The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-07-18

4
down the street. and say: There goes
a drunkard's child." God forbid that
the lirtle feet should ever have to
TRUCE the path of poverty and wretch
cdnessl God forbid that any cvfl spirit
born of the wine-cup or the brandy
glass should come forth and nproot
that garden, and with a lasting, blis-
tering, all-consumiug curse, shut for
ever the palace gate against Vashti
and the children!
During the war went to Hagers-
town to look at the army, and stood
In the night on hilltop and looked
down upon them. I saw the camp
fires all through the valleys and all
over the hills. 1t was q weird spec
tacle, those camp-fires, and stood and
watched them and the soldiers who
gathered around them were. no doubt,
talking Of their homes and of the
long march they had taken and of
the battles they were to fight; but
after awhile / saw those eamp-fires
begin to lower; and they confined to
lower, until they were all gone
out, and the army slept. II was
imposing when l saw the eamp-flres,
1t was imposing In the darkness
when thought of that great host
asleep. Well, God looks down from
Heaven, and He sees the frcsides Of
Christendom and the loved ones gath
cred around these firesides. There are
the camp-fres where we warm our
selves at the close of the day, and talk
over the battles of life we have fought
and the battles that are yet to- come.
God grant that when at last these fires
begin to go out and continue to lower
until finally they are extinguished,a and
the ashes OF consumed hopes strew the
hearth of the old homestead, it may BE-
because we have
Gone to sleep that last long sleep
From which none ever awake to weep
Now we are an army on the march
of life. Then we will be an army bic
vouacked in the tent of the grave.
Once more: 1 want you to look ut
Vashti the silent. You do not hear
any cutlery from this woman as she
goes forth from the palace gate. From
the very dignity of her nature you
know that there will be no vocifera-
ton. Sometimes in life it is necessary
to make retort; sometimes in life it
is necessary to resist; but there are
crises when the most triumphant
thing to do is to keep silent. The
philosopher, onfident in his newly
discovered principle, waiting for the
coming of more intelligent generations,
willing that men should laugh at the
lightning-rod and cotton-gin and
misunderstanding for long years
through the SOOTHING of philosophical
schools, in grand and magnificent
silence. Calico, condemned by math-
ematicians and scientists, caricatured
everywhere, yet waiting and watching
with his telescope to see the coming Of
stellar reinforcements, when the stars
in their courses would fight for the
Copernican system; then sitting down
in complete blindness and deafness
to wait for the coming on Of the gem
erations who would build his monu-
ment and bow at his grave. The re-
former, execrated by his contempora-
ries, fastened in a pillory, the fires Of
public contempt burning under him,
ground under the cylinders of the
printing press, yet calmly waiting for
the day when purity of soul and hero
ism of character will get the sanction
of earth and the. plaudits of Heaven.
Afflictioa, enduring without any com.
plant the sharpness of the pang and
the violence of the storm, and
the left of the chain and of the
darkness of night. Waiting until a
divine hand shall be put forth to
soothe pang and hush the storm and re-
lease the captive. A wife abused, per-
secuted, and perpetual exile from
every earthly comfort-waiting, watt
ing, until the Lord shall gather all His
dear children in heavenly home, and
no poor Vashti will ever be thrust out
from the palace gate. Jesus, in silence
and answering not word, drinking
the gall, bearing the cross. in prospect
OF the rapturous contamination when
Angels thronged His chariot wheel
And bore Him to His throne;
Then swept their golden harps and sung
The glorious work Is done.
oh, woman. does not this story Of
Vashti the queen, Vashti the yelled,
vashti the sacrifice, Vashti the silent,
move your soul? My sermon con.
verges into the one absorbing hope
that none Of you may be shut out Of
the palace gate of Heaven. You can
endure the hardships) and the priva-
tions and the cruelties and the mis-
fortunes of this life, il you can
only gain admission there. Through
the blood of the everlasting cove
nant you go through these gates, or
never go at all. God forbid that you
should at last be banished from the So
ciety Of angels. and banished from the
companionship of your gloriied kim
dred, and banished forever. Through
the rich grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
may you be enabled to initiate the ex-
ample Of Rachel and Hannah and
Abigail and Deborah ard Mary and
Esther and Vashti. Amen.
Joy In worship.
The Hebrew worship, we are apt to