The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-06-10

the Deep The disciples in the text
were caught in such stress of weather
and the sails bent and the ship plunged
for the wind was contrary There
is in one of the European straits a
place, where, whichever way you sail
the winds are opposing. There are
people who all their life seem sailing
in the teeth of the wind. All things
seem against them. 1t may be said OF
their condition as of that of the dis
ciples in my text: "the wind was con-
trary.''
A great multitude of people are I'M
der seeming disadvantage, and I will
today, in the swarthiest Anglo-Saxon
that I can manage, treat their cases;
not as a nurse counts out eight or ten
drops of a prescription, and stirs them
in a half-glass of water, but as when
man has by a mistake taken a large
amount of strychnine, or Paris green,
or belladonna, and the patient is walk
ed rapidly round the room, and shaken
up, until he gets wide awake. Many OF
you have taken a large draught of the
poison of Encouragement, and l come
out by the order of the Divine Physi-
clan to rouse you out of that lethargy.
First, many people are under the dis
advantage of an unfortunate name
given them by parents who thought
they were doing a good thing. Some
times at the baptism of children, while
have held up one hand in prayer, I
have held up the other hand in amaze
ment that parents should have weight
ed the babe with such a dissOnant and
repulsive nomenclature. / have not so
much wondered that some children
should cry out at the christening font
as that others with such smiling face
should take "a title that will be the bur-
den of their lifetime. 1t is outrageous
to .afflict children with an undesirable
name because it happened to be pos
:sessed by parent or a rich uncle from
whom fawors are expected, Or some
prominent man of the day who may
end his life in disgrace. It is no ex-
cuse, because they are Scripture names,
to cali a child Jehoikim, or Tiglath-
Pileser. I baptized one by the name
Bathsheba! Why, under all the cir
cumambient heaven, any parent should
want to give to child the name of that
loose creature of Scripture times can
not imagine I have often felt at the
baptismal altar, when names were an
nounced to me, like saying, as did the
Rev. DR.. Richards, of Morristown, n.
j., when a child was handed MIN for
baptism and the name given: "Hadn't
you better call it something else?"
Impose not upon that babe a name
suggestive of flippancy or mean1ess
There is no excuse for such assault and
battery on the cradle when our Ian
guage is opulent with names musical
and suggestive in meaning, such as
John, meaning 1.-The gracious gift Of
God;" or Henry, meaning "the chief
- of household" or Alfred, meaning
"good counsellor;" or Joshua, meaning
"God our salvation;" or Ambrose
meaning "immortal;" or Andrew
meaning MANLY" or Esther, meaning
':star;" or Abigail, meaning my faith
er's joy;" or Anna, meaning grace;
or Victoria, meaning 'victory;" or Ros
allie, meaning beautiful as a rose;;" o.
meaning "godlike;" or Clara, meaning
"illustrious; OR Amelia, meaning
busy" or Bertha, meaning "beauti
full" and hundreds of other names JUS
as good, that are a help rather than I
hindranee.
But sometimes the great hindranc,
in life in not in the given name, but il
70 mil
are willing to lift such incubus, Their
are families that keep a name whiel
mortgages all the generations with ,
great disadvantage. You say: II won
der if he is any relation to So-and-so
mentioning some family celebrated TO
crime or deception. It is a wonder +
me that in all such families some shirt
ed young man does not rise. saving +
his brothers and sisters: IF Won wan
to keep this nuisance or scanda1ixatio,
of name will keep it no longer tina,
; until the quickest course of law cal
slough off this gangrene." The cit
directory has hundreds of names IN
mere pronunciation of which has bee
lifelong obstacle. If you have starte
life under a name which either throue
ridiculous photography or vicious sue
gestion has been an encumbrance re
solve that the next generation shall No
be so weighted. It is not bemeanin
to change name. Saul of Tarsus be
came Paul the Apostle. Hadassa1
1.-The myrtle" became Esther. tb
star" We have in America, and I sur
pose it is so in all countries, name
which ought to be abolished, and ca
be, and will be abolished for the reaso
that they are libel and SANDER. b.
II for any reason you are submerge
either by a given name or by famil
name that you must bear, God will bel
you to overcome the outrage by lii
consecrated to the good and usefu
You may erase the curse from til
name. If it once stood for meannes
you can make it stand for generosit,
If once it stood for pride, you ca
make it stand for humility. If it ono