The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-06-24
THE MISSION OF ART.
A Potent Factor in Uplifting the
Human Race.
De. TalmAge breaches ON the Inhu-
eAee Of pleasant Pictures7 In
the Development of Chris
tIaR Character.
copyright 1888, by Louis K1opsch.l
U-A y. -

washington, June IA
pr. Talmage shows In this discourse
how art may become one Of the
Eightiest agencies for the elevation
and salvation Of the human race. The
text IN Isaiah 2.ie-i6: "The Jay Of the
Lord of Hosts shall be upon
all pleasant pictures"
Pictures are by some RELOCATED to the
realm OF the trivial, accidental, sent-
mental or worldly, but my text shows
that God scrutiniEes pictures, and
whether they are good or bad, whether
used for right or wrong purposes, is a
matter Of Divine observation and ar
raignment. The divine mission Of pic
tg-ss il my subject. That the artists
pencil and the e~ngraver's knife have
sometimes been made subservient TO
the Kingdom Of the bad Is frankly ad-
mitted. After the ashes and scoria
were removed from Herculaneum and
Pompeii, the walls Of those cities dis
covered to the explorers q degradation
In art which cannot be exaggerated.
Satan and all his imps have always
wanted the lingering of the easel. They
would rather have possession Of that
than the art Of printing, for types are
not 10 potent and quick for evil as pic.
tures The powers of darkness think
they have gained a triumph, and they
have when in some respectable parloi
or public art gallery they can hang
canvas embarrassing to the good, but
fascinating TO the evil
IL ia Il 0 in a spirit Of prudery, but
backed up by Gods eternal truth, wher
| say that you have no right TO hang il
your art rooms or your dwelling house
that which would be offensive to GOO
people IL the figures pictured were ahyi
in your parlor and the guests of you
household. a picture that you have u
hang in a somewhat secluded place, o
that in 8 public hall you cannot with
group Of friends deliberately stand be
fore and discuss, ought TO have a knit
stabbed into it at the top and cut clea
through 10 the bottom and a stout fin
ger thrust in on the right side, rippin.
clear through 20 the left. Pliny III
elder lost his life by going near enoug'
10 see the inside Of Vesuyius, and III
farther you can stand of from III
burning crater Of sin the better. Neye
till the books Of the last day are opene
shall we know what has been the dir
harvest of evil pictorials and unbecou
ing art galleries. Despoil a mans In
agination, and he becomes a mere ca
cass. The show windows of Englik
and American cities, in which the 10
theaters have sometimes hung Ion
lines of brazen actors and actresses !
y style insulting 10 all propnety, hay
made a broad path TO death for mutt
tudes Of people. But 30 have all Il
other arts been at times subOrned
evil. How has music been bedraggled
is there any place so low down in di
sentences that into II has not been ca
Tied Dayid's harp, and Handles orgsi
and GOttschalk's piano, and Ole Bull
violin, and the flute, which, thong
named after 10 Insignificant a thing
the Sicilian eel. which has seven spo
on the side, like flute holes, yet Il
thousands Of years has had an exalt'
mission? Architecture, born in q
heart Of Him who made the worlds, u
der its arches and across its floors, VIII
bacchanalian reyelries have been {
acted II is not against any Of the
arts that they have been 30 led in
> captivity
What q poor world this would be IL
were not for what my text calls "plea
! ant pictures!" refer 10 your memo
and mine when / ask II your knowledl
, of the Holy Scriptures has not be-
! nightly augmented by the wood Gu
or ~engrayings In the old family Bib
which father and mother read out
and laid on the table ia the old hon
stead when you were boys and CIR
. The Bible scenes which We all carry
u minds were not got from the Bill
typology, but from the Bible picture
TO prove the truth Of it in my own cas-
the other day ! took up the old fami
Bible which ! inherited. Sure enoug
what / have carried in my mind Of J
cob's ladder was exactly the Bible e
cravings Of Jacobs ladder, aud 30 wi
Samson carrying off the gates Of Gaz
Elisha restoring the S~hunammit'
the massacre of the innocents, Chri
blessing little children. the crucitxi'
and the last judgment. My idea Of
these Is that Of the old Bible engra
ings, which ] scanned before / cou
read a word. That II true with DiI
ID tenths of you. II l could swing OPP
the door Of your ~foreheads, would I'll
that you are walking picture galleri'
The great intelligence abroad about
bible did not come from the geneI
reading Of the book, for the MAORI
Of the people read it but little, II III
80 read IL al all, but all the sacred seer
have been put before the great massi
and not printers ink, but the pictor.
art, must have thA credit Of the achie'
mcnt. First. painters pencil for {
v favored few aud then eDgrayer's pla
II or wood cut for millions ON millionsl
n What overwhelming commentary
y the Bible, what reinforcement for
0. triarchs, prophets, apostles and Chr
what distribution OF s~criptural know
edge Of all nations In the paintings a
rngrayings therefrom of Holm
Hunts Christ in the Temple" ia
Veroncse's "Magdalen Washing I
Feet OF Christ" Raphael's "Michael {
~Archangel," Albert Durer's Dragon
the Apocalypse" Michael Angel