Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1897-07-08
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Tells How to Secure Safety for
Our Cities.
Municipal Government from Moral
and Religious Standpoint
Counsel to Those Holding
Public Positions.

DIR. Talmage, in the following sermon,
| discusses from n moral aud religious
standpoint the welfare of all the towns
and cities of our country. Ills text is
Ezekiel xvii, ,: 80 thou that art situ-
ate at the entry of the seal"
This is n part of an impassionCd apos-
trophe tn the city of Tyre. TWAS 5cau-
| tiful city-a ma jestic city. At the east
end of the Mediterranean it sat with
one hand reckoning the inland trade
and with the other the commerce of for
eign nations. 1t swung n monstrous
| boom across its harbor to shut ont for
cign enemies, and then swung back
that boom to let in its friends. The air
of the desert was fragrant with the
| spices brought by caravans to her fairs,
and all seas were cleft into foam by the
| kcels of her laden merchantmen. Her
markets were rich with horses and
mules and camels from Togarmah;
with upholstery and ebony and ivory
from Dedan; with emeralds and agate
and coral from Syria; with wine from
| Hclbon; with finest needlework from
| Ashur and Chilmad. Talk about the
| splendid staterooms of your Cunard
| and lnman and White Star lines of
international steamers - why, the
| benches of the staterooms in those
| Tyrian ships were all ivory, and instead
of our coarse canvas on the mast OF
the shipping, they had the finest linen,
| quilted together and inwrought with
cmDroideries almost miraculous foL
| beauty. Its columns overshadowed al
nations. Distant empires felt its heart
beat. Majestic city, situate at the
entry of the sea-"
But where now is the CLEAN of her
towers, the roar of her chariots, the
masts of her shipping? Let the fisher.
men who dry their nets on the place
where she once stood, let the sea that
! PUSHES upon the barrenness where she
once challenged the admiration of al
nations, let the barbarians who bullG
their huts on the place where her pal.
| aces glittered, answer the question
Blotted out forever! She forgot God.
and God forgot her. And while on:
modern cities admire her glory le'
them take warning at her awful doom.
Cain was the founder of the first city,
and | suppose il took after him in NOR
ais. 1t is a long while before a city cab
get over the character of those who
founded it. We're they criminal eNiles.
the filth, and the prisons, and the de
bauchcry are the shadows of such
founders. New York will not for 2Oj
1 u h. In.
fiuences of its founders, the pious set
tiers whose prayers went up from the
very streets where now banks discount,
and brokers shave, and companies de,
clare dividends, and smuggiers swear
customhouse lies, and above the roar
of the drays and the crack of the au-
tioncers' maIlcts is heard the ascrip-
ton: I'VE worship thee, o thou al
mighty dollar!" The church that once
stood on Wall street still throws -
blessing over all the scene of iran,
and upon the ships that fold thief
white wings in the harbor. Originally
men gathered in cities from necessity.
IL was to escape the inccudiary's toron
or the assassin dagger. Only the YER,
poor lived i'm the country, those VIII,
had nothing that could be stolen a
vagabonds vino wanted to he nca.
I their place of business, but since civi y
zation aud eiigion have made il sac
for men to live almost anywhere men
congregate in cities because of the op-
portunity for rapid gain. Cities arr
not necessarily evils. as has sometimes
been argued. They have been the
birthplace of civilization. In them pop
ular liberty has lifted up its voice
Witness Genoa and Pisa and Venice
The entrance of the representatives OF
the cities in the legislatures of Eu-
rope was the dear Inflow to fcudal king
doms. Cities are the patronizcrs OF
art and litcratUrc-architectu point.
ing to it's British museum in London
its Royal library in Paris, its vatican in
Rome. Cities hold the worlds scep
ter. Africa was Carthage, Greece was
Athens, England is London, France is
Paris, Italy is Home and the cities ia
which God has east our lot will yet de
eide the destiny of the American pco
pie.
AT this season of the year ! have
thought il might be useful to talk n lii.
tie while about the moral responsibility
resting upon the office bearers in all ouI
cities, theme as appropriate to those
who are governed as to the governors
The moral character III those who rule
a city has much to do with the char.
acter of the city itself. Men, women and
children are all interested in national
politics. When the great presidential
election comes, every patriot wants to
he found At the ballot box. We are all
interested in the discussion of national
finance, national debt. and we read the
laws of congress, and we are wondering
who will sill next in the presidential
chair. Now, that may be all very well
is very we'll. But it is high time that
wc took some of the attention which we
have been devoting To national affairs
aud brought il to the study of municipal
government. This il seems To me now
is the chief point 10 be taken. Make
the cities right and the nation will b,
right. | have noticed that. according
TO their opportunities, there has reall,
been more corruption i'm municipaI
governments in this country than in
the state and national legislatures
Now, is there no hope? With the mi ht.
lest agent in our hand, the glorious
gospel of Jesus Christ, shall not all ouI
cities be reformed and purified and re.
deemed? | believe the day will come
] am in full sympathy with those who
are opposed to carrying politics into
religion, but our cities will never be re-
formed and purified until we carry re
ligion into politics. | look over our
cities and | see that all great inter
csts are TO be affected in the future
rs they have been affected in the past
by the character of those who in the
different departments rule over us, and
| propose TO classify some of these in.