The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1897-09-25
TALMAGE'S sERMON.
Nightiest Agent Of God on Earth
Ia q Consistent Christian.
~They That TuFn Many - Dlgheo0osDol
Shall 0hins - the Stare 1oeevOv"-
How Many Nay H TOraeA
70 Christ.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage's recent SER
mon was preached from the following
text: ts,-5.. .4, -
They that turn to righteousness shall shine
IS the stars forever and ever.-Dantel I'LL, :
Every nan has . Thousand roots and
Q thou branches. His roots reach
down ugh all the earth; his
branc oread through all the heav-.
ensy axis with voice. with eye. with
han,., wish f,ot. His silence often il
loud as thunder, and his life 10 dirge
or doxology. There 10 NO such thing
- negative influence. We are all posi-
tive In the place we occupy, making
the world bstter or making It worse,
on the Lord,a side or ON the devils;
making up roasons for our blessedness
or banishment; snd we have already
I hear people tell of what they are GO
ing to do. man who has burned
down . city might - we'll talk Of some
evil that he expects TO do; or . maa
who has saved IN empire might -
well talk Of some good that he expects
TO do. BY the force of your evil in
Ausnce you have already consumed in
anite values; or you have, by the
power Of right influence, won whole
Kingdoms for God.
Il won Id be sbsurd for me-. BY sleb-
orate srgunsnt 70 prove that tho
world 10 OF the track. You might -
well stand ct the foot Of On ombsnk-
ment. amid the wreck Of q espaissd
rail train, proving by elsborste argu-
nent that something il out Of order.
Adam tumblsd over tho embAnkment
sixty centuries ago, and the whole
race, in one long train, hes gone ON
Stumbling in the same direction. Crash!
crash! The only question now IL, by
What leverage can the crushed thing
be lifted3 BY what hammer mey the
1ragments DO Reconstructed? I want
20 show you how we turn many to
righteousness, and what will be our
future pay for 80 doing.
First. We may turn them BY the
char m Of . rival example. A. child
coming from . dlthy home was taught
ct school to wash Its face. II went
homs 80 much improved in appearance
that Its mother washed her face. And
when the father Of the household came
homo and saw the improvement in
domestic appearance. he washed his
face. The neigh bora, happening In.
Jaw the change, aid tried the same
&Dxperimant until all that street was
purified. aud the next street copied ito
Example. aud the whole city felt the
result OF one schoolboy washing his
face. Thatis . fable. ny which we set
forth that the best way TO get the
world washed Of it aims and pollution
10 to have our own heart and life
cleansed and purified. A man with
grace In his heart and Christian cheer
fulness in his face and holy consist
ency in his behavior 10 . perpetual SER
mon; and the sermon differs from
others In that it has but one head, and
the longer It runs the better.
There are honest men who walk
down wall street, making the teeth Of
'iniquity chatter. There are happy men
who 60 into . sick room. and by . look
help the broken bone to knit. and the
excited nerves drop to = calm beating.
There are pure men whose presence
silences the tongue of unclesnneas.
,sI,ha ,v,irrht,osf no NJ SyorSN an nArth