The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-11-16
looh down. Juegernautdo down. Golden

Judgment and Gods all the time grino-
ing to pieces the golden calf Merchants
Of Brooklyn and New York and Lon
don, what is the characteristic OF this
time in which we livep Bad" you say.
Professional men, what is the charac-
teristic of the times in which we liver
Bad" you say. Though l should be
in minority Of one, venture the opin-
ion that these are the best times we
have had for the reason that God Is
teaching the world, as never before,
that old-fashioned honesty is the only
thing that will stand. We have learned
as never before that forgeries will not
pay; that the spending of fifty thousand
dollars on country seats and palatiai
city residence, when there are only
thirty thousand dollars income, will not
pay; that the appropriation OF trust
funds to our own private speculation
will not pay. We had great national
tumor, In the shape Of fictitious pros
perity. We call it national enlarge
ment; instead of calling it enlargement
we might better have called 1t swell
ing. It has been tumor, and God Is
cutting-has cut it out and the nation
will get we'll and will come back to the
principles of our fathers and grand
fathers when twice three made six in
stead of sixty, and when the apples at
the bottom of the barrel were just as
good as the apples on the top OF the
barrel, and a silk handkerchief was not
half cotton, and man who wore a hYe-
dollar coat paid for was more honored
than a man who wore fifty-dollar coat
not paid for.
The golden calf of our day, like the
one of the text, is very apt to be made
out Of borrowed gold. These 1sraelites
Of the text borrowed the earnings OIL
the Egyptians and then melted them
into god. That is the way the golden
calf is made nowadays A great many
housekeepers, not paying for the arti-
cles they get, borrow Of the grocer and
the baker and the butcher and the dry
goods seller. Then the retailer borrows
of the Wholesale dealer. Then the
wholesale dealer borrows of the capi-
talist, and we borrow, and borrow, and
borrow until the community is divided
into two classes, those who borrow and
those who are borrowed Of; and after a
while the capitalist wants his money,
and he rushes upon the wholesale
dealer, and the wholesale dealer wants
his money and he rushes upon the re-
taller, and the retailer wants his money
and he rushes upon the consumer, and
we all go down together There is
many man in this day who rides in a
carriage and owes the blacksmith for
the tire, and the wheelwright for the
wheel, and the trimmer for the curtain,
and the driver for unpaid wages, and
the harnessmalxer 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 huttering out OF
the back Of the vehicle, everything is
paid for by notes that have been three
times renewed.
1t 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 cali
trends on them. The judgments of God,
l like Moses in the text, will rush in and
break up this worship; and l 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 oi
his business iniquity but goes on wish
. ing to satiate his cannibal appetite by
! devouring 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, II we have made
3 this world our god, when we come tC
E die we will see our idol demolished
How much of this world are you goine
TO take with you into the nextP VIII
. you have two pockets, one in each sid'
Of your shroudP WIN you cushion your
coffin with bonds and mortgages an6
u certificates of stock? Ali no. The
ferry boat which crosses this Jordan
takes no baggage-nothing heavier
: than a spirit You may, perhaps, TAXI
!, $500 with you two or three miles, 1t
y the shape Of funeral trappings toGreen
y wood, but you will have TO leave then
=, there. It would not be safe for you I,
= lie down there with gold watch or {
. diamond ring; it would be temptation
= TO the pillagerS All, my friendsl II W,
= have made this world our god, when w
= die we will see our idol ground h
: pieces by our pillow, and we will hav'
: TO drink It in bitter regrets for tn,
y wasted opportunities Of lifetime. Soor
: we will be gone. OH this Is heetinI
= world, it is dying world A man VIII,
! had worshiped II all his days, in his dy
. ing moment described himself when h
= said: ''Foon fooll foolP'
= want you to change temples, and Il
. give up the worship OF this unsatisfyinI
= and cruel god for the service of tn
: Lord Jesus Christ Here Is the gol
that will never crumble. Here are SC
! curities that will never fail Hero ar
: banks that will never break. Here
: an altar on which there has been on
!. sacrifice once for all Here is God VIII
" y will comfort you when you are 1
\ trouble and soothe you when you ar
= :, sick, and save you when you die. Whe
q y your parents have breathed their last
and the old, wrinkled and tren
: = bling hands can no more be pu
upon your head for blessing, II
will be to you father and mothe
70 both, giving you the defense Of th
le one and the comfort of the other; an