The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-18


all the shepherds are destroyed except
myself" Stand aside. Another mcsscn-
ger running. What h the matter now
oh" he saws, "the Chndcans have
captured the camcls and slain al the
ramel-drivers except myself. stand
aside. Another messenger running. What
Is the matter now
"Oh, lac saws. "a hurricane struck the
four corners OF the tent whore your chill
iren were assembled nc the banquet, aud
hey are all dead.
But the chapter Of calamity had not
ended. Job was smittcn with elephant
nsis, or black leprosy Tumors from head
20 loot, forehead ridged with tuhcrclc~,
oyelashes fall out. nostrils CXcoratcd,
voice destroyed, intolcpble exhaations
from the entire body until with none TO
dress his sores ne sits down In the ashes
with nothing but pieces OF broken pot
terry 90 use in tho surgery OF his wounds.
AZ this moment, when he needed all en-
rouragement, and all consolation, his
wife comes in, In a fret and rage, and
says:
This Is inlolcrablc. our property
pone, our children slain, and now YOU
covered mp with this loathsomc and dis
gushing disease. Why don't you swear?
Curse God, and dic!'
All, Job knew right well that swearing
would not cure one OF the tumors OF his
sgonizcd body, would not bring back one
of his destroyed camcls, would not restore
one OF his dead children. He knew that
profanity would only make the pain more
ruboarabie. and the poverty moro dis
lresing, and the bereavement more cX-
nruciating But, judging from the proian-
itv abroad i'm our day, YOU might come 20
the conclusion that there was come great
advantage to be rcapcd from profanity.
Blasphemy il all abroad. You hear IL
in every direction. The druyman swear
ing az his cart, the sewing girl imprcealing
the tangled skcin. thc accountant cursing
the long line OF troublesome figures.
Swearing 10 the store, swearing in the
loft swearing in the cellar, swearing on
the street. swearing in the factory. Chill
dren swear Men swear. Women swear.
swearing from the rough calling on the
The Almighty in the low restaurant clear
up 20 the reckless "Oh Lord :" OF glitter
Ing drawing-roOm and the one is a. much
blasphemy a the other.
There are times when we must cry out
% the Lord by reason of our physical
agony or our mental distress, and that il
only throwing ont our weak hand toward
the strong arm OF a father. II was no pro-
family when James a. Garfield, shot in
the Washington depot, cried ont: MY
God, what does this mean2' There is no
profanity in calling ont upon God i'm the
day of trouble. in the day of darkness, in
the day OF physical anguish, in the day OF
bereavement; but am speaking now Of
the triviality and OF the rccklessncss with
which the name oil God IS sometimes man
aged The whole land Is cursed with H.
4 gentleman coming from the far West
sat in the ear day after day behind two
persons who were indulging I'm profanity,
and ne made up his mind ne would make
n record OF their prOianities, and NJ the
end Of two days several sheets OF paper
were filed with these imprccations and
at the end OF the journey he handed the
paper 10 one OF the persons in front OF
him.
as IL possible" said the man, "tbat we
have uttered 30 many prolanlties the last
few days?'
ut Is. replied the gentleman.
Then" said the man who had taken
the manuscript, II will never swear again"
But it is a comparatively unimpoTtant
thing il q man makes record Of our impro-
prieties OF speech. The more memorable
consideration Is that every improper word,
every oath uttered, has n record in the
book Of Gods remembrance, and that the
day will come when all our crimes OF
speech, II unrepented OF, will be our con
domination. ] shall not to-day deal in abb
stracfions. i hate distractions. am go
ing 10 have q plain talk with you, my
brother, about habit that you admit 10
be wrong.
The habit grows in the community in
the fact that young people think il manly
70 swear. Little children, hardly able TO
walk straight on the street, yet have
enough distinctness OF utterance to let you
known that they are damning their own
souls, or damning the souls Of others. IL
is an awful thing the first time the little
feot are lifted 10 have them set down on
the burning pavement Of hell
Between sixteen and twenty years OF
age, there Is apt TO come q time when a
Young man is as much ashamed Of not
being able 10 swear gracefully rs he is of
the dizziness Of bis first cigar. He has his
hat. his boot, and his coat OF the right pat
tern, and now, ii he can only swear with
ont awkwardness, and as well as his COM
radcs, he believes he is in fashion. There
are young men who walk in an atmos-