St. Landry democrat., 1889-10-19
A Short Sermon on Kickers.

We are told in the text, my beloved
hearers, that 'Jeshurun wsxed fat, and
+ kicked" Jeshurun was, therefore, so far
as the Scriptures inform US, the original
kicker l will advance to develop the text
under two heads, namely:
|. Jeshurun waXed fat
H. He kicked.
would merely remark, in passing, that
it seems quite likely he kicked because he
waxed fat.
|, And first, then, Jeshurun waxed fat,
which leads me to expound the various
kinds of fatness.
/. He may have only waxed fat in his
own mind. His belief that he was actually
fat may have only been, as Governor Will
liam Allen of Ohio, used to say, with q
bad word pre6xed, "a barren Ideally p"
his assumption of size may have had no
more solid foundation than that of the frog
in the fable, who filled himself with wind
in trying to be as big as an OK. Jeshurun
NAV have had neither wit, wisdom nor
wealth but being dressed in little brief
authority, could only satisfy his own sense
of importance and secure the notice which
his vanity ,raved, by kicking. There are
such mentioned in the Bible, my brethren
-s'heady" high minded" "puffed up"
with feeling of their own bigness, which
is 10 here but in their own thoughts.
2. Or, again, Jeshurun may have had
much money, but along with it much ig-
norance. He made his pile some years
ago by sharp corner in guano or sudden
rise in soap-fat. He was put upon the
board to fatter him, over more suitable
men, in hope the church might get some
of his wealth. Verify, the church had its
reward With q vast assumption OF Wis
dom he lectus1d the minister upon the
proper doctrines to preach. He hectored
the Sunday school teachers, he dictated to
the treasurer and pew committee, ne
vetoed every plan of church work thst he
did not propose. Let US wrestle with our
feelings, brethren. 1t was hard to stand
him. but it served US right, for we knew
how to do better.
IL. 1. | will proceed to remark, in the
second place, my dear friends, that Jeshu-
run, having waxed fat, kicked. 1t runs IN
nv mind, however, that | have already
minated something of the sort, and thus,
in measure, anticipated this branch OF
the subject But his kicking was so
patiently continued, SO reiterated, and it
was of such an aggressive quality, so pecu-
liarly his own, rs it were, that may per-
haps be INDUCED in dwelling little more
fully upon particulars. He kicked in sea-
son and out of season. Was protracted
meeting proposed, he kicked; was a sink
ing fund for the payment of the cnurch
debt set on foot, he kicked did the leaders
of the Thursday night meeting introduce
fresh devices to add to it's interest, he
kicked did the new minister come eating
and drinking, he kicked; did he come
neither eating nor drinking, he kicked
He was an individual who made his way
in the world by progressing backward,
with his heels all the while in active oper-
alton, playing a tattoo upon everything
that stood in the way.
2. Finally, my beloved brethren, let us
contemplate the results of Jeshurun's kick
ing. II is very important to notice that
while the Scriptures affirm he was tat
when he began to kick, they do not state
that he remained SO. On the contrary, 1t
seems very likely that he kicked all the
fat off, and thus became quite lean. even
like unto Pharaoh's lean kline. Perhaps
if, according to our first suppositlon, he
was only pulled up with windy self-lm-
portance, somebody caused his collapse by
some sharp thrust of indignation, as bloate q
cattle are sometimes relieved by staoDlns.
| But if his sebaceous substance was OF
second sort, it is at least certain that ne al
| length kicked himself spiritually lean
No kicker can long keep fat He ma.
have grown up as the calves OF the stall
his hide may have been glossy, his ribe
will covered with the plumpest flesh but
| an undue indulgence of the kicking pro
| pensity well soon make him so poor that
he is fit for nothing but to be manufac,
tured into glue, buttons and commercial
| fertilizer.
Most melancholy of all, my dear hear
ers, was the effect of Jeshurun's kicking
upon others. They took to kicking IL
their turn. The whole herd was affected
with bad humor. Nobody proposed any
thing but that all the rest either surllly
shook their horns or turned their heels
upon it. AS result, the church to which
Jeshurun belonged kicked itself to pieces
| Next, its individual members broke thel1
legs kicking at each other. Finally, a:
they lay upon the ground, unable to stanc
longer, they broke their backs KICKING
into the air in pure uglfness. Then they
were dragged out by the heels to the bone
yard, and more peaceful race took pos
session of their place.
Now, my esteemed people, hear the ap
plication. Beware of falling into thu
habit of kicking. Hold your feet to tn
ground. They are to walk with; to carr.
You forward to help your fellow-meh il
their plans for doing good, and not to bat
ter them with. Avoid getting your bacl
up and your heels into the air. From
treason, murder, sudden death and al
kickers, good Lord, deliver us = Western
Christian ADVOCATE.