Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-04-11
NOT GODS VOICE.
Doubts the Quotation, "vox
Populi, Vox Del"
DA COSTA ON MUNICIPAL REFORM.

something, However, That Does Not Ex.
ist A Lesson Drawn from the Events
Palm Sunday Celebrates-what Would
BE the Fate of n Christ-Like Man, II
Elected Mayor, Who Should Attempt
to Faithfully Enforce the Laws-Pure
Public Opinion n Necessity.
NEW York, April 11.-Rev Dr. Benja-
min Da Costa, of the Church of st. John,
the Evangelist, preached sermon yesterday
morning on "God in His Relation to Muni.
cipal Reform" The preacher read his
text from the XXxii. chapter of the book of
Numbers, verses 20, 81, % He said in
part: "The sum of the text. is that men
who want to make successful campaign,
with lasting results, must make it clean
and righteous campaign; a campaign into
which they carry the ten commandments;
a campaign in which they march before
the Lord; a campaign in which they refuse
TO touch idols, absolutely abhorring the
idea that a good end sanctifles bad means.
Application of Palm Sundays Story.
To-day is Palm Sunday This day brings
TO mind great pageant enacted in a far
on age in Jerusalem. II is story of an
uprising of the people at a time when the
jews were under the Roman yoke. They
regarded their condition as one of great
hardship. Whether it was as pitiable as
they fancied one can hardly say. They
aspired to a local and national self-govern-
ment. Several false Messiahs had sprung
up to excite the people TO rebellion. Among
them was one Barrabas, whose name Bar
and Abba, signified the son of God. This
individual deluded the people, but was
finally exposed at the time of our Lords
last approach to Jerusalem. While the
false Messiah lay y prison the true was
received by the people with acclamation,
they believing that he had come to be a
political reformer and sit upon the throne
of David
Christ Not a Successful Preacher
~They held a tremendous town meeting
and decided to have a reform administra-
tion. They fancied that corruption and
oppression could be done away with by
reclamation. They fancied all they need
ed was good leader and Christ would
answer, so they cried, 'Hosanna in the
Highest As Christ rode through the long
line OF people he felt keenly the emptiness
OF the pageant. He knew the hearts of the
people who had attempted to reform the
government without reforming them
selves. They constituted lying, licen-
tious, quarrehing, hateful herd. They
shouted for Christ, but were not Christ
ians. There was only the merest handful
of half-converted men in Christs train
He labored for three years as preacher
with but little success Christ, indeed,
was not what the world calls successful
preacher.
Times and People Not Much Changed.
ut was poor following thatfurnished
the triumph. Every disreputable person
In Jerusalem that could get out was there.
A few days later the emptiness of the
Palm Sunday parade was demonstrated
When the people who had shouted 'Ho-
sanna' turned around and, with the phar.
fsees, cried Cruelty Him. The last thing
these people of Jerusalem wanted was a
reformation. In like manner, if you were
to put Christ-like man at the head of our
city to-day, and he understood reforma-
tion and faithfully enforced the laws-all
the laws, and the Sunday law-the masses
would rise up and denounce him bitterly
and cry, Away with him: away with the
puritan There is a strong resemblance
between the people of to-day and the
people of old.