The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-06


year. and to nothing bright ahead and to see
the poor little child getting thinner and thinner,
| and my man almost broken down, and to be get
| ting no nearer to God but to be getting further
away from Him. Oh, if were only ready to
die!' May God comfort all who toll with the
needle and the sewing machine, and have COM
passion on those borne down under the fatgues
of life.
Another great trial is deprivation of taste and
sentiment. There are mechanics who have their
beautiful homes, who have their fine wardrobes,
who have all the best fruits and meats OF the
earth brought to their table. They have their
elegant libraries. But they are the execution.
A great many of the working people Of our
country. living in cramped abodes
struggling amid great hardships living
in neighborhoods where they do not want to
live. but whore they have to live. do
not know of anything much more painful than
to have a fine taste for painting, and sculpture,
and music. and glorious sunsets, and the expanse
of the blue sky, and yet net be able to get the
dollar for the oratorio to get picture, or to
buy ones way into the country to look at the
setting sun and at the bright heavens While
| there are men in great aff1uence, who have
around them all kinds of luxuries in art them
selves entirely unable TO appreciate these luxu-
ries-buying their books by the square foot
their pictures sent to them by some artist who Is
glad TO get the miserable daubs out of the studio
there are multitudes of refined, delicate wom
en-, who are born artists and shall reign in the
kingdom OF heaven artists, who are denied
every picture, and every sweet song, and every
musical instrument. Oh! let me cheer such
persons by telling them to look up and behold
the inheritance that God has reserved for them.
The king of Babylon had hanging garden that
was famous in all the ages, but you have hang
ing garden better than that All the heavens
are yours. They belong to your Father, and
what belongs to your Father belongs to You.
But have time longer this morning to
dwell upon the hardships and trials of those who
toll with hand and foot, for l must 60 on to
u
for such; and the first encouragement is, that
one of the greatest safeguards against evil is
plenty to do. When men sin against the law of
their country, where do the police detectives go
to find them! Not amid the dust of factories, not
among those who have on their 'overalls," but
among those who stand with their hands in
their pockets around the doors of saloons and
restaurants and taverns Active employment is
one of the greatest sureties for pure and mp
right life. There are but very few men with
characters stalwart enough to endure consecu-
tive idleness see pool of water in the coun-
try, and say: 'Thou slimy fetid thing-what
does all this meant ''Oh." says the pool of
water: II am just stopping here" say to the pool
of water, Didn't see you dance in the shower
"Oh, yes" says the water; II came down from
God, shining like an angel" say to that water:
''Did't you drop like beautiful gem into cask-
ct of other gems. as you tumbled over the rock9'
.'Oh, yes" says the water; Il sang ali the way
down from the cliffs to the meadow" l say
again: Didn't l see you playing with those
shuttles and turning that grlst-milll"
"Oh, yesl" says the water. Il used
to- earn my living" l say again;
you covered with this green scuma Why is your
breath so vileG" ''Oh," says the water, Il have
nothing to do. l am disguised with shuttles and
wheels am going to spend my whole lifetime
here, and while yonder stream sings on its way
and die accursed of God. because have nothing
to do" Sin is an old pirate that bears down
vessels whose sails are Tapping idly in the wind.
The arrow of sin has hard work to puncture the
leather of an old workingapro Be encouraged
by the fact that your shops, your rising walls,
your anvils are fortresses in which you may hide
and from which you may fight against the temp
tatlons of your lfe Morning, noon and night,
Sundays and weekdays. thank God for plenty
to do.
Another encouragement is the fact that their
families are going to have the very best oppor-
tunity for development and usefulness That may
sound strange to you. but the children of fort
une are very apt to turn out poorly. In niue
cases out of ten the lad finds out if fortune is
coming by twelve years of age; he finds out there
is no necessity of toll and he makes no struggle.
and life without struggle goes into dissipation
or into stupidity There are thousands and tens
of thousands of men in our great cities who are
toling on, denying themselves all luxuries. year
| after year toiling and grasping. What for? To
| get enough to spoil their children.
One more encouragement: Your tolls in this
| world are only intended to be discipline oy
| which you shall be prepared for heaven "Be-
| hold bring you glad tdngs of great joy" and
tell you that Christ. the carpenter of Nazareth,
is the workingman's Christ You get his love
once in your heart, workingman, and you
can sing on the wall in the midst of the storm.
and in the shop amidst the showing of the plane,
and down in the mine amid the plunge of the
crowbar, and on shipboard while climbing
sus Christ. He will count the drops of sweat
on your brow He knows every ache and
every pain you have ever suffered in your
worldly occupation. Are you weary9 He will
give you rest Are you sick? He will give you
health. Are you colds He will wrap around
you the warm mantle of bis eternal love. And,
besides that, my friends you must remember that
all this is only preparatory-a PREDATORY and in
troductory. see great multitude before the
throne of God. Who are they9 "Oh!o you say,
"those are princes: they must have always been
in royal family; they dress like princess they
walk like princes; they are princes; there are
none of the common people there-none OF the
people that ever toiled with hand and foot" All!
you are mistaken What is that bright spirit
before the thrones Why, that was a
sewing girl who, work as hard as
she could, made but two shillings day. Who
is that other illustrious soul before the throne2
Why, that man toiled amid the Egyptian brick
kilns. Who is that other illustrious soul before
the throneg Why, her drunken father drove
her out on cold winter night, and she froze
into heaven What are those kings and queens
oeIore the Cnronef many or tnem went up from
Birmingham mills and from Lowell carpet fac
tories.
And now hear sound like the rustling of
robes and now see taking up of harps, as
though they were going to strike thanksgiving
anthem, and all the children of the saw and
the disciples of the shuttle are in
glorious array. and they lift song SO
clear and sweet l wish you could hear it. 1t
would make the pilgrims burden very light. and
the pilgrims journey very short. Not one weak
voice or hoarse throat in that great assemblage.
The accord is as perfect as though they had
been all eternity practicing, and ask them
what is the name of that song they sing before
the throne, and they tell it is the song of the
redeemed working people. And the angel cries
out who are these near the thronef and
the answer comes back: ''These are they who
came out of the great tribulation, and had their
robes washed and made white in the blood of the
Lamb