The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-01

Grace Darl1ngs ana the Ida LewiseS and the
! lifeboat men lowering around Goodwin's
! Sands and the Skerries. The sea, owning
| three-fourths of the earth, proposes to cap
ture the other fourth, and is bombarding the
land all around the earth. The moving Of
our hotels at Brighton Beach backward 100
| yards from where they once stood, q type
of what is going on all around the world
and on every coast. The Dead Sea rolls to-
day where ancient cities stood. Pillars Of
temples that stood on hills biologists now
find three-quarters under the water or alto
| gether submerged. The sea, having wrecked
so many merchantmen and f~iotillas, wants
to wreck the continents, and hence disasters
oceanic.
Look at the disasters epidemic. I speak
not OF the plague in the fourth century that
ravaged Europe; and in Moscow and the
Neapolitan dominions and Marseilles
wrought such terror in the eighteenth CEN
tury, but look at the yellow feyers, and
the choleras, and the diphtherias and tho
scarlet fevers, and the typhoids Of our own
time. Hear the wailing Of Memphis and
Shreveport and New Orleans and Jackson
Vile Of the last few decades. From Hurd-
war, India, where every twelfth year 3,000,-
900 devotees congregate, the caravans
brought the cholera, and that one disease
slew Is, 600 in eighteen days In Bossorah.
Twelve thousand in one summer slain by il
in India and $4,000 in Egypt. Disasters
epidemic. Some of the finest monuments
in Greenwood and Laurel Hill and Mount
Auburn are to doctors who lost their life
battling with southern epidemic.
But now | turn the leaf in my subject, and
l plant the white lilies and the palm tree
amid the nightshade and the myrtle. This
age no more characterized by wonders of
disaster than by wonders of blessing. Bless
ing of longevity; the average of human life
rapidly increasing. Forty years now worth
four hundred years once. Now | can travel
from Manitoba TO New York in three days
and three nights. In other times IL would
have taken three months. In other words,
three days and three nights now are worth
three months of other days. The average of
human life practically greater now than
when Noah lived his $50 years and Methusd--
leh lived his 069 years. Blessings Of intelli-
gcnce: The Salmon 7. Chases and the
Abraham Linoolns and the Henry Wilson's
Of the coming time will not be required to
learn TO read by pine knot lights, or seated
on shoemaker's bench, nor will the Fergu-
sons have 20 study astronomy while watch
ing the cattle. knowledge rolls its tides
along every poor mans door, and his
children may go down and bathe in
them. II the philosophers Of the last GEN.
tuiy were called up TO recite in a class with
our boys at the Polytechnic, or our girls at
the Packer, those old philosophers would be
sent down TO the foot Of tine class because
they failed TO answer the questions Free
libraries in all the important towns and
cites OF the land. Historical alooyes and
poetical shelves and magazine tables for all
that desire TO walk through them or sit down
at them. Blessings Of quick information:
Newspapers falling all around us thick as
leaves in September equinociial. News three
DAYS old, rancid and stale. We sec the
whole world twice n day-through the news
paper at the breakfast table, and through the
-. a IL - IL - -
here and there between.
Blessing Of Gospel proclamation: Do you
not know that nearly all the missionary So
cieties have been born I'm this country and
nearly all the Bible societies, and nearly all
the great philanthropio movements A sec
Rotary OF one Of the denominations said TO
me the other day in Dakota: You were
wrong when you said our denominations
averaged a new church every day Of the
year; they established nine in one week, so
you are far within the truth" A clergyman
Of our own denomination said: II have
Just been out establishing five mission sta
tons" ] tell you Christianity Is on the
march, while iniidelity is d%windling into
imbccility. While inhdelity Is thus Twin
ding and dropping down into imbecility
and indccency. the wheel OF Christianity Is
making about 1000 revolutions in n minute.
All the copies Of Shakespeare and Tennysnn
and Disraeli and OF any ten Of the most
popular writers OF the day, less In number
than the copies OF the Bible going out from
our printing presses. A few years ago, In
six weeks. more than 100000 copies OF the
New Testament purchased, not given away, :
but purchased because the world will have Il.
More Christian men In high official posi-
ton today In Great Britain aud In the
United States than ever before. Stop that
falsehood going through the newspapcrs-I
have seen Il In twenty-that the Judges Of
| fla kunFgma IUuFf aI fha Initial Afnfaa ara
all infdels except one. BY personal nc
qunintance I know three OF them 10 be old
fashioned evangelical Christians, sitting nj
the sacrament Of our Lord Jesus Christ and
| suppose that the majority Of them arc
stanch believers In our Christian religion.
And then hear the dying words OF Judge
Black, a man who had been attorney-gcneral
Of tho United States, no stronger lawyc- OF the
century than Judge ~Black-dying. his aged
wife knceling by his side, aud lac utierlng that
sublime and tender prayer 30 Lord God,
from whom | derived my existence, and In
whom | have always trusted, take my spirit
10 myself and let thy richest blessing como
down upon my Mary" The most popular
book today Is the Bible, and the mighticst
institution Is the church, and the greatest
name among the nations, and moro h0noTcd
than any other, Is the name Of Jcsus'
Wonders Of self-sacnico: A clergyman
told me In the Norhwosi that for six years
nc WIS n missionary NJ the cAtfttnc Nurtnt
living 900 miles from a postoflcc, and some
times he slept ont OF doors In winter, tho
thermometer COZ and Csc below zero, wrap
ped In rabbit skins woven together. I said:
Us Il p~ossiblcg You do not ucan Coz and
G5o bclow zerof' He said: II do, and /
was happy" All for Christ Where Il
there any other being that will rally such
enthusiasm Mothcn sewing their fingers
OF 10 educate their boys for the Gospel min
istry. For nine years no luxury ON the Ia
bic until the course through grammar school
aud college and theological seminary be
completed. Poor widow putting her mite
into tho Lords treasury, the face Of emperor
or president impressed upon the coin not 20
conspicuous A. the blood with which she
earned H. Millions Of good men and
women, but more women than men, 10
whom Christ II everything Christ inst and
Christ last and Christ forever.
Why, this age Is not 10 characterized BY
invention and scientific exploration as u Is
by Gospel proclamation. You can get no
idea OF IL unless you can ring all tho church
bells IN one chime, aud sound all the organs
IN one diapason, and gather all the congrcgn-
tons OF Chnstendoni In one Gloria ~ Ev-
cclsis. Mighty camp meetings. Mighty
Ocean Groves. Mighty C~hautauquns. Mighty
conventions Of Christian workers. Mighty
general assemblies OF the Presbyterian
Church. Mighty conferences OF the Mctho-
dist Church, Mighty associations Of tho
baptist Church. Mighty conventions Of tho
Episcopal Church. ! think before long tho
best Investments will not be In railroad stock
or Wcstern Union, but Va irumpcis or Gym
balls aud ieslai decorations for We are on tho