The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-23


are selfish and overbearing and arrogant.
Your first name ought to be Attila and
your last name Attila, because you are the
star Wormwood and you have embittercd
one-third, II not three-thirds, of the waters
that roll past your employees and opera
uves and dependents and associates, and
the long line of carriages which the under
tker orders for your funeral in order TO
make the occasion respectable WILDE filed
with twice rs many dry, fearless eyes as
there are persons occupying them. The
clumsy pail bearers may make the gates OF
your sepulcher quake by striking your
sllver-handled coffin against them, but the
world will feel no jar rs you 90 out of il.
There is an erroneous idea abroad that
there are only q few geniuses. There are
millions OF them; that is, men and women
who have especial adaptation and quick
ness Tor some one thing. II may be great,
1t may be small The circle may be like
the circumference Of the earth or no lager
than thimbe. There are thousands of
geniuses here this morning and in some
one thing you are star. What kind of a
star are you? You will be in this world
but few minutes. AS compared with
eternity the stay Of the longest life on earth
Is not more than minute. What are we
doing with that minute? Are we embit-
tering the domestic or social or political
fountains, or are we like Moses, who, when
the Israelites in the Wilderness COM
planned that the waters of Lake Marah
were bitter and they could not drink them,
their leader cut off the branch of certain
tree and threw that branch into the water,
and it became sweet and slaked the thirst
OF the suffering host2 Are we with a
branch OF the Tree of Life, swectening all
the brackish fountains that we can touch?
Dear Lord, send us all out on thy mission.
All around us embittered lives, embittered
by persecution, embittered by hypercriti-
cism, embittered.bypoverty embttered by
pain, embittered by injustice, embittered
by sin. Why not 90 forth and swecten
them by smile, by inspiring words, by
beneiactions, by hearty counsel, by prayer,
by gospelized behavior. Let us remember
that If we are wormwood 10 Others we are
wormwood TO ourselves, and our life will
be bitter and our eternity bitter.
The gospel Of Jesus Christ is the only
sweeteniag power that is sufficient. II
sweetens the disposition. II sweetens the
manners. II sweetcns life. II swectens
mysterious Providence. 1t sweetens af.
! ilictions. IL swectens death, II sweetens
everything have heard people asked in
social company: III you could have three
wishes gratifed, what would your three
wishes be?" II could have three wishes
met this morning, I'll tell You what they
would be. First More OF the grace OF
God. Second More OF the grace Of God.
Third More Of the grace of God. In the
door-yard of my brother John, missionary
in Annoy, China, there Is n tree called the
emperor tree, the two characteristics OF
which are that II always grows higher
than It's surroundings and It's leaves take
the form Of q crown. II this emperor tree
be planted by a rose bush II grows little
| higher than the bush, and spreads on,
above II n crown. II IL be planted by the
side of another tree, Il grows little higher
than that tree and spreads above Il {
crown. Would God that this religion o
Christ. more wonderful emperor tree
might overshadow all your lives; are yot
lowly in ambition or circumstances, put
ting over you It's crown; are you high IL
talent and position, putting over you IL
crown. Oh, for more Of the saccharine IL
our lives and less Of the wormwoodl
What Is true Of individuals Is true o
nations. God sets them up 10 rcyolye a
stars but they may fall wormwood.
Tyre-the atmosphere of the desert fra
grant with spices coming in caravans e
| her fairs; all seas cleft into foam by the
kecls Other laden merchantmen; her mar,
! kets rich with horses and camcls from
] Togarmah, her baziH filled with uphols.
terry from Dcdan, with emcralds aud coral
and agate from Syria, with wines from
Helbon, with embroidered work from
Ashur and Chilmad. Where now the
CLEAN Of her towers, where the roar oI
her chariots, where the masts Of hcl
ships? Let the fishermen who dry Their
nets wher once she stood, let the sea that
rushes upon the barrcnncss where once
she challenged the admiration Of all nations,
let the barbarians who set their rude tonti
where once her palaces glitiercd, answer
the question. She was n star, but by hci
own sin turned 10 wormwood and has
fallen.
Hundrcd-gated Thcbcs-ior oil time e
be the study Of antiquarian and hicrogly
phist; her stupcndous ruins spread owe
twcnty-scvcn miles; her sculptures pre-
scnting In figures Of warrior and chario
the victories with which the now forgotten
kings Of Egypt shook the nation her obc
lisks aud columns; Carnac and lanXor, th'
stupcndous temples Of her pride. Wh'
can imagine the greatness Of Thebcs II
those days when the hippodromc ram
with her sports and her avenues roare'
with the wheels Of professions m the wax
OF returning conquerorsi What dashct
down the vision Of chariots aud temple
and thrones7 What hands pulled upon th
columns Of her glory2 What ruthlessncs
dciaccd her sculpturcd wall aud brok
obclisks and left her indcscribablc temple
great skeletons OF granite2 What spirit o
destruction spread the lair Of Wild beast
IN her ROYAL scpulchcrs, and taught ia
miserable cottagcn Of today 10 build hut
In the courts Of her temples, and sen
. lcsolation and ruin skulking behind th
obclisks and dodging among the mrcophag
aud leaning against the columns and stool
ing under the arches and weeping IN th
, waters which 60 mourniully by ~ thong
, they were carrying the tears Of all ngc'
, Lot the mummics break their long silcnc
and come uptoshiyerint the dcsolntion, nm
point 10 fallen gates aud shattered statue
aud deiaccd sculpture, responding
, "Thebcs built not one temple 10 Go,
. Thcbcs hated righteousness and love
, sin. Thcbes was q star, but she turned
, NORWOOD and has iallen.'
BabylOn-wiih her $50 towers and he
brazcn gates and her ombaiilcd walls, tll
splondor Of the earth gathered within h'
4 palaces, her hanging gardens built u
/, Ncbuchadncuar 10 please his bird
: A1yitiis, who had been brought mp In
mountainous country and could not ei
: durc the fiat country round Babylol
|. these hanging gardens built, tcrmoc ab0,
I. terrace, I'LL, at the hight of 400 feet, thei