Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-10-13
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

test against the prevalent habit of pro-
family Is made by Rev. Frank De Witt
Talmage in this sermon on the text
Exodus Xxx. z, "Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain"
The blasphemer's condemnation is q
mighty theme. It's curse indirectly af-
fects the whole human race. Every
man belongs to one of two classes-ei-
ther he is blasphemer and therefore,
on account of his profanity, comes di-
rectly under the condemnation of God,
or else he belongs to that large class
whose ears are polluted by his profane
utterances, in which class are some
who listen with indifference or con-
tempt, while others shudder with hor-
ror as they hear the blasphemous men,
ton of the name of their Master and
King.
No street car or factory or shop or
camp is entirely free from this shock
ing plague. In our streets and public
resorts there is daily and hourly evil
dence of the prevalence of this PERM
cious habit. Not only does the hus-
band and father swear, but his exam
pie is sometimes followed by his wife
and his son and even his little chill
dren. Motormen swear at the trucks.
Engineers swear at their fires. Boys
swear at their lessons in the school
room and at their baseball bats upon
the playground. Merchants swear at
their clerks. Employees, under their
breath in the store and out loud when
at their employers Men swear when
they are buying goods. Fishermen
swear at their hooks and lines and at
the fish they do not catch. CONNER
cial travellers swear because the train
or the hotel meal is late or because
there is no water pitcher in the bed
room. Sailors swear at the ropes and
the winds. Farmers swear at the cat
tie and the grain and the weather.
Men swear at the gutter into which
they tumble and at the wagon wheel
which spatters them with mud. Bias
phemers swear when they are happy;
they swear when they are sad: they
swear at everybody and everything.
The popularity Of this habit of profan-
ity is that it so permeates the bias
phemers mind and conversation that
he gets to swear unconsciously. He
can swear automatically in the same
way that the lungs can breathe auto
matically or child's eyelids can open
and shut automatically or as a speak
er, when he is thinking and planning
out an address. can walk up and down
his study automatically. 1t is about
time that Christian pulpits should ut
ter their protest against the universal
evil of sacrilegious imprecation.
Profanity is cruel and a cowardly
habit. because it shocks the hottest
feelings and pierces the hearts of
thousands and hundreds of thousands
of Christians who are unable by law
to stop this awful and blood curdling
infamy. Only the other day tele-
phone girl had a Chicago merchant ar
rested and fined 500 and costs in the
police justice court because the de-
PENDANT swore at her over the wires.
His defense before the justice was that
he was hungry and wanted to order
his dinner from a neighboring restau-
rant and that the girl in the central
office Of the telephone company would
not give him the right connection. But
when the justice heard the young girls
statement tot she could not make the
hn
were busy at that time he decided
against the defense of the Chicago
merchant. He said. mo man has a
right 10 hurl profane words at any
public servant when that man or wom-
an is trying to do his CT her full duty
But Christ III people cannot as a class
stop the profane remarks which they
upon the different public thorough
fares.
The B1asphemer Coward.
The blasphemer is essentially a cow
ard because he inflicts suffering on
persons who are powerless to resist OF
retaliate. 1t is hard word. but use
the plain. unvarnshed Anglo-SaXor
word which describes the cowardly act
l want you swearers to realize the ex
tent of the injuries which you are do
ing against some of your fellow mer
when you swear in public. | want
you to fully realize how you are cut
ting and decorating Christian hearts
with your blood curdling oaths by try
ing to put yourself. If possible. in YOU
Christian brothers place. who is com
PEELED to listen every day to the public
utterances of profanity. You can judge
perhaps. how your Christian neighbol
feels by supposing that some one il
speaking slightingly and disrespectful
ly and slandPrously of some one yol
very dearly love. You have mothe
OF wife or. perhaps. to use bette
illustration. Il yourg daughter whom
you fcndly cherish Suppose In som
public place you should hear her nam
vilitied. What would you do? VIII
need you answer? Even now | ca
see your cheek flush and your teet