Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-07-31
and wrong that 60 beyond the yard-stick or
the gallon measure, have to yield to its con-

troll
Mems passions are not always hawking
When the old eagle is gorged aud lies asleep
in his eyrie, the squirrels ore out-the spar
rows fly at the bottom of the clif-tbo doves
are cooling but when he begins to have hun
CRY dreams and lifts himself, screaming from
the rock and, spreading his wings, fans the
air with mighty strokes, in an instant the
birds are in the forest and the squirrels, out
of sight in their holes. So, when avarice is
| asleep, tastes, like graceful squirrels, play in
and out, and ten thousand kindnesses, like
little birds, fly to and fro but when it wakes,
one scream, and all the good is gone into
| nests and coverts.
A man respected in society betakes himself
to his cups, saying, 81 can leave off when l
please" He might more reasonably jump
from precipice five hundred feet high, and
say, 81 don't intend to 60 to the bottom.
When l have fallen half way shall turn
around and come up again." The first time
he comes home late at night he is little
| troubled. Conscience whispers, "You have
| done wrong" and approbativeness exclaims,
Yes, what will people say of you p and
pride starts up and says, Are you not
ashamed not to have more respect for your
self?' But combatveness calls out, 81 don't
| care shall do as like" So his bad habits
| strengthen. He loses his standing in society
and in business. The merchants of whom be
used to buy goods, aud who would come down
to their store doors, to welcome him, now
give him au Indifferent "good morning" or
sit at their writing, and at length tell him he
eau have credit there no longer. The truth
| OF his altered position flashes upon him, and
his better feelings urge him TO reform, but he
thrusts them aside and crowds them down
| and says, 81 will do as please. | will drink,
so help me devil !" and thus he goes on to
| the end Of his career. Was there not SELF
denial here? Did not the man constantly
deny his higher nature for the sake Of his
lower? Yet so it is, Like the wretch who,
when his house is on FIRE, leaves his wifo and
daughter, and the sweet babe in the cradle,
to perish in the flames, and rushes to rifle
his strong boxes and save his gold and jewels,
so, when everything is at stake, the cursed
crew of wicked men leave oil that is noble
and immortal, and run, rifing their oppetites
| and passions to save to pleasures which are
| therein The devil calls for q thousand self
denials where Christ calls for one selfdenas
| the most heartless, the most cold and unpay-
| ing, and which grow harder and harder to the
! end, while Christ's self-denas ore easier and
easier every step Of the way toward heaven.
| l do not ask you if you ore self-denyirg-
every man who has left the cradle has come
into realm where he must bear the cross
l ask you if you are denying yourself rightly.
The only difference between Christian and
worldly sef.denials is in the thing denied.
The world denies the higher for the lower /!
| Christianity denies the lower for the higher,
denial; that we-hRs to come into his king
lhe highest chamber of the soul, WITH Il tan. Sen.
soience LOT i's prime minister, nnd so harmon.
lse and direct all the discords and ouorroio ~
the lower stories. Every garuenr: "ia9is nuHuS %
that 1t is the topmost boughs which have the
sweetest and brightest fruits, while
those upon the lower branches are sour and
green. Christian living is living right be-
meath the sun, in the topmost boughs Of char.
actor; worldly living is living in the shaded
lower branches.
Many people make selfdenial an end, and
think they are good in proportion as they are
gloomy. Their faces are worn long and thin
with grim pain. Their Sundays are tied.up
Gays, bound and restricted. They are always
looking for something in which to deny them.
selves. Now you are never to aim at selEde.
NAL as thing desirable in itself. Aim at
some positive good, and when lower feelings
clutch at you and would hold you back, shake
them of, and say to them, mo! i must have
this higher life."
Some people are troubled because they
sweet and even, it is so natural for them to
prefer what is good and pure, that they never
have those experiences Of which they hear
from other Christians. Such need have no
anxiety; rather let them be thankful and 90
OF their way with joy.
Sell-denlal is easy in proportion to the
quantity. 1t is much harder TO be truthful
and half honest throughout. There is moth
ing which pays you back so sweetly ns duties
which were difficult to be performed Make
your own way hard and God will make il easy
The only way in which you can have progress
in divine life, is By resolutely meeting every
duty. 1t is hard when an engine begins with
slow revolutions to move the ponderous train,
but when momentum is gained. it clears the
track and drives everything before it, There
are many Christians who have no head-no
momentum-and when they have anything
to do, it is always dead pulling and scream Of
steam and whistle. 1t is shame for Chris |
tian to be year after year overcoming the |
same obstacles. You ought to be fighting |
still, but it should be with enemies who camp |
far out of sight of those with whom you be. |
gan the fray. Victory behind the banner, |
and battle before it-that should be the way |
vita. a Christian.
The higher man stands on the scale of |
his manhood in opposition to his beasthood,
the greater his power. The man who by the
spirit of God in his SOUL rules every subordi-
nate thing, and denies his lower nature for
the sake Of that which is higher, is a witness
for Christ, whatever church name be bears,
or whethe. he stands outside Of all churches
You could not speak Of humble star, nor of
such man, be his station what il may, as q
man. be his station what It may, as a humble
star, nor of such man, be his station what it
may, as a humble Christian. Set in the cir
lie of eternity, he will shine forever in the ga
axy of God.
May you thus live. Obey your higher na-
.ure. Go forth stern as conscience and strong
rs love can make you. Follow Christ in his
gnominy. Remember that he is incarnated
q every truth, in every just principle, in ev-
Try humane movement Be firm, be coura-
yeous, but never be bitter or hating. Live
owing, die loving and you shall live to love
brewer.
GENUINE FooLs.-He who wipes his nose
IN a nuttnep prater and picks his taeth with |