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THE KING*S BUSINESS
—yes* one second is all the time we get at once. So our best course is to “do the next thing next.” C lose upon the discussion by English medical men of the effects, of alcoholic liquors on the duration of life comes the business testimony of life insurance com panies. The United Kingdom Temperance and General Provident institution has two sections of lives. The one section consists of abstainers' only, the other of non-ab stainers—known drunkards being excluded. During the period of twenty-one years the number of expected deaths in the moderate section was 5785. The returns show that 5621 deaths actually occurred, or within 2.8 per cent of the expected number;' During the same period the number: of expected ^deaths among the abstaining ,-in sured was. 3655, but only 2579 deaths actu ally occurred—a gain of nearly 30 per cent on the estimates in favor of the abstainers, and one resulting in their receiving bonuses on an average 24 per cent higher than those which accrued to the moderate drinkers on the same relative investments. H ere are a few words of advjce to min isters, in which the humorous blends with the serious until we are doubtful into which category they should be placed: “Mind your illustrations are correct. It will never- do to describe Noah as one did, sitting outside the ark reading his Bible. “Always get the true meaning of a text. One local preacher took ‘He for our profit,’ and preached on ‘The prophetical office of Christ.’ “Mind your figures of speech are not cracked. Don’t talk like the brother who said, T fly from star to star, and from cherry-beam to cherry-beam.’ “Keep to your topic; you can’t have every subject in one discourse. Some put too much into a sermon ; it’s a field of corn not bread. Don’t imitate the peculiarities of great preachers. Thomas Binney used to pull his
thoughts out of the palm of his left hand with two fingers, and very wonderful thoughts they often were. The students of New College, who often heard him, used to try the same dodge, but most of them found the palm of their hand had nothing in it, so they, looked rather ridiculous. “Seek to develop your whole character. A student who grows lopsided will never make and all-round minister. “Shun all affectation in the pulpit, and mind you never get into the goody-goody style. One of this sort said, ‘I was read ing this morning in dear Hebrews.’ “Be careful of your emphasis. One read: .‘He said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass; so they saddled him.’” R ev . D r . M arquis , of Rock Island, de livered a sermon against the sin of dancing. Here is a sample extract: “The hour Is late. There Is a delicious Intoxication of motion and music—perhaps of wine—in the blood. There is a strange, confused sense of being individually observ ed among so many, while yet the natural noble shame which guards the purity of man and woman alone together is absent. Such is the occasion, and still hour after hour the dance whirls its gay kaleidoscope around, bringing hearts so near that they almost beat against each - other, mixing the warm breath together, darting the Are of electricity between the meeting fingers, flushing face, and lightening the eyes with a quick lan guage.” This has struck us so forcibly th at we have made bold to paraphrase the reverend gen tleman's poetic picture as follows: The hour is late, and in the veins Surges a fiery ocean-— As though the blood were but a flood Of music and of motion. A feverish sense of envious eyes, Observing loose embraces, Dispels the shame which like a flame Should crimson guilty faces. So whirl the. giddy hours away, But still the votary lingers; Pertingent hearts applaud the arts Of nimble, wanton fingers. The burning breath, the flreful eyes, The bosom’s ardent flutter— • Each speaks-to each the. lustful speech No human tongue dare utter.
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