Democratic messenger., 1893-12-02

out that an immortal nature cannot live
on bank stock. They took up North
ern Pacific bond. AMI there was hole in
it through which they could look into
the uncertainty of all earthly treasures.
They saw some RalSton. living at the
rate of $9j.o00 "a month. leaping from
San Francisco wharf because he could
not continue Ia live at the same ratio.
They saw the wien and paralytic bank
erS who had changed their souls into
molten gold stamped with the image of
thc earth. earthly. They sIw some great
FOULS by avarice turned into homunculi,
and they said to v nsclvcs. II will seek
after higher treasure"
\ TroI THING To HINT
From that time they did not care
whether they walked or rode. if Christ
walked with them: nor whether they
lived i'll mansion or in a hut. il they
dwelt under the shadow of the Almighty;
nor whether they We're robed in French
broadcloth or in hoimeSpun. if they had
the robe Of the Saviours righteousness:
nor if they were san,ialed with morocco
Or calfskin, if they were shod with the
preparation of the Gospel. Now Won see
peace on their countcnance. Now that
man says: What "A food ! was to be en-
chanted with this world. Why, have
more satisfaction in five minutes i'm the
service of God than | had in all the first
years of my life while | was gaingct-
ting. like this evening of my day a
great deal better than did the morn
ing. In the mnrnin. | greedily devourcd
the prey, but now it is evening. and am
gloriously dividing the spoil"
My friends, this world is poor thing
TO hunt. 1t is hcalihful 10 go ont in tho
woods and hunt. II rel;inlles tho luster
of the eye. 1t strikes the brown Of the
autunnal leaf into the cheek 1t gives
to the rheumatic limbs the strength to
leap like u roe. Christopher North's pet
gun. the muckle-mou'd Meg. going off
in the summer in the forests. had its
echo in the wintertime in the eloquence
that rang through the university halls
of Edinburgh. II is healthy to 70 hunt
ing in the fields. but tell you it is be-
littling and bedwarfing and belaming
for man to hunt this world. The ham
mer comes down on the guncap. and the
barrel cxplolcs and kills you instead of
that which you are pursuing.
When you turn ont To hunt the world,
the world turns to hunt you, and rs
many a sportsman aiming his gun Mt a
panther's heart has gone down under the
striped claws. so while You have been
attempting To- devour this world the
world has been devourins you. So it
was with Lord Byron. SO it was with
Coleridge. So it was with Catherine of
Russia. Henry II went out hunting for
this world, and its lances struck through
his heart. Francis aimed at the world,
but the assassin's dagger put an end to
his ambition and his life with one stroke.
Mary Queen of Scots wrote ON the win
dow of her castle:
From the top of all my trust
MsIap hath laid me in The dust.
The queen dowagcr of Navarro was
offered for her wedding day costly and
beautiful pair uf gloves. and she put
them on, but they were poisoned gloves,
and they took her life. Better bare
hand Of cold privation than warm and
poisoned glove of ruinous success. "Oh,"
says some young man in the audience,
Il believe what you are preaching.
am going To do that very thing. In the
morning of my life am going To devour
the prey, and in the evening shall di-
vide the spoil Of Christian character
only want little while To sow my wild
oats, and then will he good"
Il. 4 4
sus of all the old people? How many old
people are there in your house: One. two
or none: How many in av.lst assembage
like this: Only here AMI there gray
head, like the patches of snow here and
there in the fields on late April day
The fact is that the tides of the years are
so strong that men 20 down under them
before they get to he 90. before they get
to bc 80, before they get to he 10. before
they get To- he 10. And if you, my young
brother. resolve now that you will spend
the morning of your days in dcvouring
the prey the probability is that you will
never divide the spoil in the evening
hour. He who rostponcs until old age
the religion of Jesus Christ postponcs it
forever.
Where are the men who 30 years ago
resolved To become Christians in old age,
putting it off certain number Of years?
They never got To- lie old The railroad
collision, or the steamboat explosion. or
the slip or the ice. or the falling ladder.
or the Sudden cold. put an end to their
opportunities. They have never had an
opportunity since. and they never will
have an opportunity again. They locked
the door OF heaven against their soul,
and they threw away the keys. They
chased the world. and they died in the
chase. The wounded tiger turned on
them. They failed to take the game
they pursued. Mounted on swift
courser. they leaped the hedge, but tho
courser fell on them and crushed them.
Proposing To barter their soul for the
world. they lost both and got neither.
DIVIDING THE sruII.
While this is an encouragement to old
people who are still unpar,ioned. it is no
encouragement. to the Young who are
putting oil the day of grace This doc
trine that the old may be repcntant is to
he taken cautiously. Ii is medicine that
kills or cures The same medicine given
to different patients. i'll one case it saves
life and in the other il destroys it. This
possibility Of repentance ut the close of
life may cure the old man while il kills
the young. BE- cautious in taking it.
Again. my subject is descriptive OF
those who come To- IL sudden and ratli-
cal change You have noticed iIuw short
time it is from morning 10 night only
seven or eight hours. You know that
the day has II very brief life. Its heart
beats - times. and then il i dead. How
quick this transition IN the character Of
these BenjamitcS. I'm the morning they
shall devuur the prey. and 1T night they
shall divide the spoil" Is it possible
that there shall bc such irausforma-
tion in any "f our character: Yes. A
man may bc al so'clock in the morning
an all ,lcvouring worldling. and ut Z