Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-03


in depreciation of .ae Scriptures, in the
closing years Of his life wrote 10 me that
he had changed and that he would like
10 stand in my pulpil and undo the evil
that he had wrought for the most of his
! lifetime. | wrote hiIa in congratulation
for his souls sake that he t.ld turned
back from intideli,s, but that | thought
he could not undo the work of lifetime
and thar he had talked so long on the
wrong side l did not think he could do
anything by talking ON the right side.
The mercy of God is so great that many
of the mightiest antagonists of our re-
ligion have in their last days been
brought to repentance and eternal life.
Let the thunder of your wholesome indig-
nation be followed by the kindly rain of
pity and love. BE ye angry and sin
not"
The Work of an Instant.
A man thoroughly mad can say enough
in two minutes 70 damage him for TWEEN
ty years. Ii took only five minutes for the
earthquake 10 destroy Caracas. One I'M
fortunate sentence uttered in affront in
speech in the United States Senate shut
forever the door of the White House
against one of the most brilliant men of
the last century. You can never trust
horse that has once run away, and you
do not feel like trusting n man who has
just once lost his equilibrium. You need
to drive yonr temper as a man drives
fractions span amid the explosions Of
Fourth of july morning or the pyroteeh-
mics of Fourth of July night, with
curbed bit, taut rein, commanding voice
10 ,ha%
You drive. Ii Won are naturally high tenn
pered, do not unnece ssarily go among ir
ritations and provoe; tons. Do not build
blast furnace next TO a gunpowder mill.
Then, also, such demonstrations of UNI
govern8bility belittle one. Men take out
their lead pencils and in estimating such
one take 30 per cent off. About the
most hideous spectacle on earth is an an
CRY man or woman burning not with the
anger commanded in my text, but with
the sin reprehended After such a dis
play of gail. Feasibility, virulence, his in
fiuence with many is forever gone. The
world is full of politicians, doctors. law
yers, merchants. mechanics. ministers.
housewives, who have by such explosions
been blown to pieces.
| say to all young men hoping to
achieve financial, moral or religious sue
cess-control your tempers. Do not let
criticism or defeat rebuff you. Verdi.
the great musician, applied to become a
student in the Conservatory of Music at
Milan and ne was rejected by the direct
or, who said that he could make nothing
of the newcomer. as he showed no dispo-
sition for music But the criticism did
"a, I'm No lsx1t
of those who have largely succeeded in
all departments were characterized by
elf-control. In battle they would calmly
look at the bomb thrown at their feet,
wondering whether it would explode. In
commercial life, when panics smote the
city, these men were placid. while others
We're yelling themselves hoarse at the
Stock Exchange. While others nearly
swooned because certain stock had gone
100 points down, they cal lly waited I'M
til 1t would get 100 points up. While the
opposing attorney in the court room froth-
ed Mt the mouth with rage because of
something said on the other SIDE. he of
the equpoise put glass of water TO his
lips in refreshment and proceeded with
the remark, "As l was saying when the
gentleman interrupted me- Self-control.
What a glorious thing We want it in
the doctor feeling the pulse of one des-
perately i'll. We want il in the engineer
when the headlight of another train comes
round the curve on the same track. We
want it in Christian men and women in
times when so much in church and state
seems going to demolition self-control!
What are you going to be good for. .
man or woman, in a world like this. ever
and anon your dander up. and so often in
the sulks? We admit thar you have
many things to stir your blood and fill
you with wholesome Indignation, but go-
ing to such extremes you offend my text.
which says You must discriminate and not
lose your self-control, BE We angry and
sin not.
Mercy for the Sinner.
Surprising all other characters in the
worlds biography stands Jesus Christ,
wrathful against sin, mercifui to the sin
ner. Witness his behavior toward the
ROBBED ruffians who demanded capital
punishment for an offending woman
denuncia ion for their sinful hypocrisy,
pardon for her sweet penitence. He did
not speak of Herod as his majesty" or
his royal highness,' but dared to COM
pare him TO a cunning fox. saying Go
we and tell that fox But, alert to the
cry of suffering. he finds ten lepers, and
to how many of the ten awful invalids
did he give convalescence and health2
Ten. Rebuking Pharisasm in the most
compressed sentence in all the vocabu-
larv of anafhema-"Ye serpents, We gen
Grafton of yiperS. how can We escape the
damnation of hell:"-yet looking upon
Peter with such tenderness that no word
was spoken-and not a word was needed.
for the look spoke louder than words.
and the Lord looked upon Peter. and
Peter went ont and wept bitterly" Oh,
what look it must have been to break
down the swarthy fisherman apostle. 1t
was such hurt look. such beseechng
look. such a loving look, such forgiy-
ing look. Was there in any other being
since time began such combinativl of
wrath against wrong and compassion for
the wrong-doer? Lion of Tudah's tribe.n
Henri that. Lamb of God who taketh
away the sins of the world" Hear that!
Like him. let Us hate iniquity with
complete hatred; but like him, may we
helm those who are overthrow and be
willing to suffer for their restoration.
Then. although Mt the opening of this
discourse our text may have seemed to
command us to do an impossible thing,
we will at the close of this sermon with
n prayer to God for help, be more rigid
and determined than ever before Against
that which is wrong. while at the same
time we shall feel so kindly toward all
the errinS and work so hard for their
IL.