Year: 1868




Pennsylvania, a few Sundays ago,
preached on the text: "None of as
iVeth to himself" (Romans 14:7,) in
the course of which he alluded to a
Railroad about to be built from that
place to Pittsburgh, and held forth as
follows. We republish it as peculiarly
applicable Just now in this locality,
where the effort is being made to build
railroad from Toledo through Fremont
to the Coal Beds of Eastern Ohio:


"The air is full of rumors these days
of the building of the Charters Rail
way. Now the church of Jesus Christ
is interested in the building of railroads
as much as any other organization OF
institution in the land. They facilitate
its business, they carry its books, its
papers, its ministers; give it practical
unity and consolidation; enable it to
hold its conferences and assemblies
composed of ministers from all parts Of
the continent and in every way do it a
world of favor. Just now when the as
semblies and conferences are meeting,
the delegates are brought together with
ease and quickness from all parts of the
country. The ministers are only a
short time from their congregations, and
the congregations are spared the annoy
ance of their absence and the expense
of supplying their places. The delegates
to the general conference of the Meth
odist Church, recently held in Chicago,
were whirled to their places with ease
and rapidity from New England, from
the Middle States, from all parts of the
West and South. AS the various as
semblies are meeting at this season, the
members are carried iu perfect flight
to their places, with little labor, with
little expense and in a very short time.
Besides you will see by the papers how
generously the various companies are
carrying the delegates at half fare, thus
farther reducing the expenses, and saw
ing money, not only to the ministers
and elders, but TO the church at large,
for the church pays all such expenses.
So, We say, when the business Of COM
munity needs railroad, it is the duty
of Christianity to teach that it ought to
be constructed, and to lend all its moral
weight to effect that object. l say this
because it is aduty owed to society. l
speak not of merely worldly advantage,
True enough, railroads passing through
or near your property, will increase its
value. 1t will make your house more
valuable. 1t will make your forests,
your orchards, your gardens, your dair-
les, your qusrries, your focks, your
henneries, and all you have to be of
more worth intrinsisslly, and to yield
far more largely in actual profit This
is all so true, that if were an owner of
land through which a railroad was
struggling to be built, l would sub
scribe largely to it even if l had to bor-
row the money and mortgage the land
for security.


"But apart from all this it becomes
the Christians duty to help with such
an enterprise when he can, because Of
the good it will do society. 1t will i'm
prove the people, it will develop the re-
sources of the country, it viii add
largely to its efficiency and helping on
with the introduction and cultivation of
all the influences necessary to make
the community what it ought to be, in
healthy competition and active rivalry,
with that by which it is surrounded.
Yet 1 hear of men talking about getting
damages. They want to be paid for
being made rich. They want to have
compensation for having facilities af-
forded them for getting their products
to market and for being put in commu-
nication with the rest of the world.
They want to be rewarded for having
means furnished them for developing
their manhood, and putting them on a
respectable equality in point of enter
prise and vigor with their fellow men.
They might with equal propriety fine
the clouds for raining, the fountains for
gushing, the sun and wind for sprout-
ing their seed, fostering their Yegeta-
ton and ripening their harvests.


"Besides this l have heard of others
who talk in this way. We have our
farms here, which we do moi want to
sell; they raise all we want and we are
happy; we expect to live here, die here,
and from here be carried to our graves ;
we do not want to be any richer; the
railroad win do us no good, it will do
us harm, for it will disturb our quiet
and impose on us new labor. 1t is al
most refreshing to hear a man, in these
days of avarice and cupidity, say he
does not want to become any richer,
yet all such reasoning as this only pro-
ceeds from the selfshness and want of
spirit that is squarely in opposition to
the teachings of the gospel of Christ.
Such men are only Instructions in the
public highway. They are like the
trees blown across the road, impeding
all travel and commerce. They are
snags in the channel which not only
ripple the current, but also stop the yes
sci. They are like the stumps standing
on the hill side. The stump silently
stands for life-as long as it can be a
at,,rnr Il has no ambition To Orat away