The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-31
PURIFICArION BY FIRE.
Sermon by Rev. o. c. McCuIloch, at Plymouth
Church.


preached from the text, "Our God is a consum-
ing Are" He sad
On Christmas day I was witness to most in
terestlng sight. 1t was the burning up of the
Instruments of restraint at the Indiana Hospital
Tor the Insane. Cribs and strait jackets, straps
and handouts were piled up nearly fifteen feet
square and high. These were saturated with
oil and burned; prayer was offered and the
doXology sung / know nothing of the extenN
and necessity OF the use of these instruments.
1t may be there exists such necessity, ana that
TINS action may be premature. But here Is an
Old system in the treatment OF the insane dra-
malically done away with. We are through
with the repressivs treatment. The future
treatment Will be remedial. AS we stood about
the fire, sane and insane said, "Our GOO is a
consuming fire." And these are the words of
my text. They state one of the most important
truths OF nature and of lfe-puriication by fire.
Life and death go on simultaneously. The
leaves Of last autumn fell and were consumed
were oXydiZed so the face of the whole earth
Is purified by fire. Publication by fire is an old
custom. Thoreau, in ''Walden," states the ems
tom among the Indians, when a tribe celebrates
It's feast of first fruits, having first provided
themselves with new clothes, new pots and pans
and other household wares, they collect their
worn-out clothes and despicable things, sweep
and cleanse their houses of filth, which, with all
the remaining grain, old clothes and furniture,
they cast into common heap and consume 1t
with fire. After having taken medicine and
tasted three days, all the fire of the town is ex
t1nguished. During this fast they abstain from
the qualification of every passion and appetite;
a general peace is proclaimed; malefactOrs may
return to the town. On the fourth day the high
priest by rubbing dry sticks together, produces
new fire in the pIbllc square, from which every
habitation is supplied with and pure
flame. They then feast and play. The same
customs obtain among the Indians of Cali
forn1a. The old aud worn out must be burned
before the new can appear. Old corn grows
musty, old goods filthy. and must be consumed.
The housewife finds these things numbering
the world, but carefully dusts and replaces,
and in few months does the same again. The
Indians were wiser-the useless they destroyed.
Think of what Luther's burning the Papal bull
olaimpA Tn hay
divine authority TO chain the human spirit.
The freedom OF man was bound by the edict OF
one man and one church This church was kind
to the poor. was the friend OF the people. was
full OF noble consolation to the dying, but it al
lowed no individual thinking. 1t excommuni-
Gated all who differed. IL burned John Huss
in Bohemia, and Wycliffe's bones in England.
1t had mistaken the use of fire. In 1920 Luther
makes bonfire and burns the bull All at once
the mind and heart of man are free. Then there
was the burning of the Basule in 1892, the
prison in which thousands of noble spirits had
died. 1t represented the right of might, the
power OF kings. The burning of the Dastiie was
the torch of liberty. IL was red a consuming
fire, burning up the base in government. the
regard for the Old because IL is old stands In the
way of progress. China has stood stlll for cen
turies. Japan has burned something Of the old.
The disappearance of old customs is shown in
the social changes OF 1888, in the new feeling
regarding clvil-service reform; the principle of
Spolls denounced by both parties; the rebuke
given to the ambition OF France, whose old view
of glory still survives. When Ohm Bright dared
to say the Crimean war was wrong he was
ho0ted; now England has to give q reason for
her armies being in Egypt. In Norway witness
the struggle of people against king. Congress
has appointed committee to inquire into the
labor problem; the telegraph strike has caused a
vast amount of thinking. The Supreme
Court of New York has decided
that railroads are public servan land must carry
freight at reasonable rates. The Supreme Court
of the United States has decreed that States have
a right to fix rates for passenger ana freight
traffic. New movements against MUrmOnism
and lntemperance are on the way. And so the
II IN pf fha nj onn daft 70 pna "a
new life comes in. The same principle is In
volved in character. strong character has the
evil burned out oft, How do you emerge from
the wild whirl of trade and speculation? Are
You strong, hopefulG Have you the true
worthl Has the drOss been separated by fret
The test of character is, are we strong enough
TO go on with the worlds business while
the "higher and highest is busy with us. Do
you remember. in the correspondence of Emer-
son and Carlyle, the letters that passed at the
time of the death of Emerson's little boy? En-.
erson begins with business items-with regard
to Carlyle's books-and then says; ''My son, {;
perfect little boy of five years and three months
old, has ended his earthly life. You can never
know how much of me- such young child can
take away. A few weeks ago deemed myself @
very rich man. and now poorest OF all. | dare
not fathom the invisible and untold, and in.
quire what relations to my departed
Lillian. bemoans at home by day and
night" And then, deep and solemn, CarIyl,
writes: "This is heavy news you send me. The
heaviest bereavement that can betall a man has.
overtaken you, Your calm tone of deep quiet.
a word coming in on the rear of poor trivial
worldly business all pnnctuaiy dispatched and
correct, too, if the higher and highest had not
been busy with you-tells me sad tale" Here
was sorrow held under by the poor, trivial world
business. This, think, is the test of strength:
not that it did not pain, but that there was moth
ing TO be done.
In every life purified by righteousness every
mind quickened under the influence of Jesus
Christ; for every heart filled with the
love of Christ, for the Father-for them
is a new heaven and new earth. Old things
have passed away, all things have become new.
The evening service was a special Christmas
service, arranged for Dec. %, but postponed be-
cause of the storm until last evening The topic
was the FESTIVAL of peace Mr.. McCulloch an
nouced that the audience hall of the new Plym-
oath Church building would be completed by
next Sabbath, but that the entire building would
not be ready for use or dedicated before Jan. 20