Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-24

you, at once and in full confidence, to put
the friendliest construction upon whatever
your friend does and saws.
But if you are over sensitive you do not
do this. You make your friend feel that
you do not trust him; that Is. YOU are no
true friend yourself. He that desires to
have friends must show himself friendly.
He that hath friends must, not only for his
own sake, but for their sakes, show himself
friendly. The world is made up of two
kinds of people-the active and the passive,
the leaders and the led. Those who have
opinions OF their own and those who borrow
the opinions of others; those who influence
and those who are Influenced.
Why should you be content to be num-
oered among the passive, the dependent, the
inferior? Why should you not definitely
endeavor to do good, and to lead, to have in
huence, to help somebody? We have most
influence over our friends. Thus friendship
is an opportunity. You gain friends, as I
said, by showing yourself friendly. But
you must not stop there. Be a true friend.
Be friend who helps his friend.
A PURPOSE IN ALL THINGS.
Use your friendship, then, as opportunity.
One of the discoveries of modern science is
the use of beauty. There is no grace and
loveliness in the whole world, in bird or
blossom, in plant or planet, but has a use
and meaning which its beauty serves. All
that is attractive is attractive for a purpose.
God has put that into your being which
calls friends about you. He has given you
grace, strength, wisdom, ability, beauty;
and these mean use, purpose, opportunity.
Translate friendship into opportunity.
Do not be contenttill you have made your
friend as wise, as cultured, as high-minded,
and as Christian as you are yourself. No
body can help friend like friend. From
no other can kindly criticism come so graci-
ously.
Improve yourself, that is the first rule of
friendship. If you keep that, you will never
lack for friends. Improve your friend.
That is the second rule. If you keep that,
your friendship will be worth having.
1 desire to apply this second rule more
closely, in its religious bearings.
Suppose you are the friend of one who is
not q Christian. Your friends character
and destiny lie, to a great extent, in your
hand. No minister of God, be he never so
eloquent, earnest, or persuasive, can inf1u-
ence your friend as you can. He will read
the books you give him. He will listen
with respect to the words you say. The
minister is very likely in his eyes, an eccle-
siastical official. He gets salary for saw
ing so many souls year, or for preaching
so many sermons. That is his business.
But your friend will know that your words
come out of your heart.
A FRIENDS INFLUENCE.
Because he likes you, he has already
begun to like your creed. Speak to him
then, if you have opportunity, concerning
those high truths which we call religion"
Or, if not that-for have no doubt that as
many people have been spiritually harmed
by too much preaching, as by too little-if
not that, show him at least by your lite and
conversation, BY your devotion and earnest
ness, by what you do and say, and by what
you refrain from doing or saying, what a
good Christian is. Show him, by the silent
sermons of example, what Christ can do in
our common dailyliving to make life richer,
brighter and better. God holds everybody
responsible for his friends.
Never has the Christian religion needed
preaching as it does in this land to-day.
The future of our country, the permanence
of our institutions, the destiny of our civil
zation. depend to-day upon the religion of
Christ. The enemies which assail the pros
perity and peace and liberty of this nation
ignorant and infdel immigration, intem-
perance, anarchy, the mercenary and ma
terialistic spirit, the heaplng together of
great masses of moral and social dynamite
in our immense cities-from these no legis-
lation can save us; these no act of pro-
hibition can prohibit.
From such as these the police and the
militia can protect us but for an hour or a
day. These are evils of the heart. There
is no permanent defense against them ex-
cept the religion Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Block the path of danger with the noun
tain of the beatitudes Arm the soldiers
with the trusty armor of God. Write up
over the doors of legislative assemblies
what they wrote in Savonarola's day on the
town hall in Florence-"Christ is Kingi"
This alone can give us peace.
THE AMERICAN FUTURE.
Accordingly, the future of the United
States of America depends upon its religious
and Christian citizens. There is no one so
humble, but he can do his part. The ene-
mics of our civilization are growing
stronger; we must strengthen the defenses
We must make the Christian religion
stronger. We must ourselves be Christians
first, to the bottom of our hearts, and then
we must make our friends Christians.
Every young girl who listens with amuse-
ment to young mans confession of un-
belief, or who takes it lightly or cheeriully
for granted tbat men are not interested in
religion, care little for church-going and
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