Milford chronicle., 1888-11-30
Away with the reptiiol God aBh0rs it with

Away with the reptilel God abhors it with
an all consuming abhorrence
Once more; take the suggestion Of the text.
and drive out the snail from your soul. God
has declared it unclean. Il is an animal 70
be found everywhere between the coldest
north and the hottest south. There are fifteen
hundred species Of the snail They have no
backbone, and they are so slow that their
movement is almost imperceptihle. You see
a snail in one place today; 60 tomorrow and
you will find It has advanced only a few
inches. 1t becomes an emblem Of that large
class Of Christian people who go to work
with slowness and sluggishness that is won
derful They are stopped by every little OBJ
stacle, because, like the snail, they have no
backbone. Others mount up on eagles
wings, but they go at a snsil's pace.
THE CoUsINsHIP OF PRUDENCE, LAzINEss.
sLoTH AND STUPIDITY.
Oh, child Of God, arousel We have apoth-
eosized Prudence and Caution long enough.
Prudence is beautiful grace, but Of all the
family Of Christian graces like her the least,
for she has been married so often to I.aziness,
Sloth and Stupidity. We have a million
idlers in the Lords vineyard who pride them
selves on their prudence "Be prudent, - said
the disciples OF Christ, "and stay away from
Jerusalem;" but he went "Be prudent. -
said Paul's friends, land look out what YOU
say to Felix, ~ but he thundered away until
the rulers knees knocked together
In the eyes Of the world, the most
mprudent men that ever lived were Martin
Luther, and John Oldcastle, and Wesley. and
Knox My opinion is that the most impru-
lent and reckless thing is to sand still. Il is
well TO hear our commanders voice when he
iays "HaltW but quite as important to hear it
when he says "Forwardn This Gospel shin
made to plow the sea at fifteen knots an
hour, is not making three. Sometimes it
Is most prudent to ride your horse
slowly and pick out the way for his
feet, and not strike him with the
spurs; but when band Of Shoshone Indians
are after you in full tilt, the most prudent
thing for you to do is to plunge in the rowels
and Put your horse to full run, shouting:
go 'longn until the Rocky mountains echo
it. The foes Of God are pursuing us. The
world, the flesh and the devil are after us;
and our wisest course is to 60 ahead at swift
est speed.
When the church Of God gets to advancing
too fast, II will be time enough to use eau
tion. No need Of putting on the brakes while
going up hill. Do not let US sit down wait
ing for something 'to turn up,n but 90 ahead
in the name of God, and turn it up. The
great danger to the church now is not sensa-
tion, but stagnation. Oh that the Lord God
would send host of aroused and conseorated
men to set the church on fire, and to turn the
world upside down, Let US go to work and
catch the last snail In our souls With divine
yehemence let US stamp its life out; for nv
text declares; "rhese also shall be unclean to
you among the creeping things that creep
upon the earth; the chameleon and the snail. -
have thus tried to prejudice these Chris
tian men and women against gloominess, and
SANDER, and half and half experiences. and
changeableness, and sloth. Our opportuni-
ties for getting better are being rapidly
swallowed up in the remorseless past. This
golden Sabbath is about to drop out of the
calendar This moment may we drive out
all the unclean things from our souls-the
vulrure, and the bat, and the owl, and the
chameleon, and the snail and in place there
of bring in the Lamb Of God, and the Dove
of the Spirit The case is urgent. Arousel
before it be eternally too latel "Whatso-
ever thy hand findeth to do do itIn