The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-05-06

the grand structure, luht CoeO huhNiCN'
Of thousands of dollars on the same side
On the other side of the scales ne puts
the idea OF spiritual life the church |
ought to possess, or brotherly love, or
faith, or sympathy for the poor: up go
the grand meeting house with It's minis
ter and choir. God says a church Ia OF
much account only as it saves sou's; ana
if, with all your grand machlhtry' you
save but handful of men "hen you
might save a multitude, ne Will speW
YOU out of His mouth; weighed and
found wanting!'
God il also es imating ations. He
put the Spanish monarchy in the scales
and found it wanting, and cast It aside
He put the French monarch, with his
Empire. in the scales Napoleon cried,
"See what | have done to enlarge the
boulevarde! have kindled up the go
ries Of the Champs ElyseeSl enlarged
the Tuileriesl nuiOt tn, gilded opera
house!' Then God put on one side OF
the scales the Emper r, the boulevards,
the Champ Elysees, the luilleries, and
the gilded opera house; but on the other
side of the scales he put that MANS SINS
and the ontrsges he had committed
against the French nation. Down went
the sins, up went the Emperor with all
his surroundings. Weighed in the bal
auce and found wanting!"
But | want TO become more personal
| have heard people say that ministers
ought to deal with things in the abstract,
and not he personal. What success
would a hunter have if he went to shoot
deer in the abstrac2 He puts the butt
of his gun to his breast, lays his eye
along the barrel, takes sure aim, draws
the trigger-and crash go the antlers on
the rocksl What if a physician, called
into your house, should treat ycur dis
ease in the ABSTRACT How long before
the inflammation would heal or the pain
be assuaged? What folly to talk about
sin in the abstract, when you and l have
in our souls a malady that must be cured
or it will kill us, miserably and forever!
God lifts the balances this morning
Judgment day is coming. Every day is
a day of Judgment We are this mo-
ment being Canvassed, inspected, weigh
ed. But do not let us all get on the scales
at once We will take one at a time.
Who will get on irsl2 Here is volun-
teer. Here is a moralist, as upright a
man as there is in Brooklyn. Get in,my
brother. What is that you have in your
bundle? He says, ut is my reputation
for morality, and uprightness and integ
rity." Leave that behind. 1t is not fair
that you carry a bundle with you. We
lust want to measure you. Have you
slandered your heighbors2 You say,
'Neverl" What outrage have you COM
mitted against society," Yousay, None
So far so good. Have your thoughts al.
ways been right2 You answer, NO" l
put down one mark against you, Have
you served God as you ought No"
Another marx against you. Have you
loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all your
soulP "No." Another mark against
you. Come now, be honest, Have you
not, in ten thousand things, come short
of your duty? 'Yes!" Then put down
ten thousand marks against you. Bring
me larger book in which l may make
record of your deficits and negleCts, Do
not Jump out of the scales until | have
examined them. You stand on one side
with all your kindnesses, and charities
and cancellations Of behavior. On the
other side put this weight, "By the
deeds Of the law shall no flesh be justi
fed" Dywn goes the weight; up 60
your good works Weig ed in the bal.
ance and found wantiDg!"
Who will come nexl2 Here come a
Journalist who gets on the scales; man
whose religion is made up of genufeC
tions, postures and outward proprietes
Brother, what is that you have in your
pocket He says, 1T is Westminster
Assembly Catechism." What is that in
your other pocket? He says it is the
Heidelberg CateChism. What is that
under your arm? He says it is a church
record. What are those books l see
scattered around on your side of the
.ales2 He says they are Calvin's Insti-
tutes. My, brother, we did not come
here to weigh books, however good they
may be. We want on this scale nothing
but your soul. Your orthodoxy won't
save you. Men go to hell with cate.
chism in each pocket. The forms of re.
ligion are only the scsfolding for putting
up the spiritual house. Alas! if you
have mistaken the scah'olding for the
temple itself. But l CROSS myself ever
so many times" you say. That will not
save you. But give literally to the
poor, and read out of the Bible every
night, and sit at the communion table,
and my name is on the church book"
All, none of these will save you put
on your side of the balance all the ediCts
and religious Counses, and communion
tables, and on the other side of the bal
ance l put this hundred pound weight:
Having the form of Godliness, but de.
nying the power thereof From such
turn away" Weighed in the balance
and found wantingl"
Here comes a wordling You can not
mistake him; his eyes, hands and heart
are full of business; stocks, dividends
per Centages, scrip, "buyer, ten days."
'buyer, thirty days" His happiness is
successful bargaining, his eternity so
many feet front by 80 many feet deep
He wants to 60 to heaven, because
where there is so much gold it must be
that money is easy" The most tremen
dous question be ever asks himself is
How low can buy these goods, and
how high a price can 1 get for them?'
The day is full of rush and din, and he
sleeps and sweats under nightmare o.
dollars. The Sabbath is a vulgar inter
ruptIon, and he hopes, on his way t.
church, to drum up a new customer.
pile up beside him, on his side of tht
scales, all his merchandise, and profits
but these give to the worldling no addi
tional weight At the very moment WI
are congratulating him on the fine room
and great stock, and large income, Goo
and the angels were looking upon the
scene and announcing the solemn truth
weighed in the balance and founC
wanting"
But l must go on faster and look at tn,
last great scrutiny. We are passing on
needless of the most astounding Consid
erations. In moment the ground MAJ
break through and let you fall into tn