The Newtown bee., 1902-01-24

from Caleb and Joshua. In this story you will notice three words beginning with "g," the word "God, the word "giant," and the word grasshopper. Now, note that these spies made great mistake as to the positions of these words. They compared them selves with the people of the land and said "And in their sight we were as grasshoppers." If they had compared the people of the land with God they would have said "We compared the people with God and they were as grasshoppers." This is the view Caleb and Joshua took. The influence of these spies led the people into cow ardice and into disobedience. The result was for that generation great and untold loss.
 Again, you will find in the Book of Joshua the triumph song of Deborah and Barak and in it was one curse. "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord" Meroz was not the only city that refused to fight in battle. The leaders called all cities together to go against S1sera, but some refused. "Gilead abode beyond Jordan; and Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea-" but there is no curse for Gilead, Dan and Asher. But we read, "curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof: be- cause they came not out to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty" Why was Meroz different from Dan and Asher and Gilead? The reason was that
 MEROZ WAS A CITY ON A HILL
 and guarded the pass through which
 the Canaanites must escape. It was
 in the power of Meroz to utterly block
 the lpass and thus exterminate the enemies of Gods people; but Meroz
 never lifted finger to aid Israel. She sat in her own city walls secure while
 her brethren were fighting against an
 unequal foe. "Curse ye Meroz." By
 whose authority. The angel of the
 Lord. Why, what did Meroz do:
 Nothing. Why then is Meroz to be
 cursed? Because they did nothing.
 What ought they to have done? Come
 to the rescue of the Lord. Could not
 the Lord do without the help of Meroz:
 He did do without Meroz. Then did God sustain any loss? No, but the people of Meroz did. Then is Meroz to be cursed? Yes, most bitterly. k
 man to be cursed for doing nothing: Yes, when he ought to do something "That servant which knew his Lords will and did it not, shall be beater with many stripes" So ito him that
 knoweth to do good and doth it not tt
 him it is sin.''
 So the influence of a word can d. more harm than poisonous asp. Ii
 ever goes on and on doing its deadly mischief, or bringing soothing balm
 to weary hearts. Words are swifte] than quick spent arrows. They 2, ' with the rapidity of thought. It i here, there and everywhere, and 500, , the mischief is done. Oh! how needfu
 to pray, "Set watch, O Lord, befor
 my mouth; keep thou the door of m, Ilips.'
 II Look at the boldness of Peter, James ' oh D,,, 1s~ , dom and love: their words of power
 because expressing the truths as Go' , commanded, are still going around tn Q world and are blessing humanity every f where.
 As said before some men will rag Q against godly life, as they did agains these men of god. They were not t . blame for that misinterpreted in Q fluence. That this is so is not becaus f these men were good, but because tn f others were vile. The influence thel a of good life acts upon those desirin . to be good as a wholesome medicine
 Yea, lite has often blossomed as tn rose emitting fragrance lastingl sweet.
 A BENIGN INFLUENCE IS AS THE SUN t It makes the barren heart to blossor d like the rose. How much we ought t t seek to live like Him whose blesse e life is the inspiration of the world t where there is so much to darken it. j. "Ye are the light" A light casts d shadow Where is it. caSt2 How iS r cast? A shadow we must cast; W
 can't evade it. Let us cast it for tn e good of'the church and the glory of Goo d Now, what was the secret of Peter t power? It was not Peters innat