Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-09-10

| gree, anu hOb leel aIJFocIeu 10 eucn Othef
in some degree, is an impossibity. Like
is attracted by aud to like, always, in u de-
gree Of power prlpOrtioncd TO the grade of
vitality that informs the likeness. The
strongest sympathips that bind man to man
are Christian Sympathes. There is no
doubt Of the fact that every thoroughly
pronounced Christian man is most at home
IN he best Christian society I've can fnd.
| Now here is test of Christian character
| by which every Christian man my try him
self The world at large is authorized To
judge men by their works. 1t has no other
standard bv which to Judge them This is
a standard of divine authority but it is
often difficult to get at the know ledge of
works. The outside life may be correct,
and at the same time utterly hypocritical.
There is really no way Of Judging of the
works themselves save by that mode of
reading character furnished by personal af-
| inities. Tell me whom a man's chosen
companions are, and then can tell what
his works are. If ! find him seeking his
sweetest satsfactions in Christian society.
| am certain of his motives, though | may
not entirely indOrSe his works. If find
out toward those who have no sympathy
with, nor participation in, the Christian
life, ! know that he can have no Christian
life in him, or that it is very feeble.
Chiefly valuable, however, is this test to
each man, for his own personal use. 1t
will settle the question of every mans Chris
lianiJy in his own mind If be finds him
self attracted to frivolous society, or i'm.
pure or low panionships, and disincnpd
to meet with Christian men and women
who are in earnest, he may legitimatey con-
clude that, whatever his professions may be,
his Christian possessions are very inSiguif-
can't if not positively worthless. | am
afraid this declaration will make Il great
many people very uncomfortable but can
not help it, | know of no way to get a.
round it. Thieves seek one anothers So
and herd together. Prostitutes do not fre-
qnrut conference meetings Those fond of
convivial assemblies gather in convival as
SembleS, and come into communion by II
law of their life. Children seek ont child.
ren for playmateS Is the law of Christian
life different in This respect from the law of
all other life ? | see not why it should be !;
with WON man goes-to whom he is
bound 10y vital afinitieS--aud can tell not
only what he does, but what he is. What
| can thus tell in regard to him, he may
learn by the same means in regard to him
self. The Christian life is the one essential
bond Of Christian brotherhood aud Chris
tian brotherhood is the eflorescence of
Christian life, always CreedS do not unite
men, and intellectual affinities are weak
Hearts and lives furnish the affinities that
draw men to each other, and man who
feels no sentiment of Christian brotherhood,
and no overruling attraction to Christian
society, may he very sure that his heart is
not pervaded by Christian life.
There is another aspect in which this
subject presents itself Chosen companion
ship not only gives an index TO character,
but it eXerts an influence upon character
He who lives among wolves learns to howl
Many a man following the lead of his nat
ura affinties finds himself in society, many
of whose demonstrations shock him at first :;
but strong life aSsimilates weak life to itself,
and he learus at first to hear the howl
without cringing, and then to howl with
the rest. The influences which mould the
character find their way TO the heart the
most rendily through the sympathies. If l
fiud myself powerfully attracted to any in-
dividual life. and feel hound to it by strong
Sympahies, that life flows inte me, and mod
itieS and monldS me, by power which it
is impossible for me wholly to resist Nay,
even compulsory panionship- which
at first is Disgusting and utterly uncOnge-
nial--will in time work entire tranSforma-
tionS of character. Delicate women have
been known To become welded to the saw.
age life which they entered as captives,
TO resist return to civilized life. Maidens,
with maidsnly hearts & instincts, subjected
to uuwelcome companionShip, have grown
into love of sin that ended in the willing
embrace of life of shame
This matter of companionShip is, then,
one of very great Importance, considered
in any possible aspect. Chosen companion
ship indicates invariably the style of char
acter which makes the choice and all
companionShip is a power active in the
modification of character. While | recog
nize, know of nothing which stands more
in the way Of the reformation of the world
than those which are bad, This very power
of affinity, which binds the bad to the bad,
is the grand power which binds the world
to evil 1t is the power which binds thou
sands Of drunkardS to their cups, multi
tudeS of the liceutous 10 their debaucher-
les, and countless men aud women, old aud
young TO vain, frivolous aud unworthy
life. IT we could array those who are pin
ing in secret over habits and lives to which
they are bound by companionships-habitS
aud lives which they know to be wrong,
and the renuncation Of which involves the
breaking up of old and long cherished as.
sociations, we should hud before us an in
Vulnerable army. The power is the more
seductive from the fact that il involves some
good and generous elements in it. A man
disikeS TO say that he is better than his
companions-to come out from among them,
leaving behind him the condemnation of
those whose friendship he has enjoyed. =
Thus friend drags friend to perdilion, and
conviction is trampled under foot that it
may not break the bond OF friendship.
The lesson which all these facts teach us
is easily gathered The settlement Of our
friends shinS and comnauionshDS must not be