The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28
REV. DR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "Diviue Chirography."

Subject: "Diviue Chirography."
TEXT: "Rejolce because your names are
written in heaven. Luke K, 20.
Chirography, or the art OF handwriting,
like the science Of acoustics, is In very un-
satisfactory state. While constructing 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 Prof. Joseph
Henry, OF the Smithsonian Institution, about
the law OF acoustics. he said: "Go ahead
and build your church in the shape pro-
posed, and I think 1t will be all right. I
have studied the laws OF sound perhaps more
than any man of my time and I have come
80 far as this: Two audtoriums may seem to
be exactly alike, and In one the acoustics
may be good and IN the other bad. In the
same unsatisfactory stage is ch1rography,
although many declare they have reduced It
to science. There are those who say they
can read character by handwriting. It Is
said that the way one writes the letter "I'
decides his egotism or modesty, and the way
one writes the letter 30" decides the height
and depth Of his emotions. 1t Is declared a
cramped hand meansa cramped nature, and
an easy, flowing hand 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 aggressive
men have delicate and small penmanship,
while some Of the most timid sign their
names with the height aud width and scope
Of the name OF John Hancock on the immor-
tai document. But while the chirography
OF the earth Is uncertain, our blessed Lord
In our text presents the chirography celes-
tial. 'Wher addressing the seventy disciples
standing before Him. He said: "Rejoice be-
cause your names are written in heaven"
or course, the Bible, for the most part,
when speaking OF the heavenly world, speaks
fguratively while talking about books and
about trumpets, and about wings and about
gates and about golden pavements and about
orchards with twelve crops Of fruit-one
crop each month-and about the white
horses OF heavens cavalry; but We do we'll to
follow out these inspired metaphors and reap
from them courage and sublime expectation,
and consolation and victory. We are told
that in the heavenly library there Is Book
Of Life. Perhap2 there are many volumes In
1t. When we say book, we mean all writ
ten by the author on that subject. I cannot
tell how large those heavenly volumes are,
nor the splendor Of their binding, nor the
number Of their pages, nor whether they are
world. only know that the words have not
been impressed by type, but written out by
some hand, and that all those who, like the
seventy disciples to whom the text was
spoken, repent and trust the Lord for their
eternal salvation, surely have their names
written in heaven. It may not be the same
name that we carried on earth. We may,
through thu inconslderateness OF parents,
have name that Is uncouth, or that was
afterward dishcnored by one after whom we
were called ! do not know that the seventy
ciples correspond with the record In the
genealogical table. 1t may not be the name
by which We were called on earth, but 1t will
be the name by which heaven will know US,
an we will have 1t announced to US as We
pass in, and We will know 1t so certainly that
we will not have to be called twice by It, as
in the Bible times the Lord called some peo-
pletwice by name: "Saul! Saul!' samuel!
Samuel!' "Martha! Martha!'
In examination Of your name in the
heavenly archives, II you find It there at
all, you will find 1t written with a bold hand.
You have seen many signature that because
OF sickness or old age had tremor In 1t, yet
1t was as bold as the man who wrote 1T.
Many al order written on the battlefield and
amid the thunder Of the cannonade has had
evidence Of excitement In every word and
every letter and In the speed with which 1t
was folded and handed to the officer as he
put his foot in the swift stirrups, and yet
that commander, Notwithstanding his trem-
bling hand. gives boldness OF order that
shows itself In every word written You do
not need to be told that trembling hand
does not always mean cowardly hand. 1t
was with very trembling hand Charles
Carroll, of Carrollton, signed his name to
the Declaration of American Independence,
but no signer had more courage and when |
some one said, ''There are many Charles |
CAROLS, and 1t will not be known which one
1t is" he resumed the pen and wrote Charles
Carroll Of Carrolton. Trembling hand no !
sign Of timidity. The daring and defiance
seen In the way your name Is written IN
heaven Is challenge to all earth and hell to |
come on II they can to defeat your ransomed
soul.
Again, II according to the promise OF tho |
text, you are permitted to look into the |
volumes Of eternity and see your name there, |
you will find It written In lines, In words. In |
letters unmistakahle. Some people have |
come to consider indistinct and almost un- |
readable penmanship mark OF genius, and |
80 they affect 1t. Because every paragraph |
that Thomas Chalmers, and Dean Stanley, |
and Lord Byron, and Rufus Choate and |
other potent men wrote was puzzle, 1mtta- |
|
ander Dumas says that plain penmnnship 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 Of making the pen tntellig1ble, |
and much Of the writing Of this world Is In |
decipherable. We have seen piles OF inex- |
plicable chirography, and we ourselv have
helped augment the magnitude We have
not been sure OF the name signed. or the
sentiment expressed, or whether, the reply |
was affirmative or negative. Through In
distinct penmanship last wills and testa- |
ments have been defeated. widows and |
orphans robbed OF their inheritance, railroad |
trains brought into collision through the |
dim words OF telegram put into the hand |
Of conductor. and regiments. in this wise, |
mistakinc their instructions, have been !
sacrificed in battle. I asked Bishop |
Cowie, in Auckland, New Zealand, the
Bishop having been In many Of the wars,
what Tennyson, in his immortal poem:
"Tne Charge OF the Light Brigade
meant by. the worls, "Some one had |
the awful carnage at Balaklavs was the
result OF an indistinctly-written and
urongly-read military crder. "Some one
had blundered." But your name, once
written In the Lambs Book OF Life. will be
90 unmistakable that all heaven can read 1t
ut the first glance. It will not be taken for
the name OF some other, so that in regard to
It there shall come to be dIsputation. Not
one of the millions and billions and quad
trllions Of the finally saved will doubt that
it means you and only you. Oh, the
glorious, the rapturous certitude OF that
entrance on the heavenly roll. Not saved In
a promiscuous way. Not put into
glorifled mob. No, mol Though you came
up, the worst sinner that was ever saved,
and somebody who knew you in this world
at one time as absolutely abandoned and
dissoIute should iay: 81 never heard of
-. o,d Jo pof hpIiat-p y0I1