The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-08-25

what assurance can you give me that
TINS world is not going to be burned
up? Absolutely none. Geologists tell
us that it is already on fire; that
the heart of the world is one great
hving coal; that it is just like a shin
on hre at sea, the flames not bursting
out because the matches are kent
down. And yet you propose to palm
OH on me, in return for my soul, a
world for which, in the first place.
you give no title, in the second place.
1or which you can give no insurance.
oh" you say, "the water of the
oceans will wash over all the land and
put out the fire." Oh, no. There are
infiammable 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.
Astronomers have swept their tele-
scopes through the sky and have
found out that there have been Is
worlds in the last two centuries that
have disappeared. At first they looked
just like other worlds. Then they got
deeply red-they were on fire. Then
they got ashen, showing they were
burned down. Then they disappeared,
showing that even the ashes were scat
tered. And, if the geologist be right
in his prophecy, then our world is
to go in the same way. And yet you
want me to exchange my soul for it..
All, no, it is world that is burning
now. Suppose you brought an in
surance agent to look at your prop
erty for the purpose of giving you a
policy upon it and while he stood in
front of the house he should say:
THAT house is on fire now in the
basement" you could not get any in
surance upon it. Yet you talk about
this world as though it were a safe
investment, as though you could get
some insurance upon it, when down in
the basement it is on fire.
remark, also, that this world is a
property with which everybody who
has taken it as possession has had
trouble. Now, between my house and
my church in Brooklyn there was a
reach of land which was not built on.
l asked what was the matter, and
they replied that everybody who had
anything to do with that property
got into trouble about it. 1t is just
SO with this world-everybody that
has had anything to do with it as
a possession has been in perplexity.
How was it with Lord Byron? Did
he not sell his immortal soul for the
purpose of getting the world? Was
he satisfied with the possession?
Alas, alas, the poem graphically de-
scribes his case when it says:
Drank every cup of JOY
Heard every trump of fame;
Drank early deeply drank,
Drank drafts which common millions
might have quenched,
Then died of thirst, because there was no
more to drink.
Here is a man who has had large
estate for 40 or so years. He lies
down to die. You say: THAT man is
worth millions and millions of dol
lars" Is he? You call up survey
or, with his compass and chains, and
you say: "There is property extend
ing three miles in one direction and
three miles in another direction" Is
that the way to measure that mans
property? No! You do not want any
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 out a tapeline, and he will meas
ure five feet nine inches one way and
2H feet the other way. That is the
mans property. Oh, no; I 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
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?
Will he meet this PAYMENT Now,
when you are offered this world as
possession l want you to test the mat
ter. l 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 1t.
There is the world now. shall say
no more about it. Make up your mind
for Yourself, as l shall before God
have to make up my mind for myself
about the value of tAis world. l 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-
pether. 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
nrised to find how silently it goes. Ma
chinery that roars and tears soon de-
stroys itself; but silent machinery is
often most effective. Now, so 1t is with
the soul of man, with all its tremendous
faculties; it moves in silence. Judg-
ment, without any racket, lifting its
scales; memory, without any noise,
bringing down all it's treasures; con
science taking its judgment seat with
ont any excitement; the understand
H. ,,,;lI II doinU their work