Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 12, Number 15, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 2 July 1890 — Page 2

GRANDFATHER’S FOURTH.

Vhile his grandsons, before they were out of bibs, Were ashamed—great Scott!—to fire off squibs. And so each Independence morn Grandfather Watts took his powder-horn* And the flint lock shotgun A' father had When he fought undr Schuyler, a country lad. And Grandfather Watts would start and tramp Ten miles to the woods at Beaver Camp; For Grandfather Watts used to say—and scowl— That a decent chipmunk or woodchuck or owl Was better company, friendly or shy, Than folks who didn't keep Fourth of July. And so he would pull his hat down on his brow, And march for the woods, sou'east by sou'. But once—ah! long, long years ago; For grandfather's gone where good men go— One hot, hot Fourth, by ways of our own, Such short-cuts as boys have always known, We hurried and followed the dear old man Beyond where the wilderness began, To the deep black wooks at the foot of the Hump, And there was a clearing and a stump— A stump in the heart of a great wide wood; And there on that stump our grandfatner stood, Talking and shouting out there in the sun, And firing that funny old flint-lock gull Once in a minute, his head all bare, Having his Fourth of July out there— The Fourth of July he used to know Back in eighteen-and-twenty or so. First, with his face to the heaven's blue, He repd the “Declaration” through; And then, with gestures to the left and right, He made an oration erudite, Full of words six syllables long: And then our grandfather broke into song, And scaring the squirrels in the trees, Gave “Hail, Columbia!” to the breeze. And I tell you, the old man never heard When we joined in the chorus, word for wordl But he sang out strong to the bright blue sky, And if voices joined in his Fourth of July, He heard them as echoes from days gone by. And when he had done, we all slipped back, As still as we came, on our twisting track; — While words more clear than the flint-lock shots Rang in our ears. And Grandfather Watts? He shouldered the gun his father bore, And marched off home, nor’west by nor’. —II. C. Bunner, in Harper's Young People.

THE SHAM BATTLE. A Fourth of July Hero Who Won One Viotory at Least

tors to gaze upon them. * There had been no processions in the town for six months, and they determined that on tho Fourth of July they would have one.

As it is a Revolutionary town. Springfield is all alive whenever the Fourth of July arrives. It hangs a flag from —the spire of a church ancj, rings the village bolls. The town folk talk of their “independence,” and spend money for fire-works. On tho “Fourth” of which I write it was decided that the day should have an unusual celebration, and, to their delight, tho boys in the military academy wore to he the principal actors in the affair. They were to have a ■sham battle on the Revolutionary bat-tle-ground, and to beat the English over again. Half of their number were to dross as the American soldiers dressed, one hundred years ago, and half were to wear such unifornft as wore worn by tho Hessian yagers of that period. In the year 1780 the American army at Springfield was commanded by General Greene, and the British army by a Hessian General named Baron Knyphausen. It was decided that two boys on horseback should impersonate these great officers. Os course all of the hoys wanted to be American soldiers, and not one was willing to put on a red coat and call himself a Hessian. It became necessary to call the teachers in to settle this difficulty, And they wrofe“ the words “American” and “British” upon a great many slips of paner, turnfld them face • downward in a box and invited each boy to draw one. Every one who drew an “American” ticket went into the Jersey regiment, and every one who drew a “British” ticket joined the Hessians. Then the teachers decided that Barry Cartwright and Herbert Fleming should act as Generals. Both boys could ride, and they knew more of military maneuvers than any other hoys in the academy. Each of these two boys was fourteen years old, and it was astonishing how much informatioifthey had obtained about artillery, cavalry, infantry, gunnery, etc. They seemed to know just how to' attack an enemy, how to rout him and all about it. Barry had drawn an “American” ticket and Herbert a “British” one; therefore Barry was entitled to represent General Greene and Herbert was expected to impersonate the Baron Knyphausen, Unfortunately for the day’s pleasure, Herbert declined tb act as British General, and declared, that he wanted to command the Americans. He said that Barry had only lived In Springfield for one year and was therefore not entitled to the highest of-

flee the town afforded. Herbert said that he didn’t care to stand up and be beaten, even in play. He swelled himself out and strutted and swaggered considerably over his own fancied im-

RAND FA T HER WATTS used to tell us boys ..JfjhSkl, a EtAttb. wa’n't a Fourth • , without any solse. He would say, with a thump of his hickory stick, That it made an American right down pick To see his sons on the Nation's day Sit round in a sort of a listless way, With no oration and no trainband, No fire-work show and no root-beer stand,

■ffOTtWy - j. ijr'iii •’"T' The Flemings were prominent people in Springfield, and when Herbert’s father learned that his son wished to play the part of General Greene in the sham battle he sent word to the teachers of the academy that Herbert’s wish must be granted or he would no longer patronize the school. ’ £

Barry Cartwright had been in an eostacy of delight when he realized that he was to lead the American army on to victory. He had fancied himself riding his father’s horse into battle, and had imagined that staid old animal transformed into a gallant charger, seething with foam, and prancing to martial musk! He had fancied himself, with sword at his side, shouting his commands in warrior-like tashion. He “ was -a poor boy. His father had lost an arm while fighting for his country, and had .to work hard to support and educate Els’ family. Barry had been obliged to wear a suit of clothes that had been awkwardly remodeled from bis father’s old uniform. Herbert Fleming had once ridiculed the cut of these garments, and Barry had been stung by the ridicule. I am afraid that he had cherished a grudge against Herbert eversinoe.

When lie discovered that he was to he the hero of the sham-battle he took considerable satisfaction in thinking that Herbert would greatly like to be in his shoes on that oocasion. v—l’oor Barry was not to realize his triumph, after all. The teachers in the military academy did not dare offend Mr. Fleming, and they decided that Herbert should be given tho coveted generalship. Barry was_ told that he must command the Hessians! : Nobody knew what his disappointment was. Nobody know how he shut himself intohis room andfoughta battle with his ugly feelings toward his schoolfellow and with his own disappointment. .The boy’s pride was wounded, and he felt that ho had been defrauded. He had his chances with the other hoys," and had honestly drawn the ticket that entitled“him to the favorite generalship. Why should he he forced to give it. up? He would have refused to take any part in tho sham battle K-it had not been for his father. Barry did not want him to share his disappointment. He said nothing about the affair, and consented to represent the Baron Knyphausen. It was a bright little parade that marched through Springfield on tho Fourth of July. Tho women folk had taken an interest in the affair and had made the boys’ uniforms. The band played, and, dear me, what an impartial band it was! It played “Yankee “God Save the Queen” with equal emhusiasm.

HE boys in the Springfield Mil--1 itary Academy were fond of processions. Their teachers declared that they would run a— mile to see three men walk behind a fife and a drum. All they wanted to make them happy was a band of music, abroad street to march through, and a lino of specta-

The two generals made a gallant appearance—Herbert upon a spirited black mare and Barry upon his father's sedate old sorrel. Tho two officers preceded their armios in their march to Academy Green, where the school principal, Mr._ Dihwiddie, made*.a speech and astonished the town by. his eloquence. Ho told of the battle that had been fought and won in Springfield in the year 1780, and how the stout hearts of tho Jerseymen were shaken when they discovered that they had no more wadding fortheir guns. There was an American minister in the thickest of the battle, named James Caldwell. He was a great soldier as well as a great preacher, and was called tilt: “Rebel High l’riest.” His wife had been shot by a llessian soldier," and the terrible news was brought to him while th<s battle was in progress, and at the time that the ?vant of wadding was discovered. Mr. Dinwiddie said that this good man did not stop one moment to vent his grief when the dreadful news arrived. Ho did his duty before he uttered one lament. 0 A poem, by Bret Harte, told exactly what ho did: “ They were left in the lurch B'or the want of more wadding. He ran to the church, Broke the door, stripped the pews, and dashed out in the road With his arms full of hymn hooks, and threw :—; f —At UielrTgSTT - Then, ahpve all the shouting and shots Rang his voice: ‘Put Watts, into ’em—Boys, give 'em Watts!'’

And they did! Mr. Dinwiddie heel a red that the British army was driven out of Springfield, thoroughly demoralized and, thoroughly astonished at their own defeat. They did not know that a heoric preacher and the peculiar, merit in DP. Watts’ hymns had conquered them! When the oration was concluded the hand.,played “Hail to the Chief,” and then the sham battle began. Were Ia soldier I would give you all the details of that bloodless war. I would.tell you how the scouts came out to discover what tire enemy was’ doing, I would toll exactly.how both armies j advanced and retreated. I would tell . ■ how tho old cannon boomed away on | the hill, andfhow tho rifles were loaded j and reloaded with harmless blank eart--1 ridges, L would tell you all about tho | real smoke, the real racket and the real I enthusiasm that accompanied this pretended buttle. But 1 am no soldier; and therefore I could never do the subject justice. Qn the occasion of which I write both Generals were unhappy, and this proves

. Tire MARCH TO ACADEMY GREEN.

that greatness doea not always bring contentment. The Baron Knyphausen found himself envying General Greena and thinking hitter thoughts about him. Herbert's uniform was very handsome aftd he bode the spirited black mare like a little warrior. Why, he actually wore spurs, and when he pricked the beautiful animal she curveted and pranced in true martial fashion. Poor Barry could not feel satisfied with the patient old sorrel after that

Herbert was secretly conscious that he had treated Barry unfairly, and hi conscience made him uncomfortable. He knew that he had been selfish, and he yvas certain that Barry despised him. This-thought made him so miserable that he would gladly have changed places with him now if it had been possible. Now that their uniforms were on and the battle begun it was too late. The battle proceeded. The two armies had advanced simultaneously and both officers had given the command to “Fire!” when something occurred that was not upon the programme. The black’mare was struck by the wad of a blank cartridge and ran away. She had never heard the din of war until to-dav, and she ran like a mad thing away from the smoke and the uproar. She took the bridle-bit between her teeth and ran down the road at a pace that horrified beholders. The boy and the animal weTUßnVeloped in a cloud of dust, hut it could ho seen that as yet he clung to her back. The battle was forgotten. Soldiers and spectators ran forward and shouted, but the black mare only ran the faster. Now she stumbled and nearly fell; now she regained her footing and tore away again; now her saddle had slipped around and hung on her side. The boy had lost the bridle-rein, and was clinging to her mane. He was crying ou t for help and -momentarily expecting to bo dashed under her feet. Barry Cartwright tried to save his school-fellow. For days he had been harboring angry feelings against Herbert Fleming, but now they were forgotten. Almost as soon as the black mare had taken flight Barry was urging the sorrel in pursuit. The old horso seemed to understand the situation. Barry knew that he could never overtake the fleet black mare, but that he must try to head her off. He rode the sorrel across the fields, urging him to jump ditches and fences, and thus take a shorter route than the mare was taking. The oid horse made a mighty effort and traveled faster than it had

gone for years. Every one shouted to Barry to come back, that he would be killed, but he heeded no warning. His father prayed for him and was proud of him. When Barry reached the road it was at a point in advance of tho black mara Herbert was clinging to her back, and she came on, frothing at the mouth, and still in a frenzy of fear. Barry caught her bridle as she tried to rush past, and was dragged from his saddle. The mare tried to shake him off, but he set his teeth and hung on, the veins in his forehead swelling almost to bursting, and his head swimming until he could not see. His feet did not touch the ground, and his weight was so light, that she slackened but .did not cease running. .She was furious atf his Interference. She reared on her bind feet, and tried to strike him with her front hoofs. She even tried to bite him, but he held on with wonderful courage and endurance. He realized that she was gradually becoming subdued, that she was stopping, that his school-fellow was safe! Then he fainted away. Barry Cartwright was the hero of the day, after all. He was a somewhat damaged hero, for his shoulder was dislocated, and his hands were terribly bruised; hut then a warrior must expect some bodily injuries. The boys flocked

jJ- „ 4 —r-

THE OLD HOUSE MADE A MIGHTY EFFORT. about him and praised him until he was overwhelmed by his sudden popularity. The teachers called him a hero, and that confused him all the more. Then Mr. Fleming thanked him so fervently that ho scarcely knew the proud man in his sudden humility, The battle was never finished. The Baron Knyphausen couldn't fight, and there wasn't a soldier in Springfield who would Have been willing to stand up against, him, even in play. Herbert went home with Barry, and staid with him all the rest of the day. “Barry,” lie said, “I’ve felt like a thief, for I Hole "your generalship! I've been awfully miserable about it. I saw how mean I had -been, and I knew you must despise me. And you saved my life! You'll never want me near you. and yet I’d be proud if you could only let me be your friend!” Barry held out both of his hands and smiled. “The war ’is-over,” he.sald, “and wo won’t have any more hard feeling. I think we will like each other better after this.” ' ; And peace was declared.—Frances B. Currie,"tp N. Y. Observer. “Mercy me! what is that noise?” cried old Mrs. Bensel, a3 a huge cracker exploded beneath her window. “I don’t know,” said the innocent son and heir, who was responsible for the explosion, “unless it wags sister Mary’s baug yon heard.” —Harper's Bazar. Our fathers fought, bled and died, and it’s a pity if-the boys can't have seme of the surah- privileges on the day that celebrates their work.

CLOAKS FOB SIN, / 1 Sermon by.. Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage at Winfield, Kas. Outward Morality, Elegance of Manners, the Cloak of Office, All Used to Cover an Alarming Degree of Moral Depravity. The following discourse upon the characteristics of the times was delivered by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, during his Western trip, at Winfield, Kas., from the text: * ' ■ - . . , , But now they have no cloak for their sin. —Joh.a xv., 23. Sin is always disguised. Decked and glossed, and perfumed, and masked, it gains admittance in places from which it would otherwise be repeled. As silently as when it glided into Eden, and as plausibly as when it talked to Christ at the top of the temple, it now addresses men. Could people look upon sin as it always is—an exhalation from the pit, the putrefaction of infinite capacities, the ghastly, loathsome, God-smitten monster that uprooted Eden and killed Christ, and would push the entire race into darkness and pain—the infernal charm would be broken. Before our parents transgressed sin appeared to them the sweetness j)f fruit and the becoming as gods. To Absalom it was the pleasure of sitting upon a throne. To men now sin is laughter, and permission to luxurious gratification. Jesus Christ in my text suggests a fact which every body ought to know, and that is that sin, to hide its deformity and shame, is accustomed to wearing a cloak, and the Saviour also sets forth the truth that God can see straight through all such wrappings and thicknesses. I want now to speak of several kinds of cloaks with which men expect to cover up their iniquities, for the fashion in regard to these garments is constantly changing, and every day beholds some new style of wearing them, and, if you will tarry a little while, I will show you five or six of the patterns of the cloaks. First, I remark that there are those who, being honored with official power, expect to make that a successful cloak for their sin. There is a sacredness in office. God Himself is King, and all who hold authority in the world serve under Him. That community has committed a monstrous wrong which has elevated to this dignity persons unqualified either by their ignorance or their immorality. Nations who elevate to posts of authority those not qualified to fill them will feel the® reaction. Solomon expressed this thought when he said: “Woe unto thee, O, land, when thy King is a child and thy Princes drink in the morning.” While positions of trust may be disgraced by the character of those who fill them, I believe God would have us respectful to the offices, though we may have no admiration for their occupants. Yet. dignity which gffice confers cap be no a oology for - transgression. ,Nebuchad-‘ rrezzar, and A’hab, and Herod, fn the day of stand on the level with the herdsmen that kept” their flocks, and the fishermen of Galilee. Pope, and King, and President, and Governor, must give an account to God, and be judged by the same law as that which judges the beggar and the slave. Sin is all the more obnoxious when it is imperial and lordly. You can not make pride, or injustice, or cruelty, sacred by giving it a throne. Belshazzar’s decanters eould not keep the niysterious finger from writing on the wall. Ahab’s sin literally hurried him from the throne to the dogs. The imperial vestments of wicked Jehoram couldmot keep Jehu’s arrow from striking through his heart. Jezebel’s queenly pretension could not save her- from hoi nor thrown over tka wall. No barricade of thrones can arrest God’s justice in its unerring march. No splendor or thickness of official robes a sufficient cloak of sin. Henry VIII., Louis XV., Catherine of Russia, Mary of England—did their crowns save them? No ruler ever sat so high that the King of Kings was not, above him. All victors shall bow be-' c ' fore Him who on the white horse gooth forth conquering and to conquer. Again; Elegance of manners can not successfully hide iniquity from the eye 4 of God. tle, Paul, writes to us: “Be courteous.” That man can neither be a respectable worlding nor a consistent Christian who lacks good manners. He is shut out from refined circles, and he certainly ought to be hindered from entering the church. We can not overlook that in a man which we could hardly excuse in a bear. One of the first effect of the grace of God upon an individual is to make him a gentleman. Gruffness, awkwardness, implacability, clannishness, are fruits of the devil;, while gentleness, and meekness are fruits of the Spirit. But while these excelences of manner arß~so important, they can not hide any deformity of moral character. How often it is that we find . attractiveness of person, sauvity of manners, gracefulness of conversation, gallantry of behavior, ' thrown like wraths upon moral death. The flowers thdt grow upon the scoriae of Vesuvius do not mako it any less of a volcano. The sepulchers in Christ's time did not exhaust all the whitewash. Some of the biggest scoundrels have been the most fascinating. If there are any depending op outward gracefulness and attractiveness of djemeanor with any hope that because of that God will forgive the sin of their soul, let me assure them that the Divine justice can not be satisfied witE smiles and elegant gesticulation. Christ looks deeper than the skin, and such a ragged cloak as the one in which you are trying to cover yourself will be no hiding in the' lay of His power.- God .will not, in the judgment, ask how gracefully you walked., nor how politely'you bowed, nor how sweetly you smiled, nor how impressively you gestured. The deeds done in thn hody will be the test, and hot the rules of Lord Chesterfield. Again: Let mo say that the mere pro-

session of religion is but a poor wrapping of „'a naked soul. The importance of making a public profession of religion if the heart bo renewed can not be exaggerated. Christ positively and with the earnestness of the night before His crucifixion commanded it. But it is the result of Christian character, not the cause of it. Our church certificate is a poor title to Heaven. \Ne may have the name and not the reality. There are those who seem to throw themselves back with complacency upon their public confession of Christ although they gave no signs of renewal. If Satan can induce a man to build on such a rotten foundation as that, he has accomplished his object. We can not imagine the abhorrence with which God looks upon such a procedffte. What would be thp feelings of a shepherd if he saw a wolf in the same fold with his flocks, however quiet he plight seem to lie, or a General if among his troops ho saw one wearing the appointed uniform who nevertheless really belonged to the opposing host. Thus must the heavenly shepherd look upon those who, though they are not His sheep, have climbed up some other way, and thus must the Lord of hosts look upon those who pretend to he soldiers of the cross while they are His armed enemies. If any of you find yourselves deficient in the great tests of Christian character, do not, I beg of you, look upon your profession of religion as any thing consolatory. If you have taken your present position from a view that you have of Christ and your need of Him, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory and clap your hands for gladness, but if you find yourself with nothing but the name of life, while dead in trespasses and sins, arouse before the door Ts sKut. That gilded profession—the world may not be able to see through it, hut in the day of Divine reckoning it will be found that you have no cloak for your sin. Furthermore: Outward morality will he no covering for the hidden iniquity of the spirit. The Gospel of Christ makes no assault upon good works. They are as beautiful in God's eyes as Tn ours. Punctuality, truthfulness, alms-giving, affection and many other excelences of life that might be mentioned will always bo admired of God and man, but vve take the position that good works can not be the ground of our salvation. What we do right can not pay for what we do wrong. Admit . that vou ' baW all those traits of charaeter.which „givA merely worldly respectability and influence, you must at the same time acknowledge that during the course of your* life you have done many things you ought not to have done. How are these difficult matters to be settled? Ah. my friends, we must have an atonement. Xo Christ, no salvation. The Great Redeemer comes in and says, “I will pay your indebtedness*?’- So that which was dark enough before, is bright enough now. The stripes that we deserve are fallen upon Christ. On the scourged and bleeding shoulders He us up over.the-mountain of our sins and the hills of our iniquities.. Christ's good works accepted "are sufficient for us, but they who reject them, depending upon their own, must perish. Traits of character that may make us influential on earth will not necessarily open to us the gate Heaven. The plank that will he strong enough for a house floor would not do for a ship’s hulk. Mere morality might bo enough here, but can not take you through death’s storm into Heaven’s harbor. Christ has announced for all ages: “I am the way, the truth and the life, him that cometh unto Me I will in*no wise cast out.” -Gut pitiahlo in the day of accounts will be the condition of that man, though ho_may have given all his estate to benevolent purposes and passed his life in the visiting of the dis&essed and done much to excite the admiration of the good

and the great, if h e havo no intimaterelation to Jesus Christ. There is a pride and a depravity in his soul that he has never discovered. A brfiliant outside will be no apology so r a depraved inside. It is no theory of mine, but an announcement of God, who can not lie: “By the deeds of the law shall .no flesh living be justified.” Open the door of Heaven and look in. Howard is there, but he did not secure his entrance by the dungeons he illumined and the lazzarettos into which he carried the medicines... Paul is there, hnfc be did not earn his way i-n by. •theship-'-wrecks and imprisonments and scourgings. On a throne overtopping perhaps all otllier, except Christ’s, the old missionary exclaims: “By the grace of God I am what I am.” Again: Exalted soeial position will be no cloak for sin. Men look through the wickets of prisons, and seeing the incarcerated wretches exclaim:..-“Oh, how much vice there is in the world!” And they pass through the streets of a degraded city, and looking into the doors of hovels and dens of corruption they call them God-forsaken abodes. But you might walk along avenues through which the opulent roli in their flourishing and into mansions elegantly a’dorned, and find that even in the admired walks of life Satan works mischief and death. The first temptation Sa tan wrought- in a garden, and he understands yet: most thoroughly how to insinuate himself into any door of ease and splondor. .Men frequently judge of sin by the places in which.it is committed, but iniquity in satin is to God as loathsome as iniquity in rags, and in the day of judgment the sins of Madison avenue and Elm street will all be driven in one herd. Men cbn not escape at last for being respectably sinftih You know Dives were clothed in purple- and fine linen arid fared sumptuously every day, but his fine clothes and good dinners did not save him. He might on earth have drunk something as rich-as champagne and cognac, but at last he asked for one drop of water. You can not trade off your attractive abodes here for a house of many mansions on high, and yorir elegant shade gtfrves here will not warrant you a seat under the free oflife. Vi hen God drove Adam and Eveout of Eden, lie showed that merely

living in a garden of delights and comforts will never save a man or a woman. By giving you so much earthly luxury and refinement,, He intimated that He would not have you enjoy yourselves, but He would not have you wrap yourselves up in them as a cloak to hide your sins. God now walks in your garden as He did in Eden, even in the cool of the day, and He stands by your well as He did by a well in Samaria, and He' would make your comfort on earth a type of your rapture in Heaven. Furthermore! Mere soundness of religious belief will not hide our iniquities. There are men whose heads are as sound as Jonathan "Edwards or John Wesley, whose hearts are as rotten as Tom Paine’s or Charles Guiteau’s. It is important that we be theoretical Christians. It is utter folly in this day for a man to have no preference for any one form of faith, when it is so easy to become conversant with the faith of the different sects. An intoxicated man staggered into ray house one night begging lodging. He made great pretentions to religion. I asked where he went to church. He said: “Nowhere; I belong to liberal Christianity.” But .there are those who never become Christians because their obstinacy prevents them from ever taking a fair view of what religion is. They are like a brute beast in the fact that their greatest strength lies in their horns. They are combatant, and all they are ever willing to do for their souisds to ...enter an ecclesiastical fight. I have met men who would talk all day upon the ninth chapter of Romans, who were thoroughly helpless before the fourteenth chapter of John. But there are those who, having—escaped from this condition, are now depending entirely upon their soundness of religious theory. The doctrines of Plan’s depravity and Christ’s atonement and God’s sovereignity are theoretically received by them. But. alas, there they stop. It is only the shell of Christianity containing no evangelical life. They stand looking over into Heaven and admire its beauty and its song, and are so pleased with the looks from the outside that they can not he induced to enter. They could make a better argument for the truth than ten thousand Christians who hav.e in hearts received it. If syllogisms and dilemmas and sound propositions and logical deductions could save their souls, they would he among the best of Christians. They could correctly define repentance and faith and the atonement, while they never felt one sorrow for sin nor exercised a moment’s confidence in the great sacrifice. They are almost immovable in their position. We can not present any thing about the religion of Christ that they do not know. The "Saviour describes the fate of such a one in His parable: “And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall he beaten with many stripes.” Theories in religion have a beauty of their own, hut if they result in no warmth of Christian life it is tbe-beauty of -hornblende and feldspar. Do not call Such coldness and hardness religion. The River of Life never freezes over. Icicles never hang on the eaves of Heaven. Soundness of intellectual belief is a beautiful cloak, well woven and well cut, but in the hour when God shall demand our souls it will not of itself be sufficient to hide our iniquities.

My friends, can it be that I have been unkind and torn from you some hope upon which you were resting for time and eternity? Verily, I would be unkind if, having taken away your cloak, I did not offer you something better. This is a cold world, and you want something to wrap around your spirit. Christ offers you a robe to-day. He wove it Himself, and He will now with His own hand prepare it just to fit ' vour soul. The righteousness He offers is like the coat He used to wear about Judea, without seam from top to bottom. There is a day of doom. Coward would Ibeif I did not dare tell you this v It shall be a day of unutterable disappointment to those who have trusted in their official dignity, in their elegant manners, in their outward morality, in their soundness of intellectual belief. But I see a soul standing before God who once was thoroughly defiled. Yet . look at him and yon can not find a single transgreskiqn aflywhere about him. How is this? you ask. Was he not once a Sabbath-breaker, a blasphemer, a robber, a perjurer, a thief, a murderer? Yes, but Christ hath cleansed him. Christ hath lifted him up. Christ hath rent off his rags. Christ hath clothed him in a spotless robe of righteousness. That is the reason why you can not see his former degradation. This glorious hope in Christ’s name is proffered to-day. Wandering and wayward soul, is not this salvation worth coming for, worth strivklg for? Do you wonder that so many with bitter weeping have besought it and with a very enthusiasm of sorrow cried for Divine compassion? Do you wonder at the earnestness of those who stand in pulpits beseeching men to he reconciled to God? Nay, do you wonder at the importunity of the Holy"' Ghost who now striveth with thy soul? In many of the palaces of Europe the walls are mosaic. Fragments of shells and glass are arranged by artists and aggregated into a pictoral splendor. What! made out of broken shells and broken glass! Oh. yes; God grant that by .the transforming power of His spirit we may all be made a part of the eternal palaces, our broken and fragmentary natures polished and shaped and lifted up to make apaptof theeverlasting splendors of the Heavenly temple. For sinners, Lord, Thou cam’st to blend, And I'm a sinner vile, indeed. L Ji'd. I believe Thy gradfc Is free; , Oil, magnjty Tliy grace In me. —Some one asked an old lady about % sermon: “Could you remember .it?”’' “La, no: the minister couldn’t remember it himself. He had to have it wrih ten down.”