Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-06
SLEEPING ON DUTY.
A Sermon With Direct Reference to
Late Railroad Disasters.
THE FLAG AND CROSS COMPARED.
Interesting Discourse of the Pastor of an
Oakland Church.
OTHER PULPIT TOPICS OF YESTERDAY

Rev. DR.. J. r. Sutherland, at the even
ing services in the Second Presbyterian
Church yesterday, preached on watch;
Providing Against Dangers. He said, in
part: ''We meet this word watch very
often in the Bible. 1t implies that religious
men, in working ont their salvation, are in
continual danger. We meet this command
so often that it is reasonable to conclude
that men are in continual danger from the
enemies living in wait for their souls. What
mean those commands to watch, but that the
tendency of our natural disposition
is toward evil? Paul positively de-
clares that the old original tendency
downward is acting all the time in
the case of the Christian. Paul
explains the fact that he was unable to live
the ideal life he desired on the ground that
he found a law in his members warning
against his soul He found the animal
nature constantly operating to drag down
his spiritual nature, and so he felt it neces-
sary to watch every point of attack.
sleeping Duty Crime.
paul represents himself as a soldier
guarding against attack This idea of a
man having enemies TO fight and guard
against has from the beginning been adopted
by the teachers of the Gospel. Sleeping on
duty is a grave crime for a soldier; he must
always be alert and on the watch. Evil
comes in unguarded moments and
places. That accounts for num-
ber of its victims. When we
are walking in the twilight or in the dark
we are more careful and guarded and
watchful than when walking in the day.
Ought we not be as cautious and watchful
lest we make misstep or go astray in the
world Of morals and religion? Are there
not shadows over some of our pathways
here a. well as in the physical world?
When some Of these terrible accidents such
a. happened recently on our railroads oc-
cur, We wonder why the men were not more
careful, more watchful. Had they been so,
loss of dear life and loss of property would
be often saved and in fact all the losses of
life bv what we call accidents would be
prevented bv possible caution and watchful-
ness; my theology teaches the same lesson
as Revelations in regard to the safety of
wdtchtUlneSS.
An Exhortation to Be Alive.
There is an old saving, Whom the gods
would destroy they first make mad;' to this
might be added another, Whom the gods
would destroy they first put to sleep. In
sleep We are not Wdtcn1uL III represents
the greater degree of danger because there
Is no knowledge of the approach of evil
Awake out of sleep;' be active, be alive to
the duties and dangers of life. Be not as
one blind or dead. Men differ a good
deal as to the points of danger inherent in
their characters. Some men are not
tempted by wine who are enslaved by
greed of gain and some men are nat
urally more pure in their thoughts
than others; some are more even
tempered, but all have some weak point
they ought to guard with special care.
That is where the attack is made. Often
an army is kept under arms all the time.
They watch. we are also TO watch at all
times, and pray so that the last great enemy
may not come to us when we are not ready.
How We prepare and watch for many
things, To make money, to get the benefit |
OF fluctuations in market to make good
turns in trade What shall it profit US if
we do not look as diligently after the
interests of our souls.
"When the bridegroom cometh we have
no oil in our lamps, and when we knock at
the closed door the answer comes back,
Too late. too later Not till we sleep
armorless in the tomb are We free from
danger-do we not need to watch?'"