The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1900-08-10


ing soap bubbles, and they rolled out
of the cup blue and gold and green
and sparkling and beautiful and orb
ocular, and in so small space never
saw more splendor concentrated But
she blew once too often, and all the
glory vanished into suds. Then /
turned and took glass Of water and
was refreshed And so far as sonl
thirst is concerned ! put against al
the blowing, glittering soap bubbles
of worldly reform and human specula-
ton one draft from the fountain
from under the throne Of God clea,
as crystal Glory be TO God for tho
religion that drops from above. not
coming up from beneathl "And the
Lord said unto me, Amos. what sees,
thou? And said, \ plumb line"
/ want you 90 notice this fact. that
when a man gives up the straight M
and down religion Of the Bible for
any new tangled religion. II - gener
ally TO suit his sins. You first hear
Of his change Of religion, and then YOU
hear Of some swindle he has practiced
in a special mining stock. telling soma
one II he wiz put In $4,000 he can
take out 100000; or ne has sacrificed
his integrity or plunged into IRENE
diable worldliness His SINS are SO
broad he has 90 broaden his religion.
and he becomes as broad as tempta-
ton, as broad as the souls darkness,
ms broad as hell. They want reli-
gion that will allow them 70 keep
their sins and then at death say TO
them: "Well done. good and faithful
servant" and that tells them: An
is well, for there Is no hell" What a
glorious Heaven they hold before asi
Come. let MS go In aud see a. There
are Herod and all the babes he mas
sacred. There are Charles Guiteau
and Robcspierre. the feeder o. the
French guillotine. and all the liars,
thieves, house burners. garrofers
pickpockcts and lbcrtincs of all the
centuries. They have AL got crowns
and thrones and harps and scepters
and when they chant they sing;
Thanksgiving and honor and glory
and power 20 the broad religion that
let's ms an into Heaven without re-
pentance and without faith ia those
humiliating dogmas Of ecclesiastical
old fogyism."
Ny text gives me q grand opportun-
fly ofsaying O useful word 90 nll young
mer who are now forming habits Tor a
lifetime or what use 10 q stonema-
son or bricklayer "a plumb line2
Why not build ihe-~all by the uuaided
eye and hand? Because they gre IN
sufficient. because IL there bee dr-
Election In the wall IL cannot further
on be- corrected. Becausc by the .aw
OF graduation a wall must be straight
in order 10 be- symmetrical and safr
One OF The best friends ! ever had
died Of dclirium trcmcns az a. years
81 age. though he had not since ei
wears 90 age. before which BE- had
been dissipated. touched intoxicating
liquor until that particular carousal
that took him 90. Not ceiling wen iu
the street on o. hot summer dav he
stepped into a drug store. just as YOU
and I would have done. and asked for
a dose of something 90 make him feel
better. And there was alcohol in tho
dose, and that one drop aroused The
old appetite. and hc entered the first
/ liquor store and staid there uutu
I thoroughly under the power % rum.
] lie entered his home rayiug maniac.
his wife and daughters fleeing from
/ his presence. and az first he was taken
/ 20 the city hospital 20 die.
Remember that the wall NAV De- 100
feet high. and yet detection one foot
/ from the foundation affects the entire
! structure. And ~ you live 200 years
and do right the last .0 years You NAV
nevertheless do something 40 80 years
/ Of age that will damage an your earth-
/ ~ existence. All You who have built
/ houses for yourselves or for others
am not right IN saying 10 these youns
men. you cannot build wall so high
as 10 be Independent OF the character
OF It's foundation? 4 man before 30
years Of age may commit enough sin
10 last him a lifetime. Now. John or
/ George or Henry. or whatever be- your
| Christian name or surname. say here
and now; "No wild oats for me. no
/ cigars or cigarettes for me. no wine
or beer for me, no nasty stories for me
no Sunday sprees for me. / am going
10 start right and keep on right. God
help me. for am very weak. From the
throne of eternal Righteousness Jet
down TO me the principles by which
can be guided in building everything
from foundation 10 capstone. Lord
God. by the wounded hand Of Christ
throw me a plumb line"
But" you say, you shut US young
/ folks out from all fun" Oh. no! like
fun. believe i'm fun. ] have had lots
Of IL in my time. But have not had
TO 90 into paths of sin 10 find il. No
credit TO me, but because Of an extraor.
iduary parental example and influence
| was kept from outward transgres-
sions, though my heart was bad enough
and desperately wicked. / have had
fun illimitable, though / never swore
one oath and never gambled for SO
much as the value of a pin and never
saw the inside OF haunt OF sin save
as when many years ago. with a com.
missioner of police and detective and
two elders Of my church. l explored
New York and Brooklyn by midnight
not out OF curiosity. but taat / might