Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-03-26

WASHINGTON. March 21.-From many
conditions of life Dr. Talmage, in this
sermon, draws graphic illustrations Of
one Of the sublimest theories of religion
namely, vicarious sacrifice. His text
was Hebrews tx, 22, Without shedding
of blood is nc remission.
John G. Whittier, the last of the great
school of American poets that made the
last quarter Of century brilliant, asked
me in the White mountains one morning
after prayers, in which had given out
Cowper's famous hymn about the
fountain filed with blood, DO you
really believe there is literal applica-
ton Of the blood of Christ to the soulY'
Ny negative reply then is my negative
reply now. The Bible statement agrees
with all physicians and all Psychologists
and all scientists in saying that the
blood is the life, and in the Christian
religion it means simply that Christ's
life was given for our life. Hence all
this talk of men who say the Bible story
Of blood is disgusting and that they
don't want what they call slaughter
house religion" only shows their inca
pacity or unwillingness to look through
the figure of speech toward the thing
signifed. The blood that ON the darkest
Friday the world ever saw oozed or
trickled or poured from the brow, and
the side. and the hands, and the feet Of
the illustrious sufferer, back of Jerusa-
lem, in a few hours coagulated and
dried up and forever disappeared, and if
man had depended on the application Of
the literal blood of Christ there would
not have been a soul saved for the last
IS centuries
In order to understand this red word
Of my text we only have to exercise as
much common sense in religion as we
do in everything else. Pang for pang,
hunger for hunger, fatigue for fatigue,
tear for tear, blood for blood, life for
life, we see every day illustrated. The
act Of substitution is no novelty, al
though hear men talk as though the
idea Of Christ's suffering substituted for
our suffering were something abnormal,
something distressingly odd, something
wildly eccentric, a solitary episode in
the worlds history-when l could take
you out into this city and before sun
down point you to five hundred cases of
substitution and voluntary suffering Of
one in behalf of another.
Overwork.
At 2 O'Clock tomorrow afternoon go
among the places of business or toll. 1t
will be no difficult thing for you TO find
men who by their looks show you that
they are ovcrworked. They are prema-
turely old. They are Fastening rapidly
toward their decease. They have gone
through crises in business that shattered
their nervous system and pulled on the
brain. They have a shortness Of breath
and a pain in the back Of the head and
at night an insomnia that alarms them.
Why are they drudging at business early
and late? For fun? No. II would be
difficult TO extract any amusement out
Of that exhaustion. Because they are
ayaricious? In many cases no. Because
their own personal expenses are lavish!
No. A few hundred dollars would meet
all their wants. The simple fact is the
man is enduring all that fatigue and ex-
ASPIRATION and wear and tear to keep
his home prosperous. There is an inyis-
ible line reaching from that store, from
that bank, from that shop, from that
scaffolding, to quiet scene few blocks
awav. few miles away. And there is
the secret of that business endurance
He is simply the champion Of home
stead for which he wins bread and ward
robe and education and prosperity, and
in such battle 10, 900 men fall. OF ten
business men whom bury nine die OF
overwork for others. Some sudden dis
ease finds them with no power of resist
ance, and they are gone. Life for life
Blood for blood. Substitution
At l o'clock tomorrow morning, the
hour when slumber is most unlnter-
rupted and most profound, walk amid
the dwelling houses Of the city. Here
and there you will find a dim light be-
cause it is the household custom to keep
a subdued light burning, but most OF
rbe houses from base to top are as dark
as though uninhabitea. A merciful God
has sent forth the archangel Of sleep,
and he puts his wings over the city.
But wonder is a clear light burning, and
outside on the window easement IS
glass or pitcher containing food for a
sick child. The food is set in the fresh
air. This is the sixth night that mother
IS sat up with that sufferer. She has
~, the last point obeyed the physicians
prescription, not giving drop too much
or too little or moment too soon or too
late. She is very anxious, for she has
buried three children with the same
disease, and she prays and weeps, each
PRAYER and sob ending with kiss OF the
pale cheek. BY dint Of kindness she gets
the little one through the ordeal. After
it is all over the mother is taken down.
Brain or nervous fever sets in, and one
dav she leaves the conyalescent child
with a mothers blessing and goes up TO
ioin the three in the kingdom Of heaven.
Life for life! Substitution! The fact is
that there are an uncounted number OF
mothers who, after they have nayigated
a large family of children through all
the diseases of infancy and got them
fairly started up the Towering slope OF
boyhood and girlhood have only strength
enough left to die. They fade away.
Some call it consumption. Some call 1t
nervous prostIation. Some call 1t IN
termittent or malarial indisposition.
But call it martyrdom Of the domestic
circle. Life for life Blood for blood
Substitution
Substitution.
Or.perhaps the mother fingers long
enough to see o son get on the wrong
road, and his former kindness becomes
rough reply when she expresses anxiety
about him. But she goes right ON, look
ing carefully after his apparel, remem-
bering his every birthday with some
memento, and, when he is brought home
worn out with dissipation, nurses him
till he gets we'll and starts him again