The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-03-30

II when he advised the BaallteS, as tney
could not make their god respond; tell
ing them to call louder as their god
might be sound asleep or gone a-hunt-
ing. Job used it when he said to his
comforters: Wisdom will
die with YOU" Christ not only used it
in the text, but when He ironically com
plimented the purified Pharisees, say
ing: "The whole need not physician"
and when by one word He described the
cunning of Herod, saying; $50 ye and
tell that fox" Matthew Henry's Com
mentaries from the first page to the
last coruscated with humor as summer
clouds with heat lightning. John Bun
vans writingsare as full Of humor as they
are of saving truth, and there is not an
aged members here who has ever read
Pilgrims Progress who does not remem-
ber that while reading he smiled as
often as he wept. Chrysostom, George
Herbert, Robert South, John Wesley,
George Whitefeld, Jeremy Taylor, Row
land Hill, Nettleton, George G. Finney
and all the men of the past who greatly
advanced the kingdom of God concen-
trated their wit and their humor to the
cause of Christ. So it has been in all the
ages, and say to all these young theo-
logical students, who cluster in these
services, Sabbath by Sabbath, sharpen
your wits as keen as scimitars, and
thrust them into this holy war. 1t is
a very short bridge between a smile
and tear, suspension bridge
from eye to lip, and 1t is soon
crossed over and smile is sometimes
Just as sacred as q tear. There is as
much religion, and think little more,
in a spring morning than in a starless
midnight. Religious work withoutany
humor or wit in it is banquet with a
side of beef, and that raw, and no con-
diments and no dessert, succeeding.
People win not sit down at such BAN
quet. yall means remove all frivolity
and all pathos and all lightness and all
vulgarity-strain them out through the
sieve OF holy discrimination; but, on the
other hand, beware of that monster
which oyershadows the Christian church
to-day, conventionality, coming up from
the great Sahara Desert of ecclesiasti-
cism, having on its back hump OF
sanctimonious, gloom-and vehemently
refuse to swallow that camel.
o, how particular great many peo-
pie are about the infnitesimals, while
they are quite reckless about the magni-
tudes What did Christ sayP Did he
not excoriate the people in His time
who were so careful to wash their
hands before a meal but did not wash
their hearts? 1t is bad thing to have
unclean hands; II Is worse thing to
have an unclean heart. How many
people there are in our time who are
very anxious that after their death they
shall be buried with their feet toward
the east, and not at all anxious that
during their whole life they should face
In the right direction, so that they shall
come up in the resurrection Of the Just
whichever way they are buried. How
manv there are chiefly anxious that 4
minister of the gospel shall come In the
line Of apostolic succession, not carint
30 much whether he comes from Apostle
Paul or Apostle Judas. They have {
way of measuring a gnat until 1t y
larger than camel
Again. My subject photographs al
those who are are abhorrcnt Of small
sins while they are reckless in regard Il
magnificent thefts. You will find man,
q merchant who, while he Is so careful
that he would not take yard Of clotl
or spool Of cotton from the counte
without paying for It, and who II I
bank cashier should make a mistake ant
send in q roll Of bills five dollars to,
much would dispatch messenger II
hot haste to return the surplus, ye
who will 60 into stock company II
which after o while he gets control o
the stock, and then waters the stocl
and make 100000 appear like s9OO, ,oOC
He only stole 100000 by the operation
Many Of the men Of fortune have mad
their wealth in that way. One Of thos
men, engaged in-such unrighteous acts
that evening, the evening of the yer
day when he watered the stock, vii
find wharf rat stealing an evenin.
newspaper from the basement doorway
and will go out and catch the urchin b.
the collar, and twist the collar so tight
" the poor fellow cannot say that 1t wa
thirst for knowledge that led hir
TO the dishonest act, but gri
the collar tighter and tighter, say
ing: 81 have been looking for yo
q long while; you stole my paper fou
or fve times, haven't you? you misei
able wretch" And then the old stoc
gambler, with voice they can hea
three blocks, will cry out, "Police, pC
licel" That same man, the evening Q
the day in which he watered the stocl
will lSneel with his family In prayer an
thank God for his prosperity Of the day
then Hiss his children good night wit
an air which seems to say, 81 hope yo
. win all grow up TO be as good as you
fatherl" Prisons Tor sins insectile !
; size, but palaces for crimes dromedariar
: No mercy for sins animalcule in prt
portion, but great leniency for mastodo
iniquity.
1t is time that we learn in Americ
that sin is not excuSable in proportio
as 1t declares large dividends and hs
outriders in equipage. Many man
riding to perdition position ahead
lacley behind. To steal a dollar is
gnat; to steal many thousands Of dollar
Is camel. There is many fruit deal'
: who would not consent 10 steal ba
ket OF peaches from neighbor's stsl
but who would not scruple TO deprei
the fruit market; and as long ,
L can remember we have hear
, every summer the peach crop (