The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-05-19
THE LORDS WORK.
Problems and Happiness.
Sermon Delivered byl Professor Swing, at
Central Church, Chicago.

"And no man in Heaven, nor in EARTH
neither under the earth. was able to open
the book, neither to look thereon, and |
wept much because no man was found wor-
thy to open and to read the book, neither to
look theron."-Rev. v, 4.
John wept much that one was able to
open that book, which seemed to him to hold
the history of man in certain great spiritual
4 relations of the future. John had seen many
!. wonderful things in his day. He had been
the nearest disciple of Master who had
performed miracles, who had lived life
which was itself moral wonder-a Master
who had risen from the dead-and with a
heart influenced by such strange and touch
ing experience, John attempted, in his soil
tude in Patmos, to look upon the future of
man on both sides of death. But he soon
had to weep. because what he so wished To
know was written down in a book which no
one could OPEN Let Us not make use
of this text in its direct import, but let
US. bv what the schools call the law
of accommodations ask the sacred poets lam
guage 10 express our own feelings as we look
out upon the multitudes of men. Whether
we attempt to look toward what is beyond
the grave or what is best this side of it, best
for all in all ways, to ask what Is truest in
religion, what is truest in industry and IN the
pursuit OF happiness, we must initiate the old
saint in weeping, because there is no one to
open for US these sibylline books. We are
Joined by the whole human race in this
. lamentation. The Israelites encamped by
mvrads around Sinia's base to wait for their
mighty leader to go far up in the mountain
heights and clouds that he might secure some
guidance from God. The Egyptians of
Thebes crossed over the Nile each morning
and evening that in the holy temples on the
farther side, away from the unsancti6ed
things of man, they might secure some words
from Heaven about the next day or the next
month; and in Greece, at Delphi, there were
often 5000 persons in the Temple of Apollo
waiting for some insight into the Enacted
PARTS of their drama Thus we all belong to
one family, and all eyes sooner or later have
wept or shall weep that there was or is no
one to take up the sealed books and read
aloud and distinctly to our hearts from its
truthful page. Each Senate where laws are
to be made for the peoples good, each school
where sciences of labor, or morals or heal
ing, or Of religion are taught, each home
where cares and calamities come,
ARE so MANY PATMOS ISLANDS
from which longing exiles look far away
though they would pierce The cold and silent
sky to learn the future.
Unable TO open and read all that is to
come, man has no alternative but to accept of
a problelnatic morrow and to attempt to
shape it by the study and obedience of law.
Letus. therefore, direct our thoughts toward
the human happiness which comes from a
problematic future. We must not assume that
we can explain human life. Man can find
that some good will come from poverty,
some from SANDER, some from war, some
from slavery, but we dare not deduce the con-
clusion that the world which has in its COM
position all these things is ideal world,
and that planet without any SANDER or war
would be IN bad condition. We may mark
what good may come to us from certain
sources, but we dare not say that there could
not come more good from some other sources
to us unknown. Thus over a problematic
future we may ponder and draw conclusions,
but we are not competent to declare that
God may not have in His empire inhabited
worlds where the heart is successful and
happy without the help of any clouds of un-
certainty. We do not know what NAV be
the order Of things elsewhere or what would
be the ideal plan for earth but this little we
do seem to know, namely, that the enigmas
of society form a valuable part of its outward
movement, and thus of its aggregate of hap
piness-by happiness not being meant simple
laughter or delight, but the consciousness of
victory and something of permanent success.
Let Us Illustrate by details. Mark the in
telectual and emotional energy which come
from the problem ofproperty. Money Is the
power to crafty wishes. Ii the wishes are
voIlo he IL
comes to you, happiness comes. But this
future money is an enigma and its unanswer-
ed form makes man rise early and toll on at
its solution. The millions who few weeks
ago worked at puzzle along the streets and
BY their fresides soon flung it away because
it was declared to be an impossibility. Had
it been a true problem, with the answer sim
ply unknown, it would have enjoyed a long
e. popularity or had the solution been so
easy that any child could have mastered it
in an hour, then the puzzle would have died
of too great simplicity. The enigma of prop
erty is neither impossible nor is 1t too simple,
and it therefore leads the millions onward
from day to DAY and from year to year.
Each generation steps up cheerfully to the
strange task, and is allured onward by its in
describable SPELL The most evident motive
of industry may seem to be food and clothing
and shelter. but in addition to this motive
we must admit that impulse which is found
in the
HIDDEN POSSIBILITIES OF TOMORROW.
After an industrious man has acquired an
adequate supply for himself and family he
will not withdraw from the circle of chances,
for he Is just as eager as any poor man to ex-
pIore the uncertainty of next autumn or next
year. He would love to know what is in the
sealed book.
Communism is right so far as it asks that
oppression by royal classes should be removed,
so far as it asks that stolen land should be
parcelled out to the people, so far as it advO-
Gates the rights of man; that is, so far as it
Is only another name for democracy. but it is
sin against nature so far as it advocates a
distribution ofcapitalso far as it asks the Gov
eminent to feed and clothe its common peO-
pie, for man is a mental and moral failure
the moment his mind and heart are set free
from contact with the uncertainties of his fu-