Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-16

them down. Then the heavens beca me
ut times like great rivers Of fire. The
lightning struck the earth again and
again. The golden grain, like wound
ed and dying deer, bent the knee and
pillowed the head in the mud. Every
where were the awful, terrific exhibi.
lions Of a supernatural power. Amid
this battle scene Of the elements a
party Of men were gathered in barn
but n short distance from the hotel
piazza. In that company was an in.
f1del, disappearing scoffer. When the
conversation turned upon the power of
God, he arose and said, Even in this
storm I am not afraid to defy God"
lie stepped to the open barn door and
raised his arms as he cried: Curse
God! Strike II you dare!' Immediately
there was a fash, and the blasphemer
fell dead. The God who had uttered the
words of my text had heard. God in
one stroke Of the unsheathed sword of
fire made that blasphemer answer for
his crime. Oh, my profane brother and
sister, as the doom of the blasphemer
sooner or later is bound to come, dare
you today curse God? Dare you Ion
ger defy his will?
To Save the Dlasphe mer.
have written this sermon upon the
blasphemer's condemnation for two
purposes. The first is. want to make
the blasphemer realize his awful dan
ger and, by the grace of God. to rescue
him If possible from the awful de-
struction toward which he is heading.
l want to rescue him, by the grace of
God, because, my brother, you will
never be emancipated from this sinful
habit of profanity unless you seek d.
vine help After You have been pro-
fame man for many years your pro-
family becomes a part Of yourself.
You are bound to this evil habit by
links stronger than steel. Elon Foster
tells us that there was once q cody
man who for thirty years had lived
consistent Christian life who was
taken seriously i'll. During his deliri-
GUS sickness he swore all the time. He
swore because the evil habit which he
practiced in his youthful days was
still lying dormant In his subconscious
memory. So, my profane brother. If
you wish to be emancipated from this
sin Of profanity you must pray to God
for help. You must plead and pray
for divine help to resist this evil habit
to the day Of your death. You must
pray not only for the forgiveness Of
your past profanities, but you must
also pray that God will keep your lips
pure from ever uttering another bias
phcmous word
The second rea son why preach this
sermon is to rally all Christian people
to the support of new interdenonina-
tional society. which has just been
formed to war against the sin of pro-
family. l believe this society has as
great a mission as the Christian En-
deavor society, the brotherhood Of An
drew and Philip or any Of the other in
terdenominational societies which are
binding together the Christian people
of the land. This society Is called the
Antlprofanity league. Rev. John L.
Withrow, d. D., an ex-moderator of
the general assembly of the Presbyte-
rian church and the present pastor of
the famous Park Street church, Bos-
ton. has thrown the weight Of his in
fuence into it and accepted the presi
dency The object Of this society is to
rally all Christian people together to
oppose this universal evil. That soci-
ETY. will furnish you tracts; it will
teach you what to do and what to say
in tho unrelenting war which hereafter
we must all pledge ourselves to wage.
That society called the Antiprofan!ty
league will arouse your holy enthusi
asm if you will only let it. oh. my
brother. will you ask God for help and
consecrate your life to overcome the
worldwide sin Of blasphcmy as we'll as
all the other kind Of sins which are
striving to destroy the throne of right
eousness and are defying your Master
and King? Lord God Of the past. help
us to make thy Sons name honored
and worshiped all round this blasphem-
ing. cursing and Holy Spirit defying
world-around this world which more
often hears the name of Jesus spoken
IN derision than in earnest, tender,
heart pleading prayer!
copyright 1902. by Louis Klopsch.1