The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-02-19

chair at the table and upon the hearth.
Winter blew his breath of frost through
fingers of icicles, and sheriffs with
attachments dug among the cindcr5 OF
fallen storehouses, and whole cities
joined in the long funeral procession,
marching to the grave of dead fortunes
and fallen commerce. Verify the
righteous suffered with the wicked, but
generally the wicked had the worst
of 1t. Splendid estates that had come
together through schemes Of wicked
ness were dashed to pieces like pot
ter's vessel, and God wrote with letters
of fire, amid the ruin and destruction CT
regulations and systems 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
nif1cent purposes are reflected Dack
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,s so the great harmonles
OF Gods providence are rung back from
the darkest caverns of this sin-struck
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 spoils was an I'M
bounded offense to the Lord OF the
temple. Yet Nebucha dnezzar committed
this very sacrilege. Though that wick
ed king is gone, the sins he inaugural
ed walk up and down the earth, ours
ing it from century to century. The
sin of desecrating sacred things is COM
mitted by those who on sacramcntal
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 a time
for vows. 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 fol'ies
to take hold of the sacred vessels OF
the temple. o, thou NebCcna6nezzar!
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. great
merchant said, Had it not been for
the Sabbath | have no doubt l should
have been a maniac long ago." This
remark was made in a 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-
uchadnezzar 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. 1t 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
controyersialist: 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 countryman
who said to him, Il was extremely
alarmed this morning, sir. 1t was very
foggy and was going down to a lonely
place and 1 thought l saw a strange
monster. 1t seemed in motion, but I
could not discern its form. 1 did not
like to turn back, but my heart beat;
and the more looked the more l was
afraid. But as 1 approached, it was
man and who do you think it was?"
81 know not" "Oh, it was my broth
err 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 belch their war flame on