The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-02-27

money to spend, TO sec munger IL
their chair at the table and upon the
hearth. Winter blew his breath o.
frost through fingers of icicles. and
sheriffs with attachments dug among
the cinders of fallen storehouses, and
whole cities joined in the long funeral
procession, marching to the grave of
dead fortunes and fallen commerce.
Verify, the righteous suffered with the
wicked. but generally the wicked had
the worst of it. Splendid estates that
had come together through schemes of
wickedness were dashed to pieces like
potter's vessel, and God wrote with
letters Of fire, amid the ruin and de-
struction of regulations and estates
that were thought impregnable. the
old fashioned truth, which centuries
ago lie wrote in His Bible: THE way
of the wicked He turns upside down.
As the stars of Heaven are reflected
Gods great and magnificent purposes
are reflected back from the boiling
sea of human passion and turmoil.
AS the voice OF a sweet song
uttered among the mountains may
be uttered back from the cavernous
home of wild beast and rocks split and
thunder-scarred, SO the great harmo-
MES of Gods providence are rung back
from the darkest caverns of this sin
struck earth. Sennacherib, and Abb.
melech, and Herod, and Judas, and
Nero, and Nebuchadnezzar, though
they struggled like beasts un broken to
the load, were put into yoke, where
they were compelled To help draw
ahead Gods great projects of mercy.
Again, let us learn the lesson that
men can be guilty of polluting the
sacred vessels of the temple and carry.
ing them away to BABYLON. The sacred
vessels in the temple at Jerusalem
were the cups and plates of gold and
silver with which the rites and cere-
monies were cele brated. The laying of
heather hands upon them and the car
rying them off as spoils was an un
bounded offense to the Lord of the TEN.
pie. Yet Nebuchadnezzar committed
this very sacrilege. Though that
wicked king is gone, the sins he inau-
gurated walk up and down the earth,
cursing it from century 20 century.
The sin of desecrating sacred things is
committed by those who on sacramen-
tai day take the communion cup. while
their conversation and deeds all show
that they live down in Babylon. How
solemn is the sacrament. 1t is time
for vows, time for repe ntanc a time
for faith. Sinai stands near, with its
fre-spit clouds, and Calvary, with its
victim. The holy spirit broods over
the scene, and the glory of Heaven
seems to gather in the sanctuary. Vile
indeed must that man be who will
come in from his idols and unrepented
follies to take hold of the sacred yes
sells of the temple. o. thou Nebuchad.
nezzar! Back with you to Babylon
Those also desecrate sacred things
who use the Sabbath for any other
than religious purposes. This holy
day was let down from Heaven amid
the intense secularities of the week to
remind us that we are immortal, aud
to allow us preparation for an endless
state of happiness. 1t is green spot
in the hot desert of this world that
gushes with fountains and waves
to shake the dust from the robes
of our piety and in the tents of Israel
sharpen our swords for future conflict.
Heaven, that seems far off on
other days, alights upon the earth, and
the song of Heavenly choirs and the
hosannah of the white-robed seem tc
mingle with our earthly worship. We
hear the wailing Infant of Bethlehem,
and the hammer-stroke of the car.
penter's weary son in Nazareth, and
the prayer of Gethsemane, and the
bitter cry of Golgotha. Glory be unto
the Lord of the Sabbath. With that
one day in seven God divides this great
sea of business and gayety, SO that
dry-shod we may pass between the
worldly business of the past and the
worldly business of the future
He who breaks the Sabbath not more
certainly robs God than robs himself.
Inevitably, continuous dissertation of
the sacred day ends either in bank.
ruptcy or destroyed health. A mer.
chant said: Had it not been for the
Sabbath | have no doubt / should have
been a maniac long ago" This re-
mark was made in company of fner-
chants, and one of them said: THAT
corresponds with the experience of nv
friend, great importer. lie often
said: The Sabbath is the best day Of
the week to plan successful voyages
He has for years been in an insane
hospital, and will probably die there"
Rev. William Jay met a countryman
who said To him: Il was extremely
alarmed this morning, sir 1t was very
foggy and l was going down to a lone.
ly place. and l thought saw a strange
monster. 1t seemed in motion, but l
could not discern its form. | do not
like to turn back, but my heart beat;
and the more l looked the more 1
was afraid. But as approached I
Jaw it was man, and who do you
thial it WASP" II know not" "Oh,
it was my brother John" Then Mr..
Jay remarked: 1T was early in the
morning and very foggy, aud how
often do we thus mistake our Christian
brethren"
Just in proportion as men are wrong
will they be boisterous in their relipi-
Gus contentious The lau,h If ral;1;on