The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-30
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: The Gospels Triunph-Victories
of the Christian Religion Depicted
Transformations Wrought by Christ's
TeachInps-Drunkard Reclaimed.


TeachIngs-Drunkards Reclaimed.
copyright, Louis Klopsch. 1921
WASHINGTON, D. C.-The antagonists OF
the Christian religion are In this sermon OF
DR.. Talmage met in very unusual way,
md the trfumphs OF the Gospel are depict
ed. The text Is Ezekiel XXI, 21, "He made
uges, he looked in the liver"
Two modes OF divination by which the
king OF Babylon proposed to find out the
will of God. He took e bundle OF arrows.
put them together, mixed them up, then
pulled forth one, and by the inscription on
it decided what city he should first as
sault. Then an animal was slain, and by
the lighter or darker color Of the liver the
brighter or darker prospect OF success was
inferred. That is the meaning OF the text,
"He made his arrows bright, he consulted
delusionl And yet oil the ages have been
flied with delusions. 1t seems as II the
world loves to be hoodwinked, the delusion
OF the text only specimen OF a vast number
OF deceits practiced upon the human race.
In the latter Fart Of the last century Jo-
hanna Southcote came forth pretending to
have divine power, made prophecies, had
chapels built in her hvnor, and 10000 dis
ciples came forward to follow her. About
five years before the birth Of Christ Apol-
lonius was born, and he came forth, and
after five years being speechless, according
to the tradition, he healed the sick, and
raised the dead, and preached virtue, and,
according to the myth, having deceased,
was brought to resurrection.
The Delphic oracle deceived vast multi
tudes of people; the Pythoness seated In
the temple OF Apollo uttering crazy jar
gon from which the people guessed their
individual or national fortunes or mlsfor-
fortunes. The utterances were OF such q
nature that you could read them any way
you wanted to read them.
But there are those who say that all these
delusions combined ore as nothing COM
world-the delusion OF the Christian relig-
ion. That delusion has to-day 400, ,000, 900
dupes. It proposes to encircle the earth
with its grdle. That which has been called
q delusion has already oyershadowed the
Appalachian range on this side OF the sea,
and It has overshadowed the Balkan and
Caucasian ranges on the other side OF the
sen. 1t has conquered England and the
United States. This champion delusion,
this hoax, this swindle OF the ages, as 1t
has been called, has gone forth to conquer
and Micronesia and Malayan Polynesia
have already surrendered to the delusion.
Yea, It has conquered the Indian arohi-
pelago, and Borneo and Sumatra and Gel
ebes and Java have fallen under its wiles.
In The Fill Islands, where there are 1000
people, 102, 900 have already become the
dupes OF this Christian religion, and II
things 20 on as they are now going on and
ifthe influence OF this great ballucination
OF the ages cannot be stopped 1t will swal-
low the globe. Supposing, then, that
Christianity IS the delusion OF the CEN
turies, as some have pronounced 1t, pro-
pose to show you what has been accom-
pllshed by this chimera, this fallacy, this
hoax, this swlndle OF the ages.
And, In the first place, I remark that this
delusion of the Christian religion has made
wonderful transformations OF human char
acter. will 20 down the aisle OF any
church in Christendon, and I will find on
either side that aisle those who we're once
proflIgate, profane, unclean OF speech and
unclean OF action, drunken and lost. But
by the power Of this delusion OF the Chris
tain religion they have been comI letely
amiable and loving and useful. Everybody
sees the change. Under the power OF this
great hallucination they have quit their
former associates, aud. whereas they once
found their chief delight among those who
gambled and swore aud raced horses, now
they find their chief Joy among those who
60 to prayer meetings and churches, so
complete Is the delusion. Yea, their own
families have noticed 1.-THE wife has no.
ticed 1t, the children have noticed 1t. The
money that went for rum now goes for
books and for clothes and for education.
He is new man. All who knoT him say
What is the cause OF this change? This
great haIlucination Of the Christian relig.
lon. There is as much difference between
what he Is now and what he once was as
between n rose and a nettle. as between a
dove and u rulture, rs between day and
night. Tremendous delusion!
Admiral Farragut, one OF the most ad-
mired men OF the American navy, early be-
came victim Of this Christian deluslon,
and, seated not long before his death at
Long Branch, he was giving some friends
I'm account of his early life. He said:
"My father went down In behalf OF the
to Aaron Burr's rebellion. I was q cabin
boy and went along with him. I could
swear like IN old SALT could gambls In
every style OF gambling. I knew oil the
wickedness there was at that time
aboard. One day my father cleared every
body out Of the cabin except myself and
locked the door. He said: David, what
are you going to do2 What are you going
to be?' Well said. father, I am going
to follow the sea- Follow the sea and be
a poor, miserable, drunken sailor, kicked
fever In a foreign hospital oh, no!' I
said. Father, will not be that; I will
tread the quarter deck ,mmand as
you do No, David .ather said;
mo, David, person that Ii our prin-
ciples and your bad habits will never
tread the quarter deck or command My
father went out and shut the door after
him, and said then, I will change, / will
never swear again, will never drink
again, I will never gamble again. and,
gentlemen, by the help Of God, 1 have
kept those three VOWS to this time. soon
after that became Christian, and that
decided my fate for time and for eternity
Another captive OF this great Christian
delusion. There goes Saul OF Tarsus on
horseback at full gallop. Where Is he so.
ing? To destroy Christians. He wants no
better play spell than to stund and watch
the hats and coats OF the murderers Who
are massacring Gods children. II ere
goes the same man. This time he is ufoot.
Where Is he going now2 Going on the road
to Ostia to die for Christ. They tried to
whip it out OF him, they tried to scare 1t
out OF him. they thought they would give
him enough Of it by putting him on small
diet, and denying him cloak, and con-
demning him as a criminal, and bowling at
him through the streets; but they could
not freeze 1t out OF him, and they could not
sweat 1t out OF him, and they could not
pound it out OF him, so they tried the sur
gerry OF the sword. and one summer day in
&C he was decapitated. +. Perhaps the might
est intellect OF the 6000 years OF the worlds
existence hoodwinked, cheated, cajoled,
I, IL Nbrie {Oin
An. that Is the remarkable thing about
this delusion OF Christianity! 1t overFow-
er5 the strongest intellects. Gather the
crltica, SECULAR and religious, Of this CEN
tury together und put vote to them as to
which Is the greatest book ever written,
and by large majority they will say,
"Paradise Lest" Who wrote Paradise