The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-04-02

and implant in your souls a sense OF the
awfulness Of that wrath which awaits
the creature who dares to make light Of
his obligations to God and trifies with
such tremendous realities as guilt, judg-
ment and eternity. Oh, that could
confront you today with something like
the holy frenzy Of Chrysostom, when,
seemingly with the collected audacity
and might of all the heroes and martyrs
that had preceded him, he rebuked the
sins Of the church, struck terror to the
hearts Of those who were asleep in Zion,
and constrained even the liveried Off
cials Of the sanctuary to confess their
guilt and cry aloud TO God for mercy. |
"Covereth multitude of sinsp Verify |
they are multitude--a vast, innumer-
able multitude. sometimes try to cal |
'culate the sins that have been commit
ted against all human beings, living
and dead, that their charity is required
to cover, but my head grows dizzy with
the problem.
In what way may our love cover sins
against ourselves and sins against soci-
ETY.? By whitewashing them? BY look
ing upon them as mere foibles? By re-
garding them with that loose spirit
which is careless of the distinctions that
God makes between right and wrong?
There is constant temptation to do
this. A false Judgment OF the sins of
others makes it easier for us to excuse
our own iniquities There are men in
this community who always are ready
to apologize for the liquor drinking,
drunkenness, gambling, lewdness and
dishonesty in other people, because they
could not condemn these things without
condemning themselves. There is no
love in thinking lightly Of any act which
violates moral law and disturbs the Or
der Of Gods moral universe. 1t is not
love, but cowardice, that inspires man
to excuse vice. God has pronounced
curse upon him who saith to the wicked,
"Thou art righteous.
Sins 1t Cannot Cover.
There are foul cesspools in the cities
of this land which some men are ever
attempting to make sweet by sprinkling
rosewater upon them. They have tried
! to invest the lowest class Of variety the
aters with halo of moral beauty and
loveliness. How exalted must be the
moral standard and how purifying and
uplifting must be the moral influence Of
an institution where the toughs and
rowdies of a community gather to glori-
| fy ruffians whose vocation has been out
lawed by the government Of every civil
lized country on the globe
Who is the charitable man? The apol-
ogist for such an institution, or the man
who, seeing its debauching influence on
society, portrays its real character and
gives warning to the public Of the perils
that lurk within it's portals?
The psalmist says, BLESSED is the
man who walketh not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way Of
1 sinners" What is the character of the
men and women who appear upon the
stage of variety theater? Are they god.
ly or ungodly? Righteous or wicked
Are the influences surrounding such q
place promotive Of moral beauty and
Christian integrity? No honest man will
say that they are wholesome Tell me
not that am narrow, illiberal and un.
charitable when speak the truth con
cerning such an institution and invoke
upon it the reprobation of all virtue Low
ing people.
Notwithstanding loves uncompromis
ing hostility to all manner Of wrongdo
ing, it does cover multitude of sins
Charity covers a man s sins against mt
when forgive him as freely and fully
as God forgives me. To oforgive one whC
has wronged you is to cease to feel un
kindly toward him, to expel from your
breast any purpose or desire to punish
him for the injury he has done you, anC
to covet earnestly opportunities to be
stow favors upon him. There is a sort
Of porcupine forgiveness that has {
thousand needles ON it, and in which
there is more vindictiveness than love
You take man who has offended yol
and set him down before the blowpip,
of your indignation and scorch him from
head to foot, and then you forgive hin
with the solemn admonition that if HI
should ever repeat the offense You will
incinerate him. Sin is not covered b,
such charity. How unlike this was tn
forgiveness Of the father in the parable
who saw the prodigal afar off, ran ant
fell ON his neck, kissed him and wep
for joy.
The noblest and the most godlike re
sponse to an enemy is, II forgive you.
Polyargus heard himself abused in
theater. Unable to bear the indignity
he went ont and hanged himself. Whel
the Greek comedians tried to often,
Socrates by making him appear ridiou
lous, he laughed at them. When tn
Pasquins pronounced their bitter invec
tives against Augustus, he would no
notice them. But when Jesus was robe,
in mock royalty, spit upon, buffete'
J and nailed to a cross, he said, "Father
, forgive them.
A Case In Point.
, In the love which forgives there is
! subduing and transforming power.
, very aged negro woman stood at stree
corner trying to make support for her
self by selling few apples. A wicke'
: Irish sailor passing by knocked her bas
. ket from her hand and scattered he
fruit over the pavement He then stoo,
) little distance from her expecting t.
) see her fret and hear her swear. But
looking upon him with pity, she said
"Young man, 1 forgive you, and ma.
. my Heavenly Father forgive you too.
, Ths gentleness and magnanimity Of tn
old negro ruushed the heart of the rud
kailor. He was ashamed, self condemne
: and penitent. After compensating he
for the injury to her fruit, he graspe
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