The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-12-15

or audresS any faculty higher than the
understanding, or appeal to aught nobler
than selfshness. The reformer or Phil
anthropist, finds it difficult to gather an
audience; they come reluctantly and at
rare intervals of business and pleasure.
But every Sunday, custom tolls the bell of
Time. In the ruts of ancient usage men
ride to the meeting house, seat themselves
In venerable pews, while the hottest asso-
citation of time and place calm and pacify
their spirits, rise, often careful and troub-
led about many things, and all are ready
for the Teacher of Religion to address
their deepest and their highest powers.
Before him lies the Bible-an Old Tesla
ment full Of Prophets, and rich in Psalm
and History New Testament crowded
with the Apostles and Martyrs, and in
the midst thereof stands that Hebrew
Peasant lifting up such magnificent and
manly face. The very hymn the people
sing is old and rich with holy memories.
The pious breath of father, mother, or
perhaps some one more dearly beloved,
is imminent therein: and the tune itself
comes like the soft wind of summer,
which hangs over q pond full of lilies,
and then watts its fragrance to all the lit
tie town.
Once every week, nay twice Sunday,
his self gathered audience comes to listen
and to learn, expecting to be made asha-
med OF every meanness, vanity and sin;
asking for rebuke, and coveting to be lif-
ted up towards the measure of a perfect
man. 1t is the Hottest theme he is to
treat. Beside all this the most tender con
fidence is reposed in him; the secrets of
business, the joy of moral worth, the grief
of wickedness, the privacy of mans and
woman's love, the hearts bitterness, which
else may no man know, often are made
known to him. He joins the hands of
maidens and lovers, teaching them how
to marry each other; he watches over
the little children, and in sickness and in
sorrow, is asked 'to soothe, and heal, and
bless" Prophets and AZ ostles sought
such avenues to men-for him they are
already made. Surely if man in such
a place, speaking Sunday by Sunday,
year out, year in, makes no mark, he is
fool!
The sermon was concluded in the fol-
lowing spirited and eloquent style;
All things betoken better times to come.
There was never SO grand an age as this.
How swiftly moves mankind But how
much better can we do! Religious emo
ton once flowed into the gothic architec-
ture of Europe; the f;.irest flowers of hui
man art, little blossoms of painting and
sculpture, philosophy, eloquence, and po-
etry, all hidden, and yet kept within this
great compound posy of mans history.
The Catholic Church has her great
composers in stone, artists in speech, and
actors in marble. The Protestant church
has its great composers in philosophy
and literature, with their melody of tho't
and harmony of ideas. One day there
must be Church of Mankind, whose
composers of humanity shall think men
and women into life, and build with liv-
ing stones! Their painting, their sculp-
tire, their architecture, shall be the man
hood of the individual, the virtue of the
family and community their philosophy,
their eloquerce and song, will be the hap
piness of the nations, and the peace and
good will of all the world! asa
Oh! young man, grid your loins for
this work, spare not yourself but greatly
spend; and you who ask bis holp-how
much you all can do! A truth of Re-
ligion, it will burn its way int history,
not as thunder to destroy, but as sunlight,
to create and bless. The human authors
may be buzzed about in the whisperings
of bigots and self misguided men: rocks
may cav, and owls may boot at him, the
rats of the State may gnaw at his deeds,
and the church mice nibble at his feelings,
nay, he may stand on the scafold, be mai
led to cross-a thief on either hand
and hooking words be writ against his
name; or he may mix his last prayer
with the swapping offagots. Resistance
is all in vain; his soul, in its chariot of
fire, goes up to the calm, still Heaven
of holy raen, and his word of truth burns
into the consciousness of the world, and
where he went bare and bleeding, with
painful feet, shall mankind march to tri-
umph and great joy. H Bats I