Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-06-26

earth itself will not be worth farthing, a
! heap of ashes scattered in the whirlwind,
they are now giving their time and eternity
for the acquisition of so much of it as you
might at last hold in the hollow of one
hand.
The American Indian who gave enough
land TO make a state out of for string Of
beads made princely bargain compared
with the speculation of that man who gains
the whole world and loses his own soul
How much comfort do The men e ke who
died unforgiven ten years ago, leaving
large fortunes to their heirsy Do they ever
come up to count the gold they boarded or
walk through the mansions they built?
Though they could have bought an EN-
pire, they have not now as much money as
you have this moment in your pocket
Solomon looked upon his palace and the
grounds surrounding it, pools trimmed with
gold and circling roads along which at
times rushed his fourteen hundred chart
OTIS, while under the outbranching syca-
mores and cedars walked the apes and pea
cocks which by the navy of Hiram had
been brought from Tarshish, and from the
window curtains with embroidered gold
WHICH Out iIt
thrill of harps and psalteries mingling
with the song of the waters
When Solomon saw that all these luxu-
ries of sight and sound had been pur-
chased by his wealth he broke forth in
the exclamation, money answereth all
things" But we cannot receive it as lit
eral It cannot still the voice Of con
science, II cannot drown the sorrows of the
: f,1,f L,sila ir,t . a Lat ~
death 1t cannot unlock the gate of heaven.
The tower of Sloan fell and killed eight
cen of its admirers: but this idol, to whose
worship the exchanges and banks and Gus
tom houses Of the world have been dedi-
Gated, will fall aud crush to death its thou
sands But | cannot enumerate the idola-
tries to which men give themselves. They
are kept by them from a religious life.
"Ye cannot serve God and Mammon, and
the first thing that Christ does when he
comes into the temple Of the soul is to
drive out the exchangers.
AFRAID OF SELF DENIAL
But il was not only the gods of Moab
that made Orpah leave her sister and
mother-n-law She doubtless had a dread
of the hardship to which they would be
exposed on the journey TO Bethlehem, and
less some Of you have been appalled, and
driven back by the self denials of the
Christian life. The taunt of the world. the
charge Of hypocrisy which they would
sometimes be Obliged to confront has kept
many away from the land Of Bethlehem
They spend their life in counting the cost,
and because Christian lie demands SO
much courage and faith they dare not be-
gin TO build Perhaps they are courageous
in every other respect. They are not timid
in presence Of any danger except that Of
trusting ia the infinite mercy Of Christ
The sheep are more afraid of the shep- /
herd than Of the wolves They shrink /
away from the presence Of Christ as
though he were "A tyrant rather than
friend who sticketh closer than brother
They feel more safe in the ranks of the en-
envy where they must suffer infinite defeat 1
than in the army Of Christ which shall be I
more than conquerors through him that /
loved them. Men shiyer and tremble be- I
fore religion rs though they were com. /
manded to throw their life away, rs though (
ii were a surrender of honor and manli- I
ness and reason and self respect and all 4
that is worth keeping
What has tod ever done that his mercy .
should be doubtcdf Was there ever sor-
row of his frailest child that he did not
pityg Was there ever a soul that he left 4
unhelped in the darknesss Was there ever
a martyr that he did not strengthen in the
flames? Was there ever "A dying man 10
whose relief he did not come at the cry Of (
Lord Jesus. receive my spirit Aye, my
soul, what has God done that SO basely
thou hast doubted him2 Did he make the
whole earth deserts Are all the skies
dark and storm swept Is life all sickness
Is the air all plagueg Are there nothing
but rods and scorpions and furnacesg God
knew how many suspicious and unbeliefs
men would entertain in regard to him, and
therefore. after makinga multitude of plain
and precious promises, he places his hand
on his own heart and swears by his own
existence: AS live. saith the Lord God
! have no pleasure in the death of him that
dieth"
Why then fight against God? This day
the battle RACES Thou art armed with thy
sins, thy ingratitude, thy neglects, and
Christ is armed against thee, but his wea-
pons are tears, are dying agonies, are calls
to mercy, and the battle cry which he this
day sends over thy souls as he rushes to
ward thee is Save thee from going down
10 the pit, for have found ransom"
would not envy thy victory, o hearer, il
thou dost conquer, for what wilt thou do
with the weaponssthou hast snatched from
the armed Redeemer, what with the tears,
what with his dying agonies, what with
his calls to mercys Would God that Orpah
would get tired of Moab Would God that
Orpah would 20 to Bethlehem
A Very Hasiy Girl.