The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-16

Is, 1885
| A LOCAL APPLICATION.
An Able Sermon Delivered at the
Mountain View Church.
| Last evening Rev. W. E. King delivered
at the Mountain View Methodist Church a
discourse of more than usual interest The
church was filed, and the gentleman entered
into his sermon with his whole soul, being
listened to most attentively. Following is
synopsis:
St. Luke 16, 37th. ''f they hear not
| Moses and the prophets, neither will they
| be persuaded though one rose from the
dead"
It is not for want OF evidence that men
do not believe in the religion OF the Lord
Jesus Christ. but from morbid difference
| to the piritual life The average man
does not need to be aroused concerning the
things of this life. He is on the lookout for
opportunities to better his financial con-
diti,n, but he will allow golden oppor-
tuniJies for the improvement OF his spir
itual life to pass by unimproved. Christ
has endeavored to arouse man to due
appreciation OF his spiritual condition by
common occurrence in life. There are
four scenes in this narrative: First-A
rich man, gorgeously clothed, who Jared
sumptuously every day. He. cared more
for his purple and linen robes and sumptu-
Gus meals than he did about the lie OF a
mendicant. He was unconcerned about
the future life, and negligent of his duty to
his fellow man. This is evidenced by
scene second. A poor man, full OF sores,
was hungry, and begging for bread at his
gate, but was refused. These scenes are en-
acted every day in the city OF Butte. There
are rich men who have
ENOUGH AND TO SPARE,
and who will be called, some of these days
to go where they cannot take their wealth,
and where it would do them no 60 good if
they could. There are also poor men here
who have been reduced to the condition of
a mendicant. through no fault OF their own,
and yet these rich men refuse to relieve
them of their necessities. Scene third-The
poor man died and was carried by angels
into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also
died and was buried; did you neversee such
a scene. Let us fill in the picture. What is
| that which the express man has in his
wagon, as he goes in a jolly, round trot over
the stones? "Only a pauper whom nobody
owns; rattle his bones over the stones; only
a pauper, whom nobody owns" l have
seen in our city procession moving to
yonder city OF the dead with only one or
| two carriages at most in the procession.
have asked who is that? O, that is Mr..
A., who died last night. Has he no friends?
Yes. Has he committed some crime? No.
Why then do they not turn out to his
funeraH O, he had the misfortune to be
poor; but he had as kind heart in him as
ever beat. have also been attracted to
my study windows by the sound OF funeral
dirge, and have seen a long procession
| headed by band OF music, followed by
men in solemn procession, with an elab
orately decorated hearse. One would have
thought that some lord or potentate OF
earth was being consigned to his long rest
ing place; but on inquiry found that the
only redeeming quality he possessed was,
that he was wealthy, and yet men did not
care to tell just how he got his wealth. For
the first time in his life was he brought to
time and a place where his
MONEY COULD DO HIM NO GOOD.
All his fine horses, and houses and clothes,
and money could not stay the Angel Of
Death Neither could he take them with
him to the land beyond. In the grave he
found his level. Well has the poet said:
Princes this clay must be your bed.
In spite of all your towers;
The tall, the wise, the reverend head.
Must lie us low as ours.
The fourth scene is one that only the
Savior could paint. The conditions have
changed. The rich man is the beggar, and
sufferer. The beggar is the rich man, and
happy. | imagine | can see the rich man in
his agony, looking for relief, when, 10, he lifts
his eyes and sees far off Il familiar face
1t is that of Fother Abraham and there
in 10 hp hQppQr
encircled by his loving arms. Now he prays,
but, alas, too late. Oh, listener, when will
you pray? Will it be too late? First he
begs to be delivered from his torment,
but the answer comes, "Son, remember that
thou in thy lifetime received thy good
things, and evil things, but now he is COM
comforted, and thou art tormented." Sec
ondly, he prays that the poor beggar may
be sent to his five brethren, as il they would
hate him whom he would not. Listen to
the answer: "If they hear not Moses and
the Prophets, neither will they be pur-
suaded though one rose from the dead
1t is not for want OF proof that men will
not believe. We have Moses and the Proph-
cts. Yea, more, we have the descendants
OF Moses, who should be
AN OVERWHELMING PROOF
| to the thinking mind. care not where you
| find him; whether with the pedder's pack
| on his back or in his little shanty, with his
secondhand clothes; or behind the counter,
measuring silk and selling jewelry; or in the
bank handling money for the Nation-still
| Gods mark is upon him, and he is living
witness Of the Divine truth OF the Book.
| We have the authentic records OF Christ
and his Apostles, and OF the organized
Church from Apostolic times to the pres
ent. We have the witness OF the Christian
lives of our mothers and fathers, which
speak to us in whispering accents that can
be heard amid the conflict OF life. You do
not want to believe, and 50 you hunt out
the hypocrte and the Judas and say,
there, that is your Christian. 1t is not be-
cause you do not know enough about God
and religion. | tell you there is not an
individual in this audience tonight who
does not know more about God and re-
ligion and his duty than he does about
grammar or mathematics, or philosophy
or science, or nature.
LOOK WELL TO YOUR BELIEF
and see what are the proofs. l was won
derfully impressed with a little piece which
l read in the daily paper. Colonel lngersol
had been lecturing on HELP and denied its
existence. When an old topper said to him
'Be sure OF your proof, Bob, for there
are lot OF us depending on you There
is a whole sermon in this. Look well tC
your proofs for all eternity is dependin:
upon it. If you will not believe what is
written in Gods Book you would not be
lieve if one should come to you from the
spirit world. Suppose that there should
come to you tonight at the midnight hour
a disembodied spirit, and you know what
terror disembodied spirit has to an EN-
bodied spirit, would that convince you?
tt II you, no. You would be afraid to tel
your best friends for fear they would think
you had been on a spree or was bordering
on insanity You do not believe because
you do not want to believe.
The Whist Tournament,
Last evening the whist tournament was
continued at Ralph Hamilton's ParlOrs
The series of games will be brought to q
close on Sunday evening next: and while