The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-19

the desert there was man, VINO, on account
of a conspiracy that he raised against
Moses and Aaron, was real demagoBue III
the strictest sense of the word. We call
demagogue a man who by intriguing and
plotting, schemes to prejudice the people
against their friends, and moreover seeks
to make them, by false accusation, diso'
bedient to and dissatisfied with the ruiinB
corporations and congregations. Sucn
demaQorue was that famous korach, who
was to be the first to direct reDeiilon
against the system of religion lald down
for Israel; he was to bo amongst the hrs'
of the thousands of victims whom ambl-
tion selfshness or passion was to claim,
on the desert plains over which Israel was
to wander during its period OF purgatlon.
As might be expected, especially among
people so prove to rebel, his example FOUND
ready imitators Dathan and Abiram,
and two hundred and fifty of the congre'
CATION rose against Moses ana Aaron, aG,
cusing them Of taking to themselves az
the honors and priestly functions.
kind of jealousy was also at the oottom ?l
this fierce attack and hostility. IL Is
unnecessary to describe to you the fatal
issue of this rebellious and uproarlous
demonstration. 'Turn not to their opia-
ton" said the faithful servant to ttle
Eternal; that is disgrace them In the
moment of their arrogance, so that none
but themselves may be the dupes OF their
scheme. And the offended majesty Oh
Heaven, speaking thus through She liDusn MI
of its appointed one, launched Its bolt
against those who had violated their own
trust, and had sought to implicate others
in their treason.
The earth opened her mouth and
swallowed them up, and their houses and
all the men of Korach and their substance;
they and all that appertained TO them
went down to the grave and the earth
covered them, and they perlshoa from
miserable attempt to set up human Tor
heavenly spirltualism, The lmpostors
were exposed in the very heat Of their
weakness; even rs they were attempting
to exhibit proofs of their mission, they
vanished in destruction before the persons
in whose eyes they wished to DO agSrah-
died. This awful catastrophe proves
again the well known saying OF our
sages: That all important disputes anu
undertakings which art carried out i'll
the name Of God have every chance to
succeed. whilst transactions and enter
prises, which are devoid of divine sane,
tion and approval never, prosper anu
must fall to pieces.
This demagogue korach was the ment-
tai and bodily incarnation OF seifishnei
and vanity. In attacking the priesthood
1t was nOU MS lutolltiOp w thPio,
raise it, or to place it upon higher level,
hut to iniure and destroy 1t at the expense
of his own self.-aggrandizement. He wanU
ed to put Moses in the background, IN
order to gain by his downfall those great
dignities and honors which he coveted,
There is IA beautiful word in our chapter1
which Moses applied to korach. In refer
ring to his audacous and rebelllons COM
duct we hear the great Law-glver exclhim.
f.u,t 7 tr,,D nnnnlH.
perfectly aware whether they mean
we'll, and act from pure and unselfsh
nrinciples, or whether they interest them.
selves merely in matter for the sake OF
impure motives that is for tho sole oDlect
of winning applause and increasing thelr
own popularity,
No matter how much we dress our
selves in all the garments OF holiness ana
sanctity, If there is any good IN that pur,
nose we advocate and promote that good
will come ous ut the proper time; now
ever il thcre Is any wrong in our actions
and we do not mean what we profess,
then occasions and opportunities Will
arise when the mantle of sanctity will be
| stripped from Us, and we will be seen Id
| our natural garb-hypocrisy. "ihe Lord
knows His children better than they
know themselves" That Is asenteace iu.i
| of meaning What are all our professions
| in the sight of man and God, when we
| act contrary to our better nature
| and when before the eyes of the world we
| annear sanity and angelic; while be-
fore onr own conscience and soul we are
guilty oS many shortcomings fai''nss ana
si1yi
1 NV friends, nothing is more dangerous
| to t6e common welfare than to see men
leagled together for the purpose ol reilef ef
| diving by % bined attack the chances o.
| either their imaginary OF real evils. II
| Eoroch has Condescended to bring his
| complaints in calm and digni1led man
| nor before Moses and Aaron. | am certain
| both Of them would have listened to him
| and would have explained to him the uh
| reasonable nature of his pretended
| grievances. But instead OF doing so, no
| passionatply rushcs into fierce comDat
| and makes hundreds of men, whom he
| moulds ard shapes like figures and pup.
| nets of wax in his hand wild partisans OF
| his angry temper.
| By the by, in the middle ages 1t was
| Charles V, who, by means of arms, tried
| to bring the Christians-the Cathollcs
| and PrOtestaGts-under one relisiouS
! mode Of thinking He failed in MS at-
tempt, and in retiring LATER 10 piohas,
terry, he spent his whole time dally IN
| bringing a dozen clocks to order rms
! however, was also failure Then he
sorrowfully exclaimed: "What n fool l
was, trying to bring, whole Christianlty
under one head, when am not aole 10
make even dozen clocks agree with each
other, so that they strike at tho proper
minute and hour. The school OF life with
its stern lessons, quite often humbles
those persons who believe that no one Is
equal to them, and that everybody has TO
acknowledge their greatness and excel
lencc These people forget that pride
goeth before fall" Let this be lesson
to you, my friends Never join people IN
| n body or union for the sake OF betterlng
A supposed wrong Remain always the
arbiters and defenders Of your own dcs-
tinies and concerns.
Be ware of demngogues, of big ones as
we'll as little ones. The big ones are those
who make themselves the mouthplece OF
the laborlng classes against their best
friends, their employers. The little dema'
uogues are to be found everywhere They
are in institutions, societies. and last, put
not least ia congregations they are IN
constant opposition to all rules, customs
and regulations But more than this, these
little lemagogues induce aud 1nclte
others tu neglect purposely their tasks
and obligations and to show disre5pect'
ful ana hostile spirit towards teachers
and ministers who are destined from God
TO guido their tlocks in tho right path Of
God and humanity. beware oi aeihaBo-
| RuES.