The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
SHORT SERMONS on BURDENS AND
REST, A LADOR-DAY DISCOURSE.
the Rev. Leslie w. sprague, ID. D.,
-nstor of All Souls Unitarian
Church, Grand Rapids, Mich.


heavy laden, and I win give you rest
-Math. XII, g.
To-day is day of work The cry of men
is for larger activity. The stress and push
in society are everywhere. In whatever di-
rection We look 1t is only TO see increas-
iEg activity on every hand.
The worlds development goes on apacc
The characteristic of the time is seen in
business world. in which the day is all too
snort for those interests which crowd. and
the week too limited in which 20 gain the
wished-for accomplishment
With all the increasing facilities OF adj
vancing civilization. with science forging to
the front constantly with valuable inven-
tions which it would seem ought to make
living and labor easy. VIC still find the rush
lessened and the burden grievous.
The manufacturer tells US OF his new
loom so perfected that one man will soon
have charge OF his sixteen or perhaps score
Of looms, while a recent Improvement is re-
ported as likely to double production.
The wonderful Niagara, whose mighty
numbering falls have for so long been the
Mecca of the sightseer only, has been sub
sidized the worlds mightiest electric
plant. capable of furnishing power of too
gigantic proportions TO be conceived
And with all these advances it would
seem as if greater progress might have
been made toward alternating the sever
ity of toil-that the life of man might be
made easier than it yet has been. The
worlds work presses. The laboring makes
weary. Men are heavy laden.
Legislation is all the time active in be-
half of the children. The heart of the
world goes out in sympathy with that
childhood too often made early to bear
burdens. and we seek to so legislate that
the little ones may be saved from pa
rents stupidity. which demands too much
from the child or the cupidty which is sat-
isfied only when youth is pecuniaraly pro-
ductive.
Pity it is that this great numbering world
is so slow in coming TO that condition
when man shall not be a packhorse merely.
Hasten the day when work hours shall be
| lessened and life shall know something
beside this ceaseless grind. Every reform
| er's sympathy goes out to men, women
and children in factories and shops, whose
lives are lives of toll only. They labor and
Too much truth there is in Mrs. Brown
| ing'S sad charge:
1.-The plague of gold strikes far and near,
| Anu Qeep anu StTOnS IL enters,
This purple Gilman which we wear
| Makes madden than the centaur's.
Our thoughts grow blank, our words grow
| strange;
We cheer the pale gold-diggers-
Each soul is worth so much on change,
And marked, like sheep with figures.
Be pitiful, God!''
SIGNS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
Yes. BE pitiful. God" but be consid-
crate o man, and give heed to all those de-
mands of all growing. intelligent. social
science and wise political economy which
show us how all this material weight on
| humanity might be and ought to be lifted,
| so that life shall not be only drive and
| drag and grind. Some time the burden
will be made lighter and man be less
| heavily laden.
| And there are signs of encouragement
| even now. While we are far enough yet
/ from the ideal, it is true that in most oc-
/ equations we have less work hours than
| formerly, and in many the labor is much
| less arduous. Legislation has given us,
| in many cases, forty-eight hours in place
| of sixty or seventy; new devices provide
| lighter occupation at better wages than
| the old times ever knew and far greater
| numbers find employment.
| The worlds science is helping in this
/ direction. Sir Edwin Chadwick tells US
| that in Great Britain sanitary science has
| prolonged the average human life two
years in the Victorian era, while the pres
/ ident of the Association of Sanitary In
| spectors places the gain at three and one
half years, and both authorities talk con-
| fidently of future increase by the same
| cause from five to ten years.
All this suggests immense tightening of
the worlds physical burdens. Large salts
faction comes from learning that medical
| science has far advanced that In the
London children's hospitals no deaths are
reported from certain diseases which in so
| many of the homes of the poor are too Of
| ten fatal A recent magazine writer tells
us it is not too much to say that even now
| We are in possession of such facts and
| methods as to make ii seem definitely pos
sible TO Danish contagious and infectious
| diseases altogether, for he insists when
| cleanliness is scrupulously observed the mi
| crobe disappears" While science tells OF
| eight hundred million million bacteria in q
! cubic inch, she also tells how we can de-
! stroy them. Pure water, pure air, clean
| streets and alleys ventilated school rooms
factory inspection, wise enforcement OF
| sanitary legal enactments-al this means
| fewer bacteria, a bettered physical condi-
| ton less heavy ladening for humanity.
We shall some time see that good Provi.
dence does nothing haphaZard in these
| matters. but puts them all into human con-
| troll AS intelligence widens, as human will
puts itself squarely to the work of secur-
ing right conditions, then We shall have
| freedom from much which now fretS, an
| noys and causes disaster. y
The ideal to which we look forward will
| have less of that which to-day means over
work WEAKNESS. heartache and tears. How
much of il in life now, Personal failure,
| the dropping away or friendships, the
| losses of life. the sicknesses and pains, the
| deaths so often caused by violations OF the
| simplest laws % health-all these causing
| the budding hope of human hearts 10 be
| laid low turn humanity's quest after ;:sat
! which shall make its burden-bearing easier
and give strength and peace and support.
THE HEAVY LADEN.
How many are there who go down into
deep places where all seems dark and for
bidding, and they know not which way to
turn for help to fainting and faltering spr-
it's. Some awful cloud comes to fill with
shadow a home. church. a community
Heavy laden, indeed. has life been from
earliest history. 1t shows in all ages sc
u,uch OF arrangements. of strained
friendships of barriers which separate
those who ought to be bound closely TO.
| gether: so much of that which clouds hap
niness and keeps the heart from being joy.
ful. AS l read biography, as l learn the
| life of the world more intimately. the more
/ 7 see that humanity carries heavy weight.
and burdens which chafe and drag down
The surprise comes so many times TO us al
| in fndfng that homes which TO the outward
| seeming are peaceful and happy are aftel
ali burdened with conditions which brtns
- =.