The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-09
The Wrong God.

1 once upon time jupiter came
dow from Olympus to Athens, to
get the people to worship him; and
they did it in this wise.
One set of men worshiped the
ground on which he alighted.
Another set worshiped the day on
which he came.
Another set worshiped his mantle
and his sandals.
Another set worshiped the eagle
which accompanied him as his SYM
Dol.
And Jupiter complained that in all
this worship they worshiped every
thing but him.
God once, in like manner, came
down from heaven to get the people
to adore him, and they did it SINH
larly:
One set of men adored the place
where he came, the stable where he
was born, the manger in which lay,
the oxen and asses which were with
him there.
Another set adored the day, on
which he came, on which he left,
and on which he did his chief works
Christmas, Easter, Good Friday
and Whitsuntide.
Another set adored his mother,
his kinsfolks and his companions
Mary, Joseph and the saints.
And in all this adoring of so
many things about him they did
adore him.
And Jupiter, in order to make
men better worshipers, erected a
temple, where they might meet for
the purpose.
But instead of meeting and wor-
Shipping him there, they fell to wor-
Shipping the temple, and the altar in
the temple, and the stoves, and the
poker, and other utensils, until they
forgot all about Jupiter, in the ado
ration of the things which he pro-
vided for their convenience in his
worship.
And Jupiter appointed teachers to
instruct them in his worship, and
times for meeting, and ways of wor-
Shipping him.
But the people fell to worshiping
the teachers, instead of following
them and they worshiped seasons and
services, and all other means which
Jupiter had provided for his wor-
ship, and they never worshiped Ju-
piter.
And so, in like manner, God col
lected his worshipers into an assem-
bly, or church, and appointed teach
ers therein, that they might better
reverence him. But they went to
reverencing the assembly, and the
teachers and all the appointments
of the church, until they forgot all
about God.
And when he had them erect
buildings for worship, they got to
reverence the buildings, instead of
worshiping God therein; and they
reverenced all that was in them
the altar, the pots, the cloths, and
the fIniture-and did not worship
God.
And when he appointed times
and seasons for worshiping him,
they got to reverence the seasons
and services, instead of him.
And Jupiter that he might en-
tighten the people in his worship,
gave them written instructions, to
serve in his absence but the people,
instead of reading them; opening
them preserved them as their most |
sacred object of devotion.
And God, likewise, that he might !
enlighten men, gave them book
with instructions, and often without |
reading it, reverenced it, and, with
out worshiping according to it, de-
clared that they believed it and |
that their duty therein was full
filled.
And Jupiter that he might make
them better as his worshipers, gave
them an example, teaching them by |
his own conduct how to live and
act and pray.
And they worshiped his example,
instead offollowing it, and celebra-
ted his deeds, instead of initiating
them.
And, God, in like manner, to make
men better worshipers, gave them
his example-praying, fasting and
loving, as he would have men do.
But they worshiped his example,
insead of following it, celebrating
his fasting, his praying and his
deeds of love, without initiating
them.-mdependent.