News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-01-02

"a be unlnterested although our own
htuse is il the confagration. Oh, wan
daing thoughts, disappear today Blot
out this entire audience except yourself.
Your sin, is it pardoned? Your death,
is it provided for? Your heaven, is it
secured? A mightier earthquake than
that which demolished the Philippian
penitentiary will rumble about your
ears. The foundations of the earth will
give way. The earth by one tremor will
fling all the American cities into tho
dust. Cathedrals and palaces and pris-
ons which have stood for thousands OF
years will topple like a child's block
house. The surges of the sea will sub
merge the land and the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans above the Alps and tho
Andes clap their hands. What then will
become of me: What then will become
of you? 1 do not wonder at the anxiety
of this man of my text, for he was not
only anxious about the falling of the
prison, but the falling of a world.
Invest In Eternal Securities.
Again, remark, l characterize this
question of the agitated Jail keeper as
one of Incompatible Importance. Men
are alike, and suppose he had scores Of
questions on his mind, but all questions
for this world are hushed up, forgotten,
annihilated in this one question of the
text, "What must [ do to be saved?"
And have you, my brother, any ques-
tiOn Of importance compared with that
r. r,,,octiC,, nf 11,Cir g 2
Your common sense tells you that You
will soon cease worldly business. You
know very we'll that you will soon pass
out Of that partnership. You know that,
beyond a certain point, of all the mil
lions of dollars worth of goods sold
you will not handle yard of cloth, or
pound of sugar, or a penny's worth.
After that, if confiagration should
sweep all Washington into ashes, il
would not touch you, and would not
damage you. If every cashier should alb
scond and every bank suspend payment
and every insurance company fail, it
would not affect you. Oh, how insig-
nifcant is business this side the grave
with business on the other side tho
grave! Have you made any purchases
for eternity? Have you any securities
that will last forever? Are you jobbing
for time when you might be wholesal-
ing for eternity? Is there any question
SO broad at the base, SO altitudinous, SO
overshadowing as the question, "What
must do to be saved?" Or, is it do
nestle question, is it something about
father or mother Or husband or wife or
son Or daughter that is the more impor-
tant question? You know by universal
and memorable law that relation will
soon be broken up. Father will be gone,
mother will be gone children will DO
gone, you will be gone, but after that
the question Of the text will begin to
harvest its chief gains Or deplore its
worst losses or roll up its mightiest
magnitude OF sweep its vaster circles.
What Difference Does 1t Make?
Oh, what question: what an impor-
tant question Is there any question
that compares with it in importance?
What is it now to Napoleon III whether
he triumphed or surrendered at Sedan,
whether he died at the Tuileries OF
Chiselhurst, whether he was emperor or
exile? Because he was laid out in tho
coffin i'll the dress of a field marshal,
did that give him any better chance for
the future than if he had been laid out
in plain shroud? What difference will
it soon make to you Or to me whether in
this world we walked or rode, whether
we were bowed to or maltreated, wheth-
er we were applauded or Missed at, vel
coined in or kicked outi While laying
hold of every moment Of the future and
burning in every splendor or every grief
and overarching or undeTgirding all
time and all eternity will be the plain,
startling, infinite, stupendous question
Of the text, "What must I do to be
saved?'
Again, characterize this question of
the agitated Jail keeper as one crushed
out by his misfortunes, pressed out by
his misfortunes. The falling of the peni-
Tertiary, his occupation was gone. Be-
sides that the fight of a prisoner was
ordinarily the death of the jailer. He
was held responsible. If all had gone
well, if the prison walls had not been
shaken of the earthquake if the prison
ers had all staid quiet in the stocks, if
the morning sunlight had calmly drop
ped on the jailer's pillow, do you think
he would have hurled this redhot ques-
ton from his soul into the ear of his
apostolic prisoners? All, no. You know
as we'll as do it was the earthquake
that reused him up. And it is trouble
that starts great many people to ask
ing the'same question. 1t has been so
with multitude Of you. Your apparel
is not as bright as it once was. Why
have you changed the garb? Do younot
like solferino and crimson and purple as
well as once? Yes. But you say "While
was prospered and happy those colors
were accordant with my feelings. Now
they would be discord to my soul. " And
SO You have plated up the shadows into
your apparel. The world is a very differ
ent place from what it was once for
you! Once you said, ooh, if l could
only have it quiet little while" 1t is
too quiet
Some people say that they would not
bring back their departed friends from
heaven even if they had the opportu
nifty, but if you had the opportunity
you would bring back your loved ones,
o.,1 -. q.