Social dynamite; or, The wickedness of modern society, from the discourses of T. De Witt Talmage

Front matter

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GiassI^IIi^LL

Book

Preface

Dr. Talmage, in many respects, stands at the head of American pulpit orators, and none excel him in dramatic force. He is one of the few who dares lift his voice against the wickedness of modern society wherever found, sparing neither friend nor foe, rich nor poor. In a clarion voice he sounds a note of warning, and designates the only way to escape the pits of darkness and social and moral ruin.

A fearless antagonist to all forms of sin ; he cares more for cleaving a helmet than for showing the jewels on the handle of his weapon. Blows are what he gives. He does not know how to soften a denunciation or kidglo/e a lie, cheat or sham. Strong in imagination, happy in word-painting, he arrays the most common truths in all the freshness of new discoveries, and all the glow of living reality. To this is added a quick insight into human nature, and the foibles, vices and iniquities of the present day. The Gospel is presented by him as the only remedy for human corruption. In all he says and does he is swayed by an over-mastering Christian earnestness.

America is given a proud place among the nations of the earth ; at the same time things are pointed outer which, if they are not suppressed, will bring disaster, upon the country. Municipal law, it is shown, will

JT PBEFACE.

be a dead letter, and political reform impossible, so long as Christains are apathetic and politically negligent, and fail to aid those in authority by personally urging reform and standing by it in the name of Christ. This work contains nearly fifty chapters, on as many different subjects ; they are, from beginning to end, of peculiar interest to every American, and stamped with the extraordinary individuality of this remarkable man. Every page burns with an eloquent entreaty for a better and purer life, and possesses an intense, soul-absorbing interest to all who desire the advancement and higher development of the human race.

Contents

PREFACE III.

BIOGRAPHY.

Dr. Talmage's Birthplace — His Parents — Traits of Each— The "Weekly Prayer-Meeting — DeWitt's Boyhood — A Professional Career Desired — Preparation for College — His Alma Mater — Meritorious Graduation — A Christian at Twenty — Enters a Theological Seminary— His Early Pastoral Life — At Belleville, N. J. — At Syracuse, N. Y. — At Philadelphia — Moves to Brooklyn — Church Architecture Revolutionized — The New Structure- As a Lecturer — His Qualities — A Visit to England — Immense Enthusiasm — The World's Criticism — How Ministers Are Lied About — A Description of Dr. Talmage as an Orator — His Voice — His Power — Judgment of His Generation— The Penalty of Being a Leader 25

Chapter I. Two Highways

Edward and Nicholas Leaving Home — Journey to Depot— The Good-Bye— Arrival in the Great City— Edward Enters Business Life — The Country Greenhorn — Making Acquaintances — Homesickness — The First Temptation — At the Theater — Finances Exhausted — The Gaming Table — Drinking— Loss of Position— From Bad to Worse — Five Years Later — No Letters at Home — The Father Visits the City — Edward Wounded and a Physical Wreck— Nicholas Too Enters Business — Industrious— Prosperous and Honored— Happily Married— A Beautiful Home— The Tempter Baffled— The Forks of the Road— The Two Highways— Which

Will You Take? 37

VI CONTENTS.

CHAPTEK II. .

EVIL COMPANIONS.

No One Goes to Ruin Alone — A Convicted Criminal's "Words- Bad Company— Olden Times— Places of Business— A Challenge— A Reward Offered — New Clerk — Show Him the City — Forgotten his Pocket-Book — Familiarity — Broken In — Beware — Glance of Purity— Shun the Skeptic— "Explain That"— Take them All— He has Gone!— Shun Idlers— His Touch is Death— "I Want You, Sir" — Self-Improvements — The Harvest Gathered in Old Age — Avoid Perpetual Pleasure- Seekers — Life Occupation to Sport — A Beauty in Sports — Declaration of Brummel— Keview— Always be Polite— A Beautiful Daughter 50

Chapter III. Dark Deeds

Night -Watchman — The Ancients' Division of the Night — The First Watch — Closing the Stores — Evening Repasts — The Second Watch — Places of Amusement — The Third Watch Begins — The City Sleeps — City Missionaries — Physician in Haste — The Vicious Poor — The Christian Poor — Beastliness and Bags — The Criminal's Watch — Born Thieves — The Neglected — Gambling and Gamblers — Seeing the City — High Circles of Society — Common Sense in Christian Work- The Gambler's Burial — A Destroyed Soul's Eternity 61

Chapter IV. The Babylonian Eeast

Feasting — Entertaining Queen Elizabeth— Cardinal Wolsey's Banquet — Night at Babylon — Amusements of the City — Royal Feast — From all the Earth — More Wine — Wilder Music — Princes Reeling— Writing on the Wall — Daniel Reads —Assyrians take Advantage of the Carousal— Massacre Rushes In — The Dead King— Read as Written — Hugh Latimer — Banquet of Sin — The Cup is FU11 of Poison 77

Chapter V. High License

High License the Monopoly of Abomination— A Point in Reformatory Movements Reached— Income for High License— A

CONTENTS. VII

Complete Surrender to the Bum Traffic — Making Rumselling Respectable — Closing the Small Establishments -Striking at the Hearts of the Best Homes— It is Anti-American — Rights Invaded — Why Not Stop other Small Dealers ? — Other Laws that are a Dead Letter- Court Scene — Anti-Common Sense— The Working People — Prohibition Laws— An Old Carcass — What a Cheat — No Truce — The Sides Arrayed Against Each Other — Fight the Battle Out — The Balance of Power — Its Overthrow Certain 91

Chapter VI. Intemperance

Noah Introduced the Deluge of Drunkenness — Unhealthful Stimulants — The Arch-Fiend's Cauldron of Temptation — Greatest Evil of this Nation - Statistics — Born with a Thirst for Strong Drink — The Last Will of the Drunkard — Bitters —Circulars of a Brewers' Association — A National Evil — Suffering Mothers and Children — Death's Hand — The Drunkard's Home — The Boast of Protagoras — Political Parties Afraid — The Church — TeetoJism. 101

Chapter VII. Mormonism

Political Parties — Mormonism — A Great Evil — Necessity of Immediate Settlement of the Question — Bigamy Punished — Polygamy Unpunished — A Plank Anti-Mormonistic Wanted — Immigration of Mormons — Intermarriage of Nationalites — What Are We Doing— What Is Demanded— The Platforms of Political Parties — God's Country — Prayer Answered— Four Doxologies. .113

CHAPTER VTII.

DIVORCE.

Infelicitous Homes — Divorce — Free Love Advocates — Mormonism — A Positive Law now on the Statute Books- -A Pustulous Literature — The Laws of the States — The Record by States — Easy Divorce and Dissoluteness Twin Brothers — What we Want — Dissatisfaction no Cause for Divorce— Constitutional Amendment—

VIII CONTENTS.

Make Divorce Difficult — Rigorous Laws — A Divine Rage Against all Enemies of the Marriage State— Paradise Regained 123

Chapter IX. Peofanity, Drunkenness, And The Social Evil

Procession to Carry the Ark — Battle Cry — Oliver Cromwell — The Name of a Christian Reformer — God First — Abominations Gone Far Enough — Pre-eminent for Blasphemy — Boy Struck Dead — Death of Blasphemers — One of the Gigantic Crimes- Drunkenness — Increase of Saloons — Bitters — Treating Customers — Explosions of Social Life — Impure Life — Watering Places — " White Cross" Movement — Miss Francis E. Willard — Every Two Thousand Years—" Let God Arise." 132

Chapter X. Gambling

"The Field of Blood "—Gambling Spirit— Pertinent to All- Instruments Differ — London Business Life — No New-Born Sprite — St. Paul's Cathedral — Laws Denounce the System — Derby Day — A Traveler Through the West — Games in Themselves Without Harm — Unhealthful Stimulants — A Young Man Kicked Out- Kills Industry — John Borack — Paris Gaming Houses — World is Robbed — Source of Dishonesty — No Chance — It Peoples Prisons and Lunatic Asylums— Home Loses All Charms — Stakes His Crown of Heaven— An Only Son at New Orleans — His Last Letter — " Foul ! Foul !" — Church Fairs — Betting — Bad Company — Game of Cards— The Gambler's Death Bed 144

Chapter XI. Suicide

Honorable in Olden Time — Demonsthenes and Others — American Conscience Needs Toning Up— Defaulters —Apologetic for the Crime — Christians who Commit Self-Destruction — Hugh Miller — Dr. Chalmers- Straight into Perdition — Custodian of Your Life— Suicide on the Increase — Infidelity and Agnosticism the Cause— Teachings of Infidelity — Lecture on Socialism — David Hume— Rivers Full of Corpses— Shakespeare's Appreciation

CONTENTS. IX

of the Future Existence — Coroner's Verdict — Tempted to Quit — God Keeps the Chronology — Israelites Free — Time Up — A Sorrowless World 163