Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-02-19

ing host. The arrows from the AL
mighty's culver are apt to strike a man
when on the wing. Goliath shakes his
great spear in defiance, but the smooth
stones from the brook make him stag
ger and fall like an OK under a butch
er's bludgeon. He who is down cannot
fall. Vessels scudding under bare poles
do not feel the force Of the storm, while
those with all sails set capsize at the
sudden descent of the tempest.
Remember that we can be as proud Of
our humility as Of anything else. An
tisthenes walked the streets Of Athens
with a ragged cloak to demonstrate his
humility, but Socrates declared he could
see the hypocrisy through the holes IN
his cloak. We would all see ourselves
smaller than we are if we were as phil
osophic as Severus, the emperor Of Rome
who said at the close Ci' his life, Il
have been everything and everything is
nothing" And when the urn that was
to contain his ashes was at his com
mand brought TO him he said, Eittle
urn, thou shalt contain one Tor Whom
the world was too little. "
Do you not also learn from the mis-
fortune Of this king Of Babylon what a
terrible thing is the loss Of reason:
There is no calamity that can possibly
befall us in this world so great as de
rangement Of intellect; TO have the
body Of man and yet 10 fall even below
the instinct of brute. In this world Of
horrible sights, the most horrible is the
idiots stare. In this world Of horrible
sounds, the most horrible is the maniac E
laugh. A vessel driven on the rocks,
when hundreds go down never 10 rise
and other hundreds drag their mangled
and shiyering bodies upon the winter s
beach, is nothing compared to the foun-
dering of intellects full Of vast hopes
and attainments and capacities.
Christ's heart went out toward those
who were epileptic, falling into the fire,
or maniacs cutting themselves among
the tombs. We are accustomed to be
more grateful for physical health than
for the proper working Of our mind. We
are apt to take it for granted that the
intellect which has served US so well
will always be faithful. We forget that
an engine Of such tremendous power,
where the wheels have such yastness Of
circle and such swiftness Of motion, and
the least impediment might put 1t out
Of gear can only be kept in proper bal
ance by divine hand. No human hand
could engineer the train Of immortal
faculties. How strange it is that oul
memory, on whose shoulders all the
misfortunes and successes and occur
rences Of a lifetime are placed, should
not oftener break down, and that the
scales of judgment, which have beer
weighing so much and so long, should
not lose their adjustment, and that fancy
which holds n dangerous wand, shoulC
not sometimes maliciouslS wave IT
bringing into the heart forebodings anC
hallucinations the most appalling! Is j
not strange that this mind, which hope
so much in It's mighty leaps for the at
| tainment Of its objects, should not b
| dashed to pieces on its disappointments
| Though so delicately tuned, this instru
ment Of untold harmony plays on
| though fear shakes it and yexations racl
II and sorrow and JOY and loss and gain
in quick succession beat out Of 1t thei
dirge or toss from it their anthem. A
morning and at night, when in you
prayer you rchearse the causes Of you
| thanksgiving. next to the salvation b.
Jesus Christ, praise the Lord for tn
preservation Of your reason.
/ He Served Purpose.
See also in this story of Nebuchadnez
zar the use that God makes Of bad men
The actions Of the wicked are used a
instruments for the punishment Of wick
edness in others or as the illustration o
some principle in the divine govern
ment. NebuchadneZzar subserved botl
purposes. Even so I will go back witt
YOU to the history Of every reprobat
that tie world has ever seen, and VII
show you how to great extent n
wickedness was limited in its destructlv
power and how GCd glOrifiod himsel
/. | in the overthrow and disgrace of bis en-
|. envy. Babylon is full Of abcmination
. and wicked Cyrus destroys it. Persi
| fills the cup of its iniquity, and vile Al
exander puts an end to 1t. Macedo'
must be chastised, and bloody Eniiiu
does it. The Bastillo is TO he destroyed
and corrupt Napoleon accCmpilsh6s il
Even so selfish and wicked men aIe OF
ten made to accomplish great ard glori
r ous purposes. Josoph's brethren wer
= guilty of suporlative perfdy and mear
ness when they sold him into SLAYER
t for about 81, yet how they must hay
. been overwhelmed with the truth tina
God never forsakes the righteous whe
{ they saw he had become the prime mlr
lister Of Egypt Pharaoh oppresses tn
Israelites with the most diabollc tyrar
= nv; vet stand still and see the salyatio
5 Of God. The plaques descend, the Il
t Gusts, and the hail, and the destroyin
p angel. showing that there is God VIII
r will defend the cause of his people, an
: snally. after the Israelites have passe
through the parted sea, behold in tn
wreck Of the drowned army, that God
' enemies are chaff in a whirlwindl l
s some financial panic the righteous SUI
t fered with the wicked. Houses an
g stores and shops in night foundere
G on the rock Of bankruptcy, and health
: credit without warning dropped dead
8 the street, and money ran up the lon
a ladder Of % per cent TO laugh dow
t upon those who could not climb after Il
. Dealers with pockets full Of securiti'
r stood shouting in the deaf ears OF BANK
s Men rushed down the streets with pr'
a tested notes after them. Those who y
Il fore found It hard to spend their none
. were left without money TO spend Ii
G horers went home for want OF work,
IS see hunger in their chair at the tab
e and upon the hearth. Winter blew b
IS breath Of frost through fingers OF icicie
I and sheriffs with attachments dr
n among the cinders Of fallen storehouse
70 and whole cities joined IN the long +
neral procession, marching to the gra'
e Of dead fortunes and fallen commerc
n Verify the righteous suffered with {