Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-16

Sing" was suggested to Charles Wesley by
Peter Boiler, who, after his conversion said:
Il had better keep silent about 1t" mo"
said Wesley, 'if you had 10000 tongues you
had better use them for Christ"
While much Of the modern music is a
religious doggerel a consecrated nonsense,
sacred imbeciiity, would like to see some
great musician of our time lift the patton
Yarmouth, Dundee, Ariel, Brattie-street
Uxbride, Pleyeps Hymn, Harwell, Antioch,
Mount Pisgah and Coronation, with rev
regiments of mighty tunes made in our own
time and storm Asia, Africa and America
for the Kingdom of God. But the nrst thing
to do Is to drive out the dumb devil OF the
text from all our churches.
Timely Words of Exhortation Withheld.
Do not, however, let us lose ourselves In
generalities. Not one of us but has had our
lives sometimes touched by the spirit of the
text-this awful dumb devil. We had just
one opportunity of saying Christian word
that might have led man or woman into n
Christian life. The opportunity was 1airly
put before us. The word of invitation or
consolation or warning came to the ln-'
side gate of the mouth, but there 1t halted.
gether SO that they did not open. The
tongue lay fiat and still in the bottom OF
the mouth as though struck with paralysis.
We were mute. Though God had given us
the physiological apparatus for speech, ana
our lungs were filled with air which, by the
command OF our will, could have made the
laryngeal muscles move and the vocal Or
gans yibrate, we were wickedly and fatally
silent. For all time and eternity we missed
our chance.
Or it was a PRAYER meeting, and the serv-
ice was thrown open for prayer and re-
marks, and there was q dead Galt-every-
thing silent as a graveyard at midnight.
Indeed it was a graveyard and midnight.
Men, bold enough on business exchange or
in worldly circles, shut their eyes as though
they were praying in silence, but they were
not praying at all. They were busy hoping
somebody else would do his duty. The
women flushed under the awful pause and
made their fans more rapidly fiutter Some
brother, with no cold, cougned, ny that
sound trying TO fill up the time, and the
meeting was slain. But what killed it?-the
dumb devil. This is the way / account for
the fact that the stupidest places on earth
are some prayer meetings.
The Dumb Devil in Politics.
1 do not see how man keeps any grace If
he regularly attends them. They are spirit
ual INSTRUMENTATION kept on ice.
But DO not let the world deride the church
because of all this, for the dumb devil is
just as conspicuous in the world. The two
great political parties will soon assemble to
build platforms for the Presidential candi-
dates to stand on. A committee of each
party will be appointed to make the plat
form. After proper deliberation, the COM
mittees will come in with ringing report:
"Whereas. and "Whereas, +" and "Whereas."
all shaped with the one
idea of getting the most votes. All express
sion in regard to the great moral evils of
the country ignored. No expression about
the liquor traffic, for that would lose the
rum vote. No expression in regard to the
universal attempt at the demolition of the
Lords Day. No recognition OF God in the
history OF this nation, for that would lose
the vote of the atheist. But "Whereas," and
Whereas" and Whereas" Nine cheers
will be given for the platform. The dumb
devil of the text will put one wing over the
Republican platform and the other wing
over the Democratic platform.
There is nothing involved in the next
election except offices. The great conven-
tions will be opened with prayer by their
Chaplains. If they avoid platitutes and tell
the honest truth in their prayers, they will
say: 20 Lord, we want to be Postmasters
and Consuls and Foreign Ministers and
United States District Attorneys. For that
we are here, and for that we will strive till
the election next November. Give us office,
or we die
Be out and out, up and down for right
eousness If your ship is afioat on the Pacific
Ocean of Gods mercy, hang out your colors |
from masthead. Show your passport II you
have one. Do not smuggle your soul into the
harbor OF heaven. Speak out for God!