Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-04-20


| in onr cities have been ruined by simply
going TO observe without any idea OF partlci-
pating The fact is that underground CITY IIe
is filthy, Tuning, reeking, pestlterous Geptl
which blasts the eye that looks at ii. In the
reign oftertot in 1892 in Paris people escap-
ing from the officers of the law got into the
sewers Of the city and crawled and walked
through miles Of that awful labyrinth stli1ed
with the atmosphere and almost dead, some
| of them, when they came out TO the river
Seine, where they washed themselves and
again breathed the fresh air. But have to
| tell you that a great many of the men who go
on the work Of exploration through the I'M
background cutters of Now York life never
come out at any Seine River where thcy
can wash off the pollution Of the moral
sewerage. Stranger. if one of the lepresen-
tatives of a commercial establishment pro-
| poses to take you and show yon the "sights"
of the town and underground New York, say
to him. please, sir, what part do you pro-
pose to show me?'
About sixteen years ago as q minister OF
religion felt had divine commission to
| explore the iniquities of our cities. did not
ask counsel of my session or my pres0ytery
or of the newspapers, but asking the COM
pahlonship Of three prominent police officials
and two OF the elders of my church un-
rolled my commission. and it said "Son of
man, dig into the wall And when had
digged into the wall behold door, and He
said 60 in and see the wicked denominations
that are done here. And went in ard saw
and behoIdp' Brought up in the country
and surrounded by much paternal care,
had not until that time seen the haunts OF
iniquity. By the grace of God defended,
had never sowed my "wild oats.
Ia1 10, 10 4A ko11
various sources something about the iniqui-
ties ofthe great cities and to preach against
them, but saw in the destruction OF great
multitude Of the people that there must be
an infatuation and a temptation that had
never been spoken about, and l said, 81 will
explore" [ saw thousands Of men going
down, and If there had been a spiritual per-
cussion answering to the physical percussion
the whole air would have been full of the
rumble and roar and crack and thunder of
the demolition, and this moment II we
should pause in our service, we should hear
the crash, crash Just as Ia the sickly sea-
son YOU sometimes hear the bell ut the gate
OF the cemetery ringing almost necessarily,
so | found that the bell at the gate of the
cemetery where ruined souls are bure1 was
tolling by day and tolling by night. l said,
III will explore
l went as physician goes into fever
Iazareto TO see what practical aud useful in
formation l might get. That would be
foolish doctor who would stand outside the
door OF an invalid writing Latin prescrip-
tion When the lecturer in medical col
lege is done with his lecture, he takes the
students into the dissecting room, and he
shows them the reality. 1 went and saw
and come forth to my pulpit to report
plague and TO tell how sin dissects the body
and dissects the mind and dissects the soul.
ooh, say you. care you not afraid that In
consequence of such exploration of the ini-
quities of the city oiher persons might make
exploration and do themselves damage~ l
reply eff in company with the commits
sioner of police, and the captain of police,
and the inspector of police and the COM
pauy of two Christian gentlemen, and not
with the spirit of curiosity but that you may
see sin in order the better to combat it, then,
in the name of the eternal God, go2 But, If
not. then stay away"
Wellington, standing in the battle of
Waterloo when the bullets were buzzing
around his head. saw a civilian on the field.
He said to him; "Sir, what are you doing
here2 Be OFF, "Why, replied the civilian,
"there is no more danger here for me than
there is for you" Then Wellington flushed
up and said, God and my country demand
that be hero, but you have no errand here
Now I, as an officer in the army of Jesus
Christ went on that exploration and on to
that battlefield. If you bear like commits
sion, go. If not, stay away. But you say,
Don't you think that somehow the descrip-
tion of those places induces people to 90 and
see for themsevesY' l answer yes, just as
much as the description Of yellew fever in
some scourged city would induce people to
20 down there and get the pestilence.
DIT ha o6 i'm
already destroyed. Where is he, that may
polntedIy yet kindly address him? Come
back and wash in the deep fountain of a
Saviour's mercy. 1 do not give you cup,
or chalice, or pitcher with limited sup
ply to effect your additions. i point you to
the five oceans of Gods mercy. Oh, that the
Atlantic and Pacific surges of divine forgive
ness might roll over your soul AS the glori-
Gus sun Of Gods forgiveness rides on toward
the mid heavens ready to submerge you in
warmth and light and love l bid you good
morning. Morning of peace for all your
troubles. Morning OF liberation for all your
incarcerations. Morning Of resurrection for
your soul buried in sin. Good morning
Morning for the resuscitated household that
has been waiting for your return. Morning
for the cradle and the crib already disgraced
with being that OF a drunkards child. Morn
ing for the daughter that has trudged off
to hard work because you did not take care
of'home. Morning for the wife who at forty
or fifty years mas the wrinked face, and the
stopped shoulder. and the white hair. Morn
ing for one. Morning for all. Cool morn
ing In Gods name, good morning
Iii our last dreadful war the Federals and
The Confederates were encamped on opposite
sides Of the Rappahannook. and one morn
ing the brass band of the northern troops
played the national air, and ali the northern
troops cheered and cheerad. Then on the
opposite side Of the R1ppahannock the brass
band of rhe Confederates played "My Mary
land" and "Dixie." and then all the SOUTH
ern troops cheered and cheered. But after
awhile one Of the bands struck up Home,
Sweet Hone, and the banI on the opposite
side OF the river took up the strain, and
when the tune was done tire Contederates
and the Federals all together united as the
tears rolled down their cheeks. in one great
huzza, huzza
Well. my friends, heaven comes very near
to- Law. 1t is only stream that divides u',
! . narrow stream of DEATH AMI the voices
tnere and the voices here seem TO comm!n-
gle. and we join trumpets and hosannahs and |
halleluiahs. and the chorus of united song !
of earth and heaven is Home, Sweet Home.
Home of bright domestic circle on eartn.
Home of forgiveness in the great heart OF
God. Home of eternal rest in heaven. Home
Home Home
But suppose you are standing on crag |
of the mountain and on the edge OF preci- |
pice. and all unguarded, and some one
either in joke or hate shall run up behind |
you and push you Off 1t is easy enough to
push you off. But who would do so das-
tardy deed Why, this is done every hour |
of every day and every hour Of every night.
Men come 10 the verge Of city life and say