M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-02-16
LAY SERMON No. 2.
BY SOLOMON sIMPLE.
*. eOmtas...a and land so make one pro.sly,o.'


''YS eomtassssa andIsnd so make OnoprO,elyto."
II Bible,
| Beloved CHRISTIANS hearers! Out of
pure regard to the tenderness OF your
toes, and your consciences, omit the
preceding context of this portion of scrip.
tEe, fearing tha. were to quote il,
"wllhout note or comment" you might
consider me personal, aud disposed to
make an application of the words Of
lthriSt, instead OF leaving it for you to
lao. .s
lsl"Ye compass sea and land"--but you
base Invented way Of doing il att less
eesI Of personal effort, and self.denial
than the hypocritical Scrbes and PhSr.
isees of eighteen hundred years ago.
fDu live iu an age Of improvement; and,
By the aid of all SORTS OF sectarian ma.
cHinery, you can sit still, aud do by
pfOry what could be done in that day
only by dint Of actual labor, aud liber.
al outlay of, mint, annis, and commin,
and by paying tythe of oil they possess
ed. But the 1cay Of doing an act does
not determine its quality; and hence
Jou are entitled to all praise bestowed
upon those old Pharisees, although you
generally conrrive to do an immense
umount of business on a very small cap
ital of grace. You are at least their
equals in zeal, il not their superors in
pride and hgpocricy. Aud while you
cheeHully give Of your substance. to
convert the heather, provided the sum
bestowed can be set opposite your names
in the newspapers, you every day "pass
by on the other side." to avoid coming
in contact with real objects of cha arity.
In the worlds bible there is passage
which | commend to your serious ard
pTayenfpl consideration. 1t teaches us
that charity should begin at home
which, being interpreted, means tha / in
stead of trying to save the souls of the
healhen, we should, in the FIRST place
have Cue regard for the sorrows, sins,
vices. misiortunes, wants. woes an(
devil,ries of those nearer home. Tht
habit Of turning up our eyes aud noses
aIan angle Of ior:y-fiye degrees, to Sc,
! that everything goes right in the uppe
world. is apt 10 cause culpabIe neg lec
: OF earthly things. And yet, it has beef
shtewdly suspected, by those as wis
and as good as you are, that the mos
acceptable service which we can rende
God, is TO take good care Of Gods rhil
dren, here on earth.
But, white am preaching to yo
! sIabout. charity, perceive that yon knol
J lo9 9tpTecious little of the nature of il -
You seem to think that this sadly neg
} lected virtue consists in giving coll
yictuals, and cast-uff clothing, TO thos
who make business Of begging. or a
best, in giving few dollars TO some be
nevolenl Institution with longAwaist
ed name. This may be charity, or it ma
be some lhiGg else-ior pride somelim e
puts on the attire of humility, an
parsinony becomes ostentatious. Blu
; charity, in the broad gospel sense of tn
: word, is Iowa principle quite d fer
: ent from close ifs ed and calculatin
e generosity, and infinitely more compre
= hensive. both as regards the sphere G
4; its action. and the overwhelming ter
. derness Of its solicitude for the sinfr
4 and unfortunate, than that miserabl
| substitute for justice which deals i
!, broken bread, rags, and cold bnck-whea
: cakes.
True charity, let me tell you. 20, J
of little iaith," is that divine principI
which caused God to pity, and a Jest
to die--whiCh flows fort from the etc
. nal Throne in perpetual streams Of con
= passion, iertilizing world. otherwi;
. barren, hopeless and accused, not I
those who dcScrus-but to those VII
need them.
Around you, my beloved, are not on
r the poor, but the victims OF sin, vic
tempta ZION, and misfortune. In yol
;, own town, the young Of both sexes, an
V all conditions, are being led away fro
e their path Of virtue, pleason,ness, al
peace, aud enliced into the broad roS
if which Teadeth to destruction. Your
men, with vii ling ears, are listening
;, = the syren song of " hat fools cal pleasu
: and young women, with hearts Of Sc
sibility, and affections made TO vonve
u the world into a paradise, are taught
J regard uselessneSs as a virtue, irivoli
II as sn accomplishment, and fashion
It the "higher law" of existence; viii
you, pretending to be the followers
|. Him who made deciple Of one woma
a with seven devils, and saved anoth
n from being stoned, are disposed to 'con
b pass sea and land to make one pros
- lyte, while you neglect thousand o.
) portunities to render immense service
the fallen and sinful who are within Il
reach of your influence!
m Set about it--ol it will be entirely t
/. late! Go, straitway, to that young ma
who needs your counsel, and speak
n him kindly. Go to that young woma
It who has fallen, and raise her up! Biz
a up those broken hearts wipe away tho
lie scalding tears-.pour oil into chose blee
is ing wounds that your acts may do GOO
d TO the afflicted, aud serve as example
Ie to be initiated by others. Amen.
The model lady puts i,er child o
+. to nurse and tends lapdogs;-lles in b.
}. till noon--wears paper soled shoes
4 pinches her waist-gives the piano Fl
20 --toroate ~ 49,, hor ~, III nar--ct,tc N