The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-10
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regalia, the last jewel set In their cost ly insignia.
 It is time for the Hallejulah Chorus Ring all heavens joy-bells! But in- stead. wild, discordant note is struck "a sataclysm of shame and grief; It Is the inveterate irruption of human depravity.
 Aarons sons had strange fire in their hearts before they had it in their hands. They had been lifted to high est heaven in point of privilege. They had gone with their father and uncle into the mount, and seen that appear ance as it were pavement of sap phires beneath the invisible presence of Jehovah, and heard his ineffable voice. They had been inducted into the most exalted office of the old dis pensation, and clad in gorgeous robes. They found themselves suddenly and widely influential Their heads were turned. Pride pos sassed them. They were precipitate. They could not wait the appointed hour to perform their function. With consummate assurance they esteemed the method. though divineiy appointed. | a matter of indifference. Any fire would do as well as that which God had kindled- Fire was fire. These fools rushed in where angels would have | feared to tread. They were probably ] intoxicated. But this was likely an | accompaniment of the;r folly rather | than the cause of it. So these maudlin and reeling princes | of the Church came fumbling their | way. holding their censers full of un-
 lawful fire with unsteady hand, and | violating the canon of this sacred ser
 vice at every point.
 The proclamation was superlative. It
 was conspicuous to the last degree. It | occurred at the very genesis of occls- | siastical service, and if unpunisned.
 might have vitiated the entire stream The advance of civilization, manifest
 in the infiiction of captal punishment
 in form which causes the least suffer-
 ing and leaves the body unmutilaCed,
 was anticipated thousand years.
 These sacrilegious priests were elec-
 trocuted.
 The profane intruders weer standing
 before the Shekinah, with only the
 beautiful and curiously- wrought veil
 intervening. The darkened inclosure
 was softly illuminated by a golden
 candlestick, the light of which fell
 upon golden table and a golden altar
 The hallowed place and presence ought
 to have brought these rash men to
 their sense. It probably would have
 done so had they not been intoxicated.
 Even yet they might have retired, cry
 ing for mercy as they went. But they l
 They were wrapped in their sullied robes-the very shreds of which were counted unworthy to be used accord ing to custom as wicks for the taber- nacle lamps. Their cousins carried them forth. Their father and broth CTS looked on, silent and fearless. Those twin graves in the lonely i Peninsula could never be forgotten. They were. and were designed to be, the strongest possible deterrent to priestly pride and presumption. Analysis and Key. 1. Tabernacle completed. Ritual instituted. Priesthood anointed.
 2. Worship to be inaugurated under happy auspices. 3. But no! Instead see insteadi The inveterate eruption of de- pravity.
 4. Aarons sons.
 High privileges. Heads turned. Strange fire in hearts first. s. Consummate assurance. Precipitate.
 6. Intoxication. In this instance accompaniment rather than cause.
 T. Sin. Superlative. Conspicuous Pro-
 fane.
 S. Punishment exemplary.