The Republican journal., 1916-03-23
Rev. J. W. Richardson's Last Sermon
In Course on Fools"
Sin and Folly Of Profanity.

Rev. ]. Wilbor Richardson of the Bap-
fist Church preached the last sermon in
the series on "Fools, last Sunday night.
The text was Proverbs Ii: 1.-THE fear of
the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise wisdom and insrruc-
tion." Said the speaker:
Tonight the topic is just simply fools
the sort of people who engage in the
most stupendous folly on the slightest
pretext. The man who loves God most
fears God greatest that is, the man loves
God so ardently, and in consequence en-
joys such a revelation of Gods charac-
ter, that he shrinks from abusing that
claims. Despite all the folderol of effem-
mate theologians, and the sugared rhap-
sodies of sentimentalists in the pews,
there is an awful sense of God. He is
just. He is holy. He knoweth the Sec
rets of the heart. He hateth sin. He
will sit in judgment. He hath power to
cast both body and soul into Hell-tis 80
! written.
''Surely it is easily observed that the
cultivation of reverence for such per-
feet Omnipotent Being, and the fear of
offending so powerful Legislator is the
yery formation of all wisdom.
''No one is wise till he first fears God.
Then what foolishly 'fool-fool' he is
who takes Gods name in vain. To use
Gods name in profanity is a million times
worse than striking your mother in the
face; to make His holy name as common
as a Quid of tobacco which man rolls
beneath his tongue, is a provocation Of
such magnitude that the angels are
aghast at the swearer's temerity. The
swearer's offense against God is so stu
pendously foolish, because that otfense
is so absolutely gratuitous and unneces-
sary. The swearer may be college
graduate, move among the elite, and be
versed in the lingo of commerce and So
ciety ;but his oaths reveal that education
is lost upon him. An oath exposes men
tai deformity, shows the hollowness of
the individual posing as a gentleman,
and points to an impure spring hidden in
the soul.
Hurts Himself for Nothing.
"Surely he is worse than fool, more
erratic than clown, who hurts himself
| without profit to anything; who places
his whole being in direct jeopardy with
out any justifying cause. At the time
| of the Civil War, when the draft had been
announced, a man in our town cut off
three fingers on the right hand rather
| than be conscripted and go to the front.
What wildly delirlous fool! But that
| coward was not more foolish than he who
wilfully, sometimes gleefully, stabs his
self respect, that he may be unclean in
speech and unclean in mind. What CO.
lossal folly is shown when person cuts
off Gods favor, cuts off all claim upon
heaven, that he may swear at horse,
curse some inanimate object which lies
in the way, or curse those under him
just to give point to his authority over
them. Though the profit may be brief
and the punishment to come enormous,
yet the perjurer may get temporary
| fortune for his sin. The drunkard, fol
his debauch, gets transient exhilaratior
The murderer gets his revenge. But fol
his oaths the swearer gets nothing; he
gives his own soul to Satan and He'll fol
nothing. Fool! fool! fool!
For Temporary Profit.
what simple fool he is who acts al
though profits from the world are per-
manent! The alert soul gets an equiva
lent for the value of things he sells or re
linquishes. If man wanted to borrow
$4,000 from you, and offered castle o,
gold and crimson in the sunset sky as Sc
curity for the loan, how you would stare
at him and think of the asylum for tht
insane! Yet people who possess thu
training of the schools and are believed
perfectly sane in our commercial and so
cial circles. are approached by SIN. Sir
offers them its indulgences, paints it,
thrills, sWeetly MARBLES its enticing song,
whole city in cloud and mist, as security
for giving up the riches of God. An(
these people, so sensible in other things
accept the decisions of sin as security fol
what they give up of God and Heaven
Well! well! what do you call it? | an
not talking now about the vile, sensua
things which leave pock-marks upon tht
fair face of reputation; we refer to thu
polite things which secretly open the in
ner soul to the workings of sensua
ghts-starp methods in business
which promise easy riches, the glitter
and pomp of social life which crush ou
all thought of preparation to meet God
A diamond buckle can as easily close the
gate of Heaven against soul, as bum
per of whiskey. Anything, however
fair, delicate, beautifully appareled, in
nocent in itself, but which keeps one
from repenting and living the Christian
life, becomes sin dreadful, damning sin.
In themselves, million things are moi
sinful in character, and no ban rests
upon them; but if you allow Satan to use
them as the means to keep you from
loving and serving God, these spot
less things become to you as black anc
damning as the bagnio or dishonesty If
to another person. Certainly phantasn
tenants his soul who allows harmless
things to create the fever of rebellion
against God. Surely he is fool who de-
spises the day of reckoning. He is 6
great tool who displeases God merely tt
tickle his own palate, crafty his owr
eyes, or nurse his grudges. But he ii
greatest of fools who refuses the offices
If the Savior on whom the vast future
depends.
Fish and Fake Fly.
cpd rather fish than eat; some of my
best catches have been at nlght-ln m.
dreams; but did you ever notice anythinf
funny? You take bit of red feathe
and some brown feathers, and wrapping
them about hook, you make them re
semble a summers fly about as much a.
a lucifer match resembles star. Yol
cast that gaudy mimic across the bosom
of the lake, and 10! the silver monarch o
the crystal deep rises-cascades of mott
en- gold cleaving apart-as with splendid
leap he mounts into the sunlight ant