West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-09-19
THE SUNRISE.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE DAWN
Taimage Stirred TO GIadness BY the
Outlook of the World.


and the springs and the farmhouse, your
cheek bronzed and your spirits lighted L hail
you home again with the words of Gehazi TO
tho Shunammite: us IL well with theeS IL
IL well with thy husband? Is IL well with the
childp On some faces i see the mark OF re-
cent grief, but all along the track of tears
see the story OF resurrection and reunion
when all tears are done: the deep blowing OF
the keel, followed by the fash OF the phos-
phoresence.
Now that have asked you in regard Co
your welfare, you naturally ask how i am.
Very we'll thank you Whether II was the
bracing air OF the Colorado mountains, H.
700 feet above the level OF the sea- or tho
tonic atmosphere of the Pacific coast, or n
bath in the surf OF Long Island beach or
whether IL is the joy Of standing in this great
group OF warm hearted friends, whether
II Is new appreciation of the goodness OF
God, | cannot tell. l simply know 1 am
grendly and gloriously and inexpres-
sibly happy. IL was said that John
Moffatt the great Methodist preacher,
occasionally got fast in his sermon, and TO
extricate himself would cry ''HallelujahP' 1
am in no such predicament to-day but am
full OF the same rhapsodic ejaculation. Start
ing out this morning on new ecclesiastical
year, want to give you the key note of my
next twelve months ministry. 1 want TO set
IL TO the tune of Antioch, Ariel and Corona
ton. Some time ago we had n new stop put
IN this organ-a new trumpet stop-and
want to put new trumpet stop into my SER
mons.
In all our Christian work you and 1 want
more of the element of gladness. That man
has no right to say that Christ never laughed.
Do you suppose that He was glum at the we'd
ding in Cana of Galilee? Do you suppose
Christ was unresponsve when the children
claElbered over His knee and shoulder at His
own invitation? Do you suppose that the
evangelist meant nothing when he said of
Christ: He rejoiced in spirity' Do you
believe that the Divine Christ who pours
NIL tho water the rorlfc nj al
Falls, Yosemite, does not believe i'm the
sparkle and gallop and tumultuous Joy
and rushing raptures of human life2
believe not only that the morning laughs, and
that the mountains laugh, and that the seas
laugh, and that the cascades laugh, but that
Christ laughed. Moreover, take laugh and
n tear into an alembic, and assay them, and test
them and analyze them, and you will often
find as much of the pure gold of religion In n
laugh as in a tear. Deep spiritual joy always
shows itself in facial illumination John
wesley said he was sure of n good religious
impression being produced because of what
he calls the great laughter he saw among the
people. Goddess merriment is blasphemy
anywhere but expression of Christian Joy is
appropriate everywhere.
Moreover the outlook of the world ought
to stir us TO gladness. Astronomers recently
disturbed many people by telling them that
there is danger of stellar collision. We have
been told through the papers by these as
tronomers that there are worlds coming very
near together, and that we shall have
plaques and wars and tumults and perhaps
the worlds destruction. Do not be scared
III you have ever stood at q railroad center
where ten or twenty or thirty rail
tracks cross each other, and seen
that by the movement of the switch one or
two inches the train shoots this way and that
without colliding, then you may understand
how fifty worlds may come within an inch
OF disaster, and that inch be as good as a mill
lon miles. II human switchtender can
shoot the trains this way and that without
harm, cannot the Hand that for thousands
of years has upheld the universe keep our lit
Tie world out of harms way2 Christian geo
logists tell us that this world was million of
years in building; Well, now, L do
not think God would take millions OF wears
TO build a house which was TO last only six
thouaand years. There is nothing in the
world or outside the world, terrestrial or
astronomical, 10 excite dismay. L wish that
some stout Gospel breeze might scatter all
the malaria of human foreboding. The sun
rose this morning at about half-past s. and
think that is just about the hour in the
worlds history. THE day is at hand"
The first ray of the dawn L see in the
gradual substitution of diplomatic skill for
human butchery. Within the last twenty
tye years there have been international
differences which would have brought a
shock of arms in any other day, but which
were peacefully adjusted, the pen taking the
place of the sword
That Alabama question in any other
age of the world would have caused
war between the United States and
England. How was it settledp BY
menof-war Off the Narrows or off the
Mersey? By the Gulf Stream of the ocean
crossed by a gulf stream of human blood2
BY the pathway of nations incarnadined? No
a Few wise men go into quiet room at Gen.
eva, talk the matter over and telegraph to
Washington and to London: "All settled"
Ieace. Peace. England pays TO the United
states the amount awarded-pays really
more than she ought TO have paid. But still,
all that Alabama broil is settied-settled for
ever. Arbitration instead of battle
SO, the quarrel eight or nine years ago
about the Canadian fisheries in any other age
would havo caused war between the United
States and England. England said: ''Pay
me for the invasion OF my Canadian fisher
les The United States said: 'J will not paw
anything" Well, tho two nations say: II
guess we had better leave the whole matter
20 commission" The commission is ap-
Pomted, and the commission examines the
aHelr, ana the commission reports and nav
We ought pay we must. pay we do Not n
pound OF powder burned, not cartridge Bit
Ten on, no one hurt 50 much as by the
scratch OF pin. Arbitration instead of
So tho Somoan controversy i'm any other
age would have brought Germany and tho
United States i'm bloody collision But ali ig
settled; Ar,bitration- instead Of battle
france VIII never again, think through
peccadillo Of ambassador, bring on n hattie
with other nations She sees that God In
punishment Of Sedan, blotted out the French
Empire, and the only aspirant Of that throne
VINO hed any right Of expectation dies in n
war that has not even the dignity OF being
respectable. What is that blush ON the
cheek OF England to-day What is the lear
that England would like 70 tear out Of her
historyl The Zulu war Down with the
sword and up with the treaty.
81, we IN this country might better have set
Yea our sectional difficulties by arbitration
tnon ny the thrust Of the sword Philan-
thropy said 70 the North. PAY down n cor
tain amount Of money for the purchase Of tho
slaves and let all those born after n certain
time Do born frea." Philanthropy at tine .arne
time said tO the South: ''You seli Che slaves
aud get rid ~ this great national contest and
trouble" The North replied. 'T won't paw
cent. Iho South replied. "I won't geiI 3
war; war; million dead men and m ma
uonai debt which might have ground this ma
ton 90 powder
Why did We not lot W lillian RI. Seward Of
rev York, and Alexander IT, Stevens. of
1eorgia, 90 out and spend q few DAYS under
the trees ON tho banks OF the Potomac and
tax the matter over and settle H. rs settle
% they could. rather than the North pay I'm
cost of war -four billion seven hundred mil
lion dollars aud The South pay four billion
Heven hundred and fifty million dollars tho
destroying angel leaving the first born dead
in 70 many houses al tho way from tho PEN
ouscrt ~ tho Alabama We AGED mon