Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-09-21
REV. DR.. TALMACE.
xuH EMINENT DIvINEs sUNDAs
DISCOURSE
Subject: Nations Are JudGcd-Goa Nc
wards and Furnishes Them on Earn.
Gods Judgments Likened to ths e""'
Sweep of n Razor.
downright isO1.l

Sweep of a Razor.
copyright isOal
WASHINGTON. ID. CDR. Iaimage, III
his ;ourney westward through Europe, mas
roocntlv visited scenes of thrilling MS
tor;c events. He sends this sermon; III
which he shows that nations are ]uGgeu
in This world. and that God rewards them
for their virtues and Furnishes them i nn
their crimes. The text is Isaiah WI; ~,
I'm the same day shall the Lord shave
with razor that is hired, nancy, Wy
them beyond the river, by the NihS u
Assvria ,,.r;+ |
,on There are no similitudes in Osslan
ar The Uiad or the Odyssey so daring lss
;maqery sometimes seems on the Va, verge Oh
The reckless. but only seems So Inc laci
;a That God would startle and arouse ana
nrone, men and nations. A tame and
Inning similitude would fail to accom-
nlsb the object. While there are tunes
when He employs in the Bible the gentlc
dew. and the morning cloud, ana tne uoNG
and the daybreak in the presehtaoio" VI
truth. we often find the IRON charlo.' .ue
lightning, the earthquake. the spray Sne
sword and in my text the razor. ihis
Icon bloded instrument has advanced N
usefulness with the ages. In Bible tlmes
and lands the beard renamed uncut saw
!, tho seasons of mourning and humliia-
ZION hui the iaZor was always a sugges-
i've symbol. David said of Doeg, his an
t.ronist "Thy tongue is sharp rd1ol
,,'s,s,;ng deceitfully'--that is, 1T pretends
IN clear the face, but is really useo ior
deadly incision. 80, g tha
In this striking text this weapon vi .ne
toilet appears under the ioh4"nas
cnmstnnces: Judea needed to have some
~ ;fs nrosperities cut off. and God sends
aca;rst II three Assyrian kings-hrst cen,
nacher;b then Esarhaddon and afterward
wNnbucbadnezzar. These three sharp lnva-
sions that cut down the glory OF Jadea
Orc comrared to so many sweeps OF the
razor across tha face OF the land ana
these deyastations were called hlred
razor because God took the kings OF as.
SYRIA. with whom He had no sympathy 70
do the work, and paid them ~ palaces
and spoils and annexations., lhese kines
wore hired to execute the divine beheslS'
Ard now the text. which on its first read
inc may have seemed trivial or inapt, is
oharged with momentous import, In the
same day shall the Lord shave with razor
that IS hired. namely, by them beyond
The river. nv the Ling of Assyrla.
We'll. If Gods judgments are razors,
ve 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 thelii
and where the hands of children may not
reach them Such instruments must pe
carefully handled or not handled at all
But how reckessly some people weld the
irdoment of Cod If a man meets WITH
husiness misfortune, how many there are
ready to cry out: THAT is Judgment o.
God upon him because he was unscrupu
Ions or, arrogant or over-reaching or mis-
er'v. | thought he would get cut down
What clean sweep of everything! ~
CITY house and country house gone. III
stables empticd of all the fine bays an'
sorrels and grays that used to prance ..
his door. All his resources overthr9wl
and all that he prided himself on ;, tum ao n
into demolition. Good for him.. stop
nv brother. Don't sling around too treei
the judgments of God, for they are razor'
Some of the most wicked business me
Icceed and they live and die III pros
ner;tv and some Of the most honest an
conscientious are driven into bankruptc.
Perbaps the unsuccessful mans name
was unfortunate and he was not reaiiy
proud- as he looked to be. Some OF tho'
who carry their heads erect ana LOOK ~
perial are humble as child, whie mar
--a-saan in seedy coat and sioucn Iae az
unhlackened shoes is as proud as Luc1ie
You cannot tell by mans look. re
hans he was not unscrupulous i'll CUISINES
for there are two sides to every story, al
everybody that accomphshes anything, i
himself or others gets lndustrlonsiy Nv
about Perhaps his business misiortul
vas not a punishment, but The father
Esc;nl;ne 20 prepare him for heaven, al
God may love him far more than lie lov
YOU, who can pay dollar for dollar and
put down in the commercial ca'd no &c,
"Al" Whom the Lord loveth lie CIV
100000 and lets die on embroidered
lows? No; whom the Lord loveth
chasteneth. Better keep your hand
the Lords razors lest they cut and won
neonle that do not deserve 1t. IL
want 10 shave of some of the brstN
nride of your own heart, 90 SO, put
very careful how you put the sharp eo
ON others, How ! do dislike the behav
Of those persons who, when people
unfortunate, say, II told you SO; Gettl
nunished; served him right" II those
told YOU SOS got their desert they, w9'
long ago have been pitched over the .
Elements. The mote In their neighoo
eyes, so small that 1T takes micros q
IN find it. gives them more trouble III
Tho beam which obscures their own Opt
With air sometimes supercilous and sol
times pharisaical and always blasphem'
they take the razor OF divine judgment a
shatpen it on the bone Of their own hi
hearts and then go to work on II
snrawIed out at full length under disas'
emitting mercilessly. They begin by
expressions of sympathy and pity,
half praise and lather the victim all
before they put on the sharp edge
let us be careful how we shoot at
ore lest we take down the wrong 9
remembering the servant OF klng WIN
Ruius who shot at deer but the arr
Glanced against a tree and killed the X
Instead Of going out with shafts TO pit
and razors to cut, we had better lml'
the friend of Richard Occur de Il
Richard in the war of the Crusades,
captured and imprisoned, but none OF
friends knew where, so his loyal III
went around the land from stronghoie
stronghold and sang at each windoN
snatch of song that Richard, Occur
Lion had taught him IN other Gays.
one dav coming before jail where
suspected his king might be incar
ated. he sang two lines of song and In
diately King Richard responded from
-. cell with the other two lines, and so
whereabouts were discovered. and
eessful movement was at once mace
his liberation. So let us go up and d
the world with the music OF kind W
and sympathetic hearts, serenadng
unfortunate and trying TO get ou'
trouble men who had noble natures,
nv unforeseen circumstances have
incarcerated thus liberating kings. !
HYMN. book and less razor.
Especially ought we to be apo'o
and merciful toward those who while
have great faults have also great vlr
Some people are barren OF virtues
weeds verify. but no flowers. l must
bc too much enraged at nettle along
fence if it be in field containing
acres Of ripe Michigan wheat. Some
AGO naturalists told us there was on
sun spot 10000 miles long. but from
briobtness and warmth i concluded 1T
good deal of sun still. The sun
AFFORD to have very large spot upo
though it be 10000 miles long, and