The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-08-25

gave you hundred thousand dollar
for that property" the plea would
be of no avail we might say: eve
have a warantee deed for that prop
erty;" the plea would be of no avail
We might say: 1--WE have lien on
that storehouse;" that would do us
no good. Death is blind, and he can
not see a seal and cannot read an in
denture. So that, first and last, ! want
to tell you that when you propose
that i give up my soul for the world
you cannot give me the first item of
| title.
Having examined the title of n
property, your next question is about
| insurance. You would not be silly
enough to buy a large warehouse that
could not possibly be insured. You
would not have anything to do with
such property. Now, / ask you
what assurance can you give me that
this world is not going TO be burned
up? Absolutely none. Biologists tell
us that it is already on fire; that
the heart of the world is one great
living coal that it is just like ship
on fire at sea. the flames not bursting
out because the matches are kept
down. And yet you propose to palm
off on me, in return for my soul, n
world for which, in the first place,
YOU give no title, in the second place,
for which you can give no insurance.
oh you say, "the water of the
oceans will wash over all the land and
PIT out the fire." Oh, no. There are
inhammable elements in the water,
hydrogen and oxygen. Call off the
hydrogen, and then the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans. would blaze like heaps
OF shavings. You want me to take
this world, for which you can give
no possible insurance.
Here is man who has had large
estate for 40 or so years. lie lies
down To die. You say: THAT man is
worth millions and millions of dol
lars" is he? You call up a survey
or. with his compass and chains, and
you say: There is a property extend
ing three miles in one direction and
three miles in another direction" Is
that the way to measure that mans
surveyor, with compass and chains.
That is not the way to measure that
mans property now. 1t is an under
taker YOU need. who will come and
put his finger in his vest pocket and
take ont Il tapeline. and he will meas
urc five feet nine inches one way and
2H feet the other way. That is the
mans property. Oh, no; | forgot;
not so much as that. for he does not
own even the place in which he lies
in the cemetery. The deed to that
belongs to the executors and heirs
Oh, what property you propose TO
give me for my soul. If you sell n
bill of goods you go into the counting
room and say to your partner: ''Do
you think that man is good for this
bill? Can he give proper security?
VIII he meet this payment" Now,
when you are offered this world as
possession want you to test the mat
ter. do not want you to go into this
bargain blindly. ] want you to ask
about the title, about the insurance,
about whether men have ever had any
trouble with it, about whether you
can get all or the ten-thousandth part
or one hundred-thousandth part of it.
There is the world now. ] shall say
no more about it. Make up your mind
for yourself. as / shall before God
have to make up my mind for myself
about the value of this world. / can
not afford to make a mistake for my
soul, and you cannot afford to make
a mistake for your soul.
Now let us look at the other property
the soul. We cannot make bargain
without seeing the comparative value.
The soul! How shall l estimate the
value of it? Well. by its exquisite or
ganization. 1t is the most wonder
full piece of mechanism ever put to-
gcthcr. Machinery is of value in pro-
portion as it is mighty and silent at
the same time. You look at the engine
and the machinery in the Philadelphia
mint, and as you see it performing
its wonderful work you will be sur
prised to find how silently it goes. Ma
c.linery that roars and tears soon de-
stroys itself; but silent machinery is
| often HOSl tHeCIlNt. NOW, SD III is with
the soul Of man, with all its tremendous
faculties; it moves in silence. judy
ment. without any racket, lifting its
scales memory. without any noise.
| bringing down all its treasures; con
science taking its judgment seat with
out any eXcitement; the understand
ing and the will all doing their work
velocity, majesty, might, but silence,
silence. You listen al the door of your
heart. You can hear no sound. The
soul is quiet. 1t is so delicate an in
strumcnt that no human hand can
touch it. You break bone, and with
splinters and bandagcs the surgeon
sets it; the eye becomes infamed, the
apothecary's wash cools it; but soul
off the track, unbalanced, no human
power can readiust it. With one sweep
Of its wing II encirces the universe and
ovcrvaults the throne of God. Why
in the hour of death the soul is sc
mighty it. throws aside the body as
though il were toy. 1t drives back
medical skill as impotent. 1t breaks
through the circle of loved ones who
stand around the dying couch. Will
one leap II springs beyond star ant
| moon mud ann md oh a cr,, 9, NJ m N, A N 81