The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-28
WRONG KIND OF Discomfort.
REV. A. VI. WILLIAMS DISCOURSE
ON SOME CURRENT EVILS.

He Says the Nation Is Suffering
From a Moral Headache-Therc Is
Too Much MaterfaIism, and in the
Greed For Gain Moral Weakness
Is OverIOoked-A Word Against the
Liquor TrafIic-SaVannah in Need
of More Churches and More Church
WOrk-The Christmas Services in
the Morning.
Rev. A NJ. Williams, at Wesley Monu-
mental church, preached an interesting
sermon last night on the subject, Mis-
directed Discomfort" in which he took oc-
casion to call attention very strongly TO
several of the existing evils of the day
His text was taken from Isaiah viii, 49,
"Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and
let him be your fear, and let him be your
dread"
THAT discomfort prevails is taken as a
fact" he said. 1T is the topic of uni
versal discussion. Editorials are given us
constantly treating of differing aspects of
the subject. The pulpit treats the matter
as of such grave Importance as to de-
serve its careful study. The reviewer, the
economist the philanthropist, the politi-
to dwell on the theme 1 am not able to
diagnose the present state of our body
polite. 1 will not undertake to say
whether we are just recovering from some
national spree and have the subsequent
headache, or are suffering some acute
cephalgia arising out of the activity of
our intense civilization, or are in the
pangs of dyspepsia. 1 cannot. however,
conceal the feeling that much of this
feeling is hypochondrichal, brought on by
too much introspection. 1t seems to me
not founded in fact, undiscriminating as
to the grounds on which it has been agi-
tated; as far as justihable at all, it has
been msdirected.
AT some future time L desire to discuss
the alleged basis of the prevailing unrest;
tonight / wish to direct your attention
to the waste of social and moral energy
the present direction of this great emo
ton, discomfort, promotes.
Mark you, l recognize in discomfort a
powerful social force. 1t is one of the
agencies of providence by which progress
in human affairs is secured 1t is like the
hoar-frost that permeates the soil, breaks
up the hard crust that threatens to bind
the earth in uncultivatable solidity. 1t is
like the rude wintry wind that unsettles
the roots of the powerful oak and enables
1t to take deeper root downward that it
1t is like the waves of the sea that will not
rest, but whose motions purify the atmos-
phere of the whole earth and cast up the
shells of beauty for the delight of man.
Social discomfort has its uses in the econ
omy of God, and we would DO the world
great harm if we were to entirely suppress
1.-THE very greatness of the force, the
divinity OF its nature requires that We
should be very careful in it's application.
Those natural forces that serve man best
are the most dangerous when not proper
~ directed. What wonders in good living
nave been secured to man through cleo
trictty and fire. Yet what dangers are re-
ported from them when unrestrained or
improperly directed. So with the soul
forces; applied to the evils that beset our
morals, what great victories might be won
Tor good living, what great advances might
be made in human happiness by oVercom-
ing those customs, those environments,
those appetltes, those tendencies which
develop mans inhumanity to man and
make countless thousands mourn
The discomfort that is the theme of all
the present notice concerns itself with ma
terial affairs. 1t is always asking what we
snail eat; what we shall drink and where
withal shall we be clothed
The evil of our day is its intense mater
lallsm. IL revenues are abundant, trade
Disk, profits large, time good, all things
are well: but let there be the smallest let
up and the cry of ruin ascends. On the
other hand sin may abound, vice prevail
1niquity have free course and the masses
make no complaint. Our discomfort is ma
terial not moral: it is about the transient
things of the day not those things that af-
feet the eternal interests of mankind: we
are much concerned about our wealth. we
seem to be indifferent as to the character
we are making as persons or communities
or as a nation. Herein is our discomfort
misdirected.
Are we as disconnected with the dis
honesty IN places of trust as we should be ;
we are ready to cry out against some
forms of business certain unpopular lines
Oh work, but we seem ready to excuse and
palate the many cases of infdelity to trust
ana treat with very tender consideration
the numerous frauds that abound
Intemperance is a hydra curse of our
CIVILIZATION; 1t invades the highest homes
OF our land, and we jest about it. while
hearts are breaking; it numbers its vic
TINS by the thousands and we ma sc II NV
as matter OF course. The man who gives
his time, his money, his energy to abat
its evil you call an amiable crank. LET
man rush over the country CRYING free
silver as panacea of all our woes, he
becomes an orator and patriot; let him
harangue for days on sound money he is
statesman and public benefactor This
means money Is more than morals in the
minds of the masses. When the masses
awake to the fact that character is better.
than mere wealth the discomfort with our
present whisky environment will sweep
this evil away. Then our Christmas fes-
tivities will become inspira lions to nobler
living, not horrible nightmares OF riots
homieides, debauches and wretchedness'
as they live look back to Christmas Of
So with grief
Some of the discomfort might be d.
rected against impurity. The lascivjous-
ness of some Of the literature, much Of fhe
stage, and tendencies of the times needs
a crusade.
the godlessness about us, too. * a
worthy subject for discomfort Men Seem
to have forgotten that there is a God; il
we judge by the profanity, the Sabbath
desecration, the elimination OF the fear
of God from the lives of so many. TraV
cling the other day a railroad man said
to me that Savannah needed more church.
es, that Sunday was as secular as The
other days of the week. Another gentle
man deprecating the disposition to find
fault with the pastors of many of the
churches said II we did not mind we would
soon have no town. The meaning of MS
remark is that Righteousness was the ha-
sis of all true prosperity
Without doubt the first need OF Tho
world to-day Is a moral revolution; a re.
vival Of righteousness that would work
q reform in the manner of our lives II
we could see the masses moved with stsh
a discomfort that a reform in personal
living would take place, a publication Of
our moral atmosphere would result an
uplifting IN public character be prodiced
we might well rejoice In the emotion. For
such divine discomfort let US pray"
An interesting special Christmas service