Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-11

thing to do with such property. Now
l ask you what assurance can you Civ
me that this world is not going to b'
burned up? Absolutely none. Geoio'
gists tell US that 1t is already on IRE
that the heart of the world is on,
great living coal; that it is jus
like ship on fire at SEES, the fame!
not bursting out because the matches
sre Kept down. And yet you propose tt
palm of on me, In return for my soul, 8
world for which, in the first place, you give
no title, and in the second place, fol
which you can give no insurance. son.
you say, "the water OF the oceans will
wash over all the land and put out TIE
fre.n Nh, no. There are infammable
elements in the water, hydrogen and oxy.
gen. Call of the hydrogen, and then the
Atlantic and the Pacific oceans wonld
blaze like heaps OF shsvings. You want
me to take this world, for which you Can
give no possible insurance.
Astronomers have swept their tele-
scopes through the sky and have found
out that there have been thirteen worlds,
n the last two centuries, .hst have dlsap-
peared. At first they looked Just like
other worlds. Then they got deeply red
they were On fire. Then they got ashen,
showing they were burned down. Then
| they disappeared, showing that even the
ashes were scattered. And II the geolo-
gist be right in his prophecy, then
our world is to go in the came
way. And yet you wan me to exchange
my soul for it. All, no; 1t is world
that Is burning now. Suppose you
brought 40 insurance agent to
look st your property for the purpose of
giving You a policy upon il, and while he
stood in front of the mouse he should say:
"THAT HOUSE Is ON FIRE
now il the Basement" you could not get
any insurance upon 1t. Yet you talk
ABOUT this world as though 1t were safe
investment, "a fhough you could get
some insurance upon it, when down in
the basement 1t is Oh hre.
1 remark, also, that this world is
property, with which everybody who has
taken 1t as possession has had trouble.
Now, l know krge reach OF lAud that is
not built on. ask what is the matter,
and they reply that every
body wo has had anything to do
with that property got into trouble
about 1t. 1t is just so with this worlt;
everybody that mas had nyhiug to do
with IL, as q possession, has been In per
plexity. How was 1t with Lord Byron2
Did he not sell his immortal soul for the
purpose Of getting the world? Was he
satisfied with the possession? Alas! alas!
the poem graphically describes his case
when it says:
DRANK every cup of1oy,
Heard every trump OF fame,
Drank early. deeply drank.
Drank draughts which common millions might
Quenched.
Then died of thirst because ,thsre was no
more to. drink"
Oh, yes he had trouble with It.; and so
did Napoleon. After conquering nations
By the force of the sword, n: LIED down
to die, his entire possessiC the military
boots that he insisted on having upon
his feet while he was dying. So it
has been with men who had better amoi-
ton. Thackeray, one of the most genial
and lovsble souls, after he had won the
applause OF all intelligent lands through
his
WONDERFUL GENIUS,
sits down in 9 Restaurant in Paris, looks
to the other end of the room, and won
ders whose that forloin and Wretched'
face IS; rising up az er a while, he finds
that it is Thackeray in the mirror. On,
yes, this world is s cheat. Talk about !
6 msn gaining the world! Who ever |
gained haif of the word2 Who ever
owned q hemisphere? Who ever gained |
a continent? Who ever owned Asia? |
Who ever gained a city? Who ever
owned Brooklyp2 Talk about gaining
the world! No man ever gained it, or
the hundred-thousandJn part of 1t. You
are demanding that sell my soul, not
for the world, but for fragment of it.
Here is man who has had q large estate
for forty or ffty years. He lies down
to die. You ssy: "That msn
Is worth millions snd millions
Of dollars" Is hep You call up 6 sur
7eyor, with his COMPASS snd chains, snd
7ou say: "There is property extending
TIRE: miles in one direction, and three
miles Ia another direction" Is that the
way to measure that mans property?
MOI You do not want any surveyor with
lie compass and chains Thst is not the
Isy you wsnt to measure that mans
property now. 1t is an undertaken that
you need, who will come and put his finger
n mis- vest pocket, and taks out tape
inc, and he will measure five feet nine
inches one way, and TWO feet and half
ne other way. That is the mans prop
,Ity. Ga, no, forgot; not SO much as
hat, for he does NOT own even the place
where he lies in the cemetery. The deed
o that belongs to the executors and the
lefrs. Ga, what a property you propose
o give me for my soul! II you sell q
ill Of goods, you 60 into your counting
Dom and say to your partner: "Do you
hink that man ia good for this bill? Can
lie give proper sacuSitj? VIII he meet
his payment" Now, when you are Of
cred this world as possession, want
on to
TEST THE MATTER.
l do not want you to go into ,,
his bargain blindiy. I want you to
SIX about the title, about the Insurance, :
bout whether men have ever had anv :
rouble with it, shout whether you can !
eep it, about whether you can get all, ;
+ the ten thousandth, or one hundred ,
aousandth part Of it.
There is tie world now. / shsll say no ,
,ore shout it. Make up your mind for :
ourself, as shall, before God, have to .
lake up my mind for myself, ABOUT the \
alue Of this world. 1 cannot afford to :
lake mistake for my soul, and you can !
OF AFFORD to mske mistake for your .
oul. .
Now, let Us look at the other property .
the soul. We cannot make 4
argain without seeing the COM =
arative value. The soul! how shall \
stimste the value of it2 Well, by it's ex- y
lisite ors aniZs tion. It is the most r