Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-28

A young man who spends all his
for tobacco, beer, sleeve but
tons and neckties, and begins married
life with nothing, will very likely have
his nose held on q grindstone all his
life. Economy is the pathway to in
How many silent partners there are
in the church who refuse to take any
liability or run any risk, yet demand q
handsome return for the use OF their
influence They think they do the
Lord favor when they attend church
and permit q denomination to count
them among its adherents.
People who want half fare tickets to
Heaven, paying only in faith without
works, or works without faith, must re-
member that 1t is distinctly printed on
all such tickets, that the company as
sumes no liability in case of disaster.
A man travels on cheap fare at his own
eternal risk. Even so faith, If 1t hath
not works, is dead"
We hear a great deal these days about
the tyranny of wealth, and we have no
apology to make for 1t. But we should
not forget that the poor of this country
are oppressed far more by their own
pride. extravaganza and dissipation.
Industry, frugality and sobriety on the
part of the lab0ring class can conquer
the tyranny of wealth.
It requires four times the steering ap-
paratus and force to take coal steamer
down the Mississippi that it does to take
the mightiest ocean steamer across the
seas, and it requires Infinitely more
grace to navigate our lives through the
eddies and among the shoals of life
coursing in worldly ways than 1t does
upon the high seas Of expansive Chris
tian faith and endeavor.
The church will not lose its young
men when the pastor, Sunday-schOol
Superintendent and active Christian
men take such an interest In their In
terests that 1t is most natural for them
to consult the leading men In the
church when they arrive at the age to
seek employment. But If in such
hours they find most aid and sympathy
in anti-church men, their inclination
will lead them away from the church
and Its people.
The Mississippi river was Of no spe.
cial value to commerce until Eads built
his jetties so as to keep out all debris,
thus enabling vessels drawing twenty.
eight feet deep to pass its channel safely.
| So there are numerous Christian men
| and women whose influence is Of no &C
count for good and will not be until
their lives are 30 walled in by Chris
tian principle as to exclude all the loose
debris Of woFldliness, selishness and
pride.
You cannot make two bodies occupy
the same space at the same time. Nc
more can supreme love to God and will
full disobedience be found in the same
mind. If the one is there the other IL
not, This furnishes us with a criterion
| by which to examine oar 0a1D hearts, 81
least. If we put Gods laws second and
our personal desires first, we have moi
given God our allegiance-have failed
to comply with the first great com
mandment.
II cannot dress we'll enough" Is ar
excuse we often hear for not attending
church. We never hear 1t from thu
lips of q Roman Catholic, no mattel
how poor he may be. Why should
Protestants feel go? We make few
suggestions which readers may apply
1 according to circumstances. l. Thinh
more of yourself than you do of your
dress 2. Strive more to secure the in
ward adjoining of meek and quiet
spirit than the outward adorning Of the
person. 8. It is just as wicked and
proud to stay at home because you can
not dress fashionably, as it is to 60 to
church to display fine clothes. A. New
., look to see how anybody is dressed
! ~ Ia mi pvvy hn RSnt
and proud from self.denial, as well a.
cultivate cleanliness of dress and person
q virtue very closely related to godlinest
and of more account in the estimation
of persons of good sense than profu-
sion of feathers and gewgaWs.
| Mutability is written on everything
but the uncreated. And this fact is q
great blessing to imperfect creatures
What could be q greater curse to man.
kind than being forced to keep its pres
ent level of excellsnce? To be sure We
may grow worse, but we need not. In
the museum at Rotterdam Is q rough
uninteresting painting-it is more 9
daub than painting, and the keenest
observer cannot discover any mark on
It of genius or of skill. BY its side
hangs y master piece, whose value il
almost beyond calculation The artist
of the two Is the sams-the renowned
Rembrandt. He might have continued
painting daubs. but he chose to make
the most of himself and paint pictures
| The difference ia the two paintings
repressn.s years of patient, earnest eff
fort We Can mot al gain his perfec-
ton, perhaps, but We CAR make the
changes which come. on the whole, in
| the right direction; We can grow into 9
more perfect slate Of being and doing
He who 10 not thankful for being forced
to be either larger nr ~ srpallsr Gharac
ter is already SO small that the worlC
could well spare him.
We cannot serve God we'll and at thu
same time hate our neighbor. Some
people, when they review the deeds O
the day, ask. What have done thai
was wrong 81 aud if they can think O.
no positive injury done TO aay one they
sleep the sleep Of self complacency. A
religion, or even morality, which g0el
| no farther than that 10 terribly one
sided We must not only inquire
What have done that I ought not p
but "What have left Nnd0ne that
ought to have done?" We have heare
| people claim that they had not slnne(
for years, but their claims always star
sundry other questions among which ii
the one of sanity. 1t seems to us grea
thing to say, II have done nothing
| WHICH ought not to have DONE" But
who, in bis right mind, could dare K
say, II have dOns everything which
ought to have done" The Bible epeaki
of only one person who could truthfully
say that, and he was Jesus Christ. The
ideal is, "Sin not at ALL" yet even tn,
! Apostles did not claim to realize thai
high standard in this world. We must
strive to reach that perfect life, and
even then we ehall come far enough
short. But let no man deceive himself
Like . piece of steel, that man is thu
strongest and most elastic who alwayi
retains his temper.
2EEnS pIANT2 Rc