Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-02-21

. sea OF RtOry. ana hOD6II MCOutyut, u
Walking skeleton. yet you know what he
lid In Dundee and how he shook Scotland
with zeal TOR God; Philip Doddridge, ad-
vised by his friends. because OF his Illness,
not to enter the ministry, yet you know
what he did for the "Rise and Progress of
ReliGion' in the church and in the world.
Wilberforce was told by his doctors that
he could not live q fortnight, yet at that
very time entering upon phiianthropic en-
:efprises that demanded the greatest en-
iurance and persistence; Rober; Hall. SUI
.ertng excruc!ations, so that often In the
pulpit while preaching he would stop aud
ie down on a sofa, then getting up again
20 preach about heaven until the glories OF
The celestial city dropped on the multi
Jude. doing more work. perhaps, than al
most any well man in his day.
Oh, how often is 1t that men with great
physical endurance are not as great in
moral and spiritual stature! While there
are achievements for those who are bent
of patience, achievements of Christian en-
1urance-I call upon men of health, men
of muscle, men OF nerve, men of physical
n~~'o- to da-"ta themsaivas to the Lord.
Behold also, In the story or my text. IT.
lustration OF the fact of the damage that
strength can do IL 1t be misguided. 1t
seems to ne that this man spent great
deal Of his time in doing evil, this Samson
of my text. To pay bet which he had
lost by the guessing OF his riddle he robs
and kills thirty people. He was not only
gigantic in strength, but gigantic in mis-
of the world who, powerful in body or mind
Or any faculty OF social position or wealth,
have used their strength for iniquitous
purposes.
1t is not the small, weak men Of the day
who do the damage. These small men who
go swearing and loaflng about your stores
and shops and banking houses, assailing
Christ and the Bible and the churehzthey
do not do the damage. They have no in
duence. They are vermin that you crush
with your foot. But 1t is the giants OF the
day, the misguided giants, giants in phys
ical power, or giants in mental acunen.
Dr. giants in social position. or giants
In wealth, who do the damage. The
men with sharp pens that stab re-
iigion and throw poison all through
Of wealth to sanction iniquity and bribe
Justice and make truth and honor bow to
their golden scepter. Misguided giants
look ont for them! In the middle and lat
ter part OF the last century no doubt there
were thousands Of men in Paris and Edin-
burgh and London who hated God and
blasphemed the name of the Almighty, but
they did but little mischief-they were
small men, Insignificant men. Yet there
were giants in those days. Who can cal
culate the soul havoc of Rousseau, go
ing on with a very enthusiasm of in
iquity, with fiery Imagination seizing
upon all the impulsive natures OF his
day? Or David Hume, who employed
his life as spider employs its sum
mer, in spinning out 81 ken webs to trap
the unwary? Or voltaire, the most learned
man OF his day, marshaling II great host Of
skeptics and leading them out in the dark
land of infidelity2 Or Gibbon, who showed
an uncomfortable grudge against religion
In his history OF one OF the most fascinat-
ing periods OF the worlds existence-the
"a EoI 81
"a book in which, with all the splendors
of his genius, he magnified the errors oil
Christian disciples, while with a sparse
ness OF notice that never can be forgiven
he treated OF the Christian heroes of whom
the world was not worthy?
oh, men OF stout physical health, men of
great mental stature, men of high social
position, men of great power OF any sort, I
want you to understand your power and ]
want you to know that that power devoted
to God will be crown on earth, to you
typical 0fa c-nYn in heaven, but misguid-
ed, bedragYieS. 4s.aN -.JsA -admiRist ia OF
evil, God will thunder against you with His
condemnation in the day when millionaire
and pauper. master and slave, king and
subject shall stand side by side in the juig-
and royal robe shall be riven with the
lightnings.
Behold also how giant may be slain al
a woman. Delilah started the train of cir
cumstances that pulled down the temple OF
Dagon about Samson's ears. And tens Of
thousan Is of giants have gone down to
death and hell through the same .ascina-
tions. 1t seems to me that 1t is high time
that pulpit and platform and printing
press speak out against the impurities of
.uodern society. Fastidiousness and prud
cry say, Better not speak; you will rouse
up adverse criticism; you will make worse
what you want to make better; better deal
In gl;ttering generalities; the subject Is too
delicate for polite ears" But there comes
, voice from heaven overpowering the
mincing sentimentalities Of the day, say
Ing, "Cry aloud, spare nor, lift up thy voice
like a trumpet, and show My people their
transgressions and the house of Jacob theiI
,ins.''
The trouble Is that when people write or
speak upon this theme they are apt to cover
1t up with the graces OF bellies lettres, so
that the crime is made attractive instead
Of repulsive. Lord Byron, in Don Juan.
adorns this crime until it smiles like a May
queen. Michelet, the great French writer,
covers 1t up with bewitching rhetoric until
1t glows like the rising sun, when it ought
to be mads loathsome as smallpox hos
pital. There are to-day influences abroad
which, II unresisted by the pulpit and the
printing press, will turn our modern cities
into Sodoms and Gomorrahs, fit only for
the storm of fire and birthstone that
whelmed the cities Of the plain.
II. then, we are to be compelled to &C
out of the world where are we to go to?
This body and soul must soon part. What
shall be the destiny Of the former 1 know
dust to dust. But what shall be the des-
tiny Of the latter? Shall it rise into the
companionship of the white robbed, whose
sins Christ has slain, or will it go down
among the unbelieving, who tried to gain
the world and save their souls, but were
swindled out OF both? Blessed be Godi
We have a Championl He is so styled in
the Bible: A Champion who has conquered
death and hell, and He is ready to fight all
"Who is this that cometh up from Edom
with dyed garments from Bozrah, mighty
to saver"
In the light of this subject 1 want to call
your attention to a fact which may not
have been rightly considered, and that is
the fact that we must be brought into
judgment for the employment of our physi-
cal organism. Shoulder, brain, hand, foot
we must answer in judgment for the use
we have made OF them. Have they been
used for the elevation of society or for its
depression? In proportion as our arm is
strong and our step elastic will our account
ut last be Intensified. Thousands of ser
mons are preached to invalids. 1 preach
this sermon to stout men and healtbful
women. We must give to God an account
for the right use Of this physical organism.
These invalids have comparatively little to
account Tor perhaps. They could NOT lift
twenty pounds. They could not walk half
a mile without sitting down to rest. Yet
how much many of them accomplished
Rising mp in judgment, standing beside the
men and women who had only little physi-
cal energy and yet consumed that energy
in confiagration OF religious enthusias m,
how will we feel abasbedi o men of the
strong arm and the stout heart what use
are you making OF your physical forces?
Will you be able to stand the test OF that
day when we must answer for the use of
every talent. whether it where physical
energy or a mental acumen or u spiritu"s
power7