The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-01-03

I out THIS 6DUlr6 audience 6ACepJ yOuTs6il.
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 the
dust Cathedrals and palaces and pris-
ons which have stood for thousands CT
years will topple like child's block
house. The surges of the sea will sub
merge the land and the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans above the Alps end the
Andes clap their hands. What then will
become of me? What then will become
of YOU? 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 world.
Invest In Eternal Securities.
Again, I remark, I characterize this
question of the agitated Jail keeper as
one of incompatible Importance. Men
are alike, and suppose he had scores OF
ouestions 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-
ton of Importance compared with that
question? Is it question of business!
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 certain point, Of all the mil
lions of dollars worth Of goods sold
YOU will not handle yard OF cloth, or
q pound of sugar, or pennys worth.
After that, if oonfagration should
sweep all Washington into ashes, It
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, 1T
would not affect you. Oh, how insig-
nificant is business this side the grave
with business on the other side the
gravel Have you made any purchases
for eternity? Have you any securities
that will last forever? Are you Jobblng
for time when you might be wholesal-
ing for eternity? Is there any question
so broad at the base, so altitudlnous, 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 lmpor-
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 be
gone, you will be gone, but after that
the question of the text will begin to
harvest it's chief gains or deplore It's
worst losses or roll up its mightiest
magnitude or 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 Ill whether
he triumphed or surrendered at Sedan,
whether he died at the Tuileries OF
Chiselhurst, whether he was emperor OF
exile? Because he was laid out in the
coffin in the dress of a field marshal
did that give him any better chance fol
the future than if he had been laid ou
in plain shroud? What difference viii
, it soon make to you or to me whether II
! this world we walked or rode, whethe
we were bowed to or maltreated, wheth
er we we're applauded or Missed at, vel
coined in or kicked outi While laying
: hold of every moment of the future ant
burning in every splendor or every grle
-. and overarching or undergirding al
! time and all eternity will be the plain
startling, infinite, stupendous question
! of the text, "What must l do to b
4 saved?"
Again, I characterize this question Q
the agitated Jail keeper as one crushe
= out by his misfortunes, pressed out b
;, his misfortunes The falling of the peni
r. Tertiary, his occupation was gone. be
e sides that the flight of a prisoner wa
. ordinarily the death of the jailer. Ii
. was held responsible. If all had gon
= well, if the prison walls had not bee
shaken of the earthquake, if the prison
= ers had all staid quiet in the stocks,
. the morning sunlight had calmly droI
ped on the jailer's pillow, do you thin
! he would have hurled this redhot ques
: ton from his soul into the ear of h
l. apostolic prisoners? All, no. You kno'
as we'll as 1 do it was the earthquak
. that reused him up. And it is troub!
- that starts a great many people to ash
!, ing the same question. 1t has been
" with a multitude of you. Your appar'
a is not as bright as it once was. VIII
- have you changed the garb? Do you nj
" like solferino and crimson and purple {
~ we'll as once? Yes. But you say "Whi
: was prospered and happy those colo
)" we're accordant with my feelings. No
they would be discord to my soul" An
II SO you have plated up the shadows I'M
~ your apparel. The world is very diffe
"a emit place from what it was once fl
IN you'll Once you said, "Oh. if 1 coul
70 only have it quiet little while" 1t
At too quiet.
a. Some people say that they would NJ
II bring back their departed friends fro
70 heaven even if they had the opport1
ie nifty, but if you had the opportunit
- you would bring back your loved one
a and soon their feet would be soundir
q. in the hall, and soon their voices won
% be heard in the family, and the old tim,