The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-12-09
Our Evening Sermon

Our Evening Sermon !
"Therefore shall her plaques come in
one day. death, and mourning, and fam
ine."-Rev. 1873
Thus reads the inspiration of John, who
in his old age was given the great vision
of Divine Power that he might proclaim
it to his people, and who writes it in all
tenderness to his churches The wicked
ness of Babylon was such as could but
merit the displeasure of the Ruler of the
Universe. All manner of wickedness
abounded, and the sense of righteousness
seemed to demand the destruction of the
wicked city. But the wickedness of Bah
ylon was not to perish in those days; the
Babylonian is here yet, as mean, as despic-
able, as dangerous, as he was then, though
it has been a part of the plan of Divine
Government to punish the criminals of
this class, all along the ages. There have
been prophecies of plaques, and plaques
have visited the earth. But we are deal
ing with rather an odd phase of the pic
ture now, for the modern edition-the
"Revised Version"-of the Babylonian,
engages in earnest effort to bring down
plaques upon his country and his fellows.
He does not mourn for endangered great
ness, and the vision of an angel casting a
stone into the sea would not have half as
much terror for him as the appearance Of
a Constable with a pair of manacles. We
will fearlessly and unhesitatingly pit the
Revised Version of the Babylonian against
the most horrible and fantastic creature
that the good John ever saw in a vision
or elsewhere, as creature far superior in
points of hideousness and terror of make
up. Wickedness has long been followed
as business; sinners have abounded;
souls have been made to suffer; and all
thought of anything noble in the human
character has been studiously avoided by
very large class of Gods children. We
are told in the Scriptures that the mer-
chants of Babylon wept at the prospect
of ruined trade. The modern BabblC-
oman is fully as sensitive regarding the
state of trade, yet he seeks to avoid the
notoriety of the public marts, and to cling
to the darker corners, that he may not
run so great risk of being dis turbed.
Suppose we take a stroll in the Babble-
oman market. We may as well state in
the beginning that this is a market of
souls. Here the spOtless soul Of youth is
purchased and delivered over to the Evil
One, as coolly as men would deal in ordi
nary live stock. Here is the market
house, let us enter. 1t is festive occa-
sion. The Babble-oniaD has made dis
play of generosity seldom equaled in this
cold and calculating world. Everywhere
the glarlng announcement appears that
the great and good master of the place is
giving to his customers a treat of '.free
soup" About the huge bowl of steaming
slop, are congregated perhaps half doz-
en- men, in all stages of dilapidation, some
having an air of respectability, and one
or two young men being really innocent
looking and attractive. All are feasting
upon the gOod(? p things provided In the
house of the Babble-onian. From the
greasy-looking mess the men occasionly
fish up sorry-looking morsel of dimin-
utive mud-turtle. but more frequently
hunk of soup-bone These things we all
understand Of course. Surely there must
be some good motive behind all this to
prompt such magnificent generosity! All,
friends, this is piece of sharp business
practice on the part Of the Babble-onian.
He knows that men cannot live without
eating, and you think him generous for
providing for their wants. The secret is,
he does not want the man who has been
patroniZing his business to go away with
a penny in his pocket. Ii he should get
home, family or friends might get his
money, and thus rob the Babble- oman Of
his opportunity. So the Young man is led
to the slop pail and fed like hog, then is
treated to a dish of chopped and dirty
looking cabbage and piece Of cheese
which would make all the furies often
thousand plaques dance with delight. He
eats Of this liberal repast, and feels that
the master of ceremonies is indeed no.
BILE fellow. Now let US take a business
view of this situation: This little compa-
ny of men have spent perhaps an average
of one hundred dollars each in the busi-
ness of the place, i'll the course of a year.
At least three-fourths of that amount is
profit to the keeper. Then we have four
hundred and fifty dollars paid to the Bah
ble-onian, while his feast of turtle and
shank perhaps cost as much as forty cents
There is the size Of his generosity. He is
generous to his customer on precisely the
same ground that the old lady upon the
farm is generous to her geese-feed them
and pluck them.
y studied attempt is made by this Bah
ble-onian merchant to rob those who Wis
it his market. The future of this mer-
chant and this market is plain. Plaques
and death, and mourning, Will come
Following the first 9littering fascination
of the Babble-onian market-house, comes
the sickening sense Of self-conceit, which
if not crushed, will lead to ruin. The
! young man who seeks to trille with the
strength God gave him, is doing Il very
dangerous thing, yet just what his treach
erous enemy who keeps this great mari