The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-05

Chicago, March 2s.-This sermon ad- ministers a severe rebuke to fault finders. gossips. slanderers and scandal mongers and shows by contrast how Christlike it is to be generously silent rather than cen serious In dealing with the weaknesses of others. The text Is II. Samuel i, %, Tell 1t not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of Askelon."
 "Silence." once wrote a trenchant and poetic author. lis only music asleep" By the grace of God 1 would prove that gospel silence may be musical without being always somnolence. 1t is often gos- pei harmonies wide awake and in full diapason. The golden lips of silence can sometimes be more eloquent in their gos- pei significance than the silver tongue of speech.
 There is great excitement in the Da- vidic encampment, A sentinel sees a courier at full speed running down the valley. Coming nearer, he calls out with panting voice, "ridings, my lord-tidings for the new king!' From the different tents the swarthy llmbed soldiers, who were resting from the conquests over the Amalekites, swarm forth. They lead the new arrival to the young commander. There he prostrates himself upon the ground. He announces that Saul has been defeated and has committed suicide; Jonathan has been slain. The empty throne Is now ready for It's new occupant, the conqueror of the mighty Philistine, Goliath. What was the result? Did Da- Vld tell his followers to exult over the fallen king? Did he say to his companions in arms. Good for Saul His defeat serv ed him right. Divine justice has avenged my wrongs. He had no business to try to kill me to satisfy his jealousy. He had no right to drive me Into exile. He should not have become an apostate and detied the divine power which had anoint- ed him king of Israeli" No David had the silver tongue of speech. No pslamist ever sang sweeter than this sweet singer of Israel. But David had the golden lips of gospel silence. He lifted his hand in warning. He practically said this: Do not exult over your fallen king. Do not advertise his faults to the world lest the uncircumcsed Philistnes rejoice. Do not sheer at Gods anointed. Let his faults be buried In his tomb Only remember and talk about his good qualities. Tell 1t not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of Askelton." Would that we, one and all, Askelon" Would that we, one and all, upon those who have slnned and wronged us as David was with Saul Would that we might talk only about the good quail ties of those with whom we come In con tact and not examine a mans faults with the magnifying power of a microscope and study his virtues with the mnifying power of the inverted end of telescope. Would that We might cease to write our human commentators in the sands, which are washed out by the rising tides in day, and that we might rather chisel our commendations in the solid rocks, which shall publish them forever.
 Golden Lips of Silence.
 The golden lips of gospel silence never banquet upon carrion. We know that healthful physical body has to draw it's strength from clean provender. If piece of meat Is decomposed and microscopical- ly diseased, 1t will make uncean any body into which it is absorbed. When one of the presidents-elect, many years ago was apout to be inaugurated his enemies tried to poison him. They placed poison in the food in a certain hotel where he was stopping at the time In the city of Washington. Scores and 1 believe, hun dreds of guests eating at that hotel were poisoned. Some of the guests lost their lives. Many more were doomed to life time of suffering invalidism. The Presi- dent-elect did not suffer because at that dinner he did not take any of the poison ed food. Only the ravens and the bug zards could feast upon the carcasses float ing about Noahs ark; not the dove with her wings covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold. What is true in reference to the physical body Is also true in reference to the mind and the spirit. If we allow our thoughts to feed upon what is depraved in other mems characters, then our thoughts will them selves become depraved If we allow our lips to revel in uttering the scandals and describing the weaknesses and the sins of our neighbors or friends or enemies then our own tongues will become de- filed.
 This law-that what we let our minds feed upon decides what our minds are to be-is irrevocable and all powerful. It Is so far-reaching in its results that Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, declares that he will condemn us not only for our evil actions, but also for our evil thoughts. "Ye have heard that 1t was said by them of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her al- ready in his heart" We are to be con demned not only for what we say and do, but also for what We think
 "Oh, mo-" says some nearer. That Is not square A man should not be con demned for what he thinks. The thought action of the brain is absolutely involun- tary. We think in spite of ourselves. We sin only when we carry out the evil de- sires of our souls We do not sin neces- sarily when we think evilly." An, my brother, you are mistaken. A man can in- directly govern his thoughts, as he can directly govern his actions. If a man al- lows his eye only to see pure pictures and to read good books. his ear to hear only what is good and true in reference to his fellow men; if man allows his tongue to repeat only that which is gen erous and loving and gentle-that mans mind and spirit will become true and good If his mind becomes pure then his thoughts and his desires will become pure as well as his actions
 Reaching For Lofty Ideals.
 man cannot lift himself up by pull ing at his boot straps. He must have a pure ideal to draw him out of him self When Munkacsy's famous picture. 'Christ Before Pilate," was being exhib- ited in one of our American cities, an unkempt and filthy looking man was one day seen to enter the room and stand and look for hours upon the sad and beautiful face of the Saviour. At first he stood before that painting with his hat