Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-11
THE Two ROADS.


A traveller once came to the forks of a
road, not knowing which one to take, in or
der to reach his destination. The one was
routh and the other smooth The one set
out into a fiat and barren piece of land,
whilst the other wound around the base of
the hill. and disappeared finally far away in
a smiling and fertile valley, The former
road, In short, was in every way uninyiting
to the traveller, whilst the latter seemed to
beckon him on its way.
The pleasant prospect decided his course,
and he turned his feet into the latter road.
lie passed down into the valley and wcnded
his way along the banks Of laughing
stream until the sun was high in the middle
Of the heavens lie then left it and passed
up ont Of the valley over the hills. Here
the prospect became less inviting, and tue
farther be advanced the more broken and
des0Iate the country became, until at last
the horse which he was riding sank into the
mire, and was unable to go any farther.
After having made inquiry as ITO where
this road led be turned his horse about
and retraced his steps, and when on the
next day he neared his destination on the
other road, the scene which on every hand
met his eye, was fairly enchanting!
Two roads start, my dear young friends,
from your very feet See how they look.
The one is narrow and rough, and thorns
and briers grow thick on either side. The
other is broad and smooth, and a charming
prospect opens up on either hand OF green
meadows and dense foliaged woods. The
former IS the narrow way which leads to
life everlasting, and the latter is the broad
road which leads to eternal death.
The roughness and thorns and briers oi
the one are the trials and temptations OF
godly life, and the smoothness and pleasant
ness of the othes are the sinful pleasures
and practices Of a goddess life. To you II
may seem easy ard pleasant to follow on IN
the way after Satan, but very difficult and
disagreeable to take up the cross and bear It
after Christ "through evil as well as good
report In short you think chat If you
become a Christian boy or girl, you must
renounce all the pleasures Of the world, and
ever afterward lead gloomy life Remem-
Der, dear children, the end is not always as
in the beginning. The traveller was decely-
ed and so you are, if you take it that a
Christless life is the most pleasant one, be.
cause it sets out with the full enjoyment OF
the pleasures Of the world Don't think al
together about the present, but look into the
future also We know that you do not
auuRt to become profane swearers, thieves
or liars, or finally die and lift up your eyes
being in torments Don't choose, then,
such a life as will lead you to these things.
Set out holc in the way that viii bring
you to Christ and to HeoUea Start imme-
diately. Pass right at once over the stony
and rough road and by the side of thorns
and briars. Give yourself up at once to
Jesus Begin now TO leave off all your bad
habits. Surmount every difficulty, over
come if possible, every temptation. Touch
not, taste not, handle not the unclean thing
avoid the very appearance Of evil DO
these things, and you viii be a hero or a ne
roii,e in the sight of God, conQaeror over
the world, and when you die you will pass
into world flooded with beauty, and full OF
joy Kouth's Evangelist.