Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-01-12

aG the last minute, and then 90 to
heaven and live in mansion, and go
riding about in a golden chariot over
the golden streets, while his wife and
children, whom he might have pro-
vided for, are begging for cold victuals
at the basement door of an earthly
city. 1t seems to me there ought to be
IA poorhouse somewhere on the out
skirts of heaven, where those guilty of
such improvidence should be kept for
a while on thin soup and gristle, in
stead of sitting down at the kings
banquet. 1t is said that the church
is n divine institution and l believe
it. Just as certainly are the saw
ings banks and the life insur-
ance companies divine institutions. AS
out of evil good often comes, so out of
the doctrine of probabilities, cal
culated by Prof. Hugens and Prof.
Pascal for games of chance, came the
calculation of the probabilities of
human life as used by life insurance
companies, and no business on earth is
more stable or honorable, and no
mightier mercy for the human race
has been born since Christ was born.
Bored beyond endurance for my sig
nature to papers of all sorts, there is
one style of paper that l always sign
with feeling of gladness and triumph,
and that is a paper which the life in
surance company requires from the
clergyman after decease in his con-
gregation, in order to the payment
of the policy to the bereft house
hold. ] always write nv name then
so they can read il. / can not help but
say to myself: "Good for that man
TO have looked after his wife and chill
dren after earthly departure. May he
have one of the best seats in heaven!"
Young mani The day before or the
day after you get married, go to life
insurance company of established rep
utation and get the medical examiner
to put the stethoscope to your lungs
and his ear close up to your heart, with
your vest off, and have signed sealed
and delivered to you document that
will, in case of your sudden departure,
make for that lovely girl the difference
between queen and pauper. Ihave
known men who have had an income of
SO, 900, 81, 900, SIS, 900 a year, who did
not leave one farthing to the surviving
household. Now that mans death is
a defalcation, an outrage, swindle.
He did not die; he absconded. There
are a hundred thousand people in
America to-day a-hungered through
the sin of improvidence. But" say
come, my income is so small / can
not afford to pay the premium on a
life insurance. Are you sure about
that? If you are sure, then you have
right to depend on the promise in
jeremiah, 49th chapter, 18th verse;:
leave thy fatherless children, will
preserve them alive, and let thy
widows trust in me-" But if you are
able to, remember you have no right
to ask God to do for your household
that which you can do for them your
self. For the benefit of those young
men, excuse a practical personality.
beginning my life's work on the muni-
ticent salary of $500 year and par
sonage, and when the call was placed
in my hands, did not know how in
/
spend that amount of money, and l re-
member indulging in a devout wish
that / might not be led into worldli-
ness and prodigality by such an over
plus of resources, and at time when
articles of food and clothing were
higher than they are now, felt it a
religious duty to get my life insured,
and presented myself at an Office OF
one of the great companies, and
stood pale and nervous lest the medi-
cal examiner might have to declare that
had consumption and heart disease
and a half dozen mortal ailments;
but when | got the document which
have yet in full force, felt a sense OF
manliness and confidence and quietude
and reinforcement which is good
thing for any young man TO have. FoI
the lack of that feeling there are
thousands of men to-day in Greenwood
and Laurel Hill and Mount Auburn,
who might as well have been alive and
well and supporting their families.
They got little sick, and they were
so worried about what would become
of their households in case OF
their demise that their agita.
tons overcame the skill oi
the physicians and they died foi
fear of dying. have for many years
, been such an ardent advocate of life in
surance, and my sermon on 1.-The Crime
of not Insuring" has been so long
used on both sides of the sea by the
chief life insurance companies that
some people have supposed that 1 re
ceived monetary compensation fol-
what have said and written. Not q
penny. l will give any man a hun
dred dollars for every penny have re-
ceived from any life insurance com
panv. What have said and written
on the subject has resulted from the
conviction that these institutions are a
benediction to the human race. But
alas, for the widespread improvidence
You are now in your charities helping
to support the families of men who
had more income than you now have