The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-01-21
DECEIT n LIFE.
Rev. Dr.. Talmage Says God Win
Tear Off khe Mask
When Man Endeavors to Appear What
He Ia Sot-A Notable Sermon
Based on the biblical Story
of Jeroboan's Wife.

/.
Witt Talmage was delivered before his
Washington congregation, being based
on the text:
Why fgHrest thou thyself to be another9-
d / Kings, AV, D.
s3 In the palace of wicked Jeroboam
there is sick child, very sick child.
Medic have failed; skill is ex-
bausted. Young Abijah, the prince,
has lived long enough to become very
popular, and yet he must die unless
some supernatural aid lie afforded.
Death comes up the broad stairs of
the palace and swings back the door
Of the sick room of royalty, and stands
looking at the dying prince with the
dart uplifted. Wicked Jeroboam
knows that he has no right to ask
anything of the Lord in the way of
Kindness. He knows that his prayers
would not be answered. and SO he
sends his wife on the delicate and ten
der mission TO the prophet of the Lord
4 in Shiloh. Putting aside her royal at
tire, she puts on the garb of a peasant
woman and starts on the road. In
stead of carrying gold and gems, as
she might have carried from the pal
ace, she carries only those gifts which
seem to indicate that she belongs to
the peasantry-a few loaves Of bread
and a few cracknels and cruise of
honey. Ionder she goes, hooded and
veiled, the greatest lady in all the
Kingdom, yet passing unobservcd. No
one that meets her on the highway
y L. IL, .,
In all the land She is a queen in dis
guise. The fact is that when Peter
the Great was working in the dry
docks of Saardam the sailors hat and
the shipwright's AK gave him no more
thorough disguise than the garb
I OF the peasant woman gave to
the Queen of Tirzah. But the
prophet of the Lord saw the de-
ceit. Although his physical eyesight
had failed, He was divinely iliumina-
ted, and at one glance looked through
The imposition, and He cried out:
s'Come in, thou wife OF Jeroboam
Why feignest thou thyself to be
another? | have evil tidings for thee
Get thee back to thy house, and when
thy feet touch the gate of the city,
the child shall die She had right
TO ask for the recovery of her son; she
had no right to practice an imposition
Broken hearted now, she started on
the way, the tears falling on the dust
OF the road all the way from Shiloh to
Tirzah. Broken-hearted now, she is
not careful any more to hide her
queenly gait and manner True to the
prophecy, the moment her feet touch
the gate of the city the child dies. AS
she goes in, the soul of the child goes
out. The cry in the palace is joined
BY the lamentation of nation, and
as they carry good Abijah to his grave
the air is filled with the voice of
eulogy for the departed youth, and
the groan Of an afflicted kingdom.
1t is for no insignificant purpose that
present you the thrilling story of the
text In the first place, learn that
wickedness involves others, trying to
make them its dupes, its allies, and it's
seapegoats. Jeroboam proposed to
hoodwinl1 the Lords prophet. How
did he do ii? Did he go and do the
B work himself? No. He sent his wife
70 do it. Hers the peril of exposure,
ners the fatigue of the way, hers the
execution OF the plot. His, nothing.
inlqulty is brag, but it is great
coward. 1t lays the plans. gets some
one else to execute it-puts down the
gunpoWder train, gets some one else
70 touch it otf-contrives mischief,
gets some one else to work it starts
tie, gets some one else to circulate it.
N nearly all the great crimes of the
Woria IL Is found out that those who
paanned the arson, the murder, the
melt, the fraud, go free, while those
VINO were deccyed and cheated
snd hoodwinked into the conspir-
sey ciank the chain and mount the
gaiiows. Aaron Burr, with heart
ahed with impurity and ambition,
p.ots Tor the overthrow of the United
a1es government, and gets off with
acW threats and little censure, while
naennerhassett, the learned Blenner-
lassett, the sWeet-tempered Blenner-
Aassett Is decOyed by him from the
u4eaaras, and the laboratories, la and
sae nome on the banks of the Ohio
aver, and his fortunes are scattered,
ana he is thrown into prison, and his
'amily, brought up in luxury, is turned
out TO die. Abuminable Aaron Burr
mas IT comparatively easy; sweet-tem-
pered Blennerhassett has it hard.
benedict Arnold proposed to sell out
she iorts of the United States, to
surrender the revolutionary army
ana to destroy the United States
government. lie gets off with
ms pockets full of pounds ster-
ang' while Maj. Andre, the brave
sna the brilliant, is decoyed into the
eohspiracy, and suffers on the gibbet
On The banks of the Hudson: so that
sven the llterature-the marble tabla-
.afe That commemorated that event
& aas oeen blasted by midnight despsla-
soes. Benedict Arnold has it easv:
at andre has it hard. | have nc.
sacea that nine-tenths of those who
saHef Tor crimes arc merely the satel-
s .4les of some great Williams. Ienomin-
3 pas ifand is iuggler which by
y Is essnt.of-haHd and legerdemain makes
ies soIa 'sst It stole appear In some.