The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-02-24
THE DIVINE LIGHT.
Rev. Or. Talmage Says II Must
Be Kept Burning.
The TrRnHcendent Flame Needs 10
he kindIed In Our Lives 20
shine Forth and Tighten
the World.

Copyright. 1886 by Louis Klopsch.l
LOS ANGELES, Cal, Jan. 15.-For
these times Of multiplied and conflicting
religious beliefs that vex aud confuse
the earnest soul the preacher in this
sermon supplies the only test whereby
the truth or falsehood of any religion
is to be discovered. The text is Mat
thew Y, IA, "Ye are the light Of the
world"
At no time since the beginning Of
the world has man been confronted
with such a multiplicity Of diverse and
even conflicting systems Of religious
belief as now. Yet all Of these sys-
tens appeal with more or less force for
his acceptance and support In the
east Mohammedanism, ConfucianiSm,
Buddhism and similar beliefs maintain
the ancient yigor Of their creed in the
appeal to human credulity and super
stitiOn, while Europe and the western
world have their numerous systems Of
creeds and "cults," each presenting its
claims for mans belief and allegiance.
Thus the great problem presents itself:
| Are these systems of religious belief
and worship really cflicacious? Are
their dogmas, tenets and creeds, their
ways Of thinking and living, their so
cial, fraternal or religious spirit as or
ganizations-a these things what
they ought TO be or what they claim to
be? Are their teachings truef And
how may we distinguish beyond all
doubt the true from the falsef
An infallible test is supplied to us by
Christ himself by which we are en-
abled to decide as TO the real value
Of any religious system. lie tells us
that we may know whether its claims
are valid by its effect on the lives Of
its adherents "Ye shall know them
by their fruits. DO men gather grapes
Of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so
every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth
evil fruit"
An illustration of this test is furnish
ed by the fakirs Of India. The princi-
pie Of self denial is commendable, and
we admire men who sacrifice their COM
fort and devote themselves TO service
for the world But the principle ceases
to be admirable when ii produces vol
untary squalor and filth such as are ex-
hibited by the fakirs. 1t must be a
corrupt tree that produces specimens
Of humanity 80 debased and disgusting
as these men.
l have seen these fakirs. They did
not seem TO me TO be men or even Wild
beasts. They were a lower creation.
They seemed TO have crawled out Of
the darkest caverns Of an inferno. l
have seen them with their matted hair
and filthy bodies; have seen them
with uncut finger nails six inches long
and twisted about i'm all shapes; l
have seen them, as John l.. StOddard
describes them i'm one Of his lectures:
"a combination Of beggar, fanatic, i'm
postor and spy. In disgusting sur
roundlngs resembling a garbage heap,
score Of these men were seated. en-
tirely naked, upon mound OF ashes,
In which they rolled repeatedly. They
even rubbed the dirt all over their
bodies. which had been previously
creased in order To retain it. Their
hair. matted with filth, reached nearly
10 their waists and was painted yell
low. and on this they threw occasion-
ally handfuls Of dust and ashes. A
slckening feeling came over me at the
sight Of this human degradation, espe-
,ially when l remembered that there are
In India more than million Of these
half crazed mendicants aud frauds,
who are reyered and almost wOrshlped
by multitudes Of men and women, who
will actually stoOp and kiss their feet"
"Are these the fruits Of India fakir-
lsmT you ask. rs that the result Of
the oath Of poverty under which some
HindoOs worship? Then / want none
Of it. Away with il. It's fruits are
worm eaten and flthlly diseased and
bad" BY the fruits found in the lives
of the believers ye must judge the re-
suit Of a creed or system Of belief
Why do you not worship God as do
the dancing dervishes OF the easti
How do they worship him| you ask.
Instead Of entering little church. as
you or l, to kneel in prayer, they begin
10 move around i'm circle. They keep
on clrcllng around and around until
your brain gets dizzy with looking at
them They dance on and on, more and
more furlously. until after awhile some
work themselves into the most violent
forms of physical hySteria or in utter
bodily exhaustion drop in their tracks
I'm a dead swoon. "Oh." you say TO me,
"that is no true worship Of God The
holy God does not expect any devOtee
10 make an imbecile out Of himself.
Away with the worship of the dancing
dervishesw BY the fruits Of a creed or
cult. studied in the lives Of the men
and women who believe in and practice
It. you can judge the truth or the falsi-
~ OF the teachings.
BY the same criterion according TO
which we judge the failures Of the
false religions the world is to judge the
failure or the efficacy Of the gospel Of
Jesus. Christ. The Saviour, in the
words Of my text. is practically saying:
"Men. women. il is TO You ! look to
exhibit the principles Of my religion
10 the world. My life will be short,
my teaching will soon be forgotten.
unless you. my followers. emb0dy ii in
yoir lives. The only way in which the
world can know the grandeur and puri-
ty Of the truths have taught must he
i'm the lives you lead. Ne are the light
OF the world. Ye are my representa-
tiyes upon earth. Ye are the flaming
torches IN guide sinners 70 the foot OF