Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-11-26

being wealthy miser; down into this pit
he has gone by slow and easy stages; his
feet fast in the miry clay of avarice and
seltishness; the love Of money has corrupt
ed his hearts best love, blnnted and blur
| red his affections. His sou. bows In idola-
trous worship at the shrine of the golden
calf in that secret chamber of the heart
Even in the pit, with feet fast in the miry
clay, he hugs his golden idol, not know
ing, never needing, that it is the weight of
this idol that is sinking him down lowtr
the flames of Gods justice will con
sumo him and his idol with unreenting
fury forever. The love of money Is the
most debasing idolatry-hateful to God
and hurtful to the individual. There are
two forces operating on human life. and
if they are kept in proper adjustment, a
life of symmetry and beauty is the result.
Getting ana giving" are the forces. They
are to the individual what 'repulsion and
attraction" are to this revolving world Of
ours. II the force Of getting is separated
from the force of giving our life dies out
of It's God-appointed orbit into eternal
ruin and destruction. But If the other
grand force of giving in proportion to our
getting is kept up our life will swing in its
Heaven-appointed orbit around the great
central sun of righteousness, a life of
a. NJ
| God gives 10 you.
Second. The next pit is the worldly or
| fashionable pit. The ntrance to this pit
is wonderfully gilded and dazzling beyond
| the powers of expression What multi
tudes of fashionable votaries wallow in
| the miry clay of sensual qualification
and pride at the bottom of this '.hor-
| rible pit" This pit il noted for its
| hightoned society that gathers at its
mouth. There may be seen in motley
throng the bankers, merchants lawyers
| doct RS, ladies, leaders of select socle
| IT, fashionable kings. with much pride
and no God iu them. 1t Is remarkable (if
| you listen) what high-toned pitch speed
| with college and school attainments. the
conversation takes on AT this pit Even
here may be seen the preacher of smooth
| things" with his choice and fashionable
| following; for pride can assume the relig-
! ipus form, 1t can attend US at the sane
/ tlary, and like subtle poison il can nsin-
uatc itself into our prayers; unseen and
un>u>pccted it mars our best duties and
creates self admiration and love Of human
applause that corrupt the heart and steal
1t away from God. Down into this "hor-
rible pit" with fashionable haste and fash
ipnabie ropes, lowered by the ropes of
pleasure and pride. they descend but real
ize it not until their feet are fast in the
miry clay of fashionable debauchery.
slaves TO sin and satan. The slave of fash
ion is the most ahject slave in the universe
of God. What no other slave does, he
does-he supplies the power to grind his
own life = powder; he turns the wheel
that destroys himself
Pit number three is the pit of intldelity.
Alas. how horrible is this pit with its dan
gerous, Shiny bottom of unbelief. and
what vast number Of young people are
travelling down the road Of doubt to its
horrible mouth. But if you look closely
you will be struck with the diversity of
compilations and conditions of life. Here
may be cen the brilliant but superficial
leaders, the men of science and philosophi-
cal accomplishments here is the fashion
able libertine with time and money on his
hands. and no religious restraints-con-
! science hushed into silence. for the time
By the superficial philosophy SO prevalent
10 our day. Here may be seen the eager
man of business who has neither time nor
patience amidst the hurry OF this intense
money getting age, but grasps, as man
in swift rolling current at everything
that comes within his reach. Hard crowd
ing after him may be seen vulgar, vicious
ignorant inhdels Of the slums and rum
shops-the dynamite pest of society whose
very presence is a menace to all order
down into this horrible pit tumble the
motley throng. Plsoner-like they are in
closed in the cell of their unbelief, and
Giant Despair guards the entrance
though they may not realize it yet: but
sooner or later they will become acquaint-
ed with that fact then begins an eternity
Of woe. What a destructive sin is unbe-
| lief Its effects upon the soul are of the
| most deadly nature. Inidelity robs the
soul of its consolation in the hour of
! sorrow; blots out all hope of better
ment of our condition in time or eternity.
All its rewards are summed up by some one
| as "oblivion and a hole in the ground ="
Though all are not infdels properly social
ed, rejecting the divine inspiration of the
Holy Scriptures and scofiing at the divinity
of the Lord Jesus and His divine plan of sal
vation. yet all are under the power of un-
belief by nature. Thousands who profess
to receive the bible as the inspired word of
God act as though they believed it not, whilst
they profess to know God they in works
deny Him. While they call Him Lord
| they do not the things He commandeth !,
| o. it Is sad to think how much practical
| infidelity is in the church of God, and con-
cealed under the garb of religious pro
fession. They say and do not" Young
men. beware OF the deadly poison of inf
deity, it will undermine and sap your
purest, holest ASPIRATIONS and leave you
a moral wreck on the shores of eternity.
The fourth pit is intemperance. This is
indeed horrible pit, swallowing hun
dred thousand poor victims every year
l shall not attempt a lengthy description
of the throngs that are going down to des-
truction in this horrible pit. The subject
of intemperance has been so often and
ably presented that the general public are
familiar with its appalling destruction to
the family and 10 life generally; but the
most appalling thought in connection with
this pit, is that some year in the near fu-
ture the form of your nearest and dearest
on earth may disappear down its horrible
mouth, to meet your gaze no more forever.
For there is no home that this devil will
not enter. no life sacred in his sight. Even
young lives seem to be his special victims
lives that would have been great and