Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-08-10
homes. They took their blankets and

homes. They took their blankets and
their pickaxes and their pistols and
went 10 the wilds Of California. Cities
sprung up suddenly on the Pacific
coast Merchants put aside their ele-
giant apparel and put ON the miners
garb. All the land was full of the talk
about gold. Gold in the eyes, gold in
the ears. gold in the wake Of ships.
gold in the streets-gold, gold, gold.
Word comes 10 us that the mountain
Of Gods love is full Of bright treas
urc; that men have been dig
ging there. and have brought up
gold, and amethyst, and carbunclc,
and jasper, and sardonyx. and chryso-
prglslis, and all the precious stones out
Of which the walls Of heaven were
buildcd. Word comes of man who,
digging in that mine for one hour, has
brought up treasures worth more than
all the stars that keep vigil over our
sick aud dying world. Is it bogus
company that is formedl Is 1t unde-
vcloped tcrritoryi Oh no, the story is
true. There are thousands of people
in this audience who would be willing
la rise and testify that they have dis
covered that gold, and have it in their
possession. Notwithstanding all this,
what is the circumstance One would
suppose that the announcement would
send people in great excitement up
and down our streets, that at midnight
men would knock ut your door, asking
how they may get those trcasurts. In
stead Of that, many of us put our hands
behind our back and walk up and
down in front Of the mine of eternal
riches, and say: well, il ] am to be
saved. | will bc saved; and If am to
he damned Twill be damned. and there
is nothing 10 do about it," Why, my
brother, do you not do that way in
business matiersl Why do you not
tomorrow go TO your store and sit
down and fold your arms and say:
If these goods are To be sold,
they will be sold; aud If they
not be sold; there is nothing
for inc TO do about il" No,
you dispatch your agents, you print
your advertisements. you adorn your
show windows, you push those goods.
you use the instrumcntality. Oh that
men were as wise in the matter of tile
soul as they are wise in the matter Of
dollars and cents This doctrine OF
Gods sovereignty, how it is misquotcd
and spoken of ms though it were an
iron chain which bound us hand and
foot for time and for eternity, when,
so far from that, in every fiber of your
body, in every faculty of your mind,
in every passion Of your soul, YOU are
free man aud it is no more matter of
free choice whether you will to-mor-
row 20 abroad or stay at home. than
il is this moment a matter of free
choice whether you will accept Christ
or reject him. In all the army Of
banners there is not one couscripi
Men are not 10 bc drlgooncd into
heaven. Among all the tens of thou.
sands Of the Lords soldicry there is not
one man but will tell you: Il chose
Christ; ] wanted him; | desired to bc
in his service; am not Il conscriW- i
am a volunteer" Oh, that men had the
same common sense III the matters of
religion that they have in the matters
of the world-the same concentration.
the same push. the same enthusiasm.
In the one ease II secular enthusiasm;
in the other. a coiISccrsited enthusiasm.
THEY MAKE HASTE SLOWLY.
Again remark: We want more
common SENSE IN the building up and
cmlar.ing of orr Christian character
There ara men here who have for forty
years been running the Christian
race. and they have not run "a quarter
of II mile.
No business man would he willin.
L. have his Investments unaccumula
tive. Ii you invest II dollar you
expect that dollar To come home bring.
ing another dollar on its back What
would Auu think uf II man, who should
invest lea thousand dollars IN mon.
ctaiy INSTITUTION. then ~ oil for tive
wears. make no inquiry IN regard To
TIE investment. thea come back. step
M la the cashier Of the institution
and say Have you kept these ten
ii;"t,ai:l dollars safely that lodged
vita you. but asking no question
about interest ar about dividend
Why, you say. That is not common
>cusr Neither is il, but that Is the
way we act in matters of the soul
We ui; sea far more important invest
mcni than ten thousand dollars. We
invest ar soul. Is il accumulaiivct
ARR We growing III grace: Are we
getting better. Are We getting worse.
Good declares many dividends, but we
do mol collect them. we do not ASK
about item. We do not want them
Oh that IN this matter Of accumula
tlusi We were as wise in the matters Of
the suUl as We are in the matters Of
the world.
COMMON SENSE Is SCRIPTURE READING
How it'll" common sense III the
reading OF the Scriptures! We get
amy other book and we open il and We
sly Now. what does this book mean
To- teach mc. II i u book ON astronomy,
1t viii teach me astronomy. 1t is Il
book on political economy; II will
teach NC political economy" Taking
up the Bible. do we ask ourselves what
i, means 10 tcacht 1t means To do jus,
one thing: get the world converted
and get Us all 10 heaven. That i what
IL proposes To do But instead OF that,
We % into the Bible as botanists Ia
pick flowers. ar we 20 as pugiliStS Ia
get something 10 light other Christians
with. or We 90 as logicians trying To
sharpen our mental faculties for bet
Ter argument. and we do not like this
about the Bible, and we do not like
that. aud we do not like the other
thing What would you think Of
niaa lost on the mountains! Nigh,
has come down; he cannot lind his
way home aud hc sees q light IN Il
mountain cabin; he goes To il, he
knocks ut the door; the mountainccr
comes ont aud finds the traveller aud
says: well. here | have lantern
you can take il and il will guide you
on the way home" and suppose tina,
man should say: Il don't like tina,
lantern. don't like the handle Of IT,
there are ten or fifteen things about II
don't like; il you cant give me
better lantern than that won't have
any"