The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-09-26
LIKE SHARP RAZ0RS
Gods Judgments Are s"1Fs arc
Sure.
NATIONAL SINS PUNISHED
a.Keen instruments No cslan1i.
ty Happens BY Chance.
But is Directed 6y
Divine Wisdcm.

DR.. Talmage, in his journey vest
ward through Europe, has recently
visited scenes of thrilling historic
events. He seuds this sermon, IN
which he shows that nations are }Aessd
in this world a1d that God rewards
them for their virtues aod puDishes
them for their crimes. The text is
Isaiah viii, 20, 'In the same day shall
the Lord shave wiki razor that is
hired, namely, By them beyond the
river, BY the king of Ass4ria
The Bible is the bolGest book ever
written. There are 10 sjmi}itudes il
Ossian or the HAD or the ODYSSEY so
daring. It's imagery sometimes seems
on the verge of the reckless, but Only
seems so. The fact is tina, Cod would
stsrtle and arouse aud propel men ar1
nations. \ tame and iimpiog slnlil-
tude would fail to ACCOMPLISH the o5-
ieos. While there are times when he
employs in the Bible the gentle dew
and the morning clcud aud the dove
and the day break in the presentation OF
truth, We often ind the iron chariot,
the lightning, the earth quake, the
spray, the sword and, ia my teSS, the
razor This keen ois4*d lastfsmsnE
has advanced in usetut2esS WIZ the
ages. In Bible times aod lands tha
beard remsiucd Gucua save IN the sea
sons Of mourriog aad humii2ilcG, oU1
the razor was always 8 suggestive sys-
Dol. David ssid OF Deg, bis aataSo
mist, Tiny ,oa.ue Is sharpe razor
working dece,tfuily y"-that is, It pre-
tends to clear the face, bus is really
used for deadly ircisiou.
In this striking text this weapon OF
the toilet appears uCGer the i2lic"iag
circumstances: jus el nede6 70 hs2e
some of It's prosperl,les GU f, aaG Go&
sends against II three Assyriaa kegs
FIRST Sennacheriy, then E,ashaddop and
sfterWard NebuchsGnezz4r. These t@ree
sharp in7asions that cut doSn the glory
Of Ju6aa are compared to SO naoy
sweeps of the razor across the face or
the land. And these devastaticns were
called hired razor because God took
the kings Of Assyrja, viii whom ne hgd
no sgn pathy, TO do the work and PAID
them in palaces and spci.s aud aoDcxa-
tions. These kings were hl-ea to exc
cute the divine behests. Aud neg the
text. which on its first reading may have
seemed trivial or irapt, Is charged with
uonentous Import, In the same day
sheil the Lord shave with razor that
is hired, namely, by them beyond the
river, by the king of Assyria.
Well, if Gods judgments are rszors,
We had better be careful how We use
them on other people. acaresul sheath
these domestic weapons are put away
where 10 one by accident nay touch
them and where the hands Of children
may not reach them. Such Instruments
must be carefully handled or rot han
died at ali. But how recklessly some
people WELD the judgments Of God! II
g man meets with business misfortune,
how many there are ready 10 cry out
That is judgment OF GUd upon him
because he was unscrupuious or arrogant
or over reaching or niserly. | thought
he would get cut down. What clean
sweep of e7erythiDg His city house
and country house gone. His stables
enptie6 of ali the fine bass and sorrels
and grays that used to prauce By his
door. All his resources oVertAroWn and
sll that he prided himself on tumb'ed
into demolition. Good Tor him. :" Stop,
my brother. Don't sling arouad TOO
freely the judgment OF God, for they
are cazors.
Sons of the most wicked business
men succeed, and they i've and die IN
prosperity, and some OF the most hon
est and conscientious are driven into
bankruptcy. Perhaps the unsuccessful
man manner was unfortunate, and ne
was not really as proud as be locked to
be. Some Of these who carry their
heads erect and look imperli are hum
bic IS child, while many man IN
seedy coat and slouch hav ami un0lack
ed shoes is as proud as Llclfer. You
cannot tell oy man 5 look. Perhaps
he was not Uoscr9pu:ous II ouelcess,
for there are Two Sides 70 every stcTy,
and every body that accompanies any
thing for bsmSeif or o.ners gets IN
6uslrlously lied about. Perhaps his
business misfortune Was lot iu0ish-
ment, but the tatnerly discipline 10 pre-
pare MN for heaven, anu Gcd LAY love
him far more titan he loves yoU, "ho
can pay Collar tur dollar aud are put
down N the commetcIa! ca;a4osues ao
al. Whom the Lord !oyeIh ac gives
500, 0U0 aro let's Gle on tnbTolQertd
pluoSs! NJ; whom the LJru -Uveth ne
ehasteuetn. Better keSu you: maud N
the LORD resJrs, lest 1ney cat aAG
wound people that 90 ntG GeocIve IL
II you Taus 10 shave IF so.ue OF tue
brlstllng pride OF } .ur OWL ncAct; 90 50,
but Dc Very cAretul hoI yvu put the
sharp edge on olASrs. duw / DO cls
like the behavior " taO>e persons WHO
when pevp.e are unfOGtul@,e Say, Il
told you so-gettllg pual>heu->eTVeu
him rlght!! II those l-.o.d-y Oh so
got their oeser., they wUUi1 lUns agJ
have been pllcned over The o4Lt.euruio.
The mote Ia their ne!ghvoCs 5 eyes, 5"
small that Ii takes y microscope 70 IND
il, gives them more trouble thaa the
beam which oDscures their o"n optics
With air sometimes sup-Tci l2uo aud
sometimes phafa-alcal a4d a.wa. BIAS
phemous they take the r4zGr ot olTlue
judgment and sharpen It o. the hone OF
their own hard hears AID then 20 TO
work on men spraTied Out Al tuli length
unoer disaster, cutting mercl.ess!y.
They begin by soft express.ons Of slny-
patty and pity and hat praise aud lather
the victim all over they put on the
sharp edge.