Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-01-14
SERMON.
Delivered at the Congregational Church. Lar.
caster, on suaday December 29th 1879,
BY the Rev. A. r.. johnson, Platseviiie.


the least Of those ye did it not unto me-"
Ii il little strange that with these
words sounded in our ears, we so
generally get suen mistaken views OF
the grounds Of Gods controversy
| with maa.
Judgment is rendered, aud lCW be
rendered, not SO much on what man
has done, as on what man has not
done. The best test, the final test Of
sonship with God is. what things
have We left uudone ? what things
have we overlooked? What duties
have we despised What opportu~
mites have we ignored And this
will naturally bring the inspection
down TO the minIuae Of life. For
the little things are just what We are
most likely to neglect
wish to speak this morning OF
forms of selfshness and cruelty which
may be seen Git is probably in every
home in this community. Probable
nay, it is almost sure to be found.
| wish to speak OF . species Of cruel
ty that is praeticed by men and wO-
men who are said 20 be mercitul
thoughtless cruelty indeed, but none
the less cruelty. | wish to speak OF
barbaTism that has not yet been
rooted out Of a race that has had
the Gospel thousand years, And
this selfshness, cruelty end barbar-
ism is practiced no upon enemies, -
not upon nsighbors, but of enest up
on those whom we love the best.
What heart is there than has not at
some time in life taken up the Ia
mentatlon of David. For it was not
al enomy that reproved me then
could have borne il neither was it
be that hated me that did magnify
himself against me; then weHld |
have hid myself from him But il
was thou, mine equal, my guide, and
mine acquaintance" Yea mine own
husband or wife, mine own father or
mother, mino own SON or daughter,
my own lover or loved one.
There are bruises that ache
worse than those from cudgel and
fist There are wounds that drain the
Ife-blood, though no artery has been
severed. But we eoversuch wounds
from the public gazB, as the drunk
ards wife will pull the sleeve down
over the bruised arm, and excuse the
deed because she loves him who did
il. Aad the wickedness Of the hole
is that he whose Careless, back-hand
stroke has inflicted the wound will
never know or even notice what he
has done.
| refer to that negative selfish
ness"-so it has been called hich is
simply neglecting to do When selfish
ness iucarnate rears lis head in the
person ofsome defaulting bank clerk.
IN the parties 10 some corner in the
grain market, or in some self-dishon-
ored Judge upon the bench, we can
see at once how revolving thing
selfshness is. We shoot out hot, an.
cry words about it. We think we
hate it. Their selfishness is exter-
nal and therefore fragrant and re
voting.
Bat this negative selnsbness is as
diverse from that positive selfshness
as miasmatic poison is from strycb
nine. 1t is not so easily recognized
few know the symptoms; and yet it's
results are as sad and desolating To
the home and community as the re-
suits Of positive selfshuess. Take
dose Of strycbnine and the stomach
instantly and unanimously rejects IT,
The stomach cries out for antidotes
gives the alarm the symptoms are
unmistakable, aud from one hand and
another you may obtain the renee
dis. But so INTO the region of he
miasma, and Jon may breathe in the
slow poison for weeks and for
months, and not detect it till the
cheek has become yellow, the eye
haggard, and the freshness and beau
" OF lite are all gone and yet you
know not what ails you. Sirychni
is violent an. terrible, but you can do
that up in paper, write poison upon
it in blacklist OF ink, draw the skull
and cross-bOnes on it, tie it up in
multiplied knots OF string, and then
pat ii upon the highest shelf where
the children eau not find it. But the
miasma you cannot detect TIL its
mischief Is wrought; and then you
cannot bottle i, upi you must run
from it.
Thus does negative selfi~hness diff
fer from positive selfshness. Ii is
GOODNESS where there should be
warmth 1t ia silence when there
should be the spoken word. 1t is to
overlook what needs appreciation
Il is TO pass by with indifference
what needs encouragement 1t is to
receive the kindnesses of others and
yet be inscnsible to them. It's to re
ceive serenely and impassively The
eyer.sI ringing kind offices at home,
appropriate them all as ones own
right. and pass on hu;toned up to
the chin in ones own self complaeen-
cy, never thinking tAat there are
hearts hungering and tbirsting for
me return OF that love.
This is the sin not of the savage
merely we should expect nothing
better OF him but il IS the sin of the
Christianity of this l9.h century.
There are Christian people Il
do not yet deny that they are Chris
tians) Christian fathers and mothers,
husbands aud wives, who come aud
sit in these seats, no are guilty of
this sin. II is seif-hucss as GRIMM
al ADD as wicked rs though it were
positive and fragrant.
1t is noticeable fact (tho' not
bard to EXPLAIN that mep,-fsthers
and husbands, are most frequently
guilty jast here. 1t is they who viii
lad il hard 10 understand what | am
Ginning at. They especially viii
think quite likely, that | am