The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-11-23

coming down. Young merchants
young lawyers, young doctors, younl
mechanics, young artists, young farm
ers, at certain times there are thos'
to sympathize with you, but now tha
you are becoming a master of YOU
particular occupation or profession
how is it now. young lawyers, young
doctors, young artists, young farm
ers-how is it now? The greatest
crime that you can commit is the
crime of success.
Again, my subject impresses me
with the value of decision of char
acter in any department. Daniei
knew that If he continued his adher.
ence TO the religion Of the Lord he
would be hurled TO the lions; but
having set his compass well, he sailed
right on. For the lack of that ele-
ment Of decision of character so emf
nent in Daniel many men are ruined
/ for this world and ruined for the
world to come. A great many at 40
years Of age are not settled in any
+ respect, because they have not been
able to make up their minds. Per
haps they will go west; perhaps they
will 90 east; perhaps they will not;
perhaps they will go north; perhaps
they may 60 south; perhaps they will
not; perhaps they may make that in
vestment in real estate or in rail
roads; perhaps they will not. They
are like a steamer that should go
ont of New York han Dor, starting for
Glasgow, and the next day should
change for Havre de Grace, and the
next for Charleston, and the next for
Boston, and the next for Liverpool.
These men on the sea Of life ever
lastingly tacking ship and making no
headway Or they are like a man
who starts 10 build a house in the
Corinthian style and changes IL to
Doric and then completes it in the
Ionic, the curse of all styles Of archi-
lecture. Young man, start right and
keep on. Have decision Of character.
Character is like the godfnch Of Ton
quin. 1t is magnificent while stand
ing firm. but loses all its beauty in
flight. How much decision of char
acter in order that these young men
may be Christiansl Their old asso-
ciates make sarcastic filings at them.
They go on excursions, and they do
not invite them. They prophesy that
he will give out They wonder If he
is not getting wings As he passes
they grimace and wink and chuckle
and say: "There goes SAINT" o
young man. have decision of charac-
ter. You can afford in this matter
of religion TO be laughed at. What do
YOU care for the SCOTS Of these men.
who are affronted because you will
not go TO ruin with them? When the
grave cracks open under their feet.
and grim messengers push them into
it. and eternity comes down hard
upon their spirit, and conscience
stings. and hopeless ruin lifts them
mp TO hurl them down, will they
laugh then?
learn also from my subject that
men may take religion into their world
lv business. This is most appropriate |
thought at this season of the year.
when so many men are starting out in
new enterprises. Daniel had enough |
work to do to occupy six men. All the
affairs Of state were in his hands; ques-
tions OF finance, questions Of war OF
peace; all international questions were /
for his settlement or adjustment. He |
must have had a correspondence vast /
beyond all computation. There was
not a man in all the earth who had
more to do than Daniel the secretary
~ state, and yet we find him three
times a day bowing before God in
prayer. There are men in our day who
have not a hundredth part Of Daniels
engagements who say they are too
busy TO be religious. They have an
idea somehow that religion will spoil
their worldly occupation, that il will
trip the accountants pen or dull the
saw or confuse the lawyers
brief or disarrange the merchants
store shelf. They think religion is i'm
pertinent. They would like to have il
-ery we'll seated beside them in church
)n the Sabbath. to find the place in the
or 10 nudge them awake
when they get sleepy under the didac-
ic discourse. or they would like 10
cave il in the pew on Sabbath evening
rs they go ont. closing the door, say
ng: Good night. religion; I'll be back
iext Sunday" But to have religion
20 right along by them all through life.
o have religion looking over their
when they are making a bar
rain. TO have religion take up a bag
II dishonest gold and shake it and say:
Where did you get that?" They think
hat is an impertinent religion. They
would like to have religion to help
hem when they are sick, and when
he shadow Of death comes over them
hey would like TO have religion as
ort Of nightkey with which to open
he door of Heaven. but religion under
ther circumstances they take to be
Now. my friends. religion never
obbed a man of dollar Other things
eing equal. mason will build a bet
er wall. a cabinet maker will make a
etter chair, a plumber will make a
etter pipe. lawyer will make a bet
er plea. a merchant will sell a better
IN Of goods. ! say, other things be-
~ equal OF course when religion
;vae a man a neW heart. il does not