Newport weekly independent., 1901-11-29


 curve is in the right direction; the curve will keep on until it becomes the circle
 We'll, now, what is true in the ma terial universe is true in Gods moral government and spiritual arrange t-ment. That is the meaning of Eze- kiePs wheel. All comment tators agree, in saying that the wheel means Gods providence. But wheel is of no use unless it turns, and if it turns it turns around, and if it turns around 1t moves in a circle. What then? Are we parts of a great iron machine whirled around whether we will or not, the victims of inexorable fate? No! So far from that I shall show you that we ourselves start the cor cle of good or bad actions and that it will surely come around again to us unless by Divine intervention it be hindered. Those bad or good actions may make the circuit of many years, but come back to us they will as cer- tainly as that God sits on the circle of the earth.
 Jezebel, the worst woman of the Bible, Shakespeare copying his Lady Macbeth from her picture, slew Naboth because she wanted his vine yard. While the dogs were eating the body of Naboth, Elijah, the prophet, put down his compass and marked circle from those dogs clear around to the dogs that should eat the body of Jezebel, the murderess. ''lmpossible!" the people said. ''That will never happen" Who is that be- ing flung out of the palace window? Jezebel. A few hours after they came around, hoping to bury her. They find only the palms of the hands and the skull. The dogs that devoured Jezebel and the dogs that devoured Naboth-oh, what a swift, what an awful circuit!
 But do not become impatient be- cause you cannot see the curve of events and therefore conclude that Gods government is going to break down. History tells us that in the making of the pyramids it took 2,ooo men two years to drag one great stone from the quarry and put it into the pyramids. If men short lived can afford to work so slowly as that, can- not God in the building of eternities afford to wait?
 What though God should take 10000 years to draw circle? Shall we take our little watch, which we have to wind up every night lest it run down, and hold it up beside the clock of eter- o1 +o I1o thousand years are in Gods sight as one day, then, according to that calculation, the 6,o00 years of the worlds existence has been only to God as from Monday to Saturday. But it is often the case that the re- bound is quicker, the return is much quicker, than that. The circle is soon- CT completed. You resolve that you will do what good you can. In one week you put word of counsel in the heart of a Sabbath school child. Dur ing that same week you give letter of introduction to young man strug- gling in business. During the same week you make an exhort tion in a prayer meeting. It is all gone. You will never hear of it perhaps, you think. A few years after man comes up to you and says: "You don't know me, do you?" You say: "No; I don't remember ever to have seen you" ''Why," he says, ''I was in the Sabbath school class over which you were the teacher. One Sunday you invited me to Christ. I accepted the offer. You see that church with two towers yon- der?" "Yes," you say. He says: 'That is where I preach" or: Do you see that governors house? That is where I live"
 One day man comes to you and says: Good morning." You look at him and say: "Why, you have the ad- vantage of me. I cannot place you" He says: Don't you remember 30 years ago giving letter of introduce tion to young man-a letter of intro duction to William E. Dodge?" "Yes, yes; I do." He says: 'I am the man. That was my first step toward a for tune, but have retired from business now and am giving my time to philan- thropies and public interests. Come up, to my house and see me-"
 Or man comes to you and says: "I want to introduce myself to you. I went into prayer meeting some years ago. I sat back by the door. You arose to make an exhortation. That talk changed the course of my life, and if I ever get to Heaven un- der God I will owe my salvation to you." In only ten, twenty or thirty years the circle swept out and swept back again to your own grateful heart.
 But what is true of the good is just as true of the bad. You utter slan- der against your neighbor. It has gone forth from your teeth. It will never come back, you think. You have done the man all the mischief you can. You rejoice to see him vince. You say: "Didn't give it to him!" That word has gone out-that slanderous word-on it's poisonous and blasted way. You think it will never do you any harm. But I am watching that word, and see it beginning to curve,