Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-08-30
Or,TALMAGE SERMON
r,as oRzAF DIvlNE'S ELOQUENT
11GAA02
Sub,ect: Na,'cns Are J~nased-1o"
ward. and rnnss,e. The" on
God. Judgments Likened to tins WIN
sweep OF Il Razor.

sweep OF II Razor.
.vog vr:shtfs4a'
Va~ur~cror. y. Or r2iraaEe. i'll
his lonrntN srt~tva~f thrcugh Europe ths
recently ,I>tsd seeae. o: Thrilling ns
toric events lie lends tbs hermon; Il,
which, ne shows that nations are lucge'l
in his world. and that cod rewards them
for their virtues and Furnishes them tor
their crimes. The text : Isaiah VII ~,
IN the same day SHALL the Lord shave
with a 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 simillsudes III tsslFn
or the HAD or the Odyssey 81 darlng- lis
imagery sometimes seems on the verge OF
the reckless. hut only seems so. Inc tact
is that God would startle anti arouse aud
T-o?el men and nations \ tame ana
l~irnninc simiitude would fail 10 accom-
plish the object. While there are times
when lie employs III the Bible the gentle
dew. and the morning cloud, and the dove
and the dayIreak III the presentation OF
truth. we often find the iron chariot, the
lightning. the earthquake. the spray, the
sword and III nv text the razor. Ih's
keen hladed instrument. has advanced in
usefulness with the ages. In Bible times
and lands the beard renamed uncut save
in the seasons OF mourning II humilla-
ton, but the razor was always a sugges-
tive symbol. David said of Doeg. his an
tagonist. Thy tongue is a sharp razor
working dcceitiully'-that is, II pretends
10 clear the face, but is really used for
deadly ineision.
In this striking text this weapon Of the
toilet appears under the following clr-
cumstances: Judqa needed to have some
OF its prosperlties cut off. and God sends
against il three .Assyrian klngs.-tirst Sen
nacherib. then Esarhaddou and afterward
\aepctoGnazy>r Ihazp th,.o Charn 1nSE-
sions that cut down the glory of Iudea
are compared to 50 many sweeps of the
razor across the face Of the land. And
these devastations were called 4 hired
razor because God took the kings Of As
syria. with whom He had no sympathy. TO
do the work. aud paid them in palaces
and spoiis and anneNations. These kings
were hired to execute the divine behests.
And now the text. which on its frs; read
ing may have seemed trivial or lnapt. Is
charged with n.omentous import. In the
same day shall the Lord shave with a razor
that is hired. namely, by them beyond
the river. by the !ac Of Assyria.'
Wen. il Gods !ule'a.nt. are razors.
We had better be ~csreful how we Use
them on other people, In careful sheath
these domestic weapons are put away,
where no one by accident nay touch them
snd where the hands Of children may not
reach them. Such instruments Must he
O. h4'kt- ~ 49, ~ tN "a.
But how rerk!c->ly some people WELD the
judgment Of Sod II a man meets with
business misfortune. how many there are
ready to cry out: ''Tiat Is a Judgment OF
God nnon HIM because lie was unscrupu-
lol> OF arrogant or oEer-reGchlng or ms
erly. ] though. he would get cut down.
Whit Il rlcan sweep Of everything. His
cltv !lolse a,ti touUtrN nonse gone. His
stables clnutied u III the line bays and
SorIels and giays that used TO prance by
his door, All his resources overthrown,
and al that he prided himself on tumbled
into demolition, Good for him. Stop,
my brother. Don't sling around too freely
the judgments OF God. Tor they are razors
Some OF the most wicked business men
succeed. and they live and die in pros
perl,r, and some OF the most honest and
CONSCIENTIOUS are driven INTO bankruptcy
1erhatS. the unsuccessful mans manner
was unfortunate and he was not really as
proud as he looked TO be. Sor2e of those
who carry tier heads erect and look in
pcrlat are humble as a child. while man,
n man IN seedy coat and siouch hat ant
unblackened shoes Is rs proud as Luciter
lou cannot tel! by d mans look. Per
haps he was not INSCRIPTIONS in business
for there are two sides to every story. anc
everybody that Accompanies anything fo1
himself or others gets industriously liet
about Perhaps his business misfortune
vas not a punishment. bat the fatherl,
discipline 20 prepare HIM Ior heaven. eli,
God may love him FAR more than He love.
you, who can pay dollar for dollar and al,
pat do"n IL the commercial catalogue A
IA Whom the Lord loveth He give
100000 and lets die on embroidered pill
lows No, whom the Lord loveth II
cHa>teneth. Better keep Your hand Of
the Lord : razors lest they cut and wount
people that do not deserve it. II 70,
want 20 shave OF some OF the b~ristiin,
4 y rYi,- - $500, --.> $500 -
very caletui how YOU pHf the sharp edg
on Others. How | do dislike the behavio
q those person. WHO. when people ar
Cntortunatr. say. Il told Won SO; ccttin
punished; served hin, right If those
told You 50 -ot their desert they woul'
long ago baye been pitched over the bal
Elements. The mote IN their neiphbor'
eyes, 50 small that II takes a microscop
70 fnt IT. gives them more trouble tina
the beam winch ohscures their own optics
With ar sometimes euperc:lious and some
times pharI,&icdl and always ~blasphemo,,
they tate tio razor of divine judgment an
;, shai3 q u % the bone al their own har
hearts. and t.ien GO TO work on me
spr"Wlei nut at full length under dlsaste,
cutting rnercilcssIy. They begin bv sol
EXPRESSIONS n nnathy and pity, an
j. bali praise and iather the victim all owe
before they pat on the sharp edge.
Lei rs ne car.ill how we shoot at otl
eTs- lest we tax" down the wrong one
remembering the servant Of King Villa,
Iutls who shot At a deer. hut the arror
glanced against 2 tree and killed the kim
: Instead OF gong out with shafts TO pierre
and razo's /" CIT. we had better imltat
!, the friend u Richard Occur de Lior
!, ltehar" IN the VAR o; The Crusadcs. wa
CAPTURED and Imprisoned, hut none OF h
: trends kues& where. - his logal f.ien
ven around the lard from stronghold /
Sl.GnTl0td and G24v ~ sHrI ,,rArn-