Democratic messenger., 1892-11-19

barrel were just as good as the apples
on the top of the barrel, and a silk hand
kerchief was not half cotton, and man
who wore five dollar coat paid for was
more honored than "A man who wore a
fifty dollar coat not paid for.
THE RAGE FOR SPECULATION.
The golden calf Of our day, like the
one of the text. is very apt to be made
ont of borrowed gold. These Israelites
of the text borrowed the earrings Of the
Egyptians and then melted them into
god. That is the way the golden calf il
made nowadays. A great many house
keepers. not paying for the articles they
get, borrow of the grocer. and the baker,
and the butcher, and the dry goods seller.
Then the retailer borrows of the whole
sale 'ealer. Then the wholesale dealer
borrows Of the capitalist, and we borrow
and borrow and borrow until the COM
munity is divided into two elasses-those
who borrow and those who are borrowed
of. And after awhile the capitalist
wants his money and he rushes upon the
wholesale dealer, and the wholesale
dealer wants his money and he rushes
upon the retailer. and the retailer wants
his money and he rushes upon the con-
sumer. and we all go down together.
There Is many man in this day who
rides in carriage and owes the black
smith for the tire, and the wheelwright
for the wheel. and the trimmer for the
curtain, and the driver for unpaid
wages. and the harness maker for the
bride, and the furrier for the robe,
while from the tip of the carriage
tongue clear back to the tip of the shawl
fiutteri,g out Of the back of the vehicle
everything is paid for by notes that have
been three times renewed.
PULvERIZING CALF AND woRsHIPERs.
II Is this temptation TO borrow and
borrow and borrow that keeps the peo-
pie everlastingly praying to the golden
calf for help. and just at the minute
they expect the help the golden calf
treads on them. The judgments of God.
like Moses in the text, will rush in and
break up this worship; and say. let the
work go on until every man shall learn
to speak truth with his neighbor, and
those who make engagements shall feel
themselves bound to keep them, and
when a man who will not repent Of his
business iniquity, but goes ON wishing
TO satiate his cannibal appetite by de-
vouring widows houses, shall by the
law Of the land be compelled to ex-
change his mansion for Sing Sing. Let
the golden calf perish!
But. my friends. if we have made this
80
will see our idol demolished. How much
of this world are you going to take with
you into the next? Will you have two
pockets-one in each side of your shroud:
Will you cushion your coffin with bonds
and mortgages and certificates of stock:
All, no! The ferryboat that crosses this
Jordan takes no baggage-nothing heav-
ier than spirit. You may perhaps take
five hundred dollars with you two or
three miles. in the shape of funeral trap
pings, to Greenwood, but you will have
to leave them there.
1t would not be safe for You to lie
down there with a gold watch or dia-
mond ring. 1t would be a temptation
to the pillagers. All. my friends, if we
have made this world our god, when we
die we will see our idol ground to pieces
by our pillow. and we will have to drink
1t in bitter regrets for the wasted oppor-
tunities of lifetime. Soon we will be
gone. Oh, this is a fieeting world; it is
a dying world! A man who had wor-
SHIPPED it all his days. in his dying mo-
ment described himself when he said,
Fool! fool! fool!'
THE NEVER FADING TREASURE.
want you TO change temples, and to
give up the worship of this unsatisfying
and cruel god for the service of the Lord
Jesus Christ Here is the gold that will
never crumble. Here are securities that
will never fail. Here are banks that will
never break. Here is an altar on which
there has been one sacrifice once for all.
Here is God who will comfort you
when you are in trouble, and soothe you
when you are sick, and save You when
you die.
When your parents have breathed their
last, and the old, wrinkled and trembling
hands can no more be put upon your
head for blessing. he will be to you
father and mother both, giving you the
defense of the one and the comfort of
the. other; and when your children so
away from you, the sweet darlings, you
will not kiss them goodby forever. He
only wants to hold them for you a little
while. He will give them back to you
again, and he will have them all waiting
for You at the gates of eternal welcome.
Oh. what God he is! He will allow
you to come so close this morning that
You can put your arms around his neck.
while he in response will put his arms
around your neck. and all the win
dows of heaven will be hoisted to let the
redeemed look out and see the spectacle
of rejoicing father and returned
prodigal locked in glorious embrace.
Quit worshiping the golden calf. and
bow this day before him in whose pres
ence we must all appear when the world
has turned to ashes and the scorched
parchment of the sky shall be rolled to-
gether like an historic scroll.
Strange Looking Monkey.