Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-01

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 Yesterday afternoon Rev. Dr. Taylor. Of the Broadway Tabernacle in New York. gave the annual address before the college in Bat tell chapel. He was introduced by Dr. Bar bour and spoke for about three-quarters O. aa hour from Numbers, xii, 26, "And the angel Of the Lord went further, and stood ID the narrow place where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.'' Baiaam, to whom the passage refers, said the speaker, occupied place between the heath- en soothsayer and the Hebrew prophet. He had knowledge of the true God and hesita- ted to disobey the dictates of conscience, but he still clung to the mysteries of the heather prophets. His lust for gold was his most powerful characteristic. and from this cir cumstance his name has become a beacon for all time to the evil of giving way to even one secret sin. When Baalak, king of the Moabites, called for Balaam to curse the children of Israel and offered him great rewards he would have gone, but refused in 8 balf-hearted way in obedience s to Gods command. He wanted the gold, but he wished also to keep in favor with Jehovah. God finding him in this condition of mind allowed him to go, but sent his angel to intercept him in 8
 "narrow way where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left" Here he was obliged to decide whom he would serve, his avarice or his God. Very few who read this story ever look beneath the surface at the great truths there told. 'A Earrow place." You know that place. You have |. Al. k1 0,-- a,Ae you may be there now. It is not like Thermopyl@, place in which there was
 once contest and which is now an object of interest. It is 8 life passage in every ex- perience It is one which no one can escape. In the words of the old Scotch game keeper it is time s'when we come to the grips
 with God" At such time sin is excused as weakness; nothing appears but it's blackness and vileness. Shall fly to God and ask in 8 round of dissipation and gayety? Paul
 was in such place when he exclaimed:
 s'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" If there is one here in such condition he knows
 that the decision is inevitable. He must put
 away his sin and turn to God or keep his sin and let it be entered by the recording angel.
 Temptation is such 8 crisis. On one side is the sin; on the other, God. Yes or no. That Is the hinge on which every thing turns. A compromise with sin is the worst, the most insidious form of wickedness. This is the
 gateway through which young man borrows money from his employers drawer. This is the way through which he enters the house of her whose feet lay hold on hell.
 Confror ting duty is another part of this narrow way To choose the right may crush cherished hopes break friendships or bring you into opposition to the multitude But on the other hand is disloyalty to Christ and disobedience of conscience. The angel of the Lord confronts you and you cannot turn. You must decide Our bearing in this nar- row place will depend very much upon what
 we have done before we came in it. We can is continuity in lives. Our past acts and habits do affect our present. Have we been weak, wavering, self-indulgent, when 8 crisis comes we cannot stand. A pru- dent man in times of prosperity puts money in the bank and when trouble comes he is able to tide it over. medical student once told the speaker that when 8 patient afflicted with typhus or other malig- nant fever was brought to a hospital, he asked only concerning his previous life and from the facts so learned he could infalIiblY predict the issue of the illness. If he had been prudent, had not abused his body, had lived within his phy ical means he would recover. But if he had overdrawn the cap ital of his constitution his death was sure. The spiritual nature is similar. There is continual process going on within us. We are all constantly preparing ourselves for glorious victory or ignomineous defeat. If we are continually seeking the honor of God, we fit ourselves for triumph, but if self-indulgept we make ourselves victims for the enemy. Travellers tell of 8 tropical tree which, though the inside has been consumed
 by ants, still presents the appearance of great
 AI-- and it is broken. The world sees the rotten ness within. The storm did not make it weak; it simply showed its hollowness. If we make our characters weak and honey combed we must expect fall when crisis comes. Young men say the present sin will make no difference thirty years hence. It will make difference. The strength to re- eist the sins will be gone. Balaam's gold was his Delilah in whose lap he lay while he should have been gaining strength
 When the time comes to use it his locks were shown, and his power gone. Pilate was in this narrow place when he condemned the innocent Christ. The question came back on him again, what shall I do with himr But by his former crimes he had already sold him. self into the hands of the people and when the crisis came he dared not thwart them. Felix wound about himself bonds that he thought were silken, but when he tried to DreAk away they GO nauy u man has failed because when he thought no he carried on a course which in his need held him back. How many blighted life. ruined soul, may be laid to this. What importance should we attach to our lives. The taking of college diploma IS decided by the final examination, but the result ofttimes depends on the weeks and months of hard work trifing which went before. We are each making or marring ourselves for the future Which has 1t been with you? Exam inc yourself when there is no chain on you that you may prepare when the bridegroom cometh, lest ye be found with no oil to light him. Our entire future history may depend on our conduct now. No man can pass this sort of crisis and be precisely what he was before. He has met the Lord face to face. He must be either better or worse. The young man who went away from Jesus sor- rowful had found greater pain than he had known before. His gold had lost it's lustre. But the Ethiopian who accepted his Saviour found joy of which he had not dreamt.
 Such decision springs from what goes be- fore and shapes what comes after. The nature of our character for time and our destiny is determined by our conduct in such a crisis. Our whole future depends upon our present life. If we do everything for Christ and count it noble to do his will, if we trust his atonement and obey his com mands, we shall build up a character which will secure our salvation, and tonight we shall be stronger and irmer. In every crisis we are sustained by the promise, s'My grace is sufficient for thee" We must all meet death, the great crisis. Our bearing under it will depend on our life before, and shape our future. It is an awful thing to live. Our life here determines that beyond. God help you to build from the foundation Christ did build up, 8 structure which when the storm comes cannot be shaken.
 Hospital Interests.