The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-11-09
A Lay Sermon on the Ttmes-A Year
of CalamitieS.


have been certain seasons IN which cal
| amity would follow calamity, with such
certainty, that it would almost seem that
they were the result Of some special and
| unerrng plan.
! During our short stay on this globe
| there have been several such seasons.
| But no season, since our recollection. has
eaualed, In the number and extent, aud
| we may say atcfgtLtess Of its calamilles,
| that Of eighteen hundred and seventy
one, eliminating as We hope-in the
| great Chicago fire, with its indescribable
horrors.
In clden times, these. or like calaai-
ties. were charged to the Almighty, as
special dispensatIon of His divine dis
pleasure, on account of the sins of the
people. Our Saviour refers to the de
struction OF Sodom and Gomorrah, and
asks his hearers if they think those cities
were wicked above all the world or
words to that effect He then says
Il tell We nay and unless ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish.
We are not prepared to say what the
extent and kind Of wic,,edness it was
that pervaded the doomed cities Of olden
time. but we very much doubt whether
it bore any comparison to the licentious-
vades all our large cities in America to
say nothing of the old world ;and no city
in the Eorld. not even Paris, could ex
Gel Chicago In its extravagant wicked
ness, or wicked extravaganza. Es-
pecially was this the case in the female
portion of the higher classes They are
like the lilies that Christ spoke Of
They toll not, neither do they spin
but the way they are arrayed. beats any
| thing that Solomon or the Saviour ever
| dreamed of. But, if we were to say at
this time that the great calamities which
come upon cities, like that of Paris,
and the almost total destruction of Chi
cago-was blow from the Almighty s
hand, struck as a recomponce for the
terrible wickedness Of the times, we
should be laughed to scorn, even by pro-
Tossing christians.
The dropping, or letting go, Of that
old-fashioned idea that God judges in
the earth, may not, after all, have so
many advantages in it, as many believe.
1t certainly tends to anything but real
piety. Why the model churches of
the modern Babel cities, are nothing but
the most extravagant opera houses, and
many of them employ the same troupe
on the Sabbath, that perform in the OPP
era house during the week and the la
dies-God be merelful to them take
the same care to rag themselves out in
all the extravagant tinsell and folly Of
the age, In going to the church on the
Sabbath, that they do for the opera,
which looks very much like disposition
to be worshipped by man, than a dispo-
sltlon to worship God.
But 1t is none Of our business to Judge
in the earth, and perhaps the idea that
God does. IS too old fashioned and ri
dlculous for the present generation.
There Is not enough of progress in it, and
perhaps the Almighty can be dazzled
into the forgiveness Of sins by gorgeous
churches and gaudy trappings, or
charmed into good nature by operate
singing, and that there is no longer any
need Of meek and lowly spirit, or a
contrite heart.
We confess we have no right to Judge
IN these matters, or to teach others their
duty, while falling so far short of doing
our own. But the almost total destruc-
ton of modern city, brings to mind the
| destruction Of other cities lie the olden
tlmes-even the AntedcluvIrn land then
comes to mind with the fact that those
cities were destroyed, the old fashioned
idea Of which we have been speaking, to
wit: that the Lord destroyed them for
the wickedness of the people, and there
may be no harm in taking a retrospect
| i've view of the things connected with
this life, to see if real piety has kept
pace with what Is termed progress. Is
there not less God, and more of the dew
IL, IN the extravagant spirit OF the age,
than there was in the days when man
believed In Gods special dealings with
stu on the earth ?
Now, right here comes in a great
truth, which we are compelled to speak
out IN spite of our natural gaElantry and
tender regard for the female sex Fe
male extravaganza is what is the matter
with the civilized world at this time.
We hope that our lady friends will not
take what We say to themselves: we are
not speaking individually; we are speak
lng OF the great aggregate Of women
We are quite certain that there is not a
woman In the land but what sincerely
regrets the situation that surrounds So
clety, and which they honestly feel is
compelling them to launch out on the
great seething food Of extravagant folly,
which is carrying thousands of their
weaker sisters over the great precipice of
shame INTO the dark ABYSS of ne, from
which there Is no return to responsibility
God, In his Infinite wisdom, can only
! know to what extremes fashion has and
| will drive weak minded rnortals with
scanty means, in order to crafty the NOR
bid taste Tor dress that prevades our
whole land. The divorcements. the
elorements, and other Kindred crimes,
tell the whole tale. The whole thing is
easy of explanation: Love is not the
guiding star to marriage. Stamps |!
stamps is the enquiry on both sides. =
Fashion aud folly have banished every
other kind of love from the heart, exccpt
the love of gaudy show, and a dash in
splendid regalia. Where there is no pros
pect OF that, there is no love sufficient to
unite, and much less to hold together the
glddy devotees of fashion-a class alto
gether too numerous for the good of the
nation. Then there is another great vice.
the handmade of fashion and frivoity.
-inianticide-oe which we will say moth
lng,. except to mention It's name
Now, the question comes UP, what is
the remedy for this state of things +?
There Is no remedy within ourselves. =
Those beings who no doubt sincerely re-
get the degrading folly and extravaganza
OF the age, have no root in themselves to
commence holding back, and therefore
keep on trying to Guido and outshow
their neighbors, until it has not cot to be
a question of who shall wear the most
costly silks, but who can sustain the
greatest number of extra yards upon
their backs and hips
We repeat, the question comes CD.
where is the remedy? There is no rem
edy. save In great scourge from tie AL,
mighty, wherein he will desolate the
whole land; and who knows but what the
idea OF the olden time people was right
and that God still judges in the land,
and that he Is sending US warnings in the