The Bossier banner., 1894-01-18
An Honest Man.
From the New York Herald.


Let us walk honestly, as in the, day.-Ro-
mans, xiii, IL.
A life of honesty is the best illus
tration of religion. That religion
is to be preferred which is capable
of producing an upright life, for the
proof of the truth of religion is to be
found in the way Of works, not in
the way it talks.
A man may have pretty creeds
to his back, like SO many suits of
clothes, but unless he leads clean
life he will have very warm and
unpleasant time in the future.
You may pray all day Sunday,
but if you sand your sugar Oh Mon
day the sanded sugar and not your
prayers will settle your fate.
When religion gets such strong
hold of man that it makes him
honest in horse trade, or in SELL
ing goods by sample, and insures
the delivery of goods that are some
thing like the sample, you needn't
stop to inquire whether the Arian
or the Nicene creed is behind
it, for you want it for yourself and
you want it at the earliest possible
moment.
Tue difficulty with the church is
that it takes so much time to make
men believe right that there is no
time left in which to persuade them
to live right.
A bad life enveloped in sound
orthordox creed is a good deal like
a totteriDg ruin covered with ivy
and honeysuckle. It looks we'll
from the outside, aud you get a
fine impression so long as you fail
) TO investigate, but the moment you
) cross the threshold and get on the
inside you see what wretched
humbug it is.
1t is that sort of honeysuckle
living which disgusts the common
senses of the populace and origin
!. ates half of the severe criticisms
against religion.
This is fatal mistake, of course
for moments thought will show
+ that religion and hypocrisy are by
= no means on interchangeable terms
A first class pagan whose word il
as good as his bond and who dis
D dains to allow his honor to become
y besmeared by sharp practices is {
better citizen and has a better
F. chance for heaven than the Chris
Q tian of many professions who mus
9 be hailed into court in order to com
pei him to keep his contract.
c 1t may be pretty bad world bu
# preachers can never alter its com
plexion by teaching their peopl'
what to believe. When they be
/ gin to tell them that the differ
II ence between heaven and hell i
y the difference between an homes
and a dishonest life, they will fiji
ID their pews and there will be settee
II in the aisles.
Il Heresy hunting may be a pleas
ant fanaticism, but hunting tn
u evils of society and running them t
n earth would be much more prof,
\ able business.
- A learned discussion of free will
) and "fore knowledge absolute" ma
20 serve to exhibit scholarship, but
:. practical debate on how to alleviat
the miseries of poverty, shut u
evil resorts and make the city mol
!, ally healthy would attract the al
G. teution and command the respeC
of the entire community.
If the church could once see til
't necessity of taking up that kind {
30 work, the Indifference of the peopl
would change to enthusiasm.
- - Pope said very loosely that "a
" honest mans the nobIest work {
m God" 1t was a misstatement an
Il Can be accepted only GU the groun
:" of poetic license. A man mus
Id make himself honest or he will ne'
O. er become so-God furnishes th
10 opportunity, but nothing more.
There is more uprightness no
ut than ever before, but the supply
to not equal to the demand. We nee
o., it in public Office and in privat
life; ON Wall street and on Broa'
IS way; in politics, in the home and
of the church.
4 A sturdy honest man is the fine
=, type of human being that exists {
th the earth, and so far as his futu
is concerned he is entirely SAT
he The keeper of the Golden Gate vi
give him generous and heart
10 welcome to the best joys that a
nd stored up in heaven.
at -----%ss'-s s--ssn"-----