The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-01-10

cor Tho trouble Is we shuff1c
| the responsibility OFF upon other4
We prophesy bad end to that inebri-
ate and terrific exposure to that de-
faulter and awful catastrophe to that
profiigate. We are SO busy in weigh
ing other people we forget ourselves
to get into the scales. We are SO busy
watching the poor gardens Of other
people that we let our own dooryard
go TO weeds. We are SO busy sending
off other people into the lifeboat we
sink in the wave. We cry "Firep' be-
cause our neighbours house is burning
1 down and seem to be uninterested, al
i though our own house is in the con-
| migration. 0 wandering thoughts,
disappear to-day. Blot out this entire
audience except yourself Your sin, is
itpardoned? Your death, is it provided
for? Your Heaven, is it secured? A
mightier earthquake than that which
demolished the Phillippian peniten-
tiary 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-
sons which have stood for thousands
OF years will topple like a child's
block house. The surges OF the sea
| will submerge the land and the Allan
| tic and Pacific oceans above the Alps
and the Andes clasp 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 prison, but the falling Of
world
Again, remark, I characterize this
question Of the agitated jail keeper as
one Of Incompatible Importance Men
are alike, and Isuppose he had scores
of questions on his mind, but all qnes-
tions for this world are hushed up, for
gotten, annihilated in this one cues
ton of the text. What must do to be
saved?" And have you, my
brother, any question of Importance
compared with that question: Is it a
question of business? Your common
sense tells you that You will soon
cease worldly business You know
very well that you will soon pass out
Of that partnership You know that
beyond certain point of all the
millions of dollars worth of goods
sold you will not handle yard Of
cloth, or a pound of sugar, or a pen
ny's worth. After that, II a conflagra-
ton should sweep all Washington into
ashes it would not touch you and
would not damage you. If every CASH
Ter should abscond, and every bank
suspend payment, and every insurance
company fail, it would not affect you.
Oh. how insignificant is business this
side the grave with business on the
other side the gravel HAYS you
made any purchases for eter-
nifty? Have you any securities
that will last forever? Are you job
bling for time when you might be
wholesaling for eternity? Is there
any question so broad at the base, 80
altitudlnous, SO overshadowing as the
question, "What must I do to be
saved?" Or is it domestic question?
Is it something about father or moth
er or husband or wife or son or daugh-
ter that is the more important ques-
ton? You know by universal ard in
exorable law the relation will sooa be
broken up Father will be gone, moth
err will be gone. children will be gone,
you will be gone. but after that the
question of the text will begin to har-
vest its chief gains, or deplore its worst
losses, or roll up its mightiest magni-
tudes, or sweep it's vaster circles
Oh, what question-what an inn
portant question! Is there any ques-
ton that compares with it in import
anceP What is it now to Napoleon III |
whether he triumphed or surrendered
at Sedan, whether he died at the Tuil-
cries or Chiselhurst, whether he was
emperor or exile? Because he was laid
out in the coffin in the dress of 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
whether we were applaud
ed or Missed at welcomed in or kicked
oht? While laying hold OF every mo-
ment Of the future and burning in
every splep6ef or every grief and over
archhSr or e.ssrt sina al time and
all eternitY Is ise ths 81 startling,
sfisiserd or ase issa of the
text, "What1 ppSs Fl b zved?"
Again. / hss question
Of the agitaes 81 feepes as one
crusAsd out b. B s tgnes, pressed
out by his nis orfsteA &ha falling OF
the penitentiary, Is 9eF eation was