The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1899-10-10
Mans Trivial Excuses
Continued from Preceding Page

to President Weston of Grocer
Seminary and said, "Doctor,
don't believe you're the kind Of a
preacher | like to hear preach. ;"
And the doctor said, "My man, l
hope | never will be the kind of a
preacher you like to hear.''
So the preacher may as well
make up his mind to bear the
blame for all this non-attendance
upon church services. Somehow
or other the people have alighted
upon the fact. 1t is the prea cher's
fault. He knows better than any
one else can know wherein is his
weakness; or his strength. He is
only man. And there are un-
successful lawyers and doctors
who are lamentable failures, and
poets who deserve early death,
diio tiCI CliautS wiz arc SuCCtSS-
full only in bankruptcy, and
school teachers who should be
sent back to the kindergarten,
and singers who should be auc-
tioneers, and Journalists who
should be tryi ing to learn to pound
sand. And so also there are
preachers whose only sphere Of
usefulness might lie in dispensing
a mob, or in obstinate cases of
chronic insomnia. But there has
resulted this one good from the
many years. discussion of this
question. The non church gOer
has so far absorbed the beneficent
influence of the gospel that he
has quit lying about it, and gives,
at last, the true reason for re-
naming away from church. He
doesn't like the preacher. That's
a good, honest reason. But there
are good reasons for bad things.
A man may jump overheard be-
cause he is tired Of the ship.
That's a good honest reason and
it may cure the mans seasick-
ness. But as 1t browns him just
the same, It's hard to see what
the man gained by being honest
with himself. Honesty is a vir-
tue, but 1T isn't all the virtues.
The man would have lived to get
ashore if he had lied about it, and
said he loved to be seasick, and
remained aboard the ship. The
best thing for him to have done
was to have told the truth about
1T, and said he hated to be sea-
sick and still remained aboard.
So, also, you had better go to
church today, and next Sunday,
and the Sunday after that, and
keep it up until you get into a
habit of it whether you like it or
not. The qulnlne the preacher
gives you is good for you, al
though it is bitter as wormwood.
If you are the kind of a man or
woman [ think you are-that is,
If YOU are like all the other men
and women | have ever known in
my life, irrespective of class, con.
dltlOn, age, sex or colcr-yOu
need a little plain talking to once
or twice q week. You are not SO
good as you think you are-not
that, either, for you are fully and
exactly as good as you think you
are-but you are not half SO good
as you would like the rest of us
to believe you are. And right
there is where the other kind of
preacher is just the right kind for
you. A smart dose of the knout,
deftly laid upon your spiritual
nature, acts after the manner Of
a tonic. 1t excitcs a vigorous cir
culation: stimulates activity in
the muscles you write with, exer-
clses the vocal chords, and puts
an elasticity IN your whole moral
system. You know yourself, per-
fectly well, that the sermon which
made you the maddest told you
the most true things about your
self. And the worst Of it is you