were drunk
last night" So John Wesley passed under
the fail.
saw in foreign journal report Of one
Of George WhiteAeld's sermons-a sermon
preached hundred and twenty or thirty
years ago. 1t seemed that the reporter stood
to take the sermon. and his chief idea was t