Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-04-20
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago, April 19.-ln this sermon
the preacher draws n realistic picture
of the numerous class that dallies with
evil indulgence, making a mock Of dan
ger and needless OF admonition until
Il Is too late. The text is Proverbs xiv,
o, Fools make a mock al sin"
There are times when hints and deli
cate phraseology are inadequate Tor
useful purpose, and when the kindest
and wisest course is 10 use plain, out
spoken characterization shot forth on
arrows OF denunciation and excoria-
ton. So In my text Solomon says
plainly that the man who mocks at sin
IL a fool. When the human body Is
slowly but surely being eaten up by a
cancer. II Is time to use the surgeons
knife. The gangrened limb needs am
putation, not balms or plasters or poul-
tees or fragrant ointments. And when
men and women with wide open eyes
deliberately place themselves In a posi-
ton where they may inhale the fetid
atmosphere, reeking with the deadly
germs Of that contagious and fatal
plague called sin, II is high time that
some one should be bold enough to
stigmatize them by an appropriate
name. They are not misguided chill
dren who are merely lost In the crook
ed byways Of life's journey. They can
zee the evil results Of sin everywhere
they 20 II they will only look as they
are capable OF looking. They are not
mental weakllngs who have been con-
fined behind the iron bars o. a lunatic
asylum. They can think. and clearly
think, II they will and do what they
ought to do. Such men and women are
displaying suicidal folly. and the only
appropriate name for them Is that
which Solomon applies to them; they
are fools. Going to destruction by
their own choice and volition. hooking
ut victims who have already been de-
stroyed, Needless OF the fate impend-
Ing over their own heads, they are as
in midocean and in the grip of hurri-
cane broke his rudder chains. threw his
chart overheard and smashed his COM
pass.
When gigantic sin Is working evil to
the body polite and is endangering our
national well being. Solomon's method
Is demanded. President Roosevelt evil
IDENTITY thought so when. a short time
ago, referring TO a common sin, he
wrote: IL do not know whether / most
pity or despise the foolish and selfish
man or woman who does not under
stand that the only things really worth
having in life are those the acquire
ment Of which normally means cost
and effort The man or the woman
who deliberately avoids marriage and
has q heart so cold as to know no pas
sion and brain so shallow and selfish
as to dislike having children is in effect
criminal against the race and should
be an object of contemptuous abhor
renee to all healthy people"
why Mockers Are Fools.
The same kind of warning agains
sin Hugh Latimer gave when he sen
TO Henry Will. his king. the presen
OF New Testament. with these pun
gent words written in plain letters up
on the fly leaf: For this we know tina
no unclean person hath any inheritanc,
In the kingdom Of Christ and of God.
The same kind of warning against sill
In high places John Knox used to Civ,
when as court preacher he would lool
down from his pulpit and denounce tn
sins of his ruler until the beautiful
Mary. queen Of Scots. would grit he
teeth and turn pale and clinch her tin
fists in paroXysms of rage. Let m
show you why the Knockers at sin ar
fools; also why men and women in tn
daily walks Of life should kneel ever
morning and evening and ask the Hea1
emily Father to protect and guide an
save them from the evil temptation
which beset them everywhere they go
Evil temptations invariably are intr,
duced to their victim in a seemingl
harmless way. They seek your con
partnership at first as friends. and M
US enemies. They do not approach 70
glaring and convulsively working the
claws and leap at you. as the man ca
Ing monster might try to get at yoJ
throat when in all his fury he is cage
In the geological gardens of Calcutt
But temptations come to you at FIR
with the soft fur and the purring sal
tation OF the little kitten which mig
nestle in your lap. They come insi
lousy. as the cholera germs mig
reach you wrapped in the beautif
garment which is sent TO you from ia
of India. They come with all the fr
GRANGE OF the poisonous leaf viii,
brings death TO every creature tn
touches It. DR.. Cuyler once gave
wonderful description Of one Of 4
poisonous trees. aptly called the Jud
tree. He said that the blossoms of IL
tree are OF brilliant red. From {
and near the fatal beauty OF tho
flowers attracts the insects. Yet &c
n 80 -.