Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-11-07

One day a man comes to you and saws
, "Good morning" You look at him ana
say, "IVhy you have the ADVANTAGE Of me;
cannot place you" He SAYS. Don't YOU
remember thirty years ago giving me ct
ter of Introduction to William F: Dodge,
"yes, yes, I do" He says, Il am the
man. That was my first step toward
fortune. But have retired from business
now and am giving my time % phliantnro-
pies and public interests. Come up to my
house and see me"
Or a man comes to YOU and saws:
want to introduce myself to you: WenI
into prayer meeting some years ago
sat back by the door. You arose to maze
an exhortation. That talk changed the
course of my life and if l ever get to
heaven under God 1 will owe my salvation
TO Won" In only ten, twenty or thirty
years the circle swept out and swept PACK
again to your own grateful heart.
But sometimes it is a wider circle ana
does not return for a great while. ! saw
bill Of expenses for burning Latimer
and Ridley The bill Of expenses has these
,'S'-' shillings. Pence;
One load of fire fagots. .........3
Carriage for four loads of wood..2
Item, a
Item, two chains. ..............3
Item, two staples. ...............:
Item for laborers.
making in all 25s. Sd. That was cheap
fire, considering all the circumstances, but
it kindIed a light which shone all around
the world and aroused the martyr spirit,
and ont from that burning Of Latimer
and Ridley rolled the circle wider and
wider. starting other circles, ctnvoluting,
ovcrrunning, circnmscriblng, oTeireachIng
all heaven-a circle.
But what is true of the good is just as
true Of the bad You utter a SANDER
against YOUR neighbor. 1t has gone forth
from your teeth. 1t will never come back;
Won think You have done the man all
the mischief YOU can. You rejoice TO see
him vince You say, Didn't l give it; to
him." That word has gone out, that
slanderous word, on its poisonous and
you any harm. But I am watching that
word, and I see it beginning to curve and
it curves around and it is aiming at your
heart. You had better dodge it. You can
not dodge it. 1t rolls into your hosom
ard after it rolls in word Of an old book
rolls in after it. saving: "With what meas
u:e We mete it shall be measured to you
again"
You maltrcated an aged parent. You
beprudge him the room in your house
You are impatient with bis whimsicaIities
and garrulity. It makes you mad to hear
him tell the same story twice. on give
him food he cannot masticate You wish
he was away. You wonder ii he Is going
to live forever. He will be gone very soon
His steps are shorter aud shorter. He Is
going to stop. But God has an account to
settle with you on that subject After
awhile your eye viii be dim, and your giant
Will halt, and the sound OF the grinding
will he low, and you will tell the same
story twice, and your children will wonder
if you Will never be taken away; They
called Won Gather once. Now they call
YOU the "oId man" If YOU live a few
years longer they will call YOU the odd
chap" What are those rough words with
which your children are accostlng you?
They are the echo OF the very words. you
used in the ear Of your old father forty
years ago.
A gentleman passing along the avenue
saw son dragging his father into the
street by the hair of the head. The gentle
man, outraged at this bruta conduct, was
about to punish the offender, when the
Oh man arose and said: Don't hurt him.
It's all right. Forty years ago this very
morning I dragged out my father by the
hair of his head" 1t is a circle. Other
sins may be adjourned to the next world,
but matrGatment OF parents Is punished, u, IN
this world. That circle is made quickly,
V, " quickly.
The meanest thing a man can do is after
some difficulty has been settled to bring
it up again. and God will not do anything
ike that. Gods memory Is mighty enough
to hold all the events OF the ages, but
there is one thing that is sure to slip ~
memory, one thing He is sure to forge,
and that is pardoned transgresslon.
How do l know it? l will prove 1t.
"Their sins and their iniquties will I re-
member no more" BLESSED is he whose
transgression is forgiven"
But do not make the mistake OF think
~ / &C he etoY
with this life 1t rolls on through heaven.
You might quote in opposition to me what
st. John says about the city of heaven.
He says 1t ''Heth four square" That does
seem 10 initiate against this idea OF cir
Gle. Bat do you not know there Is many
square house that has a family circle fac
ing each other and in a circle moving,
and [ can prove that this is SO in regard
to heaven, St. John says, Il heard the
voice of many angels round about the
throne and the beasts and the elders"
And again he says, Il saw round about
the throne four and twenty seats" And
again he says, There was rainbow round
about the throne
The two former imply circle; the last,
either circle or a semicirce. The seats
facing each other, the angels facing each
other, the men facing each other. Heaven
an amphitheatre OF CORY Circumference
of patriarch and prophet and apostle. Cir
cumference of Scotch Covenanters and
Theban legion and Albigenses Circumfer-
ence of the good of all ages. Periphery
OF splendor unimagined and indescribabie.
\ circle \ circle!
But every circumference must have
centre. and what is the centre of this heav
emily circumference? Christ. His all the
glory; His all the praise; His all the
crowns All heaven wreathed into gar
land round about Him. Take off the inn
perial sandal from His foot and behold the
scar of the spike. Lift the coronet of do
minion from His brow and see where was
the laceration of the briers. Come closer,
all heaven. Narrow the circle around His
great heart o Christ, the Saviour! O
Christ, the man! 0 Christ. the God!
Keep Thy throne forever, seated on the
circle of tie earth seated on the circle Of
heaven.
con Christ, the solid rock, l stand;
All other ground is s.. :ting sand