The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-07-23

"AsaIN6iOSB July Zl.-ln tnls olS-
course DR.. Talmage shows that there is
tendency to excuse brilliant faults be-
cause they are brilliant, when the same
law Of right and wrong ought to be ap-
piled to high places and low; text, Dan
lei iv, 80, 'The same hour was the thing
fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he
was driven from men and did eat grass
as oxen."
Here is the mightiest Of the Babylon
ish kings. Look at him. He did more
for the grandeur of the capital than did
all his predecessors or successors. Hang
ing gardens, reservoirs, aqueducts, pal
aces, all of his own planning. The bricks
that are brought up today from the ruins
of Babylon have his name on them,
"Nebuchadnezzar, son OF Nabopolassor,
king Of Babylon" He was a great con-
queror. He stretched forth his spear to-
ward a nation, and it surrendered. But
he plundered the temple of the true God.
He lifted an idol, Bel Merodach, and
compelled the people to bow down before
it, and if they refused they must go
through the redhot furnace or be crunch
ed by lion or lioness. So God pulled him
down
He was smitten with what physicians
call lycanthropy and fancied that he was
wild beast, and he went out and pas
tured amid the cattle. God did not ex-
cuse him because he had committed the
sin in high places or because the trans
gression was wide resouDding. He meas
ured Nebuchadnezzar in high places just
as he would measure the humblest cap
tive.
But in our time, you know as well as I,
that there is a disposition to put halo
around iniquity II il is committed in con-
spicuous place and if it is wide resounding
and of large proportions. Ever and anon
there has been an epidemic OF crime in
ba<h places, and there is not state or
city and hardly a village which has not
been called to look upon astounding for
gerry or an absconding bank cashier or
president or the wasting Of trust fund or
swindling mortgages. | propose in carry
ing out the suggestion Of my text, as far
as 1 can, to scatter the fascinations
around iniqnity and show you that sin is
sin and wrong is wrong whether in high
place or low place and that it will be
dealt with by that God who dealt with
impalaced NebuchadneZzar.
All who preach feel that two kinds of
sermons are necessary. the one on the
faith of the gospel, the other on the
morality of the gospel, and the one is
Just as important as the other, for you
know that in this land today there are
hundreds of men hiding behind the COM
munion tables and in churches of Jesus
Christ who have no business to be there
as professors of religion. They expect to
be all right with God, although they are
all wrong with man. And, while want
you to understand that by the deeds of
the law no. flesh living can be justified
and q mere honest life cannot enter us
it, II rNlo in1x 70
understand that unless the life is right
the heart is not right. Grace in the heart
and grace in the life; so we must preach
sometimes the faith Of the gospel and
sometimes the morality of the gospel.
1t seems to me there has not been a
time in the last 90 years when this latter
truth needed more thoroughly to be pre-
sented in the American churches. 1t
needs to be presented today.
Needs to BE Presented.
4 missionary in the islands OF the Pa
cifc preached one Sabbath on honesty
and dishonesty, and on Monday he found
his yard full of all styles Of goods. which
the natives had brought. He could not
understand it until n native told him,
"Our gods permit us to purloin goods,
but the God you told US about yesterday,
the God Of heaven and earth. it seems,
brought all the goods that do not belong
to Us, and they are in the yard. and we
want you to help US to distribute them
among their rightful owners" And if in
all the pulpits of the United States today
rousing sermons could be preached on
honesty and the evils Of dishonesty and
the sermons were blessed Of God and ar
rangements could be made by which all
the goods which have been improperly
taken from one man and appropriated
by another man should be put in the city
halls Of the country there is not city
hall in the United States that would not
be crowded from cellar to cupola. Faith
of the gospel: that we must preach and
we do preach. Morality Of the gospel we
must just as certainly proclaim.
Now. leok abroad and see the fascina
tons mat are thrown around different
styles Of crime. The question that every
man and woman. has been asked has
been, Should crime be excused because
it is on q large scale? Is iniquity guilty
and to be pursued Of the law in proper
ton as it is on a small scale? Shall W.
have the penitentiary for the man wht
steals an overcoat from hatrack and al
Canada for q man to range ia If he hav,
robbed the public of millions?
Look upon all the fascinations thrown
around fraud In this country. You know
for years men have been made heroes o
and pictorialized and in various way:
presented to the public as though some
times they were worthy Of admiration i
they have scattered the funds Of bank.
or swallowed great estates that did no
belong to them. Our young men hay'
been dazed with this quick accumulation
They have said: That's the way to do 1t
What's the use OF our plodding On witt
small wages or Insignificant salary whel
we may 60 into business life and witt
some stratagem achieve such fortune q
that man has achievedT A differen
measure has been applied to the Gim
pf Wall street from that which has beel
applied to the spoils which the man car
ries up Rat alley.
So q peddler came down from New
England many years ago, took hold o