The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-11-13

dactic performances, and then. when
benediCtion is pronounced on Sabbath
evening, could shut that religion in the
pew, saying, "Good night, | will be back
next Sunday" then they would like ii
But, religion looks so strange
behind the connteT; it seems 80 imperti'
nent. 1t asks troublesome questions
ever and anon. 1t looks over the shoul,
der when doubtful bargains are made.
1t rattles the bag of dishonest gold and |
says, "Aha, aha, where did you get that
from?" Men are terrified at such per-
sistent Christianity. They will be salts
fed if they can only have little of it in
their last sickness, and when the dark
ness of death comes upon them, they
would like to use it as night-key with
which to open the door ofheaven. Now,
deny that religion is impertinent. No
man ever lost dollar by it. Other
things being equal, mason will build a
better wall, cabinetm maker will fashion
better chair, plumber will make a
better pipe, merchant will have better
sales, lawyer will make a better plea
with than without religion. | say other
things being equal, for new heart does
not warrant new head, and it is not the
office of religion to intelleCtualize those
who, by their own condition, have over
thrown the philosophic theory that to-
tai vacuum is impossible, The more
hours YOU have to work in day, the
more letters you have to write; the more
miles you have to go, the more burdens
you have to carry; the more disputes you
have to settle, the more opportunity you
have of being Christian, because each
one of those hundred daily duties is an
opportunity for you to show the excel
lenCy of religious character. l prove my
position by these two facts: The best
men you ever have known were those
who had the most to do, and the great.
est sCoundrels in all the world are to be
found the idlers. You cannot find in all
the Bible the conversion of an idier.
Matthew was tending to Custom-house
duties. The Prodigal Son was watching
swine; Lydia sold purple; the Jailer close
to his prison with the keys under his
pillow; Simon Peter hauling in the fish
ing net; Paul squirting on his steed as he
was going down to Damascus on his law
business. They we're all busy.
Finally, we learn that lions never burt
good man. No one was ever thrust
into more dreadful company than was
Daniel. What rare morse that fair
young man would have been for the
hungry monstersl Had they plunged at
him, there was no mitch in the rocks into
which he could have climbed beyond
the reach of their paws and the snatch
of their teeth. But god made them
pleased and gentle around the young
man, as the hunters hounds at the we'll
known whistle come bounding to his
feet. You need not wander into Numid-
ian iungles to find monsters like those Of
the text. That man must be astrange ex.
Ception who has not met one or more of
them in his lifetime. Sometimes the
lion is financial disaster. His roar
makes banks and exchanges tremble
Through the bowers where the mans
children are at play is heard the growl
of the destroyer. His nostrils scatter the
cold ashes from the winters hearth.
Auctioneer's msllet smite on the old fam
lily reliCs-going, going, gone. He is old
now, and it is hard for him to be turned
ont of doors. What will become ofhim?
Will be suffer- Will he starveP No, /
come to his dungeon, and put my mouth
to the riffs of the rock, crying; 20, Dan
iel, is thy God, whom thou servest con-
tinually, able to deliver thee from the
Ions2' The answer comes rolling up
out of the darkness: "Thy God has
sent his angel and shut up the lions
mouth, that they have not hurt me-"
What if he knows not where his child
ren's food is to come from? They are
cared for by the owner of the cattle on
thousand hills, and the hand out of
which all the fowls of heaven pick their
food. Such man knew. He was the
right arm of the church where l minis
tered. What poor man ever went to his
door and was turned hungry away2
What poor widow told him of her suffer-
ing and he did not weepP What bare
footed child ever went from his house
unclad? What anxious soul ever asked
of him the way of life and was not di'
rected to the CROSSE What cry Of heath
en- darkness to which he did not respond2
Not one. But disaster came in. Not 30
quick was ever the green-branChed oak
hurled headlong in the thunder gust, as
that noble man went down. The mere
writing of his name for friend in hard
times did it. Remorseless men rushed
upon him. Their foul feet bedaubed the
sacred hearth. They drove him from
the old homestead among the trees, out
of which four of his children had been
carried to sleep in the church yard.
Hungry creditors besieged even the
humble cabin where he had taken ref
uge. They cursed the old man. They
begrudged him pillow. Bad men who
had envied his influence rejoiced to see
the fall. and said, Good for him." Yet
happier man than he there is not in
all this house to-day. God takes broken
heart strings and makes a harp out of
them. And the rains descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house, but it fell not, for
it was founded on rock.
/ have seen good men thrown to the
lions, but they come out invariably un-
harmed. The Persians used to think
that the spring rain changed to pearls
when it fell into sea.shells. But tears of
sorrow are richer gems than that when
fallen into Gods bottle. The good man,
like the albatross, can sleep in bottle.
Death, the grim monster, whose coming
has made 80 many shiver and beg shall
be unappalling to him. That lion, whose
den is the worlds sepulcher, and who
sits his feet amid the skeletons OF hun.
dred thousand million of the dead, shall
not scare him with his roaring In oil.
den time the man who was to receive
the honors of knighthood, was required
the night before fully armed with lance
and shield, walking up and down among
the tombs of the dead. Throughout all
the hours of darkness his steady step
was heard, and when the morning
dawned, amid grand parade and sound
of cornets the honors of knighthood
were bestowed. Thus it shall be with
the good mans soul in the night before
heaven. Fully armed with shield ard
L Il 4 "A 4