The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-02
Young Men aid Women
Looking Downward.
Associations and Conditions
That Elevate Character.
Sunday Evening Address by Rev.
Wallace Nuttlng.

kew. Wallace Nutting's regular Sunday
evehlhg acarcss nj Union Congregational
ohufeA agF.'n attracted an audience that
crowded .he congregation hell. His sub
al mork. " was "Young Men ana Women
On D1ty-Looking Downward" his text
lSom Matthew vi:6-13, "Bring US not into
1emptation," ana the address in full fol-
lows:
is the human being ever ''off outyn?
GAc.sed from the sort oil duties that
cain our attention during working hours
are we then cast forth loose in the world
without any duties? A foreigner who
SPOKE English imperfectly described he
ueath OF her friend by saying "she had
her conscience to the last" 1t is possible
thst some do not keep their conscience
lor all hours of the day-at least, they
wear III TOO lightly 10 be aware OF its COM
puislon., III they have a conscience they
rebuke II for interfering with them until
alter their tnclinations are followed.
conscience Is more kindly as a compan-
ION, SO somo tell me- in the morning than
IN the evening. The discovery is not
new that people are more susceptible to
all sorts OF influences in the evening than
IN the day. Ii persons are induced to at
tend chui ch at night II is found that the
sermon has more effect on them than
does the morning sermon. Similarly they
VIII, II brought into question: BILE associ-
atoms In the evening, give way TO temp
tntion more readily. The mind is not
SO STEADY either for good or evil as during
the earlier hours. Labor being over, it is
reader to follow Its acquired bent.
Hence, at that time the weak do not
keep their conscience, while the strong
give those hours to the best thoughts
OF the day.
1t may be impossible to explain fully
the influence OF evening. Ii may be the
lights which heat the head. 1t is very
hkely the sense of the unity OF humanity
THE INFLUENCE OF A CROWD.
Ii Is quite possibly notion that hav-
ing been good all day little evil may
be allowed. Among the lowest strata OF
workers, financially speaking, il is the
time 10 spend, often to waste, what has
been earned. In Sunday, particularly,
the weary workers often rest late in the
morning, and only come oat to church
or for visitation or temptation in the
evening. Be that as IL may, careful
observation has convinced me that most
OF the good and evil thaS,is done in tho
world Is done in the evening. That is
the gathering time for most thjngs-
moral and immoral. Let us examine the
tendency of those hcurs-looking down.
ward, that is, on the side of temptation.
1t is to be remembered that a young
person cannot take leave OF character.
We may bow farewell TO our own char
acter as We go around a corner, but Ii
goes with us-our heart with all its pas
sions and alleigances. Ii is absurd that
many sensible persons, under the pretext
OF unbending, as they say, should think
that they can leave their proper selves
behind and follow for some hours a
course that they would disown at some
other period OF the day. After work is
play-humanity was constructed to play
not less surely tkan to work. Rest and
change are fully as essential to the in
tegrity of the human organism as it's
work. Well then, says one, why isn't
one off duty Are you preachers deter
mineo 10 follow on with talk about duty
even into play hours? And man. young
people, making this an issue, turn their
backs on Christianity. The error lies
with confounding Christianity with pub
lie worship, or private prayer. Now
prayer is only
AN EXPRESSION OF CHRISTIANITY.
Conduct, all the hours of the twenty
four, is likewise merely an expression
of the heart. When rest time comes, here
fore, the mood which bursts forth into
action is the true test of character. IL
has been kept back during the day by
duties which allowed little time for dis
play. But when you tell boy be may
do what he WILL then you find out what
Is in him. Gods system of education
permits one to overun ones self for lit.
tie. SO as TO teach us tnat we are Door
guides without some outside influence
10 help us.
Tell me what young man after busi-
ness hours at nine O'Clock in the evening
Is hahitually doing, and YOU tell his
character. II play to him means folly,
that indicates that folly is the ruling
idea of his mind, after which he most
easily follows. Ii is the largest thing in
your soul that rules you not a Bible at
home. The largest thing is obeyed with
the least effort on our part. Hence when
we are tired we 90 this easy thing, and
hold mirror up TO our own nature A
tired man cross, shows that cross spirit
is the thing left in him, after the rood
qualities have been used up during the
day. tired man easily yield ing TO APP
petite indicates that appetite has been
beneath oil day ready TO sway hill Sin
crouched at tho door, and when the en-
ergies of the day We're relaxed the bosst
hitherto held in check, leaped upon
him.
The punishment OF wickedness Is a
wicked spirit. That is wickedness in
duiged reacts on the soul and
BREEDS AN EVIL MIND
that rules the life The devils ruling men
are their own spirits, abandoned by
them TO evil for time, as a punishment
by the Lord. The thing that YOU allow
IL your mind for quarter part of the
time Will assume after a while to govern
you. Ihousag a OF evil men were born
with noble impulses and became what
they are only by INDUCING i'm impure
thought. The evil ideal OF the day was
not satisfied with remaining merely an
idea. Every idea tries TO enlbody itself.
II pushes one forward into action Wher-
over you find man who lives with bad
thoughts IL Is oniY cowardice that pre-
vents them lfom being bad deeds. This
is 81 -ong Theology. endursed by no,icemen
and rlysicidns, and the miserable pri-
vate character that men have not known
how TO explain. Here is n man for long
years obscure, not wicked in any act TO
Any extent bat no-ose. unprofteble as a
citizen and friend. What is the trouble
with him! he has lived oil the years
with himself thinking DEVILS thoughts -
coveting LISTING, hating and never Civ.
ing unsodsh Owe a plac3 in his heart.
lhis il a dark picture. But l solomuly
declare IL i n true one az revealed u me
by inc confessions Ci not a Few men.
such n soul. nor Cvci s1ul oniy begin
ming 20 bc Talcd. at times. by such