The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-03-12

another line of action; but only for time.
1t is impossible to separate them forever.
Sooner or later the soul and the hand must
work together.
We sometimes see man of the highest
standing in society. even in the church,
suddenly fall. Then two classes of people
gather around him. The good come, and
look and say: All how sad; this man has
been all his life honest and upright, true to
his trust, and loyal to his God; and now at
last, in an unguarded moment, he fell. The
temptation was too great. Brethren it's
false. False as hell itself. God, the eter.
nal Father, does not leave men in their
hour of need. But on the other hand, some
people. not so good, look at the fallen one
and say: o, he is like all the rest of good
people; they will all do so if they get the
chance. They are all hypocrites. That,
too, is false. The truth is the mans fall
was not sudden. only in appearance. A
few days ago. our noble and hOnored Sec.
retary Window fell dead at banquet in
New York. 1t seemed sudden, but it was
not. Years ago the heart began to weaken;
OverwOrk hastened the process; that night.
the excitement of the occasion, the enthusi-
asm of soul, was too much for that feeble
heart. the last chord was severed, and it
ceased to beat. Just so this other man fell
in the moral world. Years ago the poison
entered his soul; it began working there;
one by one the chords of manhood were
severed, and of truth and righteousness; at
last there come day, when the excite
ment of temptation was too great for the
weakened soul. the last chord was snapped
asunder and he fell. This is the way good
men fall. A cloud comes rolling up from
the west The electricity begins collecting
itself in one point; so. too. current from
the earth begins flowing up into some tall
tree top: the two approach each other,
nearer and nearer, until at last, breaking
away. they rush together across the inter
vening space with crash that shakes the
earth. So the soul moving in one direction.
and the hand in another. are all the while
drawing closer and closer. until at last they
rush together with crashing ruin.
On the other hand we have seen men rise
up out of the mire and the clay, to the very
mount of TRANSPORTATION. Where lies the
secret of it? In the heart They began
filling the heart with thoughts, pure. true.
holy, divine. They filled their soul with
God. and these bore them upward.
urge upon you then, the constant read
ing and study of the Bible. It is not a
fetch, magic wand. which men touch
and are saved. 1t is Gods thoughts which
men are to transplant into their own souls.
What can give such strength of character
and manhood. as the word of God implanted
in the soul? Have you ever read the two
inaugural addresses of President Lincoln?
Get them and compare them. The first is
the expression of keen sighted politician,
that may be statesman. There is nothing
especially remarkable about it. Then read
the second. 1t has lost the tone of the pol
itician. 1t is the voice of statesman, and
more than statesman. 1t is the voice of
the old time prophets of God. He speaks
like Moses, or the prophet. statesman
Isaiah; and in the spirit of the Master, as
rising above the rear of battle, and the
strife and hate of the hour. he stretches one
hand out over the south, and the other hand
over the north. and commits them both in
love to God. Whence the change. During
these four years. he was communing with
God. Gods word was his companion. The
midnight hour found him pouring over its
pages. There lies the secret. AS he
thought in his heart. so he was.