The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-16
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
PLEADS FOR A MORE DEMON
sTRATIvE RELIGION.
The Duiy Of Christian, to Speak Oat
HsartIy on the side Of RlEhtsous-
ness and to Stag with Joyous Hearts
Gods Praise.

come out Of him"
Here was q case OF great domestic
anguish. The son Of the household
was possessed OF an evil spirit. which.
among other things, paralyzed his
tongue and made him epeechless.
When the influence was on the patient.
he could not say q word-articula-
ton was impossible. The spirit that
captured this member Of the household
was a dumb spirit-so called BY Christ
"a spirit abroad today and as lively
and potent as in New Testament times.
Yet in all the realms OF sermonology
] cannot find a discourse concerning
this dumb devil which Christ charged
upon in my text, saying. Come out OF
him"
Destructive superstition.
There has been much destructive
superstition abroad in the world con-
cerning possession by evil spirits.
Under the form Of belief in witchcraft
this deluslon swept the continents.
Persons were supposed to be possessed
with some evil spirit. which made them
able to destroy others. In the six
teenth century IN Geneva 1.500 persons
we're burned to death as witches. In
one neighborhood Of France ! 900 per-
sons were burned. In two centuries
200 900 persons were slain as witches.
So mighty was the delusion that It
included among its victims some Of
the greatest intellects Of all time,
such as Chief Justice Matthew Hale
and Sir Edward Coke. and such re-
nowned ministers OF religion as Cotton
Mather, one Of whose books. Benjamin
Franklin said. shaped his life-and
Richard Baxter. and Archbishop Gran
mer and Martin Luther: and. among
writer's and philosophers. Lord Bacon.
That belief, which has become the
laughing stock Of all sensible people.
counted It's disciples among the wisest
and best people OF Sweden. Germany.
England. France. Spain and New Eng
land. But while We respect witchcraft.
any man who believes the Bible must
believe that there are diabolical agen-
cies abroad In the world While there
are ministering spirits to bless there
are internal spirits to hinder. TO poison
and to destroy. Christ was speaking
to a spirl .ual existence when. standing
before the afflicted one Of the text. he
said. Thou dumb and deaf spirit.
come out OF him"
Dumb and Deaf Spirit.
Against this dumb devil Of the text
/ put you on your guard DO not
think that this agent OF evil has put
his blight on those who. by omission
OF the vocal organs, have had the gold
en- gates OF speech bolted and barred
Among those who have never spoken
word are the most gracious and
lovely ana talented souls that were
ever incarnated. The chaplains OF the
asylums for the dumb can tell you en-
chanting stories OF those who never
called the name OF father or mother
or child and many OF the most devOui
and prayerfui souls win never in this
world speak the name Of God Of
Christ.
Many a deaf mute have I seen with
the angel OF intelligence seated at th'
window OF the eye. who never cam'
forth from the door Of the mouth
What a miracle Of loveliness ans
knowledge was Laura Bridgman o
New Hampshire. not only without fac
ulty Of speech. but without hearing
and without sight. all these facultle
removed by sickness when 2 years o
age. yet. becoming a wonder at needle
work. at the piano. at the sewing ma
chine and an intelligent student OF tn
Scriptures and confounding pniloso
piers, who came from all parts Of II
world TO study the phenomenon
Thanks 70 Christianity for what
has done for the amelioration Of tn
condition Of the deaf and dumb. Bac
In the ages they we're put to death q
having no right with such paucity q
equipment to live. and for centurie
they we're classed among the idiot
Great Benefactor.
and unsafe. But In the sixteenth cen
tury came Pedro Ponce. the Spanis
monk. and n the seventeenth centur
came John Pablo Bonet. another Span
ish monk. with dacfyloloEy. or II
finger alphabet. and IN our own cour
tnry We have had John Braidwood an
I Drs. Mitchell and Ackerly and Peet an
Caiiaudet. who have given to uncoun
cd thousands Of those whose tongue
were forever silent the power 20 spc
out on the air by a manual ainhabl
] their thoughts about this world an
! their hopes for the next We reiol'
} In the brilliant inventions IN behalf
! those who were born dumb. One
the most impressive audiences ! ev'
: addressed vas IN the far west. an a.
dience OF about 600 persons. who hs
j never heard a sound OF spoken a wor
an Interpreter standing beside q
. while I addressed fhem. congrat
{ lated that audience on two advantag
! they had over the most Of us-the on
b that they escaped hearing q gre
p many disagreeahie things and on Q
I otner fact that they escaped s7yil