The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-09-21
ARE SWIFT A d SURE
Gods Judgments Are Like Sharp
Razors, Says DR.. Talmage.
Nations of the world Are Either Pun
i.hed or Rewnrded-All Cnlnmi-
ties Are Directed by Di-
vine wisdom.
copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington, Sept. l6.


Ited scenes of thrilling historic events
He sends this sermon, in which he
shows that nations are judged in this
world and that God rewards them for
their virtues and Furnishes them for
their crimes. The text Is Isaiah 7,
20: an the same day shall the Lord
shave with a razor that is hired. name
ly. by them beyond the river by the
king of Assyria."
The Bible is the bodest book ever
written. There are no similitudes in
Ossian or the Had or the odyssey so
daring. Its imagery sometimes seems
on the verge of reckless, but only
seems so. The fact is that God would
startle and arouse and propel men and
nations. tame and limping simili-
tude would fail to accomplish the OBJ
feet. While there are times when He
employs in the Bible the gentle dew
and the morning cloud and the dove
and the daybreak in the presentation
of truth, we often find the iron char
Got. the lightning. the earthquake. the
spray, the sword and, in my text. the
razor. This keen-bladed instrument
has advanced in usefulness with the
ages. In Bible times and lands the
beard remained uncut save in the sea-
sons of mourning and humiliation. but
the razor was always a suggestive sym
Dol. David said Of Doeg. his antagon-
fist: "Thy tongue is a sharp razor work
ing deceitfully"-that is. it prctends
20 clear the face. but is really used
for deadly incision.
In this striking text this weapon of
the toilet appears under the follow
ing circumstances: Judea needed TO
have some Of its properties cut Oft.
and God sends against it three Assyrian
kings-frst Sennacherib. then Esar-
haddon and afterward Nebuchadnez-
Ear. These three sharp invasions that
cut down the glory Of Judea are com
pared to so many sweeps of the razor
across the face of the land. And these
devastations were called a hired ra-
Eor because God took the kings of As
syria, with whom He had no sympathy,
TO do the work and paid them in pal
aces and spoils and anneXations. These
kings were hired to execute the Di-
vine behests. And now the text, which
on its first reading may have seemed
trivial or inapt, is charged with mo-
mentous import: "In the same day
shall the Lord shave with razor that
is hired, namely, by them beyond the
river, by kings of Assyria."
Well, If Gods judgments are ra-
zors. we had better be careful how we
use them on other people. In careful
sheath these domestic weapons are put
AWAY where no one by accident may
touch them and where the hands OF
children may not reach them. Such
instruments must be carefully handled
or not handled at all. But how reck,
1essly some people WELD the judgment
of God! If a man meets with bust
ness misfortune, how many there are
ready to cry out: "That is a judgment
of God upon him because he was un
Ecrupulous or arrogant or overreach
ing or misery. ! thought he woult
get cut down What a clean sweeT
of everything! His city house auC
country house gone. His stables emp
tied of all the fine bays and sorrels anC
grays that used to prance by his door
All his resources overthrow and al
that he prided himself on tumb,ed int,
demolition. Good for hint" stop. m,
brother. Don't sling around too free
ly the judgments of God for they ar,
razors.
Some of the most wicked business
men succeed, and they live and di,
in prosperity, and some of the mos
honest and conscientious are driver
into bankruptcy. Perhaps the unsuc
cessful mans manner was unfortu
nate, and he was not really as prou,
as he looked to be. Some of thos
who carry their heads erect and lool
imperial are humble as a child, Will
many a man in seedy coat and sloucl
hat and unblacked shoes is as prout
as Lucifer. You cannot tell by
mans look. Perhaps he was not un
scrupulous in business, for there ar
two sides to every story, and every
body that accomplshes anything 70
himself or others gets industrousl
lied about. Perhaps his business mis-
fortune was not n punishment bu
the fatherly discipline to prepare hir
for Heaven, and God may love hir
far more than He loves you, who ca
pay dollar for dollar and are pu
down in the commercial catalogue
as Al. Whom the Lord loveth II
gives 100000 and let's die on embroic
cred pillows? No; whom the Lor
loveth He chasteneth. Better kee
your hand off the Lords razors, les
they cut and wound people that d
not deserve il. If you want to SHAY
off some of the bristling pride of you
own heart, do so, but be very carefl
how you put the sharp edge on otl
ers. How | do dislike the behavic
of those persons who when peop
are unfortunate say: 81 told you so
getting punished-served him right!
If those I-told-you-so's got the
desert they would long ago have bee
pitched over the battlements. III
mote in their neighbours eyes,