National Republican., 1883-01-22

consciousness, sleeping off last nights de-
hauch, when with the money he could get to-
gcther by selling two or three rags, and steal
ing her earnings he had been able TO make a
brute of himself at one of the saloons which
our public policy finds so necessary to good
order and peace. Such Is his life, If you can
call it 50, hers and her chldrens, through
the week. But at last Sunday comes around.
Well, YOU know that this trade, so necessary
to order and purity, which cannot be re-
strained on Saturday, can, to n certain extent,
be restrained on Sunday. Mr.. Mill and Mr..
Spencer, and all other philosophers, having
proved that we have no right to limit
mems free will in the way of drunkenness on
weekdays, u certain Anglo-SaXOn common
sense steps in and we determine that we will
at least pretend to a restriction of its grosser
forms on the day of rest The pawnbrokers
being shut up on Sunday, and his particular
poison shop being also shut up, his poor wife
makes special effort to keep him at homc
provides n special fcast-GOd knows how-of
uourishing food for the holiday, and he really
wonders at himself to find that he so enjoys
the unusual interest of q home. She per-
suadrs him to dress himself deccntly in wrecks
which she has hidden away. and when even
ing comes she induces him to walk with her
and the children to the chapel. There is
Childrcn's concert, and little Tom is to speak
piece all alone, and Meg and Mary
arc TO sing together mt the piano.
Well, the poor dog goes and when he hears
his own child repeat aloud before all those
people some Christian promise the tears roll
down his hot checks. And when the minister
pruys TO God for those that are weak that they
may have Gods strength, he prays too. Poor
wretch, who needs it moro than he! And
when at the end the minister comes to
"dclivcr us from evil" with all his heart the
poor fellow says amcn and for once without
words, only with II great hope which is wholly
new to him, he asks God to help him, and to
give him the strength he never had before.
| Yes, and God docs help him. lie goes home
that is the first great victory. 1t is another
miracle. The holy spirit Conquers tho habit.
lie goes home with his wife, kisses her, and
/ Tom, and Meg, and Mary, and swears by the
| living God that he will never touch liquor
again He is possessed by the spirit of the
| living God lie is inspired. lie is rewarded; (;
those are the Bible phrases He has now
motive power; that is the nineteenth century
phrase. From that moment that mans life is
| changed lie is converted. He is born
formed. His life begins again; that is the
| phrase of to-day.
Take that parable and this one principle of
the first teachers in your district visitings.
| You have such as this man to deal with. You
might the more or less of total abstinence or
moderation. You might discuss all the COM
| parativc advantages and disadvantages of
these. That is as if st. Paul had discussed
the atomic theory with the cpicureans, or
| talked to some sensualist at COrinth of the
excellence of virtue. Paul compelled
! Athcncan and Cornthan to live on
another plane. That is just what you
want to give the brute in his stye.
Change his outer life if you can change his
companions, change his hours. But this is
merely the outside 1t is when You have
! spoken one of these magic words which re-
| mind him that he also has all the capacity for
! the life of Il happy father, loving husband
Il true child of God which any saint or martyr
! had--it is then that You have your first hold
upon him, and you work your first miracles.
Let him live in the spirit, let him walk in
the spirit. and he will see, and you will SEQ
! the fruits of the spirit. The inspirations of
| an immortal begin to act, and he treads under
| his feet the tcmptationS of tins.
1t is the same thing with this man who is
| all crushed by misfortune. His argOsies have
| been sunk Mt sea or great fire has destroyed
his property. Death has taken away in an
| instant the woman to whom he has promised
! his life who was to bless all his days the hour
| she took him for husband. DO not go TO tho
first and tell him by what investments
| he is to restore his fortune. DO not 90 to
| the other and tell him that in this Journey
TO Colorado or that enterprise in Texas or
in some yacht voyage with such and
such companions he will forget his
calamity. Make, each Of them feel that life Is
larger than their waking and sleeping, their
successes and failures. Life means the pur-
pose of Almighty God for this world, 1t
means that a year hence this world shall be
more Gods empire than it is to-day. 1t
means that this kingdom shall visibly and
certainly come as these twelve months go by.
II may not mean that either of these two men
shall be successful, the one in his voyages, or
the other in the special plans which his lovo
had buildcd but it does mean that both
n.
God for certain purposes which in this
city. in this state, in this country, the year
1883 has to fulfill | do not say those men will
be happier men after their eyes open to that
vista 1t is not of the first consequence
whether they are happy or not Paul did not
90 from land to land and was not dragged
out as dead that people might have moro
sugar candy. But whether happier or not,
they will be more manly. That is they will
be more godly. The two words mean
the same thing. They will now be
spirited men where they were dis
spirited. They will be inspired by
the Holy Spirit. That is not pulpit phrase
belonging to Sunday. 1t is II week day
phrase belonging to the Merchants exchange
aud to the New England institute, 1t means
that in setting up n loom in u factory, in
placing exchange OH the BourSe in Paris they
walk in the same spirit and by the same
spirit which tints the petals of II rose that ii
may be beautiful, and which sent Jesus
Christ to be the Savior of the world. These
men begin to live in the spirit. They
begin to walk in the spirit, and for them Il
now life begins. 1t Is as the mountaineei
who on q dark and stormy night wraps him.
self in his blanket and lies down under the
bOughs of the close hut which screened him
from the weather and is startled from his
dream of wrctChcdness by the song of some
glad bird at dawn. He throws down the
bOughs that pressed hard upon him. lie
springs to his feet upon the rock above him
Tho tempest has spent itself. Behind, the in.
finite distance of the west above him, the
tender blue-who shall say how far distant
Before him. the glow and glory of the morn
> ing-aud of n sudden the sun, Tho day is
born.
II is for this the church gathers in here
every Sunday. 1t is for this that the noblest
genius cOmposes for us in the sacred music o
the mass. For this that we do our best to in
terprct it. For this that we ask our children
to meet in the Sunday school. For this that
tho great machine of public instruction
is devised. For this that the public
libraries ask You to turn aside from
chatter and commune with the noblest
men. And this is the promise of to-day
which Is happily shielded from the clattei
and hurry of yesterday if you so far act, and
in an hours careful resolution, go over your
half formed plans for the winter, beyond all
pcradventure the spirit of God shall give u
all life and the dignity of life. l do not say
in an hours resolution, but in the prayer OF
one minute you will gain Gods Confrma,
tion Of your good purposes, and you shall
know this day twelycmonth, as none OF