The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-07-25

a young fellow, it was my delight
to put a barrel of flour on top Of
another barrel to show the boys
who gathered in the country store
how strong I was. And the other
day when I saw a man carrying on
his back, bag of salt weighing 800
pounds, said Il have done that
myself" 1t may be could do it
again, Though l am not SO sure of
that but one thing l am sure of,
and that is, am not fool enough to
try.
The trouble with many young
Christians in the world is tina t they
think they ought to exert their
strength to the utmost. They think
it quite commendable to go just as
near to the fire as possible to see
whether they can escape without
the smell of smoke, They play
with the flame as poor moths play
with lamps that they have the fun
without the singed wing. They are
like boys have seen near my
home who run through bon-fires
just to see if it will scorch their
shoes. They test their spiritual
strength, as l tested my physical
strength in lifting the barrel of
flour, to have men praise them for
their prowess. Poor foals, they do
not know that the best way to meet
temptation is to escape it. And
that if they would be lastingly and
magnificently strong, they must
strain the souls muscles beyond
reason.
This fool rested in his own good
works, and praised himself for the
things for which men praised him
in the earlier days, He congratu-
lates himself on his former faithful
ness, and thinks that that is suffi-
Gent present commentator. Stale
plattitudes of former days that
meant nothing when the airy words
were said and that mean less to-day
upon these he feeds like a hungry
vnlture over the carcass of the
field.
He excuses himself for not attend.
ing to church duties and prayer
meetings BY saying II used to do it"
Ask him to do some little thing in
the service of the sanctuary and he
declines but adds 81 once enjoyed
such work and used to do my share
Of it, did, And thus he rests on
what has been done, never thinking
that though we accomplish q thnu-
SAM times more To-. than yester-
uay. we can only say when it is al
over II am an Improbable servant.
| have only done to-day what l
ought to have done to-day" No man
can ever do in one day more than
enough to meet the divine require.
ment. Double service now can not
atone for half service of the past. We
can never catch up to Il lost oppor-
tunIty. Resting on the good works
Of the past is no argument for good
heart at the prcsent. There is no
such thing as the supererogation
CT works. To.day's duties claim my
full attention yesterdays are gone
forever. lie is just as much self.
trusting fool who trusts Il past self
as is he who trust present self.
Why shouldn't man trust his
own heart. Let the answer DC made
in Scripture Language. Let Je niah
give his opinion oil the heart. The
hear! is dcceitfu! above ali things
and desperately wicked Ier. l7:0.
Let our Lord turn u heart inside out
and tell us what he finds there. "For
from within, cut of the heart Of man
proceed evil thought. adul,eries, for
nications, murders" Mark 7:2l Is it
any wonder that we are warned
against trusting such an organ? 1t
would Sem as If Christ meant to say
to Cleopas and Luke that morning
OF the resurrection as they walked
on thu way to Emmaus that the
heart is incapable OF deep spiritual
insight and understanding, when He
said 80 fools and slow of heart to
believe all that the prophets have
spoken" Luke 24:25. If so we have
an added reason for not trusting so
tickle and deceitful IN organ as u
fools Ecart.
Three verses set forth the right
course for the self.trusting fool II he
would find deliverancc from himself.
They are the Is, &c, q verses Of the
chapter whence out text is taken.
The first is, a devine crust. "He
that Is Of a proud heart sttrreth up
strife. but he that putteth his trust
in the Lord, shall be mace fat The
second Is u wise walk. Gle that
trusteth in his own heart isa fool;
but he that wa'keth wisely shall be
delivered" The third is SympathIc
life. ale that giveth untn the poor
shall not lack; but he that hideth his
eyes shall have many curse.
Thank God there is hope for the
self trusting fool. His case is not
entirely hopeless. Let him edge
away. as far away as possible, from
himself He who would be on clos
est speaking terms with himself
must not be surprised if he is taken
for fool. WisdomI would tell us to
. have nothing to do with ourselves.
The man we least know is the man
whose heart beats seventy times
minute under our own coats Per-
haps it is best that we do not know
ourselves as God knows us, lest we
become discouraged with the revela-
ton. There is no help for the self
trusting fool from within. It must
be had from without That help, is
the promised possession of the self
distressing man, who puts conf
dence in God, walks carefully and
,ui.alu in tla uilSt of this lreSant