The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-05
THE CIRCUIT OF OUR ACTION.
DR.. TaImage Emphasizes the Fact that
Good and Evil Deeds Move in a Circle.
Where God Geometrizes You Find the Circle
Dominant-The Preacher Would IiketO See
Paul at His Full Orb, but Not VOltaire.

of years before they found out that it was
round Isaiah in my text intimated the shape of
IT, God sitting upon the circle of the earth. The
most beautiful figure in all geometry is the cir
cle God made the universe on the plan of a
circle There are in the natural world straight
lines parallelograms diagonals, quadrangles;
but these evidently are not Gods
favorites. Almost everywhere you find
Him geometrizing you find the
circle dominant, and if not the circle then the
curve, which is circle that died young. If it
had lived long enough it would have been full
orb, periphery. An ellipse is circle pressed
only little too hard at the sides. Giants
Causeway in Ireland shows what God thinks of
mathematics There are over thirty-ive thou
sand columns of rocks octagonal, hexag onal, pen
tagonal. These rocks seem to have been made
by rule and by compass. Every artist has his
molding room, where he may make fifty shapes,
but he chooses one shape as preferable to all the
others. will not say that the Giants Cause
way was the worlds molding-room, but 1 do
say out of great many figures God seems to
have selected the circle the best "It ia He
that sittieth on the circle of the EARTH" The
stars in circle, the moon in circle, the sun in
cfcle. the universe in a circle and the throne of
God the center of that circle.
When men build churches they ought to imi-
tate the idea of the great Architect, and put the
audience in a circle, knowing that the tides of
emotion roll more easily that way than in
straight lines. Six thousand years ago God
flung this world out OF His right hand but He
did not throw it out in a straight line, but curvi
linear, with leash of love holding it so as to
bring it back again. The world started from His
hand pure and Edenic 1t has been rolling on
through regions of moral ice and dstemper
How long it will roll God only knows but it
will in due time make complete circuit and come
back to the place where it started-the hand of
God, pure and Edenic What is true in the ma
teral universe Is true in Gods moral govern
ment and spirital arrangement. That is the
meaning of Ezekiel's wheel All commentators
agree i'll saying that the wheel means Gods
providence. But wheel is of no use unless 1t
turn, and if it turn it turns around. and if it
turn around it moves in a circle. What then?
Are we parts of a great iron machine whirled
around whether we will or not. the victims of in
exorable fate? No! So far from that l shall
show you that we ourselves start the circle of
good or bad actions, and that it will surely come
around again to us unless by Divine Intervention
it be hindered.
These bad or good actions may make the cir
cult of many years, but come back to us thew
WILL as certainly as that God sits on the circle
of the earth. JeZebel, the worst woman of the
Bible, slew Naboth because she wanted his vine
yard While the dogs were eating the body of
Naboth, Elisha, the prophet put down his com
pass and marked circle from those dogs
clear around to the dogs that should eat the
body of Jezebel the murderess. ''Impossihlew
the people said; 'that will never happen" Who
is that being flung out of the palace window?
Jezebel. few hours after. they came around,
hoping to bury her. They find only the palms
of her hands and the skull. The dogs that de-
voured Jezebel and the dogs that devoured Ma
both Oh, what q swift. what an awful circuit!
But it is sometimes the case that this circle
sweeps through century. or through many |
centuries The world started with a theocracy |
for government; that is, God was the president |
nd %I,oxr IL
theocracy., They said: ''We don't want God |
directly interfering with the affairs of the world;
give US a monarchy" The world had mon
archy. From monarchy it is going to have a
limited monarchy. After a while the limited
monarchy will be given up. and the republican
form of government will be everywhere dom- |
nant and recognized. Then the world will get
tired of the republican form of government and
it will have anarchy. which is no government
at all. And then, all nations finding out that
man is not capable of righteusly governing man.
will cry out again for theocracy, and say: Let
God come back and conduct the affairs of the
world" Every step-monarchy, limited mon
archy, republicanism, anarchy, only different
steps between the first theocracy and the last
theocracy, or segments of the great circle of the
earth on which God sits.
But do not become impatient because you can
not see the curve of events, ana therefore con-
clude that Gods government is going to break
down. History tells US that in the making of
the pyramids it took 2 900 men two years to drag
one great stone from the quarry and put it into
the pyramids. Well, now, if men, short-lived
can afford to work slowly as that cannot
God, in the building of eternity afford to waltz
What though God should take 10000 years to
draw circle? Shall we take our little watch,
which we have to wind up every night lest il RIM
down, and hold it up beside the clock of eternal
ages9 If, according to the Bible thousand
years are in Gods sight as one day, then accord
inc to that calculation the six thousand years of
the worlds existence has been only to God as
from Monday to Saturday
saw bill of expenses for burning Latimer
and Ridley. The bill of expenses says:
One load OF mr. tagots -................-..3s I'D
Carriage of four loads of wood.
4tem' Two chalns- --.----.-.----3s I'D
Item, two staples. Observation-Disclosures. cd
Item, four laoorers Sd
That was a cheap fire. considering all the cir
cumstances, but it kindled light which shone
all around the world and around the martyr
spirit and out from that burning of Latimer and |
Ridley rolled the circle, wider and wider, starting
other circles, convouting, overrunning. circum |
scribing, overarchng all heaven-a circle.
But what is true of the good is just as true of |
the bad You utter a SANDER against your neigh |
Dor. It has gone forth from your teeth. It will |
never come back, you think You have done ali
the mischief you can You rejoice 20 see him
vince. You say: Didn't give it to himPn That
word has gone out, that slanderous word, on it's
poisonous and blasting way. You think it will
never do you any harm. But am watching that
word. and see it beginning to curve, and it
curves around. and it is aiming at your heart.
You had better dodge it, You can not dodge it,
1t rolls into your bosom, and after it rolls in a
word of an old book which says with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again."
You maltreat an aged parent You begrudge
him the room in your house You are impatient |
OF his whimsicalities and garrulity. 1t makes |
you mad to hear him tell the same story twice. |
You give him food he cannot masticate You |
wish be was away. You wonder if he is going |
to live forever. He will be gone very soon. HIS |
steps are shorter and shorter. He is going to |
STOP But God has an account to settle with you |
on that subject After while your eye will be |
dim and your gait will halt and the sound of |
the grinding will be low and you will tell the |
same story twice. and your children will wonder
if you are going to live forever, and wonder if |