Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-05

Lie SENTIMENT WANTED.
SC. &C., &C.
Last Sunday morning the First Preshy-
terian church had larger congregation
than usual present. The subject taken by
the pastor, Rev w. z. Baker, for his SER
mon, WAS the evil of Sabbath breaking,
and bis text was Six days shall work be
done but on the seventh day there shall
be 10 you holy day, Sabbath of rest to
the Lord whosoevsr dpeth work therein
shall be put to death.''
Mr.. Baker said that On last Sabbath af-
ternoon
A RAILWAY TRAIN
started from the city of Richmond, deter
in this text. It's track was steel, its wheels
were iron, and what had it to fear? So,
while Christians were praying and an hun
dred churches along the great thorough
fare were engaged in worship, the lordly
locomotive swept along, shrieking forth
It's defiance at every station, "who is the
Lord, that should obey his voice.
To the very end of the holy lay it contin-
ued its dissertation with entire impunity,
but as it was kissing aud scnffing at what
it deemed the rawlings of the fanatical-
just one mile west of Millboro-tLe light
ming struck it, and 1t ieaped itself up, a
steamlng and shattered wreck, while a
voice from God exclaimed, cit polluted
my Sabbath; therefore have l poured out
my fury upon it,"
And
WHAT HAVE THE UNGoDLY Tos SAY
in view of this fearful Judgment? How do
those who maintain that God has moth
Ing to do with business. purpose to exrlaln
the matter? Where are now the prophets
that prophesied saying 'the Lord doth
not regard; the Lord hath forsaken the
earth" Only a few weeks ago they were
resentjng the appearance of an editorial in
one of our city papers in which the writer
yentured to speak word for the Sabbath
in connection with railroad work. They
didn't deny that what he said was true,
but they objecged to it as not in good
taste. They were shocked that the name
of God should be introduced in the col
umns of secular paper. According to
these sages the Almighty has 40 right,
even in his own world, to show himself
anywhere except in some little corner of
church, or prayer meeting. He must be,
of course, altogether out of place at the
scene of railroad accident. But now that
the Almighty actually disregards the rules
of good taste and propriety which have
been laid down to keep Him out CT the way,
and intrudes upon the terri Org of the
men who want to have nothing to do with
Him, there is general CONSERVATION. The
affair is so terrible and SO occupies the
public mind that something must be said.
There is a demand to know why it occur
red, and who is to blame. and how such
disasters can be prevented in tire futur'.
Most of the explanations proceed upon the
theory that there is no God. What alb
surdities do men fall into when they at
tempt to treat a matter Of this kind on
worldly principles They tell US that 1t
was
ONLY LITTLE ERROR
in watches and schedules, thus ascribiHg
the trouble to the instrument instead of to
the agent-to the sword instead Of to the
hand that holds ito sin in N after instead
of sin in mind and heart. They lay the
blame on this person and that; and then
seem to reeoil from the injustice of
making scapegoat Of one or two, who
evidently are no worse than many Others.
They prescribe double track as the
proper remedy, whereas there is too much
that is double, already, about the whole
thing-the doubIe-mlndel ness that pro-
duces instability and the double eye which
looks to mammon and to the world. All
the theories advanced are inane and
spointless. and that because there is no
G od in them. A man can't speak intelll-
-gibly on such subject who does not rec
ognise the hand of God. What good will
all this talk about watches and schedules
do 20 the poor victims now buried out of
sight, or to their heart.broken families
There is
ONLY ONE EXPLANATION
which is at all rational This disaster is
a Judgment Of God for sin, and especially
for the sin of Sabbath breaking. 1t was a
eolliaien between Sabbath train and an
angry God. There is no escape from
this conclusion except in sheer infideli y.
The speaker went CD to show that dis
asters in every day life are
NECESSARY TO THE CAUSE OF GOD,
not because He has any pleasure in TAX
ing vengeance, but because men are too
stupid and unbelieving to do without
them. There must be something to stir
those who are not afraid of sin. When I'M
goodness and immortality are on the in
crease. and the warnings of the pulpit fail
to awaken apprehension, judgments be
come indispensable. Fer men to imagine
that Sabbath breaking is not displeaslng
to God would be ruinous. For Sabbath
trains not to be wrecked would bea great
or Injury than for them to be wrecked
Every such train that arrives at itg destl-
nation is an ENCOURAGEMENT to evil doors
s,,d stumbling block to those that do
well. Some of Us who were aware that Sab
hath traius were in the hands of an an
cry God have
BEEN LOOKING FOR THE HALT.
We did mt know when or where it would
come but we had the results all written
down in our mintis. We could have fur
n,shed those results in substance to ths
papera months ago. And we did Mt keel
them to ourselves but 10 4de them known
dav after day to others. Those who heed
ed ESCAPED. Such disasters, all may escape
Accidents and ad yersi les do come indeed
irrespective of character but there is ne
necessity for any one to be injured on
Sabbath train or burned up in theatre,
ont hnrtz ed To call every dis