Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-02-06

play is over; finally farewell, then as
the lights wear out and the darkness
settled down around US and the peo-
pie went away, we would have no
serious, secret misgivings. But which
of us can say it, honor bright!
Which of US can say, II have never
been self-indulgent, / have never
been indolent 7" For my own part,
/ will not say so in any flippant,
thoughtless way. | have often wish
ed that | could honestly make that
statement. But ! shall try at any
rate to be truthful.
l can only make my confession to
you whom | have wronged in this
respect, and to God whom have of
Tended.
There is, however, o1e compen a.
ton for the preacher. He can rea-
sonably hope that some one will
come without long delay to take up
his unfinished task, while he himself
goes to do the same for another.
Others shall sing the song,
Others shall right the wrong,
Finish what ! begin,
And all fail to win.
What matter or they 4?
Mine or another's day
SO the right word be said,
And life the sweeter made.
Men may come and men may go,
but Gods work goes on forever. If
it falls from nerveless hands, other
and stronger will take it up.
But | must not speak too much of
personal matters though could cas-
lily spend my time in praising your
kindness and lamenting my own
shortcomings. The apostle in clos
ing this letter to the church at Cor
NTH gave them three exhortations
and added promise. OF these ex-
hortations in a different order to
that in which they occur in the text,
/ wish to speak briefly. Following
are the exhortations:
l. Be of one mind.
2. Live in peace.
8. Be of good comfort.
A. Be perfect.
There are actually four, though
virtually only three-for the first
two have obviously the relation of
cause and effect.
One of the earliest and most con-
slant affections Of the Christian
church has been due to the failure to
keep this injunction. Union of feel
ing, Of sentiment, of thought, of pur-
pose, what irresistible power, what
immovable frmness, what potent en-
ergy there is in it, The iron shaft
of the huge floating palace can be
chemically reduced to a fine impal-
pable powder. The iron will still be
there but it bears no resistance, it is
useless for mechanical purposes.
Why this difference? There ia a
principle in nature which we call
cohesion" which binds these atoms
in this impalpable powder into one
another. But how was its strength
dissipated Some powerful zorro
siye acid whose affinity was strong
enough was applied and the destruc-
tive work was done. The illustra-
ton is instructive. When love is
allowed it's full play as the cohesive
principle of a Christian church or
community there will be strength
and usefulness. But some other and
strange passion enters Some cor
rosive hatred or jealousy or envy or
rivaly of some sort, and strength
and beauty and usefulness are gone.
Nor is it needed, indeed, that some
distinctly destructive agency shall
be sought out and applied. 1t is
alas too true that this is sometimes
done. When it is done, it deserves
of course plain but unmeasured con-
demnation. If an engineer on one
of these roads instead of oiling those
parts most liable to friction and
most exposed, were to treat them
with sulphuric or nitric acid, he
would not long hold his position,
you may be sure.
But destructive principles are in
the air. Oxygen, the chemists tell
us, is the real "tooth of time" Of
which the poet sings. And so the
shaft must be painted and oiled to
exclude all these. And in the church
unfortunately these destructive prin-
ciples are often at work. A little too
much self-seeking, disposition not
to share each others sorrows; these
and other like principles are apt to
be destructive of the unity Of Gods
children. The remedy is to guard
carefully against these; to maintain
the integrity of the body of the
structure to allow nothing to weak