The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-28
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: sPray for Those In Author
ity."

TEXT: "I exhort. therefore, that. first Of
all. supplications. prayers, intercesSlons and
giving of thanks be made for all men. for
kings and for all that are in authority. II
Timothy, H., !.
That which London is to England. Paris to
France, Berlin to Germany. Rome to Italy.
Vienna to Austria. st. Petersburg to Russia,
Washington is to tho United States republic.
The people who live here see more OF the
chief men OF the Nation than any who live
anywhere else between Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. If Senator or Member OF the
House OF Representatives or Supreme Court
Justice or Secretary OF the Cabinet or repre-
sentative of Foreign Nation enters public
assembly in any other city, his coming and
going are remarked upon, and unusual de-
ference is paid to him. In this capital there
are so many political chieftains in our
churches. our streets, our halls, that their
coming and going make no excitement.
The Swiss seldom look up TO the Matter
horn or Jungfrau or Mont Blanc, because
those people are used 10 the Alps. So we at
This capital are so accustomed to walk among
mountains OF official and political eminence
that they are not to us great novelty.
Morning, noon and night we meet the giants
But there is no place on earth where the
importance of the Pauline injunction to
pray for those in eminent place ought to
be better appreciated. At this time. when
our publi. men have before them the rescue
of our National Treasuryfro appalling de-
llcits, and the Cuban question, and the aroi-
tration question, and in many departments
men are taking important positions which
are TO them new and untrled, would like to
quote my text with a whole tonnage OF en-
phao;s-words written by the Scared mis-
sionary to the young theologian Timothy.
~ exhort, therefore, that, first OF all. sup
plications, prayers. intercessions and giving
OF thanks be made for all men, for kings and
for all that are in authority"
IfIhave the time and do not forget some
OF them before get through, I will give you
four or five reasons why the people Of the
United States ought to make earnest and
continuous prayer for those in eminent place.
First, because that will put US in proper
attitude toward the successful men OF the
Nation. After you have prayed for man
you will do him jnstice. There is bad
streak in human nature that demands US to
assail those that are more successful than
ourselves 1t shows itself in boyhood, when
the lads, all running to get their ride on the
oack of carriage, and one gets on, those
failing to get on shout on the driver, "Cut
behindr' Unsuccessful men seldom like
those who in any department are successful.
The cry is. "He is political accident or,
HE bought his way up," or, "1t just hap
pened So" and there is an impatient waiting
Tor him to come down more rapidly than he
went up.
The best cure for such cynicism is prayer.
After we have risen from our knees We will
oe wishing the official good instead OF evil.
We will be hoping for him benediction rather
than malediction. If he makes a mistake,
We will call it mistake instead of malfea-
sance in office. And. oh, how much hap
pier we will be, for wishing one evil is dia-
5olic, but wishing one good is saint
IL, is angelic, is godlike! When the
Lord drops man into depths beyond which
there is no lower depth, he allows him to be
put on an investigating committee with the
one hope of finding something wrong. In
general assemblies Of the Presbyterian
church, in conferences OF the Methodist
church, in conventions OF the Episcopal
church, in House of Representatives land
Senate OF the United States, there are men
always glad to be appointed on the commit
tee Of malodors, while there are those who
are glad to bo put on the committee Of
eulogiums. After you have prayed, in the
words of my text, for all that are in author
lty, you will Say, Brethren, gentlemen, MIR.
Chairman, excuse me from serving on the
committee of malodors, for last night, just
before prayed for those in eminent posi-
ions, I read that chapter In Corinthians
about charity which 'hopeth oil things and
thinketh no evil.'" The committee Of NAL
odors is an important committee, but here
now declare that those are important for its
work who have, not in spirit OF convention
atty, but in spirit OF earnest importantly,
crayed for those in high position. cannot
help it, but do like a St. Bernard better
than q bloodhound, and would rather be a
humming bird among honeysuckles than q
crow swooping upon field carcasses.
Another reason why we should pray for
those in eminent place Is because they have
such multiplied perplexities. This city at
this time holds hundreds Of men who are
expectant of preferment, and United States
nail bags as never before are full Of ap-
plications. Let me say have no sympathy
with either the uttered or printed sneer at
what are called "office seekers" If had
not already received appointment as minis
ter plenipotentiary from the high court Of
heaven-as every minister Of the gospel has
and ! had at my back family for whom
wished to achieve a livelihood, there is no
employer whose service would sooner seek
than city. State or United States Govern
ment Those Governments are the promptest
in their payments, paying just as well in
hard times rs in good times and during sum-
mer vacation as during winter work. Be-
sides that, many of US have been paying
taxes &c city and state and Nation for years,
and while we are indebted for the protection
of Government the Government Is indebted
to Us for the honest support we have
rendered it. So wish success to all earnest
and competent men who appeal to city or
State or Nation for a place to work
city and State and Nation are at their
wits end to know what to do, when for
some places there are ten applicants and for
others hundred. Perplexities arise from
the fact that citizens sign petitions without
reference to the qualifications of the appli-
can, for the places applied for. You sign
the application because the applicant is your
friend. People sometimes want that for
which they have no qualification, as we hear
people sing 81 want to be an angel" when
they offer the poorest material possible for
angelhood. Doors waiting to be sent to
foreign palaces as ambassadors. and men
without any business qualification wanting
10 be consuls to foreign ports, and illiterates,
capable in ore letter OF wrecking all the laws
of photography and syntay, desiring to be
put into positions where most OF the work is
done by correspondence. II divine help is
needed in any place in the world, it is In
those places where patronage is distributed.
In years gone by awful mistakes have been
made. Only God, who made the world Out
of chaos. could out of the crowded pigeon.
holes of public men develop symmetrical re
suits. For this reason pray Almighty God
for all those in authority.
Again, prayer to God for thosein authority
Is our only way of being of any practica
service to them. Our personal advice woult
be to them, for the most part, an impertln
ence. They have all the facts as we canno
have them, and they see the subject in all 1t!
bearings, and we can be OF no help TO then
except through the supplication that ou
text advises. In that way we may be infinite
reinforcement The inightest thing yor
can do for man is to pray for him. 1t tht