The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-01-18
THE STORYOF FAUST
Used by Rev. DR.. swope to Illus-
trate O Sermon.
THE COMPACT WITH The EVIL ONE
Can DO Made in tho Nineteenth Cen.
tury.--Thc Spirit of Unrest, Dlssatis-
ihotlon aud Envy..-"Rccognizc tho
Limitations of Your Life, and Live
Under Them"

"For what shall it profit man il
no gain tho whole world and lose
his own soul2" was tho text OF ~
sermon preached at St. Matthew's Epis
copnl lust night by tho pastor, Rev. DR.,
r. K. swopo. The story OF Faust fur.
nishcd the preacher with apt illustra,
tons Of his theme. He told how the
story OF Faust began in the Middle
Ages and was series OF legends built
up around the character Of DR.. Faustus,
who, by virtue OF his achievements in
the natural sciences, was looked upon
by the vulgar rs sorcercr, and was said
TO have sold his soul to the dovil.
Faust, as represented In tho drama OF
the same name by the great German
poet, Goethe, represented soul, said
DIR. Swope, filed with tho spirit OF
energy, the spirit OF desire, the spirit Of
investigation. lio had studied the
sciences and Ind mastered them all.
Standing alone in his old ago, hU found
that there was nothing in any OF them,
and considered that vanity and voxa-
ton oil spirit was tho lot OF man. Look
ing about, ho ilndsthat in his ievcrish
prosecution OF knowledge he has given
up all tho pleasures that make life
agreeable to man, and has got nothing
in return. a
To tempt a man like tho learned
Doctor Faust, no vulgar clap trap could
be employed. To have appeared to him
in the traditional guisc, with horns and
hoofs and smelling OF birthstone, Satan
would have failed OF his purpose, and
hence the poets creation OF Mcphisto-
phelcs, u man OF the world and OF
fashion, aud yet halo fellow well met
with all classes. As he had gone to ono
extreme in following the paths OF learn
ing, so Faust
SWINGS TO THE OTHER EXTREME
in vicc. A young girl, whose innocence
should have been her safeguard, is his
victim, and this sin has train OF others
in its wake, beginning with the murder
OF the brother.
Doctor SwOpe believed there were few
men who now believed in personal dew
il, as being who walked the earth, put
ting temptations into the minds OF men,
but he believed that man might in
very truth sell his soul to the spirit of
evil. He described the feeling OF un-
rest, OF utter WEAKNESS OF life, which
seized on men late in life. When they
looked back on the time they entered
life, the plans they had formed, and
saw how others, with no more talents,
no more opportunities, were yet
crowned with the applause OF the peo-
pie, while they themselves were not ap-
preclated: it was at this moment that
the spirit oil evil seized upon them.
When men asked themselves whv
should they continue in virtue, when
other men, noted for their violations of
moral laws, were prosperous; when
tho desire to accumulate wealth led
men to disbelicve the old adagc, "Hon-
esty is the best policy" seeing that it
was not always the best policy, as re-
garded the obtaining oil the, means to
indulge pleasures OF life;cwhen men in
dulged in such thoughts, then they were
in'thc same position as was Faust, be-
fore he made the compact with the evil
one
WHAT is EVIL? ~ 1,;S
somepeople think it is n supernatural
being, approaching man and fairly
compelling him to do wrong by the
force OF his supernatural character
But the spirit OF evil is not IN actual
spirit; it is the constantly living bv
man, on lower plane, the not living
up to the opportunities they have had.
To escape this evil, man should recor-
nize the limitations OF his life and be
happy under them. In his own sphere,
no matter how humble it be, there is
some work for him to do, which, if we'll
done, may cause crown to be placed
upon his head, greater than the one
given TO those occupying O higher
sphere in life.
''Be religious toward God, moral to.
ward your fellow men. Having prac-
tlced these duties, you will find that the
only thing worth cultivating is spirit
uality."
DR.. Swope ieolingly referred TO the
two recent incidents OF sudden death,
so fresh in the minds OF the citizens;
how two lives were suddenly blotted
out, without an opportunity 10 utter a
word OF prayer. He spoke OF the death
OF Prince Albert Victor, and spoke OF
the late Cardinal Manning, as one "oi
whom we speak with reverence, who
was honored even by those who differed
with him in the theological belief. He
was q man sanctiticd by the Spirit OF
God " ne