A PHARISEE WITH A DRUM.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 226, 10 January 1885, Page 14

A PHARISEE WITH A DRUM.

The Salvation Army is at present storming the fortress of Queanbeyan — a stronghold sheltering about 1000 souls (allowing one to each body, which they hardly average, perhaps). Captain Miller, the soul-snaveller in charge of the engagement, thus reports progress in the War Cry of December 20th : "On Simday week, a banker was in the meeting, laughing and making game of it. When remonstrated with and asked to be quiet, he remarked that perhaps it would be the last time they would have a chance, so they had better have as much ftm as possible. Terrible to relate, it was the last time, for, on the following Thursday, the devil got possession of him, and he blew his brains out, without any cause. Ho became a self-murderer, and there are none such in the kingdom of Heaven. He was buried on Sunday, and the minister who committed his body to the ground, ' in sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto life,' was thrown out of his buggy, narrowly escaping serious injury, and got his buggy smashed, while passing the Salvation Army, while we were marching to our hall, as he was returning from the funeral. On Saturday night, a man came into the hall, havingwith him a large dog. They came right to the front seat. When asked if he had given his heart to God, he became infuriated. He was going to strike nic, and attempted to set this dog on me, but the dog had gone out. He ran to search for it. On reaching the door, the animal jumped with his paws on his master's breast and fell backward, dead. He would not have taken £20 for it. On Monday, he came and apologised for his proceedings, and said he believed it was a judgment of God on him. I pointed him to God, who alone can forgive." From which it is pretty evident that Miller cannot forgive much, and that- God has set down His foot in the Queanbeyan district, and will temporise no longer. This is what we must infer from Miller's despatch. That God caused poor Herring (who, by the way, was a kind and honourable gentleman, and one whose earthly accounts were found to be square to a fraction) to blow his brains out because he laughed at the corner-man business of Miller's little show : that God wrecked the buggy of, and almost killed, the clergyman who dared to perform the rite of Christian burial over the man who laughed at Miller's corner mah business : that God struck a £20 dog dead which was about to be "sooled" upon Miller by a man who declined to be converted by Miller's cornerman business. That is the gospel according to Miller. And it reminds us of an incident. Once there was an explosion of gas iii one of the theatres in Melbourne, whereby two or three men were killed. This was text enough for the full-fed puJpit-pluygers of those days, and every church in the land rang with discourses against the iniquity of the stage. A little while thereafter, the model boy of a Wesleyan Sunday-school away up country was ringing the bell to summon the lagging scholars. This bell was fixed up between two high posts in a simple manner, and it suddenly fell upon the head of the good young ringer, and drove him feet foremost right down into the trap-rock formation. Then the holy men scratched their heads, and spoke of it as a mysterious dispensation of Providence. And an unregenerate few out in the world enquired, Might notthis be amanif estation of God's anger against Sunday-schools V So we (representing- the unregenerate few in this case) ask. "Might not the unfortunate banker have incurred the wrath of the All-Merciful by having gone to see the Array at ailV Might not the minister's orthodox horse have rebelled against the Low Church innovation of Sacred Trombones? Might not the dog have been destroyed by a just God becauseit was not on hand to worry Captain Miller when its master wanted it to ? Might not — but enough. The whole thing, as set down by Captain Miller, is the "Stand-aside-I-am-holicr-than-thou"-ism of an ignojant Pharisee. We are very glad that this Miller and his men are going to Heaven. It will make Hell seem a good deal more endurable to decent folk. — Sydney Bulletin.