The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-02-19

tested notes after them. Those who be.
fore found it hard TO spend their money
were left without money to spend. La
borers went home for want of work, to
see hunger III their chair at the table
and upon the hearth. Winter blew his
breath Of fICst through fingers of icicles,
ana sheriffs with attachments dug
among the cinders CT fallen storehouses,
and whole cities joined in the long flu
neral procession, marching to the grave
OF uead 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
wlckedness were dashed to pieces like a
potter's vessel, and God wrote with let
tiers of fire, amid the ruin and destruc-
ton OF regulations and estates that were
thought impregnable, the old fashioned
truth, which centuries ago he wrote in
his Bible, 1.-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
nificent 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 thun-
der SCARED, so the great harmonies of
Gods providence are rung back from
the darkest caverns of this sin struck
earth. Sennacherib and Abimelecb
and Herod and Judas and Nero and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, though they struggled
like beasts UEbroken to the load, were
put into ycEe where they were com
PEELED to help draw ahead Gods great
projects of mercy
Again, let us learn the lesson that
mon can be guilty Of polluting the sacred
vessels of the temple and carrying 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 ceremonies were celebrat-
ed. The laying of heather hands upon
them and the carrying them eff as spoils
were an untounded offense to the Lord
of the temple Yet NCbuchadnezzar
committed this very sacrilcge. Though
that wicked king is gene, the sins he in
augurated walk up ard down the earth,
cursing it from century to century The
sin Of desecratlng sacred things is COM
mitted by those who on sacramental
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, a time for repentance, a 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 will come in
from his idols and unrcpented follies to
take hold Ct the sacred vessels of the
temple. O thou Nebuchadnezzar! Back |
with you to Babylon!
The Holy Day.
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 sec
ularities Of the week to remind us that
we are immortal and to allow us prep
aration for an endless state of happi-
ness. 1t is green spot III the hot desert
of this world that pushes with fountains
and waves with palm trees. This is the
time to shake the Dust from the robes Of
our picty and i'll the terts of Israel
sharpen our swords for future conflict
Heaven, that seems so far eff ON other
days, alights upon the earth, and the
song of heavenly ChOiIs and the hCsan-
ma Of the " Elte rObed seem to mingl6
with our earthly worship. We hear the
wailing infant of Bethlehem, and the
hammer stroke of the carpenters weary
son in Nazareth, and the prayer of Geth-
semane, and the bitter cry of Golgotha.
Glory be unto the Lord of the Sabbath!
With that che day in seven CCd divides
this great sea Of business and gayety,
that so, dry shod, we may pass between
the worldly business Of the past and the
worldly business Of the future!
But to many the Sabbath comes only
as a day for neighborhood visiting, field
hotel lounging and political
This glorious Sabbath, which
was intended only as golden chalice
from which the thirsty should drink, is
this moment being carried down to
Babylon. | do not eXaggerate the truth
when | say that to tens of thousands
there is no distinction between the Sab
bath and the weekdays except that on
the Lords day they do not work, while
they eat more largely and dissipate more
Sabbath breakers are like
hunters W ho should compel their hounds
TO take rest while themselves continue
III the weary chase for men ON the
sabbath allow their bodies, which are
merely the animal nature, sufficient re,
pose, while their immortal nature, which
should be ted and refreshed, is COM
PEELED to chase up and down this worlds
highway, how shameful to rob God of
lis day, wien he allows men so much
awful acquisition, even of a worldly ma
ure, on the Sabbath, for, although men
themselves are commanded to rest, the
'orn and the wheat and the grass grow
ust as rapidly On the Sabbath as on I
,ther days, SO that while they sit in the
anctuary they are actually becoming
icher i'll worldly things, While you are )