The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-09-21
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE sY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
subject Sa,ious Are Judrcs-Coi Re-
wards aud Furnishes Them on Earth
God. Judgments Liaened 90 the swift
kW,ep Of "A EaHor.
tcopvr,shtl,crl

lNopNrt2ht l'N'l
WASHINGTON. d. C.-Dr. ralmarc. in
his journey westward through Europe. has
recently visited scenes of thrilling his
toric events lie 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 vii ~.
I'm the same day shall the Lord shave
with razor that is hired, namely, by
them beyond the river, by the king of
Assyrla."
The Bible is the oldest book ever writ
ten There are no simlltudes IN OSsan
or the Had or the Odyssey 50 daring. It's
imagery sometimes seems on the verge of
the reckless. but only seems So. The fact
IL that God would startle and arouse and
propel men and nations. \ tame and
hmping simihtudc would fail 10 accom-
plish the object While there are times
when He employs in the Bible the gentle
dew, and the morning cloud. and the dove
and the dayhreak IN the presentation of
truth, we often find the iron chariot, the
lightning, the earthquake, the spray, the
sword and IN my text the razor. This
keen bladcd instrument has advanced IN
usefulness with the ages. In Bible times
and lands the beard remained uncut save
IN the seasons of mourning and humlia-
ton, but the razor was alwavs sugges-
tive symbol. David said of Doeg, his an
tagonlst. Thy tongue Is sharp razor
working dcceitiully' Is. Il prctends
20 clear the face. but ~ really used Tor
deadly incision
In this striking text this weapon Of the
toilet appears under the following cir.
cumstanccs: ludea needed to have some
OF It's properties cut of. and God sends
against It three Assyrian kings first sen.
n1chcrih. then Esarhaddon and aftcrward
Nchuchadnc2Zar. These three sharp lnva-
slons that cut down the glory ot 1udea
are compared TO so many sweeps of the
razor across the face of the land. And
these dcNastatlons were called hired
razor because God took the kings of As.
syria. with whom lie had no sympathy, To
do the work, and paid them in palaces
and spolls and anneXations These klugs
were hired 60 execute tie divine hChcsts.
And now the text which on its first read
ing may have seemed trivial or lnapt, is
charged with momentous import. In the
same day shall the Lord shave with a razor
that is hired, namely. by them beyond
the river, 10y the ING of ASsyrIa.'
Wen, if Gods Judgments are razors,
we had better be careful how we use
them on other people. Ia careful sheath
these domestic weapons are put away,
where no one 10y accident may touch them
and where the hands of children may not
reach them, Such instruments mist hc
carefully handled or not handled at all.
But how rccklessly some people WELD the
judgment of God! II a man meets with
business misfortune, how many there are
ready 10 cry out. THAT is a judgment of
God upon him because lac was unscrupu-
lous or arrogant or oVcr-rclchlng or mis-
erly. | thought he would get cut down
What a clean sweep of everything His
city house and country house gone, HIS
stables empted OF all the fine bays and
l..
his door. All his resources overthrown,
and all that he prided himself on tumhlcd
into demolition Good for him. stop,
my brother Don't sling around too freely
the judgments OF God, for they are razors.
Some of the most wicked business men
succeed and they live and die m pros
perity, and some OF the most honest and
conscientious are driven into bankruptcy.
Perhaps the unsuccessful mans manner
was unfortunate and he was not really ~
proud as he looked TO be. Some OF those
who carry their heads erect and look i'm.
pcrial are humble as a child, while many
"a man in seedy coat and slouch hat aud
unblaCkcned shoes Is as proud as Iuclter
You cannot tell by a mans look. Per.
haps he was not unscrupulous IN business,
for there are two sides 20 every story. aud
everybody that accomplIshes anything Tor
himself or others gets industTiOusly he'd
about Perhaps his business misfortune
was not a punishment, but the iatherly
discipline 90 prepare him for heaven. and
God may love HIM far more than He loves
you, who can pay dollar for dollar and are
put down in the commercial catalogue "a
AL Whom the Lord lotcth lie gives
800, 900 and lets die on embroidered pll-
lows? No; whom the Lord lovcth He
Chasteneth. Better keep your hand of
the Lords razors lest they cut and wound
people that do not deserve u. II you
want TO shave of some of the bristling
pride of your own heart, do 30, but be
very careful how you put the sharp edge
on others. How do dislike the behavior
of those persons who. when people are
unfortunate, say, II told you 70, getting
punished; served him right II those !
told you SOS got their desert they would
long ago have been pitched over the bat
Elements. The mote IN their ncighbor'B .
eycs. 80 small that Il takes a microscope
90 find It, gives them more trouble than
the beam which obscurcs their own optics
With air sometimes supcrcillous and some
times pharlsalcal and always baSphenous
they take the razor ~ divine judgment and
sharpen IL on the bone OF their own hard
hearts, and then 20 20 work on men
sprawlcd out at full length under disaster
cutting mercilcsaly. They begin by soft
expressions OF sympathy and pity, and
half praise aud iathrr the victim all over
before they pat on the sharp edge.
Let us be careful how we shoot NJ 9th
ers, lest we take down the wrong one,
remembering the servant Of King William
Rufus who shot AZ a deer but the arrow
glanced against tree and killed the king
Instead Of going out with shafts 10 pierce
and razors 20 cut We had better initiate
the friend of Richard toeur dc Lion.
Richard. IN The war of The frusadcs, was
captured and Imprisoned, bui none 81 ht
friends knew where. ~ his loyal friend
went around the land from stronghold g.
stronghold and sang az each window a
snatch of song that Richard Occur 'c
Lion had taught hin ~ other days. Aud
one day coming before o jail whore h"
suspected his king night be incatccr.
ated, he sang two lines Di song and lWur.
diately King Richard responded from h's
cell with the other two lines, and 80 his
whcrcab1uts were discovered, and q su".
ccssful movement wa. AZ once fns.'c tor
his liberation So Jet us 90 up and down
the world with the music oi KIND words
and zympathotIc hearts, Ecrcnadin2 ~"
unfortunate and trying q get out Of
trouble men who had noble natures. but
by Unforeseen cIrcumsiaucos have hrfn
incarcerated thus lberatng kings. More
hymn book and less razor.
Fsyecially ought We 10 be- apOlogrtIc
aud merriful toward those who while they
have great fluit- have also great virtues
Some people are barren Of virtues, no
weeds verify. but no NJwo's. ! must not
le too much enraycd 90 r. ncttle along tn"
fence II D. BE- iu % field containing forty
a.rcs Of r.ro Mich .ln wh-. Some tr1D
ago naturalist told ua there wss On 'hr
sun n sp1. 2DpyJ miles long. bIt i-Ju ths
briybtres. and warmth concluded D. wac
good deal ~ a sIn s'il The Fn1 c'u
afford 90 have a very large spot upon .'.
though u BE- 20OJO miles long, and ] an
very apologize for tbose men vino have
great fault. while a. The same time trey
have magnificent virtue.
Aalu. when ! read u ny text that i."
Lord .fa,s. with the hired razor of As.F.