The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-05-29
+ OTIS CHOICE.
BY REV. M. E. MEL VIM.

:GGGGGGG&&
made the beautiful for US to admire
and to love, but the choice was
colored by the motive that underlay
it, and that motive was in Itself a
wicked one. He lost sight of the
higher good and placed God and
home and family in a subordinate
position. 1t was foolish choice.
Il revealed on his part poor
judgment. How much better
would it have been to remain
in the tent OF his old uncle
and aunt! AL, the folly displayed
in the choice we sometimes make.
In one moment, yieldingto a blind
passion we make breach in our
lives that it takes an eternity to re-
pair.
Let us also notice the superstruc-
ture Lot raised by the results OF his
choice in after years. 1t removed
him far away from wholesome in
|fluence. Lot was young man
who needed the association OF a
man like Abram. Off yonder in
the plain there is no Bethel, no
family altar, no uncle to call upon
and to 90 to. Let us never choose
what will thus sever our souls from
such needed companionship. Lot
began to decline as soon as he left
Abram. Have you made choice
that will take you away from an
environment that your soul needs {
Then return before it is too late.
His choice impaired and crippled
his soul. What a strong man he
might have been--had he chosen
differently. Bad associations will
invariably faint the soul. Scientists
tell US that lead and gold put in CEN
tact will amalgamate, the lead abb
sorbing the gold. Who are your
associates !? Are they those who
will laugh and mock you to scorn in
your day of calamity! You are
daily choosing your companions and nd
your life -in the end will be colored
by their contact. Besides this the
life impaired by sin never RECEIVERS
in this world. There is a poem by
Hezekiah Butterworth that illus
trates this truth.
walked through the woodland meadows
Where sweet the ruSheS sing;
And found on bed of moses
A bird with a broken wing,
| healed its wound, and each morning
But the bird with the broken pinion
Never SCARED as high again.
found young life broken
By sins seductive art
And touched with a Christlikc pity
| took him to my heart,
He lived with noble purpose
And struggled not in vain,
But the lifetthat sin had stricken
Never SCARED as high again.
But the bird with the broken pinion
Kept another from the snare,
And the life that sin had stricken
Raised another from despair,
Each loss has its compensation,
There is healing for every pain;
But the bird with broken pinion
Never scars as high again.
Furthermore Lot lost his power
to witness for God. Doubtless he
tried for while to improve his
neighbors, but all in vain. At last
he settled down in quiet repose
among them. His words fell lightly
upon their ears when he was living
and acting as they, engaging in
their occupations, and indulging in
their past times. In other words
Lot knew better and would make a.
spasmodic effort to improve, but
he lived one thing AMI talked an
other, so that when the angel
warned him of the impending doom,
and he told it to his sons in law and
his neighbors they laughed him to-
scorn. Friend, you can't do much
good in this world for God or your
self while you live the life Of the
world.
Thou must be true thyself,
If thou the truth wouldst teach,
1t needs the overflow Of heart,
To give the lips full speech.
Notice in the last place the evil
results upon the whole career Of
Lot. He had not long been in the
plain when he was taken captive
by an enemy and his old uncle,
whom he had treated SO badly, came
to rescue him. But still he dWelt
in the plains. A few years later
his home is destroyed in the fire Of
Sodom- his wife is lost and becomes
a byword and proverb to all
men, and he with two daughters