St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-05

PASTOR AND PULPIT.
Rev. w. S. Vail breaches on
the Sure Punishment Of
Shining.
No Crime So Secret But the
Avenger Will Come in
Due Time.
Rev. Butriek Disappoints the
Seeker After Local Sem
sations,
And breaches a Commonplace
Sermon in an Orthodox
Style.


ished," and said: 1.-The present time is
the most important for the consideration
of theme like this; for if it had been
proposed but little while ago opinion
would have largely decided that while
| men were not punished through moral
laws, there awaited the wicked a burn
ing sea, in which would be immersed
for endless ages these who did not ac-
cept forgiveness for their sins. As the
public mind gives up that theory, there
comes the important adjustment of
| making decision as to what we do
hold as theory to take the place of
the vanishing one. If that is abandoned,
is there any to take its place? And
strange as it may seem to the casual OBJ
server, there seems to be two sides to
question that should have only one.
But in order to keep on the ground of
certainty let us take the facts of his
tory recently detailed, and in all proba-
bllity extreme. but for that reason all
the more important. Here is young
woman who passes the various steps of
drama from the inception of the plot
the final climax; and every step is
connected with our study. She is the
pride of home that contains every
comfort, If not every luxury.
ClandestineIy Married
she still faces her mother and father
each day at the party, skating. driving
or reading, she is the picture of happi-
ness. Like a nihiliSt. she is placing
dynamite beneath the foundation of
sthat home, she yet seems entirely filed
| with the sense enjoyment. Then a
change. Her husband, married in
10 fsNh 1an not. 70
than casting off a garment that no
longer pleases. Now we see her in
England and Scotland, among historic
scenes, watching the course of historic
rivers, standing beside crumbling cas-
ties, visiting historic halls, where wealth,
beauty and fashion gathered to see the
browning of Il king or hear the condem-
nation of criminals. And here. too, she
bore double secret. Here. too, she de-
celved the best friends on earth, and once
more had made an alliance that meant
mischief as soon as the movement of
this drama allowed conclusion to be
reached by the lines of action that
meant catastrophe. And finally we see
her once more casting Off the second
husband for the first. To escape prison
bars and striped suit, gaily departing
with her first choice to distant home.
And the sun seemed to shine brightly
for her. So far as appearances are con-
cerned, she Is not half as much troubled
as the contentious mother VINO has
watched for long hours to know the
way of right and followed it as the
mariner follows his compass. So far as
appearances are concerned, many
girl who is trying as honestly in the
sight of heaven as she may be able to
live right. has more pangs of conscience
in an hour than this one had in whole
journey. And even in the midst of the
complication, like the hero of old, she
seemed TO solve the difficulty of
Untying the GOrdian Knot
by cutting it without ceremony. What
then shall we say of the case? For
moment we feel when deeply stirred,
the old feeling touches us that has
moved men from the beginning of his
tory. What gave rise to the idea that
Nemesis, a woman stronger than the
furles, swifter than the winds, terrible
as the lightning, followed men through
traekless deserts, over unploWed oceans,
never allowing them rest or peace for
moment. What gave rise to the feeling
in the mind of the inhabitant of the
Mediterranean island that a criminal
might escape shipwreck, law, danger,
but that the viper. as the instrument of
Providence, would strike him dead? 1t
towards truth, have in the morning of
the world felt that in some way even
natural powers must be arrayed on the
side of right; and have formed these
quaint fantastic ideas of the methods
used. And at first thought all agree
that in some form or other the theory
must have truth.
But like Gethe's Faust we all have
our temper. Faust, sitting in his study,
f-O 40 cd h.yn lrfl n cf~ oIn
man, dressed in velvet dOublet, sport
ing gay feather, wearing a sardonic
smile upon his face, and doubling all
goodness or the promise of it. And the
same person comes to us all. He asks
us why we think that virtue is more de-
sirable. how we know that moral law
Furnishes sin. He points US
To the Daily Paper,
and then smiles while we are bordering
this whole problem and casting about for
IAN answer. Ana when we begin to think
the matter over it does seem discourage
ing. Is it profitable or just for this girl
to slave away with her needle in order
that she may lead virtuous life? Is it
just for men to work and sacrifice while
vice holds high carnival? And then
the light seems to go out; we are wad-
ing IN a swamp in thick darkness; we
rend over the mountains with our
cry. And it does sometimes seem
as if no voice made answer to our
pleading call. The heavens look calmly,
coldly down. Hoods Bridge of Signs
the young victim lying within hearing
distance of the dark river, that muir
murs in derisiOn as il rolls on, and can
not return the life it has taken away,
seems to symbolic the average expert
ence of men. But in the darkest hour
Hope sees a star, and listening love
can hear the rustle-of a wing"
What, then, can we say? That there
must be cause for every condition;
that the history of every life is symp-
tom that we study as the physician
studies the symptoms of disease; and
that this bit of history will reveal one
of several conditions which. studied,
will show US how the thing is done. We
do not come with emotional appeal. We
do-nOt come with preconceived theories.
We come just as a surgeon, with our
cuffs thrown off, our
GIittering Knife in Hand,
and ready to judge the case by its
merits. This case is symptom of one
of several conditions; it is either a case
of blunted conscience by heredity. or
an Unstable mind, or recklessness de-
velOped by the possession of peculiar
power over the minds OF other people.
If it is blunted conscience it will finally
work out its own unhappiness; for the
person is like ship on a sea without a
compass, and he will sail by guess and
miss many dangers, but only about the
same luck that would enable mariner
to escape will prevent his final col
lapse. If it is Unstable mind. can we
imagine that there will be any happi-
ness to a human weather-yane? How
long will it be until the habit itself will
make the mind so entirely restless that
it is like rolling sea? And when the
mind reaches that restless period, how
much more of happiness is it capable
out of that singular power that men and
women have possessed in all times.
that mower we call ..nersnnal magnet