The weekly intelligencer., 1900-09-22
tcopyrisA,, is@ BY Lsol. KisV:sA;! ops: !!

Of truth. we often Rnd the iron char
lot, the lightning, the earthquake, the
spray, the sword and, in my text. the
razor. This keen-blsded instrument
has advanced in usefulness with the
ages. In Bible times aud lands the
beard remained uncut save in the sea-
sons of mourning and humiliation. but
the razor was always a suggestive sym
Dol. David said of Doeg, his antagon-
ist: Thy tongue is sharp razor work
ing deceitfully"-thAt is. IL pretsnds
TO clear the face. but 10 really used
for deadly ineision.
In this striking text this weapon Of
the toilet appears under the follow
ing circumstances; Judea needed TO
have some Of its prosperities cut on.
and God sends against IT three AssyriaE
kngs-frst SennAcherib. then Essr-
hAddon and afterward Nebuehadnez-
Ear. These three sharp invasions that
cut down the glory Of Judea are com
pared to SO many sweeps OF the razor
across the face OF the land. And these
deyastations were called a hired ra.
zor because God took the kings OF As
syria. with whom He had no sympathy,
20 do the work. and paid them. in pal
aces and spoils and annexAtions. These
kings were hired to execute the Di-
yfne behests. And now the text. which
on Its Arst reading may have seemed
N~fwf.I L. ~ ..Ae
mentous import: "ln the same day
shall the Lord shave with a razor that
Is hired. namely, by them beyond the
river, by kings Of Assyria."
Well, II Gods Judgments are ra-
zors. we had better be careful how we
use them on other people. In careful
sheath these domestic weapons are put
away where no one by accident may
touch them and where the hands OF
children may not reach them. Such
INSTRUMENTS must be carefully handled
or not handled at all. But how reck.
lessly some people WELD the judgment
OF God! If man meets with bust
ness misfortune, how many there are
ready TO cry out: THAT is judgmen,
Of God upon him because he was un,
scrupulous OF arrogant or overreach
ing or miserly. thought he would
get cut down What a clean sweeT
of everythingl His city house snd
country house gone. His stables emp
tied Of all the fine bays and sorrels anc
grays that used 10 prance by his door
All his resources overthrown and al
that he prided hiaself ON tlInDfed int
demolition. Good for himis Stop, m,
brother. Don't sling around too free
ly the judgments Of God, for they ar,
razors.
Some OF the most wicked business
men succeed, and they live and di,
In prosperity, and some of the mos
honest and conscientious are driver
, into bankruptcy. Perhaps the unsuc
{ cessful mans manner was unfortu
nate, and he was not really as prout
, as he looked 10 be. Some Of thos,
who carry their heads erect and lool
imperial are humble as a child, Will,
many man in seedy coat and slouel
hat and unblaeked shoes is az prou,
as Lucifer. You cannot tell by
mans look. Perhaps he was not un
scrupulous in business, for there ar,
two sides to every story, and every
body that aecomplishes anything 70
himself or others gets industriousl,
lied about. Perhaps his business mis-
fortune was not a punishment, bu
the fatherly discipline to prepare hin
for Heaven, and God may love hin
far more than He loves you, who cal
pay dollar for dollar and are pu
down In the commercial catalogue
as Al. Whom the Lord loveth Ii
gives s400. 900 and let's die on embroid
: cred pillows? No; whom the Lorl
loveth He chasteneth. Better keel
your hand of the Lords razors, les
! they cut and wound people that d
not deserve It. II you want to shaw
|. of some Of the bristling pride of you
= own heart. do 80, but be very carefu
. how you put the sharp edge on 9th
8 era. How ! do dislike the behavio
$ OF those persons who when peopl
are unfortunate say: II told you so
getting punlshed-served him right!
II those I-told-you-so's got thei
desert they would long ago have bee
. pitched over the battlements. tn
1 mote in their neighbor's eyes, 3
: small that II takes a microscope 4
+ find II, gives them more trouble tha
the beam which obscures their owi
" optics. With air sometimes super
I cilious and sometimes Pharasaical an
. always blasphemous they take tn
razor Of Divine judgment and SHARP
en- II on the hone Of their own har
hearts and then go 10 work on me
sprswled out at fun length under dii
aster. cutting mercilessly. They b
gin by soft expressions Of sympath
and pity and half praise and lathe
the victim all over before they put O.
the sharp edge.
Let US be careful how we shoot a
others lfst we take down the wron
= ope. remembering the servant Q
King William Rufus, VINO shot ~
deer, but the arrow glanced againf
Q tree and killed the king. Instead 9
going out with shafts to pierce an
Tssors TO cut We had better imitpt
the friend Of Richard 'Coent de LioI
: RIebard, In the war OF the CruSadei
b was captured and imprisoned, bu
none Of his friends knew where, I
his loyal friend went around the Ian
from stronghold TO stronghold an
sang at each window q snatch Q
song that Richard Coeur de Lion ha
taught him in other days. And on
Day, coming before 9 jail where b
h suspected bis king might be ineal
perated, he sang two lines Of SOM
and immediately King Richard u
sponded from his cell with the oths
two lines, and 90 bis whereaboui
were discovered. and Sueeeasil
movement was nj once made for h
n liberation. 30 let US 60 up and dow
! the world with the music Of kin
words and sympathetic hearts, SER
pading the unfortunate and trying
!. get out Of trouble men who had nobI
pstures. but by unforeseen circuu
I stances have been incarcerated, thu
. liberating kings. More hymn boo
= and less razor.
. Especially ought We 10 be apoii
q getic and merciful toward those VIII
while they have great faults, ha'
also great virtues. No weeds yeril.
but no Aowers must not be "a