Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-02-23


fingers Of icicles, and sberiffs wit,
attachments dug among the cinders
fallen stOrehouses, and whole cite
Joined in The long funeral procession
marching to the grave of dead fortunes
and fallen commerce Verify. tn,
righteous suffered with the wicked, but
generally the wicked had the wors'
of it. Splendid estates that had como
together through schemes OF wicked
ness were dashed TO pieces like pot
ter's vessel. and God wrote with letter
OF fire, amid the ruin and destruction o.
regulations and systems that wer.
thought impregnable, the old-fashionec
truth, which centuries ago he wrote in
His Bible. The way of the wicked he
turneth upside down." AS the stars OF
heaven are reflected from the waters OF
the earth, even so Gods great and mag
nihcent purposes are reflected bacI
from the boiling sea of human passion
and turmoil AS the voice of 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 harmonies
OF Gods providence are rung back from
the darkest caverns of this sin-strnck
earth Sennacherib, and Abimelech,
and Herod, and Judas, and Nero, and
Nebuchadnezzar, though they struggled
! like beasts unbroken to the load. were
put into yoke, where they were COM
! PEELED 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 celebrated. The laying OF
heather hands upon them and the car
rying them off as spols was an I'M
bounded offense to the Lord OF the
temple. Yet ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS committed
this very sacrilege. Though that wick
ed king is gone the sins he inaugural
ed walk up and down the earth. ours
ing II from century to century. The
sin of desecrating sacred things is CON-
mitted by those who on sacramental
day take the communion cup. while
their conversation and actions all show
that they live down in Babylon. How
solemn is the sacrament. 1t is time
for vows, a time for repentance, time
for faith. Sinai stands near. with its
fire split 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 comes in
| from his idols and unrepented follies
to take hold Of the sacred vessels OF
the temple. o, thou Nebuchadnezzar!
Back with you to Babylon!
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 great
merchant said, Had it not been for
! the Sabbath | have no doubt ! should
have been a maniac long ago" This
remark was made in company OF mer-
chants, and one of them said That
corresponds with the experience OF
my friend, a great importer. He often
said. The Sabbath is the best day OF
the week TO plan successful voyages
He has for years been in an insane hos
pital, and will probably die there
Those also repeat the sin OF Neb-
nchadneZzar who in any way desecrate
the Holy Scriptures. There are men
who use the Word of God as instrument
of angry controversy. Bigots at heart,
and zealots in the advocacy OF their
religious peculiarities, they meet other
sects with the fury of a highwayman,
thrusting them through and through
with what they consider the sword of
the Spirit. Ii is wonder to me that
some men were not made with horns to
hook with, and hoofs to kick with, and
with claws to grab with. What Christ
said TO rash Peter. when he struck off
the ear of Malchus, he says to every
controversialist: Put up again thy
sword into it's place; for all they that
take the sword shall perish with the
sword
Rev. William Jay met a countryman
who said TO him, Il was extremely
alarmed this morning, sir. 1t was very
foggy and was going down to lonely
place and I thought l saw strange
monster 1t seemed in motion, but l
could not discern it's form. did not
like to turn back, but my heart beat;
and the more looked the more was
afraid. But as l approached. it was
man and who do you think 1t was?"
Il know not" "Oh, it was my broth
er John" Then Mr. Jay remarked, 1T
was early in the morning and very fog
gy, and how often do we thus mistake
our Christian brethren"
Just in proportion as men are wrong
will they be boisterous in their relig-
ious contentious. The lamb of religion
is always gentle, while there is no lion
SO fierce as the roaring lion that goes
about seeking whom he may devour.
Let Gibraltars beich their war flame on
the sea, and the Dardanelles darken the
Hellespont with the smoke of their bat
teries, but forever and ever let there be
good will among those who profess to
be the subjects OF the Gospel OF gem
tleness. GLORY to God in the highest
and on earth peace good will IN men"