Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-27
BESE rTING SIN,

BESErTING SIN.
And Razael said, but what! is thy servant
dog, that he should do this great thing
II Kings viii; ID.
Elisha, prophet of God, came to
Damascus, and when Benhadad, the
king Of Syria, heard it, he sent his SER
want, HaZael, with presents to meet him,
and to inquire if he should recover of
his disease. Hazael did as he was COM
manded, and when he met the prophet
the man of God wept. The kings SER
want inquired why he wept, and Elisha
told him of the evil things he would do
to Israel. Hazael replied, "Is thy SER
want dog that he should
do this great thing!" New
ertheless, upon his return to Syria
he. murdered the king and in every respect
fulfilled the prophecy of Elisha. The
history of mankind furnishes abundant
proof that there are possibilities of evil
in almost every heart that only await the
proper time and place to develop into
great sins. AS a seed fallen on rocky
soil may never spreut and
grow, but if driven by
wind or flood to more fruitful earth
may become giant tree, so the latent
germs of evil in the human heart may
shrivel and perish for want of nour-
ishment, but may also become under the
fructlfying power of temptation and ex-
ample great sins and crimes, and over
whelm the soul. One truth Is evident:
No man can know himself so intimately
as to be able to predict what his
conduct would be in some
strait to which he might
be brought. The remark is often made.
when some man crosses the Rubicon
which separates honor and disgrace,
elbow could he do it? 1t would not be
possible for me-" There are but few per-
sons to whom sin is impossible. Aman
may encase himself in never so thick an
armor of morality, but the enemies to be
gurded against are within his own heart.
Where the voice of temptation finds an
within, how can a man
keep himself upright? 1t would be posi-
BILE for one to walk safely on the edge
of precipice, if the head would not grow
dizzy, nor the feet slip. The weakness
that renders such way perilous is in
herent in the Individual. So the great
peril of living is not in the pitfalls and
temptations of the world. but in the
weakness and evil of the heart.
The envious wish, the selfish
thought always precedes the act
of stealing. The revengeful feeling,
the passion of hate are the avaunt cour-
iers of CHASTITY murder. The germ Of
evil is in the heart. the world and society
furnish the incentive and the opportun-
ity and the end is sin. These truths
should teach all mankind their own
frailty, and also humility towards God,
and charity towards their fellow men.
The dishonest man and the fallen woman
are not exceptional persons, placed in
Similar circumstances, with no helper
any other man or woman might become
like them. sis thy servant dog that
he should do this great thing" is the
query OF many a young man when
warned of the sin and crime further
down the path he is treading. No, not
now, but the transformation commenced
with the first wrong step and soon he
will become the thing he now ahhors
The young girl shudders at the thought
of that degraded being, a painted harlot,
but the love of admiration and fine dress
will in few years bridge the gulf that
separates them now. "Keep myself
pure" was st. Paul's charge to Tim
othy, and the Savior commanded
his disciples to "Watch and pray
that We enter not into temptation" If
men only stand upheld by divine aid what
occasion has any one for self glorying be-
cause he has not stumbled?
How becoming are the graces of humil-
ity and charity to beings so prone to SIN,
and whose strength is reliance upon ON
'sI can do all things
through Christ who strengthneth me-"
said the great apostle. 'sThe Lord shall
save them because they trust in him.
sang the Psalmlst, and the solem lesson
of life is,
ITO watch incess ant, firm Of mind;
To watch where ERE the post assigned,
And leave to God the rest"