Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-21

UNDAY, DECEMBER
times out of ten the central word of this
good reason is the word Tomorrow.
"By and BY" and 'after awhile" and
Tomorrow" are the catch words OF the
devil. The devil is the most persistent Of
all preachers. He is "always at il" And
presently we come to recognize him by his
style. Like everybody else who does great
deal OF talking, he COMES to have certain
favorite and characteristic words. You re-
member the legend Of the devil preaching
in the Cathedral pulpit, disguised In the
friar's gown and cowl. The congregation
ought to have known him. He had con-
versed with most of them often enough tor
that. No doubt his first premise was "by
and by" and his second premise was "after
awhile" and his conclusion was to
morrow" Anyhow, it all came to that, we
may be sure. For that is the line of his
argument with US.
ALL KNOW THE RIGHT.
There is no use irving to persuade most
people that black is white, or that wrong is
right We all know better than that. There
is no use trying to persuade us that the COM
mon lives we live are adequate, or that they
satisfy us. They don't. You might as well
try to convince hungry man that he isn't
hungry. And the devil is very wise. He
does not try any such foolish logic as that.
He whispers no contradiction when we cry
out discontentedly about tine low level on
which we live our lives. He rather en-
couraees our discomfort. But he takes all
the meaning out of it by persuading us to
put the whole matter away until tomorrow.
We set down frst-rate resolution, with the
devil for a willing indorser, and then we
begin to feel better. We take credit to our
selves for our good resolution. And we
stop there. For there is deep philosophy
in the uestion OF the little child, vino asks,
us this tomorrow" Dear child, to-mor-
row never comes; the only thing that GER
tainly comes is the night when no man can
work."
Begin to-day. There are people who go
about their houses with frowns upon their
faces. They are iretful, cross surly, selfish.
They keep all their courtesies and good
manners for strangers. They scold their
children and each other. There is no peace
when they open their door to come in. And
yet these people-so queerly are we made
may really love each other. Little as you
would mistrust it, they may actually love
each other and their children.
WHEN OPPORTUNITY is GONE
And by and by when death comes, and
ohc VI theSe libtic CulluTcu 10 tdheu away
out Of hearing OF all this discordant babel Of
frettings and seedlings, and out of hearing,
too, of all the tender words which might
have been said, but which cannot be said
now-why, these strange, cross people. this
quarrelsome father and this. fretful mother,
are bowed down with sorrow. They look
back over all the anger, and ill-temper, and
unhappy times, and memory changes into
pain. Oh, for single day, to live even a
very little of it over again, and live it bet
teri Death has key TOR every door. The
night cometh in every human habitatlon.
And you can't unsay things after death
enters. There is no language which can
carry messages within the walls of that deaf
ness. Ifyou have any tender words to say,
say them to-day. If you think that there
ought to be more peace, and more unselhsh-
ness, and more happiness. and more love In
your house, bring In your share to-day.
Ii you want to make any change in your
life, begin 1t to-day. lslt quite good enough,
this life which you lived yesterday, and in
tend to 60 back to tomorrow? Is it all that
you ought to make 1t? How much OF Christ
is in it? How is it different. on account
OF that cross set up on Calvary,
ana that message OF your heavenly Fathers
love inscribed upon it? How far does it fol-
low that Ideal lie which Jesus lived, to
SHOW wuat uian lIIe can De, anu ouent 10
be, in this evil world? Are you proud of
1t? Are you satisfied with it? Are you
happy In 1t? A Christian life, beginning
in love for Christ, and extending out. in
unselfsh helpiulness toward everybody who
is down; lie for which the neighborhood
is better; glimpse into something higher,
and an influence of inspiration and uplift-
ing, among your associates; is this your life?
l do not need to tell you that this life ought
to be your lite. And if you knew that there
would be certain end to 1t oe'ore next
Sunday, that 1t would De an summed up
and completed some day this week, that
you would DIE TINS week. you would 90
your pest al once 10 make II sucn lie.
But you must die' sometime
PRoCRAsTINATIoN THE ENEMY.
"Ah, yes! Sometime" Procrastination
is a thief, notoriously. But he steals DOS.
session of far more value than our time; he
steals our souls. Put it offl Put it off
Almost thou persuadest me to be Christian,
but wait, consider little. 1--WE will hear
thee again of this matter" And so away to
business and pleasure and forgetfuIness,
For sometime" is as far off as the horizon.
You Journey on, and on, and on, and it gets
"o ~, 4.