Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-05-27
COyIyIUNECATED.
SERMON ON THE HALF.SHELL.
By DEACON DloGENES.
TRUTH.

Truth, tho crushed TO earth,
Will ever rise 10 indicate the right
While wrong and falsehOod flies amain,
Before its dazzling light.
NV Brethren: 1t is said that ''truth
crushed to earth will rise again. This
We suppose is the cause of its frequent
mangled condition; so often dishSured
and soiled that few persons nowadays
will be caught in lis company. Ii wan
ders something like a pennies man,
without friends or au abiding place;
booted by ialsehood and many times
goes to the ground. 1t however seems
very tenacious of TO rise after being
crushed so often. 1t Is said that healthy
grimalkn has nine lives, but truth has
been butchcred often enough TO have
exterminated all the cats in chrlstendom.
We have heard of bird of the phe
nix species that arose from lis ashes,
proudly Topped its wings, aud perching
on the nearest limb, shook It's unScorch-
ed feathers detiantly, and shrieked,
"Resurgam :" which means, Il git up
and git SO truth has ever arose from
the consuming fires of human passion.
Truth beside being crushed to a shape
less mass by the heel of talSehood, has
been throttled by the hand of envy;
fayed by calumny; tortured by selfish
ness, and yet has miraculously survived
it all. How long it will be able TO with
stand all the i'll treatment TO which II is
daily subjected, we do not know, it is a
fact that it is martyred daily; yet we
have the consoling belief, that it is
mighty, and will some day, perhaps, at
Ter we are all gathered TO our fathers,
it will prevail over talsehood and error.
Ever since our world toddled III infancy,
truth and fasehood have been running
4 race. Falsehood has always had the
most friends and betIors on Its side, and
has frequently in tight pull uptripped
its opponent and hammered 1t SO far III
the dirt, that ere it could get up, rub
the sand from its eyes, and the dust
from its back, falsehooG had won the
race, while truth, badly damaged, lay
by for repairs. Brethren, whatever we
may say about truth it is sad fact that
it is too often beaten, and the reason L.,
that SO many think lit don't pay" False
hood is frequently thought to be more
convenient, and i'll this fast aye will ac-
complish more, and is preferable for I'M
mediate use TO secure desirable ends.
Truth in the end may assert itself, but
81 Il 10 Sn
often outraged, and consequently trav-
els so slow, that when II eventually
overtakes falschood and prevails, in
many Instances the dead dust Of inter
ested parties pulverized by the hand OF
time, could be stored away in a thlmble.
If truth could travel little faster,
ard supply itself with some OF the su-
perhuous brass of the age, and lie able
TO rise up little quicker, and show
up" taIsehood inside of ten or fifteen
years, it would have many more friends
than it now has. This will be at some
remote time, and in the meanwhile false
hood will rear its brazen head and rule
the roast.
Brethren, we should feel gratiied that
some men kindly open their doors and
let crushed and homeless truth 10 their
boards aud firesides-let US hope that 1t
may always be SO. Let us remain with
it, and aid it as true friends, and not
desert it as impolitic when particular
interests are sought 10 be subservet, but
remain with it, il We suffer with il. 1t
may fail sometimes to Immediately ena-
ble US to triumph over wrong aud false
hood, yet it carries at It's girdle the keys
which will unlock the bright gates OF
the mansions of bliss, and it we are
faithful it will usher us in, after death
snufs out our light aud the hungry
grave receives It's prey.
Brethren, let us sing.