The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-17
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SABBATH DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

DIVINE.
Duties of Men Toward Their Suffering
Brethren of the Present Generations
Clothing of the Soul Should Keep Pace
With That ofthe Physical Wants OF Man
TEXT: "David, after he had served his
own generation by the will OF God, fell on
Sleep" Acts kill, rs.
"That Is a text which has for a long time
been running through my mind. Sermons
have time to be born, as we'll as time to
die; cradle rs well as a grave. David,
cowboy and stone-slinger. and fighter and
czar, and dramatlst and blank verse writer,
and prophet. did his best for the people OF
his time, and then went and lay down on
the southern hill OF Jerusalem In that sound
slumber which nothing but an archangelic
blast can startle. There are about four
generations to century, now; but In ollen-
time life was longer, and there was, per-
haps, only one generation to q century.
Taking these facts into the calculation, I
make a rough guess and say that there
have been at least 1870 generations OF the
human family. With reference to them we
have no responsibility. We cannot teach
them, we cannot correct their mistakes, we
cannot soothe their sorrows, we cannot heal
their wounds.
"I admit that am in sympathy with the
child whose father had suddenly died, and
who, in her little evening prayer, wanted
TO continue to pray for her father, although
he had gone into heaven and no more
needed her prayers, and looking up into
her mothers face, said: ooh, mother, I
cannot leave him all out. Let me say,
"Thank God that had r good father once,
i'm In
the 1870 generations have passed of. Passed
up. Passed down. Gone forever. Then
there are generations to come after our
earthly existence has ceased; we shall not
see them; we shall not heat any Of their
voices; we will take no part in their convo-
cations, their elections. their revolutions,
their catastrophes, their triumphs. We
will In nowlse affect the 160 generations
gone or the 1870 generations to come. But
our business Is, like David, to serve our
own generations; the people now living,
those whose lungs now breathe and whose
hearts now beat. Aud, mark you, 1t Is not
a silent procession, but moving. It Is
forced march, at twenty-four miles day,
each hour being mile. Going with that
celerlty. It has got to be quick service on
our part or no service at all.
"Well, now, let US look around earnest
ly, prayerfully, in common-sense way,
and see what we can do for our generation.
First Of all, let us see to 1t that, as far as
we can, they have enough to eat. The
human body Is so constituted that three
times day a body needs food as much as
lamp needs oil, as much as locomotive
needs fuel TO meet this want God has
girdled the earth with apple orchards.
orange groves, wheat fields, and oceans full
Of Ash, and prairies full OF cattle. And
Notwithstanding this. will undertake to
say that the vast majority OF the human
family are suffering either for lack Of food
or the right kind Of food. Our ciyiliza-
tion is all askew, and God only can set 1t
right. Many Of the greatest estates Of to.
day have been built out OF the blood and
bones of untequited toll.
"Don't sit down at your table with flve or
six courses Of abundant supply and think
nothing of that family In the next street
courses between soup and almond nuts and
feel they were in heaven. The lack OF the
right kind of food is the cause OF much OF
the drunkenness. After drinking what
many Of our grocers call coffee, sweetened
with what many call sugar, and eating
what many OF our butchers call meat, and
chewing what many Of our bakers call
bread, many OF the laboring classes feel 80
miserable they are tempted to put into their
nasty pipes what the tobacconist calls to-
bacco, or 60 into the drinking saloons for
what the rumsellers call beer. Good coffee
would do much in driving out rum.
Chow can we serve our generation with
enough to eat2" BY sitting down IN en-
broidered slippers and lounglng back 10 an
arm chair, our mouth puckered up around
Havana of the best brand, and through
clouds OF luxurIant smoke reading about
political economy and the philosophy OF
strikes? Mol No! BY finding out who In
this city bas been living on gristle, aud
sending them tenderloin beefsteak. Seek
out some family who, through sickness or
conjunction OF misfortune, have not enough
to eat, and do for them what Christ did Tor
the hungry multitudes OF Asia Minor, null
tiplying the loaves and the fishes. Let US
quit the surielting OF ourselves until we
cannot choke down another crumb OF cake,
and begin the supply of others necessi-
ties. ...
"It is an awful thing to be hungry" said
che preacher. "It Is an easy thing for us
to be In good humor with all the world
when we have no lack. But let hunger
take full possession Of US, and we would all
turn into barbarians and cannibals and
flends. Suppose that some Of the energy
we are expending IL useless and unavatltng
talk about the bread question should be ex-
pended in merciful alleviations. have
read that the battlefield on which more
troops met than on any other In the
worlds history was the battlefield OF Letp-
sic-160, 900 men under Napoleon; 25O 900
men under Schwarzeberg. No! mol The
greatest and most terrific battle Is now be-
ing fought all the world over. II Is the
struggle for food. The ground tone OF the
finest passage In one Of the great musical
masterpieces, the artist says, was suggest
ed to him by the cry OF the hungry, popu-
lace OF Vienna, as the King rode through
and they shouted: 'Breadl Give Us breadp
And ali through the great harmonies OF
musical academy and cathedral hear the
the pathos, the ground tone, the tragedy
OF uncounted multltudes, who, With stream
ing eyes and wan cheeks aud broken hearts,
In behalf Of themselves and their families,
are pleading for bread.
"Let us take another look around to see
how we may serve our generation. Let US
see, as far as possible, that they have
enough to wear"
The preacher dilated upon the curse OF
and idleness, causing the
maelstrom that has swallowed down the
livelihood OF those who are in rage. But
things will change, and by generosity on
the part Of the crowded wardrobes, and in
dustry and sobriety on the party OF the
empty wardrobes, there will be enough for
all to wear.
"God has done His part toward the dress
ing OF the human race. He grows a sur
plus Of wool on the sleeps back, and focks
roam the mountains and valleys with a
burden of warmth, intended for transfer
ence to human comfort when the shuttles
OF the factories reaching all the way from
Chattahoochee to the Merrimac, shall have